Digital Piano Touch Settings: What They Do and Which to Pick
Touch settings change how loud your digital piano sounds for a given finger speed. They do not change how heavy the keys feel. For most learners, “Medium” (sometimes called “Normal”) is the right place to start. A lighter setting can help a nervous beginner or a small child, and a harder one can train an advanced player to control dynamics. “Fixed” switches the response off altogether.
That is the short version. Below we explain what each setting really does, how to choose one for your level, how to change it on common instruments, and what to do when the setting is not the real problem.
TL;DR
Touch sensitivity (also called touch response, velocity sensitivity or touch curve) controls the link between how fast you press a key and how loud the note is. It never alters the physical weight of the keys.
Typical options are Soft/Light, Medium/Normal, Hard/Heavy and Fixed. Medium is a sensible default for most people.
Beginners can use a lighter curve for confidence, then move towards Medium or Hard as control develops. Revisit the setting every few months.
If the keys feel too heavy or too light under your fingers, that is the key action, not the setting. Check the instrument itself.
A teacher can hear and see what a setting is doing to your playing, which a menu cannot tell you.
Table of Contents
What touch settings actually control
When you press a key on a digital piano, sensors measure how quickly the key travels. That speed is called velocity. The instrument turns it into a volume and, on most models, a change in tone too. Touch settings decide how that conversion works.
Yamaha describes the options as ways to determine how the sound responds to your playing strength, and is explicit that the weight and resistance of the keys cannot be adjusted. Casio’s manual puts it in similar terms: its Touch Response function changes volume according to the strength, or speed, with which you press a key.
So there are two separate things:
Key weight: a physical property of the keyboard action. Fixed at the factory.
Touch sensitivity: a software curve that maps your finger speed to loudness. Adjustable.
Many beginners mix these up. They find the keys tiring, dive into the menu, and change the setting, only to find the keys feel exactly the same. That is not a fault. The setting never touched the mechanism.
The usual options, explained
Names vary by brand, but most instruments offer some version of the following.
Setting | What happens | Who it helps |
Soft / Light | Less finger force produces a louder note | Young children, beginners, tired hands, anyone building confidence |
Medium / Normal | A balanced response meant to feel like a typical acoustic piano | Most players, most of the time |
Hard / Heavy | More force is needed for loud notes, so the dynamic range is wider | Advanced players working on control |
Fixed | Every note is the same volume whatever you do | Organ or harpsichord sounds, some jazz and recording situations |
The structure above follows Yamaha’s own description of soft, medium, hard and fixed options. Some instruments add extras. Yamaha’s CP stage pianos, for example, offer five global touch curves: Normal, Soft, Hard, Wide and Fixed. Wide stretches the range between quiet and loud, which can suit expressive players but takes more control.
Soft or light
A soft curve means you reach a loud sound with little effort. That is forgiving. A small child whose fingers cannot yet deliver much speed will still get a clear, audible note, and that feedback keeps them engaged. The risk is that everything sounds loud, so you may never learn to play truly quietly. If your playing sounds consistently forte and you did not intend that, the setting may be flattering you.
Medium or normal
This is the manufacturer’s best guess at an average acoustic response. If you are unsure, leave it here. It gives you an honest reading of how you play, which is what a teacher needs to hear when assessing your touch.
Hard or heavy
Here you need to push harder or faster for a loud note. That demands more precise control, and it can reveal uneven fingers: a weaker fourth finger, say, that sounds thin against a strong thumb. It can also encourage tension if you overreact by forcing the keys. Use it for a purpose, not as a punishment.
Fixed
Fixed ignores your touch. Every note comes out at the same level. This is not just for harpsichord sounds. Players use it for organ voices, and in recording setups it can give predictable levels before the MIDI is edited later. Yamaha’s own tutorial lists Fixed among the standard choices for its stage pianos. If you use it for practising piano music, though, you will lose all dynamic feedback, so it is a poor everyday choice for learning.
Which setting suits your level?
There is no single correct answer, and treating one setting as “right” is a common mistake. Pianoo’s guide to velocity curves makes the same point: your curve can change as your technique grows. Here is a practical way to think about it.
First weeks as a beginner
Start on Medium if the sound feels natural. If you find yourself pressing harder and harder and the notes still seem thin, step down to Soft for a while. The aim is to hear what you are doing, not to fight the instrument. Our guide to piano lessons for beginners covers what to expect in those early weeks.
Children
Small hands generate less speed. A lighter curve lets a child hear a confident sound and notice the difference between a quiet and a loud note without strain. Do not leave it on Soft for years, though. Once they can play a clear piano and a clear forte, move to Medium so the instrument matches what a real piano will ask of them.
Intermediate players
Medium is the working setting. You are developing evenness, scales, voicing a melody over accompaniment. If you want to test your control, try Hard for ten minutes at the end of practice and see whether your quiet playing stays even. Then return to Medium.
Advanced players and exam candidates
A harder curve can sharpen control and widen the range you can colour. If you are preparing for a graded exam, however, the examiner will almost certainly be using an acoustic piano, so what matters is that your touch transfers. Practise on the setting that most resembles an acoustic, and try to get time on a real piano before the day. Our practical guide to classical piano technique explains what good control looks like at the hands.
Jazz and improvisation
Jazz players often like a responsive Medium or Wide curve for shaping phrases. Fixed can be useful in particular situations, such as a Rhodes-style sound or when recording, where you want levels normalised before mixing. Yamaha’s tutorial on touch sensitivity offset also shows how professional instruments let you tailor the response further.
How to change the setting
The menu path depends entirely on the model, so check your manual. Here are two examples from manufacturers.
