Music Sound

Yamaha P-250 - a digital stage piano with built-in speakers

A stage piano is a digital piano that reproduces sound electronically by the use of sampled or digitally modelled sounds. It differs from other digital pianos in their design — the stage pianos are just the keys and controls, not the stand and pedals that other digital pianos have. Additionally, stage pianos are typically more portable and flexible than other digital pianos for those, such as musicians on tour, who need to move their instruments frequently.

"Stage Piano" was also the model name of a range of electromechanical stringless pianos (not digital pianos) produced by Rhodes from 1970 to about 1985. Unlike the company's earlier Suitcase Piano, the Stage Piano had no built-in amplification or loudspeakers and was a completely passive instrument, analogous to an electric guitar. Models produced were the "Mk I", "Mk II", "Mk III EK-10" and "Mk V" Stage Pianos.

The keys

All stage pianos have weighted keys, like all digital pianos. If a stage piano has semi weighted keys, it is generally referred to as a keyboard. The number of keys is usually 88, which is standard for all modern acoustic pianos, but that is not mandatory. For instance, The Kurzweil SP76 has only 76 weighted keys, but is still called a stage piano because of its layout and weighted keys.

The sounds

The sound spectrum of stage pianos is often wider than that of other digital pianos. The standard digital piano often has no more than a few acoustic and electric piano sounds, and some strings, organs or harpsichords. Stage pianos, on the other hand, often have a wider variety of sounds, like drum sounds, woodwinds, brass, electronic synthesizer, vocal sounds, strings (guitar, violin etc) and so on.

Popular stage pianos

Clavia Nord Stage
Kurzweil SP88X
Roland RD-700
Yamaha P-90
Yamaha P-120
Yamaha P-250