How Many Keys On A Full Sized Piano? - MusicalHow.Com

I’ve always found the piano fascinating due to its unique blend of mechanics and art. As you press each key, padded hammers strike metal strings, creating beautiful sounds that many argue make it a percussion instrument.

Every stringed instrument before the piano was played by plucking, strumming like a guitar, or using a bow like a violin. The Hornbostel-Sachs system classifies the piano as a chordophone. A chordophone produces sound from a vibrating string stretched between two points. 

Contents show Key Takeaways About Pianos Pianos with Extra Keys Pianos with Shorter Keyboards Electric Pianos Electronic Pianos Digital Pianos

Key Takeaways About Pianos

• Standard Key Count: A full-size acoustic piano typically has 88 keys, consisting of 52 white keys and 36 black keys, spanning seven octaves and a minor third.
• Pianos with Extra Keys: Some pianos have extended ranges like the Imperial Bösendorfer with 97 keys and the Stuart & Sons model featuring 108 keys.
• Shorter Keyboards: Early and specialized pianos may have fewer keys, such as the 85-key or the 73-key minipiano.
• Electric Pianos: Introduced in 1939, they use pickups and amplifiers instead of soundboards, and often have variations between 64-key and 88-key models offered by brands like Yamaha, Kawai, and Helpinstill.
• Digital Pianos: These are popular for their cost-effectiveness, with key ranges from 32 to 88 keys, and provide a flexible layout depending on the manufacturer.

The piano’s most prominent feature is its keyboard, which has 88 specific keys spanning from A₀ to C₈. A modern acoustic piano has seven octaves and a minor third. Each octave includes seven white keys (C, D, E, F, G, A, B) and five black keys for the “accidental” notes (C♯/D♭, D♯/E♭, F♯/G♭, G♯/A♭, A♯/B♭). There are 52 white keys and 36 black keys in total.

Pianos with Extra Keys

Although 88 keys are standard for a piano, some manufacturers go beyond this. Imperial Bösendorfer offers a piano with nine extra bass keys, totaling 97 keys over eight octaves. Recently, Stuart & Sons released a model with 108 keys, covering nine full octaves from C₀ to B₈!

These extra keys often have a hinged cover or a different color. Extra white keys are black to help pianists avoid disorientation if they’re not used to the additional keys.

The Emánuel Moór Pianoforte features two rows of keys, totaling 164 keys. The lower manual has 88 keys, and the upper has 76. Both manuals strike a single set of strings, but the upper manual sounds an octave higher than the lower. This lets a pianist play two octaves with one hand. Only about 60 of these rare pianos were ever made. 

Pianos with Shorter Keyboards

Many pianos have less than 88 keys on their manual. Earlier pianos had 85 keys—50 white and 35 black—spanning seven octaves from A₀ to A₇. Other pianos, like the minipiano, have fewer keys. Its manual has 73 keys spanning six octaves from F₁ to F₇.

Electric Pianos

Electric pianos, first introduced in 1939, use the same mechanism as acoustic pianos. However, they rely on pickups instead of soundboards. Modern electric pianos often include built-in amplifiers. Like their acoustic counterparts, electric pianos come in both grand and upright models.

Currently, three brands market electric pianos: Yamaha, Kawai, and Helpinstill. They all offer 88-key models and also produce electric pianos with fewer keys.

Besides the 88-key models, Yamaha offers 73– and 76-key options. Kawai provides 75-key and 76-key pianos alongside their 88-key pianos. The 75-key model features 44 white and 31 black keys across six octaves from F₁ to G₆. The 76-key model includes 45 white and 31 black keys from E₁ to G₆.

Helpinstill offers a 64-key model and two 88-key upright electric pianos. The Roadmaster-64 keyboard features 38 white and 26 black keys, covering five octaves from A₁ to C₇.

Feature	Details
Introduction	1939
Sound Mechanism	Pickup
Built-in Amplifiers	Late models
Models	Grand & Upright
Brands	Yamaha, Kawai, Helpinstill
Keys Available (Yamaha)	88, 73, 76
Keys Available (Kawai)	88, 75, 76
Keys (Kawai’s 75-key)	44 white, 31 black; F₁ to G₆
Keys (Kawai’s 76-key)	45 white, 31 black; E₁ to G₆
Keys Available (Helpinstill)	64, 88
Keys (Helpinstill 64-key)	38 white, 26 black; A₁ to C₇

Electronic Pianos

The electronic piano looks different from the traditional acoustic piano. It simulates the piano’s sound using analog electronic circuitry. The electronic piano gained popularity in the late 70s and 80s, thanks to the RMI Electra. The RMI electronic pianos feature a 61-key keyboard with 36 white and 25 black keys, spanning five octaves from the first F key to the sixth F key.

Digital Pianos

The digital piano is a favorite choice over acoustic ones due to its cost. Some models are available for less than a hundred dollars, though these often look like toys because of their limited keys. Prices can vary significantly based on the number of keys, make, and brand name.

The number of keys on a digital piano ranges from 32 to 88. Key layouts differ by brand. A 32-key manual, with 23 white and 13 black keys, can start with C or F. This also applies to 36- and 37-key manuals. Keyboards with 49, 54, and 61 keys start with C, while 76 and 88 keys start with A.