The best portable 61-keys electronic keyboards (with touch-sensitive keys) for beginners, learners as well as for hobbyists. These entry/level (budget) arranger keyboards are reasonably priced and come with several sounds, rhythms, built-in lessons and feature full-length, standard key sizes (touch-sensitive but unweighted keys).
Introduction: Who is this for?
When someone decides to buy an electronic keyboard, in most likelihood, they are looking for a beginner electronic keyboard so that they can start learning the keyboard/piano.
Users of high-end keyboards however have a different kind of profile; they have probably learnt on a beginner keyboard in the past and are looking to upgrade to a better keyboard with better sounds and more pro features, maybe for performing or for music production.
My first keyboard was a mini keyboard, which I had received as a birthday gift. A neighbor of mine, who had taken music lessons as a child, taught me the basics (how to play notes) and a few simple tunes.
Soon, I was hooked, and wanted to learn more.
My parents were more then happy to see me excited about music, and they soon got me a 61-key Yamaha PSR keyboard.
So, its very common for learners to start on a smaller sized keyboard and then move on to a bigger sized keyboard.
The good thing is that keyboard instruments have become a lot cheaper over the years, so you definitely think of buying a nice 61-key keyboard straightaway.
A nice keyboard will also sound better and you will be inspired to spend more time on the keyboard.
Here, we have listed several portable music keyboards, sold by different manufacturers. Beginner keyboardists and hobbyists looking for an inexpensive music keyboard to take music lessons (or someone who wants to gift a decent keyboard to their near & dear ones) will find these options excellent.
These 61-key keyboards are not expensive (like the high-end professional music keyboards), but offer good features and their overall sound quality has become better over the years.
While you can always buy a smaller keyboard (with fewer keys), a keyboard with 61-keys actually wows most beginners. 61-key keyboards have more features, better sound quality, and encourages (motivates) beginners to spend more time on the keyboard.
So which is the best electronic keyboard for beginners?
Your best bet is to buy a 61-key keyboard, preferable with touch-sensitive keys, and with plenty of sounds, rhythms and features that will keep you entertained.
The keyboards listed here come with touch-sensitive keys, which is recommended by music teachers for serious learners.
Read: Touch sensitive vs weighted keys: Differences explained
Things to look for in a beginner electronic keyboard:
- Number of keys: 61 keys are preferred. You may opt for smaller keyboards as well, such as this one from Casio, for kids. Or you may even opt for 76-keys like this one from Yamaha, because of its great=value-for-money offer.
- Touch Sensitive Keys are preferred for serious learning
- Weighted vs. Semi-Weighted vs. Non-weighted Keys: Unless you are sure you want to learn piano (classical pieces), you can begin with the non-weighted keys, which is common on most inexpensive beginner keyboards
- Features: Again, most keyboards will come with a whole lot of features. If you’re an adult, and are sure you don’t want all those bells and whistles and just need select piano sounds, you may consider Yamaha’s NP series.
The best part about learning on an electronic keyboard is that it exposes you to a lot of things, besides helping you learn to play the keyboard (by the way, the basics of learning the piano and the keyboard is the same). The various sounds, styles, effects, built-in recording functions that you find on a keyboard, are the tools that a recording artist actually uses to create music. So its a great learning tool.
Related: Complete guide on electronic keyboards and digital pianos guide.
Best Electronic Keyboards for Beginners
- Irrespective of whether you buy a digital piano or an electronic music keyboard for beginners, some of the things that you should consider include: Ease of use, price, useful features, quality of sound, durability, bundled accessories.
- Another important thing to note is that the features that beginners consider ‘useful’, are different from what intermediate or advanced players would consider ‘useful’. Useful features for beginners would be those features that would help them learn. You want a keyboard that will get used, and not scare you. Pro keyboards/pianos, with all those advanced features & tools can be overwhelming for the beginner.
- Lot of buyers also make the mistake of buying a very expensive keyboard instrument, because they believe that they will be best. However, the simple fact is that you may not need tat kind of investment right now. Oh, and what if 1 year later you decide that you like the guitar more, or are not even interested in pursuing music? (I really hope that doesn’t happen with you).
Until now, and even now, most of the best beginner electronic keyboards were from Yamaha and Casio. while the two continue to make good arrange keyboards, a few other brands have also emerged that make beginner keyboards. However, they don’t make a wide range of keyboards, just a few models. On the other hand, Casio and Yamaha, make a wide range of keyboards even for beginners.
