Yamaha’s finest portable pianos, the P Series pianos are mid-range models with high-quality sound, natural piano touch response and modern features. If you’re looking for an excellent, affordable piano for serious learning, or for practicing, do checkout these piano models. Skip to the best [easyazon_link identifier=”B00HSPW57G” locale=”US” tag=”keytarhq04-20″ cart=”n”]Yamaha P series piano on Amazon[/easyazon_link].
Introduction
If you’re serious about learning to play the piano or are looking for an excellent piano with authentic sounds and touch, but want something more compact, something that will suit most modern homes, then you need to checkout the Yamaha P series portable pianos.
These are portable, yet elegantly designed pianos with excellent sounds and keyboard feel; perfect for the serious learner and for piano practice.
You just get real piano sounds (including grand piano sounds) and an excellent real-piano like touch.
Some of these models comes with drum patterns and pianist styles (but not with hundreds of accompaniments if that’s what you are looking for).
The Yamaha P-series include the perfect 88-note weighted-action keyboards that any serious piano student would need for learning, or any experienced player would need for practicing. You get authentic keys and an excellent piano sound. Perfect for serious piano students or experienced pianists.
If you are looking for a good portable piano for practice at home, or school or for the church, then the Yamaha P Pianos is what you should look for. The flagship model in this series can even be used for onstage piano performances.
Comparison Chart
Here are the popular piano models in this series.
Best High-End (Yamaha P-515)
Excellent samples, Graded Hammer with Synthetic Ivory Keytops
Yamaha P-515 on Amazon
Best Mid-Range (Yamaha P-125)
Good piano samples, GHS weighted action
Best Budget (Yamaha P-45)
Good piano samples, GHS weighted action
Yamaha P-125 on Amazon
Best Budget (Yamaha P-71)
Good piano samples, GHS weighted action
Yamaha P-71 on Amazon
Best Yamaha P Series Portable Pianos
Yamaha P-515
Yamaha P-515 is the flagship model in the Yamaha P series (replaces the P-255).
Features include dynamic Stereo Sampling – 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.
If you’re a serious piano player and looking for an excellent portable piano for practicing at home, this would be a serious contender. Its also good enough to be used onstage.
Comes in a slim, portable design. Grade Hammer action with Synthetic Ivory Keytops. Read more.
Yamaha P-125
Yamaha recently introduced the Yamaha P-125, which is a replacement for the Yamaha P115.
The P-125 features a sleeker design and incorporates smart features that allows you to use a Piano app to get the most out of the P125. CF sound engine (uses grand piano samples), Graded Hammer Standard keys, 192 note polyphony. Read more here.
Yamaha P71
If you’re looking for an affordable stage piano from Yamaha, the P-71 digital piano is the one to consider. The Yamaha P45 is almost similar to the Yamaha P71 in features.
You get a piano that offers a real acoustic grand piano sound along with Graded Hammer Standard keybed, yet it’s lightweight and compact. Packed with more performance options, the P-45 can be used at home, in the studio, or for live performances. Read more…
Yamaha P Pianos: Buying Guide
Yamaha P-series pianos includes models for beginner piano players as well as for the professional piano player. These portable/stage pianos have fully weighted keys with graded hammer action, and offer authentic, piano sounds in a sleek and portable casing.
These models now come with a Free piano app that lets you control the instrument on stage or at home using your iPhone/iPad.
Graded Hammer Keyboard
These pianos have much better piano keys that would suit experienced piano players. The P95 comes with a Graded Hammer Standard action keyboard whereas the P155 comes with the Graded Hammer Effect, which has a even better action.
Here’s a detailed explanation on the various types of graded keyboard effects
Piano vs Synth Sounds
There are many who wish to have a piano with genuine keys and genuine sounding piano sounds; they are really not interested in the hundred of voices and effects that are available on synth or arranger type keyboards.
Usually, synth like sounds and effects are best played using an instrument with lighter keys. In that case I suggest you get a nice synthesizer or keyboard. You may have a look at some of the other keyboards from Yamaha. Alternately, you may even just buy a keyboard controller and a USB audio interface and use the computer for all your sound related needs.
However, there are many who just buy a digital piano only for their good piano sounds with keys that are weighted and as close to an acoustic piano as possible. For them the p series are perfect.
Connecting to Amplifier / PA
Though these pianos come with high quality built-in speakers, you can still connect these to an external amplifier, PA system or your expensive home theatre system.
For that, you’ll need to take the 1/8 inch headphone output and plug it into the 1/4 in inputs on the keyboard amp or the external speakers.
Remember that, connecting to the headphone jack to external sources will mute the on-board speakers, so don’t worry if your onboard speakers don’t make any sound when you make this connection.
The same headphone output can also be used for recording purposes, as these do not come with aux outputs on it. You can send the headphone outputs to your recording device (computer or an audio interface).
Competition Check
Before we talk about the individual models, I’ll mention a few other choices that you have. These series focus more on the piano sounds and the keyboard touch, but then there are other series that offer products worth considering, though they might come with the styles and other digital features.
Many a times, even though you may like a certain thing, the cost does play an important role in tilting the scale towards something else. So you may want to quickly go through these articles, before proceeding here.
The P series compared with Casio and other Yamaha series
To Conclude
If you are open to acquiring other brands and not so particular about the piano sounds, then there are few other series that offer good digital pianos. But if you are looking for a piano with excellent sound and touch, purely comparing it with how an acoustic piano would sound, and don’t care for the various sounds and effects that are found on the other series, then the Yamaha P series may be something that you should definitely consider.
Check out the various Yamaha P pianos here
See Also
More on Yamaha digital pianos
More on Yamaha Keyboards
Back to Home page from Yamaha P 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.
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