Best Yamaha Digital Pianos: 88-key compact, home pianos

Best Yamaha digital pianos: Take a look at the Clavinova, ARIUS (YDP), P series and the portable grand series of pianos from Yamaha, that caters to players of different needs and tastes. Skip to the [easyazon_link identifier=”B01GQUAMEQ” locale=”US” tag=”keytarhq04-20″ cart=”n”]best Yamaha digital piano on Amazon[/easyazon_link].

Introduction

‘Yamaha’ brand doesn’t need any introduction, when it comes to music gear and equipment. Yamaha is one of the very few brands out there that makes a wide range of keyboard instruments for beginners and intermediate players as well. Yamaha also makes some excellent concert grand pianos, the samples and keyboard touch of which is replicated in Yamaha’s high end digital pianos as well.

Yamaha digital pianos come with excellent piano sounds & expressiveness, and are designed with detailed attention to the piano fundamentals.

Yamaha digital pianos can be categorized as follows:

• Contemporary portable pianos: The popular P-series are lightweight, portable, come with fully weighted keys which makes them perfect for practicing; the top models in this series have excellent touch and feel.
• 88-Key grand keyboards: Yamaha YPG and DGX series include portable pianos with several built-in voices and styles, the top models have fully weighted keys.
• Yamaha ARIUS YDP series – These are elegant looking upright pianos with traditional looks (home digital pianos)
• Yamaha Clavinova: Yamaha’s best digital pianos available in upright/grand piano designs.

Comparison Chart

Here’s a comparison chart of the top digital pianos from yamaha:

Yamaha Home Pianos
The best digital pianos from Yamaha, available in upright and grand piano designs, expect to pay a few thousand dollars for these. Includes models from the Clavinova and the ARIUS series.

• Yamaha Clavinova CSP-170: Consolde design, NWX (Natural Wood X) keyboard with synthetic ebony and ivory keytops, with Bench.
• Yamaha Arius YDP-184: Traditional Console Digital Piano, Graded Hammer 3X keyboard action

Yamaha Portable Pianos

• [easyazon_link identifier=”B07F3D13W5″ locale=”US” tag=”keytarhq04-20″ cart=”n”]Yamaha P-515[/easyazon_link]: Flagship piano in the P-series. Natural Wood X (NWX) keyboard, comes with rhythm patterns
• [easyazon_link identifier=”B07BSM7PFL” locale=”US” tag=”keytarhq04-20″ cart=”n”]Yamaha P-125[/easyazon_link]: Graded Hammer Standard (GHS) keyboard, excellent piano sounds, built-in rhythm patterns
• [easyazon_link identifier=”B01CFOAIJG” locale=”US” tag=”keytarhq04-20″ cart=”n”]Yamaha DGX-660[/easyazon_link]: GHS keyboard, connect microphone, lots of voices & styles, crystal-clear LCD

Best Yamaha Digital Pianos

Yamaha Arius YDP 184

Well, if money was not a constraint, I would have said go and pick up one of the Clavinovas, but for many, its going to be a bit on the expensive side. The YDP 184 falls in a more realistic budget, and still looks like an elegant upright piano. Its an excellent home piano, with beautiful cabinetry, excellent sound and keyboard touch.

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Pros: It has everything you need in a digital piano.
Cons: Most beginners will find it expensive.

The Arius YDP-184 features GH3 keyboard action (hammer action – heavier in the lower register and lighter in the upper octaves) and includes the the stunning sound of the flagship Yamaha CFX concert grand piano. You can alter various paramters of the piano sound, such as string resonance, damper resonance and touch response.

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Yamaha P-515 Portable Piano

Yamaha P series is the series you want to check out if you’re looking for excellent portabl pianos with realistic touch and sounds. The P series now has a new flagship piano, the Yamaha P-515 (earlier it was the P-255) digital piano designed for players of all levels (use it at home or on the road).

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Yamaha P-515 features premium NWX graded action, 256 note Polyphony, 40 voices and rhythms, and more.

Use the powerful onboard speakers to play in smaller venues, or use the 1/4″ aux line outputs to connect with an external amplification system for bigger venues.

