Why are individual piano / synthesizer keys so long, when only a small portion of the key is used when playing?
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In a piano, the key is a lever that throws a hammer to hit a string. The longer the key, the easier the hammer throw.
Synthesizers are made to emulate pianos, but not all of them have long, piano style keys. Most do, to help with muscle memory from piano.
Because that way the player has a much bigger range of control over how quiet or loud the notes will be, because it takes a relatively large difference in key-strike force to effect any given difference in the intensity of the note sounded. If the lever (key) was shorter, the player would have to modulate their key-strike force a whole lot more precisely, over a much narrower range; it would be a lot harder to control.
Hold out your hands in front of you. See how short your thumb is compared to your other fingers? Shorty there has to be able to play any key at the same time as any of those long bois are playing keys. Gotta make the keys long so shorty can reach just like the long bois.
As someone who has tried (and failed) at prototyping different keyboard key layouts, this is the answer. I haven’t been able to solve this problem without making the keys long or having vertically stacked rows of buttons to make input accessible to the shape of the human hand. User interfaces are heckin’ tricky.
First, so that you’re thumb can reach the keys that you’re other fingers can. Second, to give more leverage so that the hammer can hit the strings more easily. Third, to give more control to the fingers so it’s easier to control volume.
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