Need help understanding piano

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Hi:I have no experience with a piano but wanted to gift one to my nephew who has never played piano before.I have a 44-key Casio SA-76 Piano, https://www.amazon.com/ Casio-SA76-mini-Sized-Tones/dp/B00416WHV4 . It has 26 white keys and 18 black keys. There are pianos with different number of keys 61, 52, 88, etc. I have two questions. 1: Can one play any song on any keyboard irrespective of the number of keys available? For instance, I don't want to buy 44-key piano then realizing later that twinkle twinkle little star cannot played on it.  2: I was trying to buy these stickers, https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07SJ8RZL4 , but it doesn't have any for 44-key piano. Does it mean 44-key piano is really limited and not very common, and something like 61 key piano would be better choice? Thanks a lot for help!

AlpheccaStars · Accepted Answer

Classical pianos are instruments with 88 keys and hammer mechanism that strikes a string when the key is depressed. They come in the concert-style grand piano, and the smaller upright, where the strings and soundboard are vertical. Traditional pianos, especially the grand piano for classical concerts can be very expensive. Forty years ago, my dad, who loved to play piano, saved up five thousand dollars to buy an 1905 Steinway baby grand. It was his prize possession.

This is the inside of an upright piano - the strings and hammers are visible above the keys.

I think you are describing a keyboard, which is an electronic instrument. This a different instrument because there are no strings. The sound is made by electronics. So the "touch" for playing and the sound is quite different from the traditional piano. It is much cheaper, and does not need any maintenance.

The sounds of electronic keyboards can be changed to that of other instruments such as an organ, a flute or bells. Some have dozens of features for accompaniment sounds and sound effects. The more features it has, the higher the price. But still they are rather inexpensive and good for students who want to learn how to play.

Jackson6612 1: Can one play any song on any keyboard irrespective of the number of keys available?

No and yes.

The full range of piano music theoretically goes over the entire range of 7+ octaves. But most songs, which are in the range of a human voice are only in the central 3-4 octaves. And only professional opera singers have voices that can span this range. The higher and lower notes on the piano are used for instrumental music.

If your nephew aspires to be a concert pianist then get the 88-key version. He can learn any music from Chopin to the Beatles to chopsticks.

If he only wants to play children's songs, and have sing-alongs with is friends, then the shorter keyboard is fine.

You can even buy a toy piano. But that will be quite limited in what it can play.

Sixty-one keys can be pretty nice.

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