If its going to be used as a home piano, you may also consider buying the optional matching furniture stand (L515) and piano-style triple-pedal (LP1) accessories.

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Yamaha P-125

Yamaha P125 is your entry level 88-key digital piano with fully weighted keys, available at an afforable price, and will appeal to serious learners.

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GHS weighted action, CF sound engine produces tone of the acclaimed Yamaha 9′ CFIIIS Concert Grand piano. Split Mode, USB to host connectivity.

Available in a slim, portable package.

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Yamaha DGX-660
This is an arranger like piano keyboard with several built-in styles. Features incude 88-key Graded Hammer Standard (GHS) weighted action, Decorative wooden stand, PA150 adapter & sustain pedal included, More DSP effects for more realism of all Voices, Backlit LCD displays lyrics, chords & notation, Front panel USB to Device: connect optional USB storage devices. Read more.
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Yamaha P255 Contemporary Piano
For serious learners and the more experienced pianist, this sounds and feels much better than the P115. It comes with 88-note GHE (Graded Hammer Effect) weighted-action keyboard with synthetic ivory tops, 128-note polyphony, Dynamic Stereo Sampling – 4 separate layers of stereo samples, Key-Off Sample plus Sustain Sample for acoustic piano realism, Emulates the soft/half pedaling and damper effects of an acoustic. Read more
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Recommended Products
Yamaha’s pianos are spread across the Piaggero series, DGX/YPG series, P series, CP series, YDP Arius series and the Clavinova series of pianos. Of these the YDP and the Clavinova pianos are available in the traditional classic looks, whereas the others are portable pianos.

The DGX/YPG are 76 and 88 key grand keyboards that come with built-in accompaniments, suitable for those who are used to playing keyboards and want more than 61 keys. The yamaha ypg-235 76 Keys is excellent entry level grand keyboard whereas the top of the line grand keyboard in this series is the yamaha dgx 640 digital piano.

For those who are not interested in the accompaniments, who do not want the bells and whistles but want excellent sounds and an authentic touch should consider the P-series. The yamaha np32 76-key keyboard acts as a good practice piano at the lower price range. A much better option is the yamaha P115 piano and the excellent Yamaha P255 Piano.

For those of you who perform and are looking for stage pianos, there are some good options as well. The Yamaha NP-V80 piaggero is a 76 key lightweight keyboard for those on budget. A far better and powerful option will be the hugely popular [easyazon_link identifier=”B00FB2Q362″ locale=”US” tag=”keytarhq04-20″ cart=”n”]Yamaha CP4[/easyazon_link] stage piano.

Those of you interested in digital pianos with the traditional classic piano looks should consider the YDP series. These are aesthetically made pianos combined with all the digital features. The Yamaha Arius [easyazon_link identifier=”B077YT617Y” locale=”US” tag=”keytarhq04-20″ cart=”n”]YDP-184[/easyazon_link], YDP-163, ydp-143 are good options for your home, school or church.

Yamaha Digital Pianos: Buying Guide

Why Consider a Yamaha?

It can get a bit confusing when looking for the best Yamaha digital piano because Yamaha has a huge range of pianos to choose from.

Yamaha is a very well known brand in the music industry as it manufactures a complete range of musical instruments and recording equipment, targeting both the amateur and professional musicians. When it comes to digital pianos, Yamaha is one of the leading brands. There is no doubt about their quality of pianos, and they have lots of experience to back it up as well. Yamaha has over 100 years of experience in making pianos, and that coupled with their experience in digital technology has helped them to create some of the best models in the Digital Piano segment.

Yamaha is one of those manufacturers that understands the pulse of the music fraternity and constantly keeps up upgrading their digital pianos, to be in line with the changes in technology. Their vast experience in making pianos and in music recording helps them to make some of the best digital pianos; these are popular among beginners, serious piano students, music enthusiasts, gigging keyboardists and pro musicians because of their excellent sounds (samples from Yamaha’s top concert pianos), choice of variety, flexibility, technically advanced features, and authentic keyboard touch.

Yamaha digital pianos have the best piano and orchestral sounds. These pianos use samples of extremely high quality, thus producing some superb Piano sounds, and they even have a distinct color to it.

We have covered the Keyboard action part further down, in another section.

