Piano Action - Synth Action, Weighted Action, Hammer Action, Graded Hammer Action!

Piano Action - When it comes to the various keyboard actions available on musical keyboards and stage pianos, you will hear various terms like Synth Action, Weighted Action, Hammer Action, and Graded Hammer Action. These terms simply indicate what type of keys you want for your keyboard. Action refers to the feel of the instrument, the keys in particular. I am sure you must have noticed that the pianos have thicker keys whereas most of the keyboards have thinner keys.

The only reason you will find these different actions is because the manufacturers are constantly trying to get that perfect piano action on a portable keyboard. Before you decide what sort of action you need, let us see what each of them stands for.

Synth Action
A Synth action is found in almost all the musical keyboards. With a Synth action it is easier to play faster as the keys are lighter. It is basically made of plastic. Almost all the entry level keyboards have this action.

If you have been playing the Piano for some time then you may find this action a bit uncomfortable. A lot of musicians anyway find this action to be more suited to playing the sound of other instruments besides the piano. You can try it out at your local store to get its feel.

Weighted Action
Here you will find the manufacturers trying to imitate a real piano action. Weights are added below the plastic keys to make them harder to play. This means that the feel is more like a Piano.

You will get a better piano feel with the Hammer action, which is an improvement over the Weighted Action as they actually use hammers inside. But they will usually cost more.

Hammer Action
In this case, the manufacturers actually use hammers inside the keyboard to strike a surface. The intention obviously is to get that perfect Piano feel. This action is far better than the weighted action and a lot of pianists actually prefer the Hammer action.

Graded Hammer Action
Another effort to get that perfect piano feel! This action emulates the action of a grand piano. You will find that the keys are heavier in the bass and lighter in the treble areas. This is what exactly happens on a grand piano, the hammers get thicker as you move to the bass side from the treble.

If you wish to play a lot of classical stuff then, go in for a weighted action or a Hammer Action keyboard. One good thing for you would be, once you play on these keys, you can play on any piano.

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