Most of the electronic keyboards that have been suggested here are arranger keyboards; they all come with accompaniment patterns that help you sound like a one-man band.
I hope you now have a better understanding of what you should look for. Its common for people to begin on musical keyboards and later on make the switch from an electronic keyboard to a digital piano. This is the logical progression for many.
We have listed several budget keyboard pianos here which should meet your requirements.
Most beginner electronic keyboards also have built-in (basic) lessons that can supplement your regular music lessons and also teaches you to play simple but popular songs.
We are talking about beginner keyboards here, and believe me, though most of these are entry level keyboards, they have a lot more functionally, compared to what was available on keyboards several years back. Most of these are available for around a couple of hundred bucks.
In terms of brands, the offerings in this price range are mostly from Casio and Yamaha; even though a few more brands have emerged in recent years that make budget keyboards (Hamzer, RockJam, Alesis), Casio and Yamaha still are among the more trusted ones. You can go through our beginners guide on piano keyboards here.
61-Key Keyboards with Touch Sensitive Keys
Here we take a look at entry level keyboards with Touch Sensitive Keys.
We have listed options from both Casio as well as Yamaha; these keyboards come with more or less similar specs.
Yamaha EZ-300 61 Key Lighted Keyboard
Yamaha’s EZ series includes portable keyboards with light-up keys and the EZ-300 is the top model in that series. The built-in speakers, sounds and styles are very nice overall.
The Yamaha EZ300 has 61-keys (touch-sensitive keys), and is a good beginner keyboard with lots of features, nice tonal quality, and touch-sensitive keys. The keys light-up on this keyboard which helps to learn the built-in lessons and songs (most children love this feature).
just select one of the built-in songs and the appropriate keys will light up and will wait for you to play the correct key. This is an ideal keyboard for beginners who want to learn to play keyboards.
Adults, who are more serious about music and may have a better ear, will like the overall sound quality of this keyboard.
Casio CT-X700
The CT-X series by Casio includes portable keyboards, and the CT-X700 is the entry level model in this series. The CT-X700 has touch-sensitive keys and is priced very low, considering its features and good tonal quality.
Usually at this price point (under a couple of hundred bucks), it is difficult to find a keyboard with so many features, but this keyboard offers it all. Casio CT-X700 also comes with a good selection of sounds and contemporary styles. This is probably the best 61-key keyboard out there for beginners, if you look at the price and what’s being offered.
Roland GO:KEYS 61-key Keyboard
The Roland GO:KEYS keyboard is unlike the typical beginner keyboard from Casio, Rockjam, Yamaha due to its high quality sounds and speakers. Roland GO:KEYS is quite different from the other beginner keyboards in this category in terms of looks and features.
It is available in bright red color, has high quality speakers and sounds. Using the Bluetooth feature, you can stream music from external devices such as phone and tablets and play it through the keyboard’s powerful onboard speakers.
The keyboard has over 500 onboard pro-quality sounds, it features touch sensitive keys, and its loop Mix function lets you jam with cool rhythms. With 128 note polyphony, the keyboard has more processing power. The keyboard also has a octave shift feature in case you wish to much higher or lower notes.
This keyboard will appeal more to teens and to those who are looking for portable backup keyboard.
Yamaha PSR-e373
The good thing about this keyboard is that its not the lowest model in the PSR series, and it has reasonably better tonal quality. Yamaha PSR-e373 is a 61-key keyboard (touch-sensitive keys) comes with better features, good sound, and reasonable price.
This keyboard has more tones, styles, and better sound quality compared to the EZ220. It features big piano sound, USB MIDI output, and more. Read full review here…
You get touch sensitive keys, and comes with built-in keyboard lessons. 573 voices, 158 rhythms, 150 arpeggio patterns, good quality built-in speakers.
61-Key Keyboards Without Touch Sensitive Keys
- The following keyboards do not come with touch sensitive keys
- These cost less, almost around 100 dollars
- Some have mini keys, and less than 61 keys
- These are good for exposing your kids to electronic keyboards
These let you experience a fully featured, 61-key keyboard for cheap. If you’re on budget, this can definitely be your first keyboard, unless your music teacher told you that you should be getting touch-keys. Eventually however, as your kids show more potential, you will have to get a music keyboard with touch sensitive keys. To begin with, to test the waters, and just for fun, these are good enough.