You also get the best in digital technology. On the digital ensemble (arranger) models, you can expect to find hundreds of sounds, styles, effects, sequencer, learning lessons, performance improvement features. Standard features like connecting to a computer, digital effects, and sequencer will be available on any Yamaha electric piano.

Yamaha pianos are also known for their ease of use and the advanced stage pianos are quite easy to setup.

In general, a Yamaha digital piano is usually preferred for the following reasons.

• Range of digital pianos available in the stage, upright or grand piano look
• Feature authentic & natural piano sound with remarkable expressiveness
• Detailed attention to piano fundamentals
• Provides authentic piano key touch with graded hammer action Keyboard
• The stage pianos are lightweight & portable
• Other digital piano features like sequencer, built-in songs, digital effects, musical styles (select models). Some models are equipped with direct Internet connection

Use it for Practice, Playing, or Performance. Of course not all the digital ones make use of their concert piano samples, but the ones which do not use still make use of some high quality pianos samples.

Various Digital Piano Series

Yamaha has a wide range of models — portable stage pianos or the classic upright and the grand piano looks, so you will definitely not fall short of choices. Be it a stage piano, upright piano or the grand piano, Yamaha has digital pianos that can cater to musicians of any age group and across various skill levels, and can be used in the studio or at home or on stage. Yamaha has pianos that can be used for learning, and others that can be used for professional use.

The various Yamaha digital pianos can be categorized in these series: P, DGX/YPG, NP (Piaggero), YDP Arius, and the Clavinova series. The more expensive models in the above series of pianos, come with weighted graded hammer keys (authentic action) and better samples.

• Yamaha YDP / Arius series and the upmarket Clavinova are the traditional upright pianos, more apt for your living room. This is for those who prefer their piano to look like real piano, want it to be visually appealing as well. That is why these can be expensive than the other series because of the way they are built. You can definitely use these Yamaha digital piano for learning, teaching or for pure enjoyment purposes.

  These high end digital pianos came in the traditional classic looks and packs in all the digital functions that you can find on a digital keyboard.

• If you are looking for a portable digital piano with arranger features, then you should consider the Yamaha DX/YPG series that contains 88 key piano keyboards. You will definitely enjoy the various built-in styles that come along with these piano keyboards.

  These are arranger keyboards that will appeal to enthusiasts who are looking for built-in styles and who have done most of their learning on arranger keyboards.

• Yamaha P series is suitable for Pianists who want a good board for practicing. It is perfect for those who are not interested in the accompaniments and effects, and just need authentic keyboard touch and good piano sound. You also get the lightweight, Yamaha Piaggero (NP) series of pianos with 76 keys.

  These 88-key pianos do not come with built-in styles but come with high quality sounds and authentic keyboard touch. These can be used for piano practice or for performance.

• There is another series of portable pianos – the CP series which are top notch stage pianos that come with various synth and performance features, that makes it ideal for the performing musicians. The Yamaha reface keyboard series includes mini sized keyboards of Yamaha’s most popular piano/keyboards.

  These stage pianos offer high programmability, top notch sounds and features that is suitable for Professional musicians.

As you can see, Yamaha electronic pianos are available in different looks & styles.

• Yamaha Stage Pianos
  If you are looking for portability and a cost effective option then you should have a look at Yamaha’s stage pianos. Yamaha CP and Yamaha P series models fall in this category.

  These yamaha pianos have professional digital features. Suitable for musicians who demand acoustic piano performance when on stage or when in the studio!

  These yamaha digital piano keyboards feature graded hammer action for authentic Piano feel, and has Panel locking facility so that you do not accidentally change any setting, very handy while performing.

  Some of these come with built-in speakers but if you need to perform for an audience then you will need external amplification. Read more here…
  
  

  The more high end portable pianos are also known as electric pianos and they are used more for performing on stage or in the studio. These electric pianos come with several synth like features that make them suitable for professional work.
  
  

• Yamaha Home Digital Pianos
  
  Here you will find quite a few options to suit your requirements.

  Some of these yamaha digital uprights are portable and are available with sleek cabinet designs. These great-sounding digital pianos look similar to the traditionally styled digital pianos and come with Yamaha’s trademark keyboard touch & tone.

