Amazon-piano-keyboards

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The Alesis Melody 61 MKII is designed for kids, and meant to appeal to slightly older kids who want a grown-up style piano keyboard setup, and don't want to feel like they are playing with a toy. It's a great way to introduce children to playing the piano, and has all the accessories and functions that will make any kid feel like a rock star.

Here's a quick video for Alesis Melody 61 MKII:

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The Alesis Melody 61 MKII is perfect for young kids and pre-teens who have an interest in music. The huge array of instrument voices and sounds are fun to play with, the built-in rhythms and demo songs will have them playing full songs in minutes, and the microphone and headphones will make them feel like rock stars.  It's also capable of being powered by batteries, and is lightweight, so the keyboard can go with them to parties or picnics.

This is not a great keyboard for very young children. The keyboard itself, and the included stand and seat, are not particularly rugged in construction, and won't withstand a lot of banging or wobbling.

The Alesis Melody 61 MKII is also not a great choice for more serious young music students. Most piano teachers would prefer that children practice on a weighted keyboard, to build finger strength and techniques that will transfer better to traditional pianos. It also doesn't have any onboard lesson functions, and Skoove Online may not be the best piano instruction option for children. Finally, it doesn't have any ability to connect to computers or digital devices, so you can't choose other apps or online tools that may have better instruction.

The Alesis Melody 61 MKII comes with:

Altogether, it's a complete digital keyboard setup, right out of the box

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Pros & Cons of the ​Alesis Melody 61 MKII

An Alternative Product to Consider

One would expect that a keyboard with USB is more expensive than one without; it's a feature that many keyboard manufacturers attach a premium value to, despite the fact that the capability actually costs the manufacturer very little. However, the Alesis Melody 61 is so much more expensive than the Alesis Melody 61 that the cost difference is truly staggering.

The Alesis Melody 61 MKII is an excellent bargain for the purchase price. The Alesis Melody 61 simply is not; there are exceptional beginner keyboards in that price range that are far superior to this one.

While the Hamzer 61 is not a professional instrument, the better sound, higher quality construction of the keyboard and accessories, better onboard learning tools, and greater range of instrument options make it an overall better choice than the Alesis Melody 61 MKII, for just a few dollars more. The Hamzer is a good instrument for beginners of all ages, with a wider range of capabilities than the Alesis Melody 61 MKII.

Alesis Melody 61 MK2 Electric Keyboard Sound

 Most keyboards offer a fraction of the features at more than double the cost. This powerful, versatile, handsome digital console keyboard simply cannot be beat in its price range, and is a fantastic choice for piano lovers everywhere.

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One of the downfalls of many digital keyboard designs is that the interface on the device is just minimal buttons and a screen. In order to access the keyboard's functions, features, and settings, you have to frequently refer to the printed manual to identify the codes and buttons to access these settings, which can be frustrating for beginners.

The Plixio 61-Key Digital Electric Piano Keyboard uses buttons and instructions on the keyboard itself, to help you choose and navigate the settings without having to refer to the manual as often. Rhythms, percussions, and many effects are quickly accessible with buttons directly on the device, making it simpler to use and navigate.

The Plixio 61-Key Digital Electric Piano Keyboard comes with a built-in music stand, and an included AC power supply.

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Pros & Cons of the Plixio 61-Key

An Alternative Product to Consider

Both Plixio 61 key keyboards are extremely similar in price, but the “adult” model has a USB port that enables a much wider range of capabilities and functions, so it may be worth choosing it instead.

Instead, you may want to consider the Hamzer 61-key Digital Music Piano Keyboard. 

Like the Plixio 61-Key Digital Electric Piano Keyboard, the Hamzer has a lot of appealing features. In fact, both keyboards have:

The Hamzer only has 24 demo songs vs. the Plixio's 60, and isn't the best-sounding digital piano on the marketplace. However, it's priced competitively to the Plixio, and gives an improved and more reliable experience. And the addition of full-size keys is important for learning, while the microphone and built-in recording features are a lot of fun. It's an excellent alternative to the Plixio 61-Key Digital Electric Piano Keyboard.

Plixio 61 Key Keyboard Electric Piano with Lesson Mode

Traditional piano teachers are often rightly concerned that if young people use apps to learn to play a digital piano, they will lack well-rounded development and fail to learn skills that will allow them to play an acoustic piano without assistance.

The ONE Smart Piano Weighted 88-Key Digital Piano is designed to alleviate that concern; the keys are fully weighted, for finger strength and technique, and the light-up functions are discrete and effective, but can be turned off, and the three built-in foot pedals help learners build more skills and play more complex pieces.

In short, if a student uses the app to its full capability, participating in games, challenge modes, and following the lessons, they will learn piano playing and music reading skills that can last a lifetime, even if they are playing a traditional piano.

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The ONE Smart Piano Weighted 88-Key Digital Piano is designed for beginners of all ages who want to skip boring repetition and playing scales, and go right to learning how to play their favorite songs on the piano.

The ability to use the lighted keys and a smart device to start learning songs is a great way to jump-start your piano education, and the games, tools, and exercises available on the app make learning fun and simple. It's particularly good for kids, who love interacting with digital devices, and will take readily to the game-play style of learning offered by the ONE Smart Piano Weighted 88-Key Digital Piano.

The ONE Smart Piano Weighted 88-Key Digital Piano comes with a high-quality wooden-looking console, with built-in sliding keyboard dust cover, robust music stand designed for tablets, and a 3 pedal-panel. It also comes with a power cord and data cables.

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Pros & Cons of The ONE Smart Piano Weighted 88-Key

An Alternative Product to Consider

Unfortunately, in this case, that dependency can become a weakness. While the ONE Smart Pianos claim to be iOS and Android compatible, and their FAQ state that they “should” work with Amazon tablets and devices, they frequently do not.

The company appears to no longer be updating the Android version of the app at all. When the app doesn't work, this large, 117 pound instrument is extremely limited in capabilities. Furthermore, because the ONE is a crowdsourced product created by a startup, there is no assurance of ongoing updates from the company, and support is poor or nonexistent.

Consider pairing the Yamaha YDP103R Arius with The ONE Hi-Lite Learning System.

One Smart Piano teaches you to play using an iPad

A better alternative at this time would be to get a console piano from a different company, and add the ONE Hi-Lite Learning System, to get the best of both worlds, and hope for more mature technology in the future.