Digital Piano Keys, Weighted vs Semi-Weighted
A digital piano has 88 weighted, touch-sensitive keys like an acoustic piano; hammer action copies the feel most closely, and semi-weighted keys feel lighter.
By Andrian ChengContributing writer.
On this page
The short answer
If you want to learn piano, look for 88 keys with weighted hammer action. That combination is what makes a digital piano feel like an acoustic one, so the technique you build carries over. Semi-weighted and unweighted keys feel lighter and less like a real piano, so they are a compromise for learning.
How many keys does a piano have
Most pianos built since about 1870 have 88 keys, and the lowest note sounds at 27.5 Hz. A few concert pianos go further; the Bosendorfer Imperial has 97 keys.
A full 88-key keyboard is the defining feature of a digital piano. Instruments with fewer keys, or with unweighted keys, are usually called electronic or digital keyboards instead.
Weighted vs semi-weighted keys
| Key type | How it feels |
|---|---|
| Hammer action | Closest to an acoustic piano; a moving weight resists each key |
| Weighted, simpler system | Keys resist the finger, but less precisely; common on portable models |
| Semi-weighted | Some resistance, but a less accurate copy of piano touch |
| Unweighted | Light, like an electric organ or synthesizer |
On a digital piano the keys are also velocity-sensitive: the faster you press, the louder and brighter the note, as on an acoustic piano.
Many portable digital pianos keep a graded feel even with a simpler action, which means the low keys are heavier than the high ones, as on an acoustic piano.
What does hammer action mean
In an acoustic piano, each key throws a felt hammer at the strings, and that hammer is what your finger feels. A digital piano has no strings, so a hammer-action keyboard adds a weighted lever under each key. When you press the key, a cam lifts the hammer weight, and the resistance and rebound feel like the real thing. The shape and weight of the hammer and where the sensors sit change the touch from model to model.
Makers give their actions their own names. Roland, for example, describes the keyboard of its FP-30X as the PHA-4 Standard, an 88-key hammer action with escapement and ivory feel. Roland says the result is an acoustic-like touch, down to a slight click as each key goes down.
When you compare listings, look for the action name and check that it says hammer action, weighted and 88 keys, not just "full-size keys", which only describes the width.
Digital pianos on Wiki Shopping
Wiki Shopping lists 61 digital pianos, and 59 of them are home digital pianos. Among brands with their own page, Donner has 11, and Yamaha and Strich have 4 each.
How we count
Type and brand are read from each store listing and grouped into filter pages. We counted those pages in a read-only query of our page data on October 26, 2026. Only brands with enough listings for their own page appear in the chart. The counts change as listings are added or removed.