Are you looking for info on the best digital pianos for beginners? You’re in the right place. The piano is made up of features that bring together almost all of the elements needed to make music.
This character and diversity it holds make it one of the most preferred and used musical instruments.
In recent times, Digital pianos have really taken over the market. They are built in a way quite similar to acoustic pianos. With this capability, it is inevitable for musicians to neglect the potential of digital pianos.
All musicians, pianists and music instructors started their way up as amateurs. For beginners to master the digital piano, they not only require good instructors but the right tool for the job.
That is why we have taken the time to thoroughly write this best budget digital piano for beginners review.
1. Yamaha P45 88-Key Digital Piano
Released a couple of years back, the Yamaha P45 is one of the best digital pianos for beginners. Yamaha is a company recognized for its abilities to manufacture attractive and well-priced instruments. Now, add the P45 to their collection and you see why it has such a wide market reach around the globe.
But, it is not only the price and design that has managed to make the P45 standout. The piano is from Yamaha’s P (Portable) line and offers the best quality performance in the most flexible way. It is a simple piano but has the potential to execute high-quality performance at different levels.
The Yamaha P45 is featured with fully-weighted 88 keys digital piano equipped with the GHS action. With the GHS action, you as an amateur are taken closer to the feel of an acoustic piano. This is made possible by the touch sensitivity of the keys which further enhances the natural feel.
The sound technology that comes with Yamaha pianos is always impressive and the P45 does not also compromise on this. Its sound reproduction uses Yamaha’s Advanced Wave Memory Stereo sampling technology. This AWM sound technology is aimed at giving you much deeper and richer sound waves. It is a feature that most beginner keyboards lack.
The P45 also comes with a sustain pedal, and although flimsy, it further opens up your playing options. With tons of voices and organs to choose from, the P45 is an exceptional instrument.
Another great thing about this piano is that you can easily connect it with your PC, or other devices using its in-built USB type B port. Once connected, you can create multi-track MIDI recordings or use it as MIDI controller in the studio.
The Yamaha P45 digital piano is an amazing instrument for beginners looking to start or improve their skills. For just under $500, you are promised a solid entry-level digital piano.
2. Casio Privia PX-160BK
The Casio company has to be the closest competitor giving Yamaha products a good race for their money. So, with the Privia PX-160BK digital piano model, there are definitely some positive expectations.
What makes the PX-160 appear as one of the best beginner’s digital piano? Let’s take a look.
For an authentic feel, the PX-160 is equipped with Casio’s popular Tri-sensor Hammer Action Keyboard II. With this type of ability, your key presses are accurately recognized and allow faster note repetition.
Considering the key tops are made of Ivory and Ebony, you get a good grip of them while playing for an extended amount of time without the worry of slipping fingers.
The quality of sound that the PX-160 has is also far from average. In fact, it can confidently compete with the sound from other highly-priced digital pianos. The PX-160 has with it a Multi-dimensional Morphing AiR Sound Source which is responsible for delivering a full natural sound.
This sound source is sampled from a 9-foot concert grand piano. Since this product is a successor of the previous PX-150, it has improved its speaker system up to 16W. It has a polyphony count of 128-notes which rightly contributes to the quality of the sound.
You get 13 instrument sounds along with 5 other piano tones which sound really decent and enjoyable. It is hard to find such a budget-friendly instrument that has high quality sound like the PX-160.
The PX-160 also has a 2-track MIDI recorder, which lets you record your left and right-hand parts onto different tracks. Once you finish recording separately, you may then play them back as one song.
Casio also built the PX-160 with metronome, transpose and tuning functions, as well as the duet and dual-mode playing functions.
With the Casio PX-160 piano, you get 60 built-in songs that you can use to practice right and left-hand parts. But, for this to happen, you have to turn off one of the parts. The internal memory allows you to install up to 10 User Songs.
With an optimal balance between authentic feel, piano sound, and amazing features, the PX-160 is one of the best keyboards under $500.
3. Korg B1-Stylish Piano
The Korg B1 is one of the easiest-to-use and best digital pianos for beginners. It comes with complete full-sized 88 hammered keys which are heavily-weighted, the B1SP possesses great sound projection to motivate any budding pianist. At the core of the B1 is the Stereo PCM tone generator.
