Digital vs Electric Piano: What's the Difference?
These two terms are often confused, but they refer to instruments with quite different sounds and uses. Here's how to tell them apart.
The digital piano: reproducing the acoustic piano
The digital piano aims to faithfully reproduce the sound and feel of a classical acoustic piano, thanks to a weighted action and sounds sampled from real concert pianos. It's the recommended choice for learning general classical repertoire.
The electric piano: a distinctive vintage sound
The electric piano (historically instruments like the Fender Rhodes or the Wurlitzer) has a warm, slightly metallic sound of its own, inherited from its original electro-mechanical design, today reproduced by modern digital instruments. It's a sound emblematic of soul, jazz fusion and funk.
Which one to choose?
For general piano learning, the digital piano is the most versatile choice. To specifically chase the characteristic sound of soul or funk, an electric piano (or a digital piano with good sampled electric piano sounds) will be better suited.
Questions about digital vs electric piano
Can a digital piano also produce electric piano sounds?+
Yes, many modern digital pianos include sampled electric piano sounds in their sound library, in addition to the classic acoustic piano sound.
Which one should I choose to start learning piano?+
The general-purpose digital piano remains the recommended choice for broad classical learning; see our article on learning piano for more advice.
