Home/Guides/Piano key materials
Reference guidePiano key materials: what the keys are actually made of.
A maker’s key-body and key-surface specifications describe different parts. Yamaha’s acoustic manufacturing example uses a wooden lever with a separate covering. Model pages list materials such as acrylic, Ivorite, phenol and wood composite. Used keys need their own records and assessment.
Published 23 October 2026 · 2 minute read · Written for buyers, not for any one instrument
The lever and the surface you touch.
Yamaha’s acoustic manufacturing explanation describes spruce for key bodies, then an artificial-ivory or acrylic covering. That distinguishes the lever from its playing surface. It is a maker example, not a statement about every acoustic piano or electronic keyboard.
A product page may list key material and white/black key surfaces separately. Keep those fields separate. A photograph cannot establish a key’s substrate, exact surface composition or replacement history.
Read the exact model entry.
- Kawai K-300: acrylic white surfaces and phenol black surfaces.
- Yamaha USA GC1M: acrylic-resin white surfaces and phenolic-resin black surfaces.
- Yamaha USA C1X: Ivorite white surfaces and wood-composite black surfaces; seasoned spruce is listed separately as key material.
These examples do not establish which material is most common, which is better, or what is fitted to every model in a series. They cannot establish what remains on an older instrument after replacement or refinishing. A surface label starts a question; it is not a condition certificate.
Synthetic-ivory wording is not an identification test.
Artificial or synthetic ivory describes a manufactured surface. It is not evidence of natural ivory. Use the exact model reference and replacement history when investigating an instrument, rather than dating or identifying its surfaces from colour.
For an uncertain used surface, ask for the full model, relevant maker record and any replacement history, then have the actual keys assessed. Age and a photograph alone do not establish the current material. Do not sand, bleach or apply solvents as an identification test.
Compare like keys and record what you notice.
- Look for chips, cracks or worn patches and ask which keys have been repaired.
- Compare white keys with white keys and black keys with black keys; the two sets do not sit at the same height.
- Notice uneven feel, sticking or inconsistent return. Describe the affected notes to a technician instead of diagnosing a cause yourself.
- Ask what care instructions apply to the actual surface and cabinet finish.
The key-action guide owns touch terminology; the care guide owns home care. Use the viewing checklist for a broader appointment. Take those observations and the instrument details to the person assessing it.
Key materials, answered.
Are the key body and key surface the same material?
Not in Yamaha’s acoustic manufacturing example: the key body is wood and a separate surface covers it. Other designs and electronic keyboards must be checked by their own specification. A surface label does not describe every part of the key.
Does synthetic ivory mean natural ivory?
No. A synthetic-ivory label describes a manufactured surface, not proof of natural ivory. Yamaha’s current global manufacturing page describes artificial ivory or acrylic. The surface on a used instrument still needs records and assessment; colour or a photograph alone is not enough.
What is Ivorite in the C1X reference?
Yamaha’s USA C1X entry lists Ivorite white-key surfaces and wood-composite black-key surfaces. Those labels describe that maker example. They do not certify surfaces currently fitted to every used C1X or establish which instrument a player will prefer.
What should I look at on used key surfaces?
Note chips, cracks, worn areas, uneven feel or differences among comparable keys. Ask about replacement or refinishing records. Compare white keys with white keys and black keys with black keys. A qualified technician should assess mechanical symptoms; appearance does not diagnose their cause.
Should I identify or refinish the material myself?
Follow the maker’s care instructions for the actual material and finish, and ask a qualified technician about uncertain or damaged surfaces. Do not sand, bleach or use solvents as an identification test. Explain the material uncertainty when arranging an assessment so the appropriate person can advise.
Where the rest is set out on this site: Weighted keys and hammer action → Piano care and humidity → Viewing checklist → What the dealer looks at → All guides →
A question about the keys?
Ask which instruments are currently available and give the exact model or question you want to discuss.