Added to it is the 120-polyphony note count and 18W speaker system and you get a deep expressive sound with an extensive dynamic range. Also, to help reproduce low frequencies more accurately, the speakers have with them the Motion Feedback technology.
The 88 full-sized keys have Korg’s Natural Hammer (NH) action which feels close the Yamaha’s GHS action. Unlike other beginner keyboards, the B1 comes with a metal sustain pedal. The functions of this keyboard include Partner Mode, metronome, transpose, and master tuning. With 8 sounds present for the beginner, they help to unveil concise and amazing practical tones.
Korg B1 has a slim design that allows you to easily handle and carry it around. The B1SP comes with a furniture stand that offers an upright piano look. It features a reasonably compact design and this might be because it is built from scratch and not a tune from an existing model.
Since it is an entry-level digital piano, Korg offers you a Focus on Piano Learning Guide. Although the B1 lacks some key connectivity features such as the USB port, it is still an amazing option with realistic sound and touch.
ALSO READ: Cheapest 88-Key Digital Pianos – Best Reviews
4. Alesis Recital Digital Piano
When we talk of the best digital pianos for beginners, we can’t leave out the Alesis Recital digital piano. It is a full-sized but semi-weighted 88 keys digital piano suitable for an amateur looking to venture into the piano world. Usually, most beginners find it very hard to cope with the strength and finger dexterity needed to use a fully-weighted digital piano.
That is where Alesis comes in and tries to solve this issue. The semi-weighted action helps to strengthen your fingers before you decide to upgrade to hammer weighted keys in the future.
The combination of 88 keys and the semi-weighted response has proven to be an effective learning measure for beginners. Alesis comes with 5 sampled sounds which also includes a piano sound. Some of its functions include;
Metronome – This helps you manage time while practicing.
Lesson Mode – With this function, both the student and the instructor are able to sit side by side and play together.
The Alesis Recital features battery-powered flexibility. There is the inclusion of USB-MIDI connectivity which allows you to connect the piano to your computer. You can also use the Alesis Recital in private by plugging in headphones through the ¼ ” stereo jack available on it.
The piano also features ¼ ” sustain pedal input, which also lets you connect other external sound systems. When you purchase the Alesis Recital, it comes with a Skoove 3 month premium subscription.
With this type of instrument, you get to benefit from its ample learning resources and what’s more, you can use it without even having to plug it in.
5. Roland FP-10 88-Key Digital Piano
Lastly on our list of the best digital pianos for beginners is the Roland FP-10 digital piano. It is just a cut-down model of its intermediate brother, the Roland FP-30. Roland had not introduced any entry-level digital piano before the FP-10. But, after they saw the market potential for beginner keyboards, the company decided to make a move.
The FP-10 comes with the Roland’s PHA-4 Standard keyboard that features escapement technology, and synthetic ivory keytops. This makes it the only beginner’s piano to simulate the escapement sensation from acoustic pianos.
Other than having ivory feel keys, the FP-10 uses the 3-sensor detection mechanism. With the PHA-4 standard, the FP-10 feels very high quality and authentic to the touch.
It possesses a rich quality sound generated by Roland’s famous SuperNatural sound engine, which provides a full natural sound with clear and edible details. The FP-10 is also a simulator of organic piano elements which include the damper resonance, key off response and the string resonance.
The piano does not have a MIDI recorder or a lesson mode. To make up for it, Roland enables you to connect the FP-10 with their free Piano Partner 2 app via Bluetooth.
Once connected, you can expand the FP-10’s capabilities such as the MIDI recorder, unlocking some of the rhythms and at the same time control different parameters and settings. All this is easier by using a very graphical and flexible interface.
Overall, the Roland FP-10 digital piano may lack some useful features but the company has made some pretty good alternatives for this.
The piano boasts of authentic touch with the sound very much like that of intermediate keyboards. The Roland FP-10 is a good piano for beginners looking to enhance their playing skills.
Final Thoughts
With the above reviews of the best digital pianos for beginners, it is our hope you’ve now gained the knowledge to help you select the right digital piano for beginners.
Always ensure that you conduct thorough research on the best digital pianos for beginners before purchasing one because that will help save you from any disappointments. Look for a piano that promises great service for a long time.
Also, take note of the warranty and see what other people are actually saying about the piano you want to buy.
With the right approach and established requirements, you should find a piano that manages to shift with you as you advance from a beginner to an expert player.