Yamaha P-45 and P-71: press and hold the Grand Piano/Function button, then press a designated key. According to Yamaha’s setting guide for the P45 and P71, the A2 key selects Fixed, with other keys for the remaining curves.
Casio AP-550 and AP-S450: the Touch Response function sits in the menu and lets you pick from several levels.
Yamaha CP series: a dedicated Touch button above the Menu button gives you the curve choices directly.
If your model is not listed, search for its name plus “touch response” or “key touch” in the manual. Some entry-level keyboards only offer three levels and Off. Higher-end instruments can save a favourite as a user preset, so you can switch between a gentler curve for a tired day and a harder one for focused work.
A simple test after you change it
Sit at the instrument and play a five-note scale, hands separately, at three levels: as quiet as you can, medium, and as loud as is comfortable.
Can you hear three clearly different levels?
Do the quietest notes all sound (no dropped notes)?
Does the loudest level need you to tense your shoulder or wrist?
If the answer to the first is no, try a different curve. If the second is no, go softer. If the third is yes, go softer and ask a teacher to watch your hands. Pain or strain is a reason to stop and check your posture and technique, not to push through.
When the setting is not the problem
We often hear “my digital piano feels wrong, which setting fixes it?” Sometimes none does.
The keys feel too heavy or too light. That is the key action. Yamaha’s guide to acoustic and digital pianos describes how an acoustic action has thousands of precision parts, while a digital piano’s weight is fixed. No menu changes that. If you are choosing a new instrument, try the keys in a shop first.
Some keys sound louder than others. If you notice individual keys that have lost their sensitivity, this can be a hardware fault, such as a worn sensor or a dirty contact. A reputable repairer or the manufacturer’s support can look at it. Do not open the case yourself.
Notes cut out at quiet levels. That is often a sign the curve is too hard for the sensor, or the sensor is ageing. Try Medium and see.
Nothing ever sounds loud. Check that Fixed is not on with a low volume, and check the master volume and any headphone limit.
If you are still deciding what to buy, our digital piano for lessons review sets out what matters for learners. Yamaha’s own guide to choosing a digital piano notes that your skill level should influence how much instrument you need, because higher-end models offer better tone and touch.
If you also need to move your instrument, take care. Keyboard sensors and electronics can be damaged by knocks, so a padded case is sensible, and if it is heavy, get a second person. The HSE’s advice on pushing and pulling loads explains how to assess the effort involved.
Why a touch setting cannot replace a teacher
A menu can make notes louder or quieter. It cannot tell you why your left hand overpowers your right, or why a phrase sounds flat. Touch is a physical skill: speed of the key, weight of the arm, relaxation in the wrist. A setting can disguise a problem or exaggerate it.
This is where a teacher earns their time. When someone watches and listens, they can tell whether your “loud” comes from relaxed arm weight or from tension, and whether your Soft setting is helping you or hiding uneven fingers. If you are interested in how touch connects to musical shaping, our article on piano expression and daily drills gives exercises you can try, and our piece on piano pedalling techniques shows how sound is shaped beyond the keys.
Our perspective
We teach students who practise on everything from a ten-year-old entry-level keyboard to a fine acoustic, and the question about touch settings comes up often. Our view is plain: treat the setting as a tool, not a verdict on your playing.
We suggest beginners start on Medium, and use Soft only when it genuinely helps a student hear themselves. We want children to meet a real piano as soon as they can, so we do not let a forgiving setting become a crutch. For adults who come back to the piano after years away, a slightly lighter curve can ease the return, and then we move it as their control returns.
What we listen for is whether the sound you make matches the sound you meant to make. If it does not, the answer is usually in the hands and arm, not the menu. That is why our lessons are tailored to each student rather than following a fixed method. Pianists who study jazz, classical or exam repertoire all need to shape sound, and a teacher who is in the room can adjust to you, at the instrument you actually own.
— Dan
Lessons that account for your instrument
If you want help getting the best from your digital piano, or want to know whether your touch is developing well, we teach in Central London, Camden and King’s Cross, and online. Lessons are tailored to each student, whether you are a child, an adult, a beginner or an advanced player, and cover classical, jazz, improvisation, theory and ABRSM and Trinity preparation.
Published prices are:
Online piano lesson: £55 per hour
Home piano lessons: £65 per hour
Camden studio trial piano lesson: £55 per hour
You can book a lesson here, or see the full range on our piano lessons page. In an online lesson, bring your digital piano as it is, and we will work with its settings rather than against them.
FAQ
Is touch sensitivity the same as touch response?
In practice, yes. Touch sensitive, touch response and velocity sensitive are different names for essentially the same feature: the sound changes with how hard or fast you press. Brands use different words, so check your manual for the exact term.
Can I make the keys feel lighter by changing the setting?
No. The physical resistance of the keys cannot be adjusted, as Yamaha explains. A softer setting makes notes sound louder for less force, which can feel easier, but the keys themselves weigh the same. If the action is wrong for you, a different instrument is the answer.
Should I practise on Fixed?
Not for learning piano repertoire. Fixed removes all dynamic feedback, so you cannot hear whether you are shaping phrases. It is better kept for organ or harpsichord sounds, or for recording tasks where you need even levels before editing.
Which setting is best for exam preparation?
Medium is usually the safest, because it is designed to resemble a typical acoustic response. Exams are normally played on an acoustic piano, so try to practise on one before the day. Your teacher can tell you how your touch is transferring.
Why do some keys sound quieter than others?
It may be uneven technique, but if the same key is consistently weaker whatever you do, it could be a worn sensor. Try a different touch setting to check, then contact the manufacturer or a qualified repairer if the problem persists.
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