Music Keyboards with 76 Keys
- Now you even get keyboards with 76 keys around this price range
- These are perfect for those who fancy playing some popular piano pieces
This is your opportunity to own a music keyboard with 76 touch keys, and that too for around couple of hundred dollars. These are some of the best 76-keys keyboards to learn piano.
Accessories for 61-key Keyboards
Here are some useful accessories that you may require for your 61-key keyboards:
Consider getting a keyboard bench and an external sustain pedal to make your playing more pleasurable.
Read: ALL Piano & Keyboard Accessories & Supplies
Resources for Young Beginners
Here are few more resources for the very young beginners.
Recommended Learning Aid/Products
Piano Note Finder Stickers: These stickers make it easy to identify the keys, especially helpful in the initial stages of learning.
Teaching Little Fingers to Play: A nice little book for the very young beginner, with lots of pictures.
Schoenhut Pianos: A poplar brand of toy pianos, particularly known for its acoustic toy pianos. They have a wide variety of good quality toy pianos, some of these are even used by top composers for their unique sounds.
Toy Pianos & Keyboards: Here are some more musical/keyboard toy pianos for those who’re not yet big enough to play on 61-key keyboards. These are great to encourage curiosity and creativity.
Best Digital Piano for Beginners (with Weighted Keys)
If you’re really serious about learning to play the piano, then you should consider getting a digital piano with weighted keys, as your first keyboard instrument. You will find several budget digital pianos (for around 500 dollars) with weighted action (88 piano like keys).
Related: Best Digital Piano for Beginners.
However, if you’re a beginner and not sure if you want to buy a keyboard or a piano, you are better off buying a keyboard first, learn the ropes and then decide (if you want a piano).
You should get started on an inexpensive arranger/electronic keyboard and use the money saved on piano/music lessons.
Beginner Keyboard Lessons
Now that you have enough information on how to choose a good beginner keyboard, here are some useful links that will help you learn to play the keyboard/piano.
This link will help you learn the notes on the piano and the keyboard – what are the white and black keys called, and so on.
- Keyboard lessons vs Piano lessons: Is there any difference?
- Beginner keyboard lessons
- Easy Piano Lessons (Scales, Chords, Time)
- Top Piano Books
- Best Piano Learning Software
Related: Check out more best keyboards & pianos
KeytarHQ editorial team includes musicians who write and review products for pianists, keyboardists, guitarists & other musicians. KeytarHQ is the best online resource for information on keyboards, pianos, synths, keytars, guitars and music gear for musicians of all abilities, ages and interests.
Thanks for sharing this ! My 6-year old son will begin piano lessons soon, he is very much interested in learning music. He has been playing keyboard for a year (doesn’t read music only plays chords with background sound) and he already graduated from the current keyboard he has (psre253 Yamaha).
So me and my wife want to gift a better keyboard to him. Any ideas what the next one i should purchase? I have a small budget but don’t want to be cheap). I have no idea about pianos.. What would you suggest ??
Buy something with touch sensitive keys – Casio CT-X3000 or a Yamaha PSR-EW300. Make sure the keys are velocity/touch sensitive that can react to the intensity of your hits on the keyboard.
For instance, if you hit hard, they will play loud. On the contrary, they will play gently if you hit softly. On most keyboards, you can turn this off if don’t need any touch sensitivity, but its good to have this feature.
I want to buy a beginner electronic keyboard, 61 keys preferably. Not sure if I need more than that as of now. How much does a good electronic keyboard cost, and the ones with more keys are they really expensive? By budget is around 300 dollars. Would like to get into music production and create my own music, once I learn the ropes. What brand of electronic keyboard should I buy?
Can I start learning on an electronic keyboard instead of a Piano? I am not sure if I should be spending so much money on a digital piano right at the beginning. If I start playing on an electronic keyboard, will I face a lot of difficulties adjusting to the Piano if at all I decide to buy a Piano down the line?
You can definitely start learning on an electronic keyboard, if budget is a constraint. Even otherwise, you need to realize that beginning learning on the best keyboard or the piano does not guarantee that you will become good at it in a short span of time. You need to give it time and it can take from a few months to a couple of years before you start performing satisfactorily. So buy an electronic keyboard if you don’t have the budget currently for an expensive piano.
Though electronic keyboards could cost anywhere from 200 dollars to 3000 dollars depending on many factors, you can get a decent entry level five-octave keyboard (61 keys) for around 200-300 dollars. All digital keyboards are midi-keyboards, so you can connect yours to a computer and it will help you to create your own music in the future. Read more on digital piano keyboard prices and the popular brands…Raul