  Some of the best yamaha upright piano feature in the Clavinova series. You have a great range of models, some with the basic Piano sounds and some loaded with hundreds of sounds, styles and effects.

  You can expect the best piano sounds in these yamaha upright pianos! Most of the yamaha digital uprights fall in the YDP, Clavinova CLP and CVP series, and feature graded hammer action. Read more here…

• Portable Pianos
  Yamaha NP Piaggero, Yamaha P Series

  The above series are not the arranger types. If you want built-in styles you may consider these 88-key pianos.
  Yamaha DGX, Yamaha YPG

• Electric Stage Pianos
  Yamaha CP pianos
• Upright & Grand Pianos
  Yamaha Arius YDP
  
  Yamaha Clavinova – CLP and CVP series
  
  More Yamaha classic upright and grand pianos
  
  

  Grand Pianos – These Yamaha digital grand pianos provide you with all the musical enjoyment of a real grand piano! Gorgeous & elegant looks, combined with digital sampling technology accurately reproduces the rich harmonic sound of a real grand piano.

  The Clavinova CLP and the CVP series feature some of the yamaha digital grand pianos and the baby grand pianos. These pianos combine the best digital technology with the elegance and beauty of an acoustic grand piano to create an amazing line of yamaha digital grand pianos. The huge library of sounds and styles will make sure that you never fall short of inspiration for your work.

Keyboard Action on Yamaha Pianos

You get the best possible piano touch / keyboard action for the price. In general, more the price, better is the keyboard action.

The top models in each of the series come with graded hammer keyboard action that gives an almost authentic feel to its keys. The keys are heavier on the bass side and lighter on the right side emulating the keys on a grand piano.

Yamaha uses various terminologies to refer to its keyboard actions – GHS, GH, GH3, etc.

Read: Yamaha Graded Hammer Standard (GHS) vs. Graded Hammer Effect (GH / GHE) vs. Graded Hammer Effect 3 (GH3)

More Factors to Consider

Here are some suggestions which you may consider to choose the best Yamaha piano!

• Cost is obviously one factor. You need to have some idea of how much you would be willing to pay for your Yamaha piano. Besides Cost, there are some other factors which you need to consider.
• Musical Styles – Do you need to have musical styles in your piano…or are you interested in just the piano sounds? Depending on this, you may have a look at the Yamaha YPG series (also known as DGX in non-US markets), which have hundreds of musical styles in it, or you may opt for the P series stage pianos.
• Portability – How important is it for you to move your piano around? Will you be using it to perform onstage? The P series have some good stage pianos for you to practice piano and they are quite portable too. If you are looking to perform on stage, the best Yamaha pianos will be the CP series because of their powerful features.
• Looks Matters? – Do you want the most elegant looking piano? Something that looks like the traditional upright or grand piano, and includes the best of digital technology as well! The best Yamaha digital pianos for this would be the Arius YDP and the Clavinova series pianos. These pianos are one of the best, in terms of looks as well, and are on the higher price range.
• Other Standard Features: Irrespective of what model you choose, you will get graded hammer action keys, the usual digital effects, built-in sequencer, and MIDI. Basically, you get all the features that you will find on digital pianos (except musical styles, which is not available on some models)

Yamaha Piano Price
So how much would it cost to own one of these Yamaha pianos? Though deciding that you need a piano is the first step, you also need to decide on a few more parameters for you to zero-in on the right model. Here is a ballpark estimate of the various Yamaha digital piano prices to help you choose your piano.

The Yamaha Piano Prices will vary considerably depending on whether you want:

• A basic stage piano
• A stage piano with live performance features
• A piano available in an attractive cabinet
• A piano that has built-in musical styles

The Yamaha digital piano price would wary significantly depending on whether you need a portable stage piano or a Yamaha upright/console piano.

The approximate yamaha digital piano prices (in US Dollars)!

• Yamaha Stage Pianos Prices
  Budget stage pianos, which include hammer action keys and basic set of sounds, can cost a few hundred dollars. For example, the NP-32! If you are looking for something to be used for on-stage performances, you can have a look at the top models in the P series or the professional CP series, which can cost around fifteen hundred dollars.
• Yamaha Digital Piano Cost
  These digital pianos are available in attractive cabinets and some of the models also have built-in musical styles. The Yamaha YDP digital pianos can cost you around thousand dollars, depending on the model you choose.

