We spent hundreds of hours evaluating 158 popular keyboard models based on price and features and we narrowed them down to the 38 best piano keyboards on the market. In our opinion, the Yamaha PSR-EW300 is the overall best value for beginner and intermediate players. The Yamaha PSR-EW300 boasts 76 touch-sensitive keys in a portable keyboard that will satisfy beginners and intermediates alike and includes the famous Yamaha Education Suite (Y.E.S.) that allows beginners to quickly and easily learn. The Yamaha PSR-EW300 is a high-quality keyboard that you’ll enjoy for years, at a reasonable price of $250.In our list of the top keyboards below we also include our top picks for the best keyboards for budget, beginners, toddlers, kids, portability, weighted keys, roll-up, and digital grands.Let’s jump in!
Our Top 11 Piano Keyboard Picks (Summary Table)
In the table below you’ll find our absolute top picks for keyboards in the most popular categories (beginners, kids, etc.):
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38 Best Piano Keyboards on the Market
In the sections below we provide a brief review of the top 38 piano keyboards available today for a range of needs (and if you need more info, we also link to our in-depth review of each model):
Best Piano Keyboard Overall: Yamaha PSREW300
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Why we like it: The Yamaha PSREW300 features 76 touch-sensitive keys with Yamaha’s famous AWM stereo sampling, with 574 instrument voices, 18 drums and effects, and 154 built-in songs for tremendous versatility and great sound in a portable keyboard.
It has a Melody Suppressor so you can play along with your favorite songs, the Yamaha Education System to make it easy to learn and play, and USB to HOST connectivity for a wide range of digital devices. It comes with the power supply and a keyboard stand, so you can be set up and playing your favorite songs in just minutes.
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The Yamaha PSREW300 is a portable keyboard with a great balance of features for beginners and advanced musicians alike. With an onboard learning system and shared keyboard function, it’s great for lessons and practice, while the wide range of voices, connectivity options, touch-sensitive keys, and great Yamaha piano sound will satisfy more advanced players.
Best Keyboard Overall (Runner-Up): Casio CTK-2550
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Why we like it: The Casio CTK-2550 is a portable, 61-key keyboard with a lot of great digital features. It has 400 instrument tones, 100 built-in rhythms, and 48 levels of polyphony. With Dance Music Mode, even beginners can be quickly making their own compositions, using the dance music rhythms and effects to create their own party songs.
With the built-in Casio Lesson Lite system, learning to play keyboards is simple and fun, or connect the keyboard to the powerful Casio Chordana Play app for lessons, music games, and recording and sharing your music with others.
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The Casio CTK-2550 is a great instrument for beginners and young musicians, because the keyboard and the app make it simple and fun to learn, experiment, and make your own music in a huge range of styles.
With the Chordana Play app, you can take your music with you on a connected device, or even track your progress and practice the piano on a touchscreen device. It’s a great way to get kids interested in playing an instrument and stimulate a love of music.
Best Budget Piano Keyboard: Lagrima 61-key Electric Piano Keyboard
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Why we like it: The LAGRIMA 61-Key Electric Piano Keyboard has a lot of great features and sound for a keyboard in this price range. It has full-size keys, with 128 instrument voices, 128 rhythms, 8 percussion effects, and 12 demonstration songs.
With onboard record and playback functions, you can share your songs or track your progress as you learn. You can program your own rhythms, and it has sustain, vibrato, and other effects. With the easy-to-read LCD screen, you can also adjust the master volume and accompaniment volume independently, which is great for singing along using the included microphone.
It has an onboard learning system to help beginners learn to play the piano and make practice fun. It can be powered with the included AC adapter, or by 6AA batteries, to enjoy anywhere you go.
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The LAGRIMA 61-Key Electric Piano Keyboard is a great keyboard for novices and young beginners, for them to learn and play at an affordable price. It comes with a microphone, so they can sing along with their songs, and record their performances to share with others. While the sound quality isn’t great, it’s an excellent beginner keyboard, where kids can learn and play before upgrading to a more sophisticated instrument.
Best Piano Keyboard for Beginners: Yamaha EZ-220 61-Lighted Key Portable Keyboard Package
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Why we like it: There is no easier way to learn to play the piano than with a lighted keyboard, which helps beginners hit the right notes every time without having to learn to read music. The Yamaha EZ-220 61-Lighted Key Portable Keyboard Package has light up, touch-sensitive keys that make learning songs fun and fast, and it has great Yamaha sound.
