Best Digital Piano for Beginners (reviews). You can choose from a range of 76 and 88-key keyboards that come with semi-weighted or full weighted keys. The more expensive models come with fully weighted, piano like keys and are perfect for serious learning or for practicing. You may skip to the best beginner’s digital piano on Amazon.
Introduction
Most beginners who are looking to buy a digital piano are either seriously interested in learning to play the piano, or are upgrading from an electronic keyboard.
Those who are upgrading from an electronic keyboard and just need another electronic keyboard but with more keys may consider buying a 76-key music keyboard; these usually come with semi-weighted keys. These are also apt for very young beginners, though you may have to upgrade to a fully weighted piano in the future.
On the other hand, if you’re serious about learning to play the piano, and will be playing lot of classical pieces, then you need an 88-key keyboard with fully weighted keys. For such students, its important that the piano has nice weighted keys with touch response. You can checkout these budget pianos with fully weighted keys.
All these pianos offer great value for money, feature nice action, more than 61 keys, and several other useful features. Some of these pianos will even appeal to intermediate players as well. 88-key pianos let you split the piano to practice with a partner or instructor. You can opt for the packaged version as well that comes bundled with useful accessories that are required by a beginner.
Easy of use, affordability, weighted keys, great sounds, are some of the factors that determine if a digital piano is suited to beginners. The best digital piano for any beginner would be the one that offers all of these (especially weighted keys) at an attractive price.
Comparison Chart
Here are some of the best digital pianos for beginners.
- Yamaha P-71 (Fully Weighted, 88 Keys)
- Alesis Recital Pro (Fully-Weighted, 88-Key)
- Yamaha NP32 (76-Key, semi-weighted keys)
These are all low-priced piano models, which in general, seem to match the expectations of many households.
Best Digital Pianos for Beginners
These digital pianos are apt for young learners; an inexpensive option for the beginner piano/keyboard player. These are lightweight and come with built-in speakers (with option to attach headphones).
Yamaha P-71 (88-Keys)
The Yamaha P-71 is an affordable digital piano that features GHS weighted keys (the weight of the keys are graduated to give a more natural feeling response). You may choose to buy the package that comes with useful accessories like X stand, headphones, lesson book and gig bag. Read more.
Buying Links
Alesis Recital Pro
Alesis Recital Pro has a fully-weighted action, comes with 88 keys and is inexpensive. It comes with a nice set of features. Read more.
Yamaha NP32
Yamaha NP32 is a lightweight, practice piano and comes with 76, semi-weighted keys. Read more.
More Bestselling Digital Pianos
The ones with accompaniments usually also have the Full Keyboard Mode, where you can play chords even on the right side of the keyboard, and the accompaniment section recognizes it and plays accordingly.
Popular Brands
Pro stage pianos have a good selection of gig-ready sounds: Pianos, Strings, Pads, Mallets and Voices, all available at the touch of a button. You also get a totally playable drum and percussion set on board. They look sleek, come with a simple and easy-to-use interface, and have dedicated buttons. The fully weighted, hammer-action piano keys give the same feel as on an acoustic piano. So you can perform to the fullest of your abilities. The synth types come with all the usual synth features – sliders, knobs, etc., advanced arpeggiator and several on-board patterns!
Digital Piano for Beginners: Buying Guide
Most beginners, who are serious about piano playing, prefer a digital piano that has authentic piano action (fully weighted keys). This is because, in most likelihood, their piano teacher has asked them to buy a piano with weighted keys.
Key Action on Beginner Piano Keyboards
Key action on digital pianos are usually Semi-weighted, Weighted or Graded hammer action. Semi-weighted keys are found on inexpensive pianos (these are also lightweight) whereas Graded hammer action are usually found on the top end pianos. The models we have reviewed here on this page have fully-weighted keys..
You can read more on the various kinds of piano action.
Buying Your Kids First Piano or Keyboard
If your child wants to learn to play the piano, you’ll need to invest in a piano or a keyboard. Here are a few things to keep in mind if you’re buying the first piano or keyboard for your kid.
First Musical Keyboard
If you have the budget, you can buy the most beautiful piano with all the features that can be had. However, if budget is a constraint, you’ll be happy to know that electronic keyboards nowadays are available for even under $100, and they are good enough for children to get started with their piano lessons.
If you don’t want to spend too much to see if your child is really interested, you can pick up an inexpensive electronic keyboard with full size keys at most music stores for less than $75.
Investing for the Long Term
Once you know your child is interested, I recommend you buy either an acoustic piano, or a digital 88-key piano with weighted keys for your child. The weighted keys on the piano make it feel like a real piano (most beginner keyboards don’t have weighted keys).
Best brands are Yamaha, Kawai, Casio, Roland and of course the famous Steinway and Bosendorfer for those of you whom have unlimited budgets.
You can see some specific recommendations for keyboard instruments here.
Personal Choice & Budget
These are great options for the beginner piano/keyboard player. What you choose really comes down to personal choice (and how much you want to spend). If you’re an absolute beginner pick something inexpensive and upgrade a year later.
If you know the basics and are really serious about learning the piano, pickup a 88-key digital piano with weighted keys.
Features that yo can expect on digital pianos: Semi-weighted or fully weighted keys, Touch-sensitive, Smart Media slots (instead of floppy disk drives), USB slot to connect your piano to computer, Hundreds of pre-recorded Songs for practice, Pitch bend / Modulation wheel , Master EQ Settings, Full MIDI capability (in-out-through), Flash ROM – Download songs from the internet, line-in and outs, headphone jacks (1/4″ plug), Pedals inputs, Built-in amp/speakers, and more
Also Read: The various Ins and Outs on a digital piano.
Digital Pianos Have Become Better & Cheaper
Digital pianos have come a long way. Not only are they able to match most of the qualities of a real acoustic piano, they also offer lots of varieties to the end user. You may choose from models that come with basic features but have 88 piano like keys so that you can practice the piano. On the other hand, you also get full featured digital pianos that have all the modern functions, besides having great sound and touch. you can always choose the more compact models, and as usual these are reasonably priced, compared to the real acoustic pianos.
Do Read this Digital Piano Buying guide
Digital pianos nowadays offer realistic piano feel for practice or for performance, and are comparatively lightweight (compared to acoustic pianos) which makes them such a practical option nowadays. New pianos (the upright ones) usually comes bundled with a piano bench as well.
The more portable ones are preferred by gigging musicians for obvious reasons. The home pianos have a full range of digital instruments from organ to strings to harpsichord to concert piano. It also features a metronome, and facility to record and play back your own compositions!
You get inexpensive, entry-level instrument with 76 touch sensitive keys for those who are on a tight budget and who inclined towards learning classical music.
Portable pianos are easy to use and can be used as part of a band, in which case you need to use external amplifier for amplification to get excellent quality sound. For most of the songs, you may use the accompaniments straight out of the box, there are so many different rhythms available.
Buying Links: Beginner Digital Pianos
Even if you’re a beginner, you deserve to have the best digital keyboard piano so that it keeps you motivated to learn more. Digital pianos come with lots of features nowadays but you may not need all of them. I hope you are able to pick up something that meet your needs from this list of 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.
