I was just reading on the Guitar Player site how electric guitarists often practice on acoustic guitar to maintain their hand strength.

Do electric keyboardists also make it a point to practice on acoustic pianos for that (and other) reason(s)?

I do but one has to be careful not to carry over too much piano technique to the B3. It won't get any louder no matter how hard you hit it. Scales on the acoustic do work to build speed on the B or at least I've found it useful.

Absolutely, or they should.

Having hand strength is better and much easier to adjust down to a non-piano keyboard, than to have to adjust up to an acoustic. I see organ as another sphere, but your question was about keyboardists.

Pianists *do* have to adapt to a different touch when playing an organ or synth keyboard, but it's more of a psychological matter. Viceversa, keyboardists who never play piano are bound to find themselves in deep trouble when confronted with a weighted keyboard, not to speak of a grand piano.
So yeah, I only do technique on acoustic piano as long as I can. The adjustement to synth keys is instantaneous, because I've played them all my life.

It really depends on the type of 'keyboard' player. They run the gamut from pianists and organists and keyboardists to folks who use KBs for sound designer and music production.

Quite naturally, a pianist would keep their chops up by practicing on an acoustic piano whenever possible especially if they have to use KBs in place of a real piano.

OTOH, organists and those who perform exclusively using KBs do not have to practice on a real piano in order to keep their chops up.

Otherwise, I don't imagine a rhythm guitarist practices to the same degree as Yngwie, er, a lead.

I play both regularly, but it's sometimes weird playing synth parts on piano and vice versa. A long time ago when I was used to playing a piano we had at our Fraternity that had a real heavy touch (some sort of baby grand player piano), I got used to hammering it so much that I broke keys regularly on my synth at gigs. Part of it might have been the synth, because I haven't done that in about 10 years.

Likewise, I'm much more likely to shank a not on the synth if I'm used to playing it on piano, because the resistance in the keys will prevent you from accidentally hitting adjacent keys. On synth you have to be more careful to ONLY hit the keys you want to sound.

So after a while, you really do end up playing them differently - I do anyway.

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Of course, lots of people play lead on acoustic guitar, too, and in some styles they have to practice their butts off!

First, many digital pianos have harder/heavier action than many real pianos. So, owners of these wouldn't need to practice on a real piano for strength reasons.

Second, it's a good idea to play many different pianos; otherwise your technique tends to optimize itself for just your piano, and you can have trouble when playing other pianos.

Decades ago, I had a weekly gig in a band at a bar where I used their upright piano in addition to my Rhodes and synth. It was a wreck; some keys would go down with no resistance, of those, some played and some didn't; some keys wouldn't go down at all, and again, some of those made a bit of sound and others didn't, IIRC. And no doubt other problems I now forget. It was like playing ball on a broken field: all those rocks and pits, while my attention needs to be on the ball flying through the air and not on my feet! Oddly enough, playing that piano was really good for me because it made me play with a lot more confidence and resiliance. It might have been bad for a much more serious player's technique, but it was good for me.

In any case, it's best to avoid playing piano on an unweighted keyboard. That said, I do it on my Electro, but it's a compromise, and I'm beginning to think that it may be doing a little damage to my joints.

If someone only owned unweighted or semi-weighted keyboards, it would be a very good idea to play as often as possible on a fully weighted keyboard.

Third, it might make sense to practice the kind of stuff normally played on an unweighted keyboard (synth or organ licks) on a fully weighted keyboard for muscle development. I find I try to play everything on everything, but more for the fun of it than for practice. I don't know though: is piano playing good cross-training for an organist?

I play electric and acoustic guitar, too, including both dreadnought and classical (nylon string) guitars. The latter is a bigger difference, since the classical neck is flat and quite a bit wider. I sometimes wonder whether trying to play all three does more harm than good, but the heck with that: I play them all because I want to, and I'm not going to stop!

Finally, there's a difference between a digital piano and a real piano, and it's a very good idea to play a real piano as often as possible. It's necessary at the classical concert level, where a digital just wouldn't serve in any case. Maybe someday!

Although I perform almost always on a keyboard, I prefere to practice technique exercises on the acoustic piano. It's just more productive for me. On the keyboard I'll start tweaking sounds and trying find a good beat- too many distractions.

Harder action keyboards simulate a piano feel, but the difference remains that a piano absorbs the impact of your playing instead of sending it back into your wrist and arm. A piano with good action is safe, healthy exercise for your hands.

I think many KB players traded their aspiration to become concert pianists for a vintage or digital KB.

I didn't have the benefit of learning on a real piano so concert pianist was never a goal.

However, I would agree that in order to play an acoustic piano for an extended period, regular practice on one would be a good idea.

Otherwise, digital KBs have suited me well over the years. Also, I've never been in a situation where I had to play a real piano.

D, not saying you need to at all, but playing an hour or two on a good acoustic improves the chops instantly.

Damn, you guys are giving me acoustic piano GAS.

I get by on my digital piano, which fits my small living room in my small house.

Maybe when I buy a bigger house, I'll get a real acoustic.

Buy a GranTouch or the new Avant by Yamaha. You'll have a real grand action in a smaller package.

Having sat down and played a few acoustic pianos, I would have a blast with one. I don't have enough space for it. At least that's what I keep telling myself.

If I were younger and/or a full-time muso, it would be a foregone conclusion.

it's not just space, is it? Wouldn't players like us need to spend the money to keep it tuned and regulated?

Acoustic piano is a physical instrument. You really need to play it with your body. With electronic keyboards you just trigger sounds.

I haven't played acoustic for some time now, and although the DP allows for maintaining dexterity, I lose the ability to produce good sound on an acoustic when I don't play one regularly. I quite literally lose "touch", so to speak.

Not a bad idea. Still too big for the living room, but could fit in the basement after major renovation, which I'm saving/investing for anyway. Unless the renovation goes terribly wrong, there should be enough room for this plus a 4 person band after it's done.

Eric, I've been thinking through exactly the same issues myself - see thread here

As the responses to my own question point up, it's not so much about maintaining chops as that acoustic instruments offer a totally different experience.

Myself, I think a Yamaha U3 upright may be in my future at some point...

I practice my music lesson and new band tunes before a gig always on acoustic piano, even organ tunes just for review. The only time I play my rig, other than for set up issues and recording at home is to either test it (almost weekly) or set up a new rig configuration or try out new gear. At that time I might leave a rig up for at most 3 days. My rig is simple, piano , organ, and some synth patches, not very demanding other than it has to work perfectly when I play. If the band(s) I'm in were more demanding on me setup wise and I would need to do more patch changes and such I may then have my rig up more.

I find playing my Yamaha YUX upright for practice a much more enjoyable and musical experience than playing my DP's but I have in the past practiced on my DP for periods of time. My CP300 is actually not a bad instrument to play daily but I still prefer the Yamaha upright.

+1000 Absolutely!! I play with a band weekly and make sure I get there early to spend time playing the acoustic before we start. I really notice the difference in my playing.

Of course, there also is wide variety in touch among acoustic pianos. My upright, for example, is worlds away from my grand.

An acoustic piano is getting delivered here on Friday. My wife's mother is moving, and giving us her piano, and paying to move it. It's just a Wurlitzer spinet, but I'm looking forward to having it around to practice on. It actually sounds and plays pretty well.