It has 392 instrument voices, 12 rhythms, 100 preset songs, and a wide range of effects. It also has the Yamaha Education Suite onboard learning system, and is compatible with several Yamaha iPad apps that expand the capabilities of the keyboard itself.
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The Yamaha EZ-220 61-Lighted Key Portable Keyboard Package was primarily designed for kids and young learners, with a light-up keyboard and onboard learning tools that make learning the piano fun and easy.
However, it has great sound and robust features that will also appeal to adults who want to get up to speed with new songs quickly, and the 100 song library gives everyone a lot to choose from. Even though it lights up, this keyboard exceeds expectations for beginners and novices, and will remain a valuable instrument for years.
Best Piano Keyboard for Toddlers: Casio SA-77 44-Key Portable Keyboard Package
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Why we like it: The Casio SA-77 44-Key Portable Keyboard is a compact keyboard designed for children, with smaller keys and fun colors that will help engage toddlers in a lifetime of music. It has 100 instrument voices that have better sound quality than one would expect in a keyboard for kids in this price range, and 50 built-in rhythms with tempo control and extra musical styles and effects for hours of enjoyment.
The drum pads are particularly appealing, and can start kids on a rhythm instrument as well as the piano. It can be battery powered, making it fun to use, practice, and play anywhere.
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The Casio SA-77 44-Key Portable Keyboard is a perfect keyboard for getting young children interested in playing music, with fun features, an appealing design, and songs, tones, and voices that will excite and inspire them. The drum keys give even more possibility for learning and expression, and it’s small enough to take anywhere.
Best Piano Keyboard for Kids: Yamaha YPT260 61-Key Portable Keyboard Bundle
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Why we like it: The Yamaha YPT260 61-Key Portable Keyboard Bundle is a small keyboard with the features and capabilities that will grow along with your musical capabilities. It has Yamaha’s AWM stereo sound engine, for excellent piano and instrument voices and audio quality that will please even more discriminating musicians.
It has 400 instrument tones, 16 rhythms, 130 auto-accompaniment settings, and 112 onboard songs. With 6 master EQ settings, and ultra-wide stereo sound from the onboard speakers, as well as sophisticated tuning and transpose functions, it is a great instrument for entertaining the whole family.
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The Yamaha YPT260 is a great instrument for kids and aspiring musicians, with high quality sound and more advanced features that will continue to provide enjoyment and learning opportunities for years to come.
Best Portable Piano Keyboard: Alesis Melody 61-Key Portable Keyboard
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Why we like it: The Alesis Melody 61 MKII is a 61-key keyboard with a whopping 300 instrument voices and 300 built-in accompaniment rhythms. It also has 40 demo songs, and comes complete with a keyboard stand, bench, music rest, headphones, and a microphone for a complete practice and performance setup right out of the box.
Record and play back your own songs through the keyboard with the onboard memory, and split the keyboard for easy duets and practice. It comes with 3 months of online piano lessons to help beginners learn and practice with just a web browser.
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The Alesis Melody 61-Key Portable Keyboard is a lightweight and portable keyboard, but comes with an easy to assemble stand, bench, and accessories so you can have an at-home studio, or take it with you anywhere you want to go. With a broad range of voices and sounds, and online lessons, it’s a great starter keyboard.
Best Intermediate Piano Keyboard: Yamaha P45 88-Key Weighted Action Digital Piano
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Why we like it: The Yamaha P45 88-Key Weighted Action Digital Piano is a full-size 88 key keyboard with sophisticated GHS weighting and touch sensitivity for realistic, expressive play.
With AMW stereo sampling, 64 levels of polyphony, 4 types of reverb, and transpose and tuning functions, it’s an excellent way to have the feel and experience of playing a traditional piano, with the convenience and portability of a digital keyboard.
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The Yamaha P45 88-Key Weighted Action Digital Piano is a fantastic piano for those who want the sound, feel, and expression of a traditional piano. With a lovely grand piano sound, weighted keys, and pedal functions, it gives beginners realistic practice that will translate to a classic piano, without the expense and maintenance of a real grand piano.
Best Piano Keyboard with 88-keys: Alesis Recital 88-Key Beginner Digital Piano
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Why we like it: The Alesis Recital 88-Key Beginner Digital Piano is a full-size 88 semi-weighted keyboard with adjustable touch response. It has 5 high-quality instrument voices, reverb and chorus effects, and 128 levels of polyphony. The onboard 20W speakers deliver clear sound, or use RCA outputs for external speakers. It has keyboard split and layer functions, and comes with 3 months of premium online music lessons.
