A keyboard instrument is a musical instrument played using a keyboard, a row of levers which are pressed by the fingers. The most common of these are the piano, organ, and various electronic keyboards, including synthesizers and digital pianos. Other keyboard instruments include celestas, which are struck idiophones operated by a keyboard, and carillons, which are usually housed in bell towers or belfries of churches or municipal buildings.
This list categorizes keyboard instruments by their designs, and thus operations.
Chordophones Chordophones produce sound from vibrating strings: Bowed clavier Clavichord Clavicymbalum Clavinet Dolceola Electric piano Electric grand piano Harpsichord Clavicymbalum Lautenwerck Hurdy-gurdy Marxophone Piano Fortepiano Tangent piano Xenorphica Additionally, members of the harpsichord and piano families may also use alternative setups to make the instruments more compact:
Portable Folding harpsichord Orphica
Spinets Oval spinet Square Square piano Virginals Uprights Clavicytherium Upright pianos
Aerophones Aerophones produce sound primarily by causing a body of air to vibrate, without the use of strings or membranes: Accordion Chromatic button accordion Melodeon Piano accordion Calliope Claviola Concertina Bandoneon Harmonetta Pump organ Harmonium Regal Pipe organ Melodica
Idiophones Idiophones produce sound primarily by the vibration of the instrument itself, without the use of air flow, strings, membranes or electricity: Carillon Celesta Dulcitone Electric piano Wurlitzer electric piano Rhodes piano Hohner Pianet Glasschord Keyboard glockenspiel Toy piano Terpodion
Electrophones Electrophones produce sound by electrical means: Digital piano Electronic keyboard Electronic organ Keytar Optigan Synthesizer
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