Piano & Keyboards: Buyer’s Guide

Piano Keyboards Buyers Guide: This is the place where you should begin if you’re new to keyboard instruments. This guide includes everything you need to know about keyboards.

Popular Digital Piano Keyboard Articles

For years, the piano has been one of the most awe-inspiring musical instruments around; people around the world have enjoyed playing it, and continue to do so.

Earlier, cost would be deterrent as a piano was expensive compared to other instruments. But today, with so many options affordable available in electronic keyboards, it’s a great time to start playing the keyboards.

In case you’re looking for a digital piano or music keyboard, this is the place to start.

Let’s first take a look at the important features of keyboard instruments (especially digital ones).

Piano/Keyboard: Various Types

Here are some basic differences between keyboards and pianos (there are more similarities nowadays though).

• An acoustic piano is built differently than a digital piano, the acoustic one has a mechanism where hammers strike strings to create sounds, whereas digital pianos use pre-recorded sound samples to generate the sounds. Good digital pianos use better samples and can sound almost like an acoustic piano.
• Music keyboards and digital pianos nowadays have a lot of common features. The sounds are created using the electronics inside, and the feature set is almost similar. A music keyboard is usually smaller (has fewer octaves) compared to a digital piano.

Types of Keyboards and Pianos

There are different variants of digital keyboard instruments such as Digital pianos, portables pianos, arrangers, synthesizers, workstations, midi controllers.

• Various Types of Pianos
• Various types of digital/electronic keyboard instruments
• Digital Pianos vs Acoustic Pianos

Key Action and Features

Types of Keys (Action) on Keyboard Instruments

The keys of a keyboard instrument can have different kinds of action, such as not-weighted, semi-weighted, fully-weighted, wooden action, etc.

• Various piano key actions – Synth, Weighted, etc
• Touch-sensitive (velocity-sensitive) in keyboards explained

Electronic keyboards and pianos usually come with several useful features.

On such musical instruments, you need to make sure that the polyphony is sufficient so that the notes don’t drop-off when you play complex passages with chords, string different voices and accompaniments together.

Beginners should ideally opt for a keyboard with touch-sensitive keys, or a piano with fully weighted keys.

It is recommended that you buy a keyboard with at least 61 keys (and touch-sensitive keys) if you’re serious about playing the keyboards. However, if you intend to play a lot of piano pieces, you need one with weighted keys and preferably a keyboard with more than 61 keys.

Features available on Digital Keyboard Instruments

• Various features on a digital piano keyboard explained
• Features available on Electronic Keyboards
• Parts of a Piano

Buying a Music Keyboard/Digital Piano

Best keyboards for various price ranges.

You should choose a keyboard based on your existing skills and how you’re going to use it. Here’s a selection of the best pianos and keyboards for various prices (aimed at beginners, intermediate and advanced keyboard/piano players).

 

• Best Digital Pianos/Keyboards for various price ranges
• Factors to consider before buying a digital piano keyboard

Note: The easiest way to find about a particular electronic keyboard or a digital piano, that you are looking for, is to simply enter your search words into the search box.

Best beginner Keyboards Under $200

Electronic Keyboards doesn’t have to be expensive nowadays. Here are some of the best portable keyboards available for beginners & hobbyists for around $200 Dollars, read more…

The major players in the digital arranger keyboard market include Yamaha, Casio, Korg, and Roland. You can find many more options when it comes to electronic keyboards; best portable music keyboard reviews here…

 

Beginner Piano
The best available options for both Kids & Adults when it comes to keyboard instruments. Choose a model depending on your musical objective and of-course budget, read more…

 

Popular Brands/Series

Casio CTK 61-key keyboards
One of the more popular series of keyboards, especially with beginners & intermediate level players, Casio CTK Keyboards offer attractive features, ease of use, portability, and very affordable prices, read more…

 

Yamaha PSR 61-key keyboards
Another popular series of arranger keyboards that has models to suit beginners as well as the more advanced players. These keyboards come with better sound quality overall, and is seen as a trusted brand by many musicians, read more…

 

Roland Arranger Music keyboards
Roland has its own set of followers, usually not beginners, who love the high quality sounds and robust build quality of these keyboards. Roland has a range of arrangers that offer several ethnic sounds, read more…

 

Korg Arranger Reviews
Korg has a range of top-quality arrangers, under the PA series, that are quite popular with performing musicians who absolutely love their stunning sounds, effects, world-class styles and ease-of-use, read more…

Piano Reviews

• Portable Pianos
• Home Digital Pianos
• More Digital Piano Reviews

Accessories, Care & Repair

You’ll need some keyboard accessories to enhance your keyboard playing experience, to keep your instrument safe, and to get the best out of your keyboard instrument.

