The word "Piano" - as the name for a keyboard instrument - is short for "Pianoforte." Literally, this means "Soft-Loud" in Latin.
It is absolutely fundamental to the very nature of the instrument that hitting the keys harder gives a louder^[1] note: that's why it's called a "Pianoforte" - because you can play each note soft or loud by varying your touch on the keys. This was the revolutionary innovation that distinguished the Piano from the other keyboard instruments that preceded it (organ, harpsichord, etc)

Therefore, if your instrument is not going to model this "velocity-sensitive" property, please do not call it a piano.

Note 1: Actually, hitting the key harder not only gives a louder sound, but also a different timbre.
(how well an electronic piano models this is one of the key differences between a cheap one and an expensive one!)

Note 2: You can quite easily make velocity-sensitive keys by fitting two sets of contacts, slightly offset, and timing the delay between them.


Andy Neil,
Pianist.