Quote:

Thanks Mac for your explanation of semi-weighted. I had naively assumed that it meant simply less physical weight is added to the keys than a fully weighted key.

I actually bought a Casio WK500 thinking that I could get used to the light touch. It has a "hard" setting which makes a small difference to the feel but I just cannot play the thing as a piano without sounding wrong notes. There also isn't much velocity difference between a light or heavy stroke. Am I right in assuming that the Kurzweil electronic key weighting system will be much better than the Casio?

Thanks
Tony



First of all, I would have to say that the use of any key weighting of any kind as a crutch to prevent the playing of wrong notes isn't what the key weighting is supposed to be for in the first place. The real answer to that problem is to practice, practice, practice, until you have mastered NOT playing like that. The Hanon, Czerny, the Schmidt studies will build that, plus hand strength and understanding of the most widely used patterns, as well.

I've played the Casio W500 and do not find that I am any less accurate than I am on any piano, even the full on acoustic pianos. Of course, my goal has always been to be able to play as accurately as Oscar Peterson did, or Monty Alexander does. With me, some days are better than others *grin*.

But seriously, a player of *any* instrument should not be selecting the instrument based on a bad playing habit, looking for one particular machine that may mask that problem - chances are it won't and you will only be fooling yourself - and you would end up being quite the one trick pony. "I can play that, but not on THIS piano!"

It was not all that long ago when the Pianist did not portage their own particular instrument from gig to gig, but relied on the once ubiquitous "house piano" found in almost every venue. The first thing we would do upon entering a new house would be to sit down and get to know that piano. Each was a slightly different situation, some were worse than others, but your job is to be able to wring the most out of it regardless.

Anyway, a few weeks or months of practicing your scale fingerings, your block chord grabs, plus your repertoire should straighten out any problems such as you cite and the great thing about doing it that way is that once you concquer such, you will possess it FOR LIFE.

If it was me, I'd intentionally play only on that Casio W500 when practicing, or another keyboard that accentuated my problem, with the goal being to *eliminate* whatever was causing the problem.

One more thing: You should do whatever it takes to find an example of any keyboard you are thinking about buying and get there where it is set up and TRY IT OUT. Don't assume anything.


--Mac

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