Though there is a wide range of accessories available for keyboard instruments, to begin with, a keyboard stand for your 61 key keyboard and a good sustain pedal (in case you want to learn piano) is something that you should consider buying.

You may also require headphones or an external amplifier.

You can check out the list of piano accessories & supplies here.

How to take care of your keyboard instrument.

• Piano Care, cleaning, polishing
• Piano Cleaners & Polish Kit
• Digital piano keyboard repair: Solution to common repair problems.

Ultimate Piano Keyboard Guide

Keyboard instruments are immensely popular. There are many who desire to play the piano, or are already taking lessons – be it by self-studying using books or at a music school.

Besides, digital keyboard instruments are becoming more exciting to use. The latest digital keyboards come with cutting edge sounds and tools that can be used for music production and for belting out hits on-stage.

However, most buyers find it confusing to select from the wide range of keyboard instruments (Electronic Keyboards, Digital Pianos, Synthesizers, MIDI controller Keyboards).

There’s such a huge range of digital Keyboards and Pianos available out there that it really becomes difficult to arrive at a decision on what to buy.

The most expensive piano may not suit someone who is probably keen on creating songs, and would like to have a wide palette of sounds and tools to modify them to his/her tastes. Similarly, a top class workstation keyboard may not be of much use to someone who just likes the sound of a real piano, and enjoys performing.

On the other hand, beginners (adults as well as children) will need something with good keyboard touch and quality sounds. However, they definitely need help choosing the right keyboard instrument and accessories. With countless brands and options available, it can be difficult to figure out what piano keyboard is right for you.

This is where you may want professional help to understand the various instruments so that you can pick up the appropriate keyboard instrument.

Through our guides and tutorials, you will learn how to select the right gear for your needs (and how to learn to use it), so that you get the best playing / creating experience out of it.

It is easy to understand the technical jargons that you may have encountered, with our buying guide. My aim is to provide you with unbiased, and easy-to-understand answers to all your queries.

Made up your mind to start playing the keyboard? You still need to buy the right keyboard.

• There are some beginners who want authentic piano-like feeling on the digital piano, whereas there some who get inspired by the built-in rhythms, songs and features.
• There are some who want to start making music and would like to own a performance synthesizer with tons of tweakable tones and effects, but with a reasonable learning curve.
• Budding composers, on the other hand, prefer arranger keyboards that offer higher-quality sounds with sophisticated backing tracks.
• There are some who want a workstation keyboards with tools for layering tracks, recording & editing their own music right within the keyboard.
• That’s not all! You also need a few extras — the accessories. You can choose from pedals, keyboard stands, cases/bags, benches, cables, and a keyboard amplifier.

 

Whether you are a beginner or an experienced musician, having a suitable keyboard instrument is important so that you can enjoy or exploit it to the fullest.

This is where our buying guides will help you make an informed decision. Buying a Digital Piano Keyboard is now much simpler with our well researched reviews. Find helpful guide and several pages of useful information, tips and recommendations.

Piano Keyboard – FAQ

Electronic/digital piano keyboards are affordable but have many features/specs which can confuse first-time buyers, and there is a bit of a learning curve on how to use the various features of your keyboard instrument.

Buying a keyboard instrument also takes time and research. Besides, you have to maintain it properly for longer life (maintenance of acoustic pianos requires different skills – usually the help of a technician).

Here are some commonly asked questions related to keyboard instruments, related to using the various functions, and buying keyboard instruments.

How many keys do you need? Do you really require a full length 88 keys keyboard to begin with?
Ans: Not really! You get 4-5 octave keyboards as well. A 5-octave keyboard would be ideal to start on, since you can practice lessons using both your hands. You can buy and connect an external pedal as well to electronic keyboards.

But if your child is showing some talent and is serious about the piano, get him/her a 88-key weighted digital piano (or even a piano with 76 keys if budget is a constraint). Else, you could start with smaller sized keyboards as well.

How much does a keyboard it cost?

A keyboard instrument can cost anywhere from 100 to 500 dollars unless you are sure you want to get a nice, top-of-the-line home digital piano (which can cost upwards of $2k).

What kind of starter piano should I buy for my kids (for taking piano lessons)?
Ans: Start on an electronic keyboard, see how it goes for the next 12-18 months and then upgrade to a piano with weighted keys. Digital piano keyboard: Buying guide.