Best Keyboard for Me?

Arnold

Arnold

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Arnold
Time to learn something new. I've always wanted to know how to play the piano. I don't have the space for one in my home so I'm thinking of purchasing an electronic keyboard. I admit that I have not even begun my investigation except to note that there are many, many options.

What will be the best keyboard for me to use to learn to play?
 
This is certainly not the best keyboard available, but you can't go wrong with this one for a beginner. It is not expensive, it's a full sized keyboard, with 88 semi-weighted keys. We got this for our son when he was 7 (he's 9 now) and it's been fantastic for our purposes.

Amazon.com: Alesis Recital – 88 Key Digital Piano Keyboard with Semi Weighted Keys, 2x20W Speakers, 5 Voices, Split, Layer and Lesson Mode, FX and Piano Lessons : Musical Instruments

$229.00 and you are good to go for learning to play the piano. The biggest issue is that a lot of the features are hidden behind complex button combinations that are not intuitive. But if you just want something that plays like a piano, this is great.
 
I'd search FB Marketplace or Craigslist for a used keyboard. Yamaha, Korg, Roland, Casio all make excellent keyboards to learn and grow on. Something like a Yamaha P125 or Roland FP10/30 are good 88-key models. I would really try to go for options with good feel and sound rather than tons of effects and buttons that are more of a hindrance to learning than anything.
 
Second for a not expensive one while you’re learning. There are too many sitting in the corner.
 
Arnold said:
Time to learn something new. I've always wanted to know how to play the piano. I don't have the space for one in my home so I'm thinking of purchasing an electronic keyboard. I admit that I have not even begun my investigation except to note that there are many, many options.

What will be the best keyboard for me to use to learn to play?
Click to expand...

(relevant background for me: I started tuning pianos, repairing pianos, rebuilding pianos before I was 14 and I'm now <mumble> years old)

first, a kind of blunt comment: I've almost never seen anyone that doesn't have space for a real piano... the reality is that someone can find space if it is a priority. If you set up a 88-key keyboard, how much less space would that take than a real piano?

I recently bought a Studiologic SL88 Grand. Yup, it has 88 weighted keys and such. Does it feel like a real piano? um, yup, sort of, except for the short keys... the pivot point for electronic keyboards (and drop-action spinet pianos) is very close to the tail of the key. So the key has a VERY different feel when pressing it close to the tail rather than at the very front of the key. The ordinary key depth of ~3/8" becomes less than 1/4" as you play the key closer to the tail.

Mechanically, it's challenging to make the electronic keyboards feel real... the keys are too short... waaaaay too short

Getting beyond the fact that learning on a real piano being best, the beginner can probably get away with any small keyboard. The feel of the keyboard action is going to really lousy. But you won't really understand how bad until you play a real piano. In other words, don't obsess over which small inexpensive keyboard to get.

And bottomline: have fun learning
 
We started with a 61 key unweighted keyboard. It was enough for us to decide that we liked piano and wanted it in our lives longer term. Within 6 months we went out and purchased used Yamaha grand from the 70s. It’s been great for us.

Like a poster above said though, if you can find a place to setup a 88 key digital keyboard, why not find a small upright acoustic one?

that said, there are supposed to be lots of great digital ones. Maybe ask around on the Piano world forum. There’s probably more experience there than on a pilot forum.
http://forum.pianoworld.com/
 
skier said:
We started with a 61 key unweighted keyboard. It was enough for us to decide that we liked piano and wanted it in our lives longer term. Within 6 months we went out and purchased used Yamaha grand from the 70s. It’s been great for us.

Like a poster above said though, if you can find a place to setup a 88 key digital keyboard, why not find a small upright acoustic one?

that said, there are supposed to be lots of great digital ones. Maybe ask around on the Piano world forum. There’s probably more experience there than on a pilot forum.
http://forum.pianoworld.com/
Click to expand...

Because they still take up more space in a room and can be difficult to move around. They are also higher maintenance (obviously). Don't get me wrong, I love a true acoustic piano. However, an electronic keyboard gets you portability, compact form, and the ability to play quietly by plugging in headphones to avoid disrupting the rest of the house (especially helpful for beginners hitting wrong notes a lot). Beautiful day outside? Take it outside to the porch. Can't sleep and want to play while everyone sleeps? Go play with the headphones on. Going on vacation and still want to play? Bring it along.
 
What are some "must-haves" on your list? Do you want it to have headphone or Bluetooth capabilities? Ability to load or create MIDI tracks? Rhythms or songs recorded into the piano? Or are you looking for more of a plain keyboard that mimics an acoustic piano?

My favorite digital keyboard I have played was a Yahama branded one. It had an incredibly realistic feel to the keys, had a stand with built-in pedals arranged in typical acoustic piano formation, and did a really good job of mimicking the sound, touch, and technique of playing an acoustic piano. It was also very expensive, so if you're looking for a more budget-friendly option, just keep reading.

For more budget-friendly but still good value options, there are quite a few brands to choose from. One brand that has a few less expensive but still good quality keyboards is Casio. I have played several Casio 88-key keyboards that were very nice. They had good sound, headphone capabilities, and a touch that is meant to feel quite close to a real piano in weight and pivot point. Something that I would recommend is looking for a keyboard that comes with a pedal to allow you to use the sustain effect at minimum, as this will both help you acclimatize to the traditional way of playing piano and allow you to play different styles.

Something else you might keep in mind is how you're planning to learn. Are you going to self-teach/watch Youtube or get an actual piano teacher? If you're going to have an actual teacher, you might reach out to them and ask if there are any pianos they particularly recommend. They might even know of someone who is looking to sell or give away their used one, and you could score a bargain. :)
 
Lots of great info. An acoustic piano is difficult for me. I live on the second and third floors of an old Victorian house. Also, I don't want to have another item to move when I retire in a few years. I don't know if I need a full 88 keys for initial learning, so I would not mind some feedback on that. Thanks for the piano forum link. I will probably get there eventually but this is the community I know and trust for advice on all sorts of things.
 
Arnold said:
.. I don't know if I need a full 88 keys for initial learning, so I would not mind some feedback on that.
Click to expand...

You certainly don't need the full keyboard for initial learning. And the smaller keyboard will be less expensive and easier to fit in smaller living spaces.
 
We visited a guitar center to try a bunch of digital pianos for the kiddo to learn on. What we bought is certainly a budget buy, but gets good online reviews. I think it was a few hundred out the door with a stand using some Black Friday deals.
 
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