Before you make up your mind to buy a particular model, spend some time reading the various Yamaha piano reviews on this site. You should also try to look for the Yamaha piano price online…as you may get some attractive prices online; and maybe some freebies as well.

Also Read

• Keyboard prices of various types of keyboards & pianos.
• Best keyboards and pianos for various skill levels

Upgrading to Yamaha Digital Piano

If you have taken classical piano lessons as a kid then you are not so easily going to be satisfied with the electronic alternative. So if you have decided to take up the piano again, then the p series portable ones or the ydp upright pianos can be a good alternative.

I am sure some of you would still want to own an acoustic piano some day but till then these digital pianos should serve your perfectly fine.

For most of you who are upgrading from an electronic keyboard, your quest for the perfect piano keyboard should definitely end with the options listed here.

The pianos in the p series have the best feel and will remind you of your acoustic piano days. In terms of the number of voices you may not get a lot of options, but the piano sounds are one of the best that are available.

As far as connection to the computer is concerned, eventually all digital keyboard instruments will be USB some day, but if the model that you like doesn’t have one, there is no need to fret. You can use a midi-usb adapter to connect to the computer and you should be ready to create your own music.

In terms of the stand, some merchants suggest an x-style stand but it is definitely not suitable for these heavier digital pianos. You will have to choose a proper digital piano stand.

The same applies to the bundled piano as well which is usually thrown in with a portable piano. If you have played before, you will not like the cheap make and more importantly you will find that the pedal just does not stay in one place while playing.

So if you are a serious piano player, and thinking of going in for a portable Yamaha piano, then you should serious consider a 3-pedal system and a good piano stand (that will house the pedal system).

Yamaha vs. Other Piano Brands

There is no denying that when it comes to digital technology, there are always new players entering the market. That, coupled with the fact that prices of most technology components are becoming cheaper has in general pushed prices of digital pianos down.

Not a bad thing for the end user though!

But one thing that works in Yamaha’s favor is that they have experience on their side, and that too not just in making pianos but also in music recording equipment, which makes them belt out some top class pianos. Another brand that has good offerings is the Roland digital pianos.

At the lower price range, Yamaha has some good contenders coming out of Casio’s stable, namely their Privia pianos. Having said that, Yamaha still has an impressive line-up of digital pianos costing from a few hundred dollars and goes up all the way to a few thousand dollars (the Clavinova pianos).

In terms of competition, at the higher level there are brands like Roland which also offers good models but for beginners and intermediate level piano players, there is nothing much from other brands. If you have been waiting to buy an 88 key keyboard instrument or a cost-effective alternative to an acoustic piano, then have a look at Yamaha digital pianos.

Summary

Yamaha has been around for several years now and has the trust of most musicians, which actually takes a long time for the new manufacturers to build. You will find a wide range of Yamaha digital pianos that caters to the needs of beginners as well as professionals, across different budgets including Yamaha digital portable stage pianos. Another USP of the Yamaha brand is that all their instruments are easy to use, and their digital pianos are known for the sound of the various built-in acoustic instruments, which sound very realistic.

Choosing the best Yamaha digital piano will need some researching on your part, especially when we are talking about spending at least above $500. It needs time and willingness on your part to be patient so that you can actually see and hear out the different models. Be clear about the features that you need (mentioned above), and soon you should be able to find the best Yamaha piano for yourself.

A Yamaha piano is designed to maximize your enjoyment of genuine piano playing. The wide range of options available from Yamaha ensures that you find something that is just right for your needs. All the Yamaha pianos come with a contemporary design and are designed to maximize your enjoyment of genuine piano playing. A Yamaha digital piano gives you everything that you need for practice, playing, and performance.

So what are you waiting for? Get your favorite Yamaha digital piano today!

Suresh Bist

Suresh has a background in computer science, in addition to being a keyboard/piano player. He has a keen interest in music, audio & video gear, and also manages the business part of KeytarHQ. Read more here.