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The Alesis Recital 88-Key Beginner Digital Piano is a full size piano designed for beginners. The semi-weighted keys and touch response allow for more realistic playing and practice, and it has good sound for a keyboard in this price range. It comes with 3 months of premium online piano lessons, so you can learn from an expert in your own time. Connect it to a pedal and external speakers for an even better playing experience.
Best Console Digital Piano for Home: Casio Privia PX-160 Digital Piano
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Why we like it: The Casio Privia PX-160 Digital Piano is a premium console piano with a sophisticated look and feel. The 88 keys are covered with simulated ebony and ivory for improved tactile response, with realistic key weighting and accurate touch and motion response. The AiR sound engine provides rich, resonant piano voices, and the speaker system creates powerful, dimensional sound.
It has 18 built-in piano voices, with simulated hammer and damper resonance. It has reverb, chorus, and brilliance effects, with 128 levels of polyphony. It has a 60-song music library with onboard memory, or use MIDI and USB to record, mix, or share your music. It comes with a furniture stand, bench, and 3 pedal board.
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The Casio Privia PX-160 Digital Piano is an attractive digital piano with a lot of style, and the feel, sound, and expressiveness of playing a traditional piano. The high quality sound, keyboard texture and feel, and sleek look all combine to make this an excellent piano for those who want an upright piano in their home, without the inconvenience and maintenance of a traditional piano.
Best Digital Grand Piano: Yamaha DGX-660 Digital Piano
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Why we like it: The Yamaha DGX-660 Digital Piano has the Pure CF sound engine that generates rich, powerful grand piano tones, with a fully weighted and touch-sensitive keyboard that allows you to play with speed and expression. It has 151 voices with 388 XGlite voices, 15 drums and effects, and over 40 reverb and chorus settings, along with 237 types of DSP, 205 accompaniment styles, and more.
It has a 305 song database, along with onboard recording capabilities, or export MIDI or WAV files to other devices with flash memory. Intelligent Acoustic Control provides excellent sound quality with or without the keyboard stand, and use the pitch bend wheel for even more musical expressions.
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With the Yamaha DGX-660 Digital Piano, you have the sound and experience of playing a portable grand piano, with a huge range of digital features and options that no grand piano could offer. It provides great Yamaha sound, and comes with the stand, bench, pedal, and accessories that will please beginners and professionals alike.
Those are our absolute best picks for the top piano keyboards for various needs…
But there are a bunch of keyboards that made “runner-up” status in those categories and are great value. If you didn’t find the keyboard you were looking for in our top picks, maybe you’ll see one that exactly fits your needs in the models below.
We have a brief description of why we’ve chosen these runners-up below, along with links to our detailed review of each model, but first, here’s a table summarizing our recommendations:
Best Budget Piano Keyboards (Runner Up)
Over the past five years there’s been an explosion of cheap keyboards that are cheap but good – perfect for kids, beginners, or people who just enjoy tapping out some tunes from time-to-time.
Besides our #1 choice (the LAGRIMA 61-Key Electric Piano Keyboard), we found a handful of other keywords that offer exceptional value:
Hamzer 61-Key Digital Music Piano Keyboard
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Why we like it: The Hamzer 61-Key Digital Music Piano Keyboard is designed for beginners, with everything you need to get started as a digital musician in one simple package. The keyboard has 255 voices, 255 rhythms, 61 percussions, and a library of 24 demonstration songs. You can program and edit rhythms, and use a wide range of effects and auto-fills. It also has onboard recording and playback.
The keyboard has an onboard learning system, and transparent key stickers to help you learn which notes to play. Even better, this keyboard comes with a keyboard stand and a microphone, so you can sing along with your favorite songs while learning to play.
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The Hamzer 61-Key Digital Music Piano Keyboard is a great choice for a young beginner, to get them engaged in the world of music. With piano lessons, key percussions, demonstration songs, and a wide range of voices and effects, it’s a great way to learn, play, sing, and have fun while exploring creative expression.
Plixio 61 Key Electric Music Keyboard Piano
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Why we like it: At less than 9 pounds, the Plixio 61 Key Electric Music Keyboard Piano lets you take your music anywhere you want to go. Powered by the included adapter, or by batteries, this fun and portable keyboard is easy to use, with a simple and engaging interface and great features.
It has 40 instrument tones, 100 rhythms, 8 percussions, 61 keyboard percussions, and a variety of chord and sound effects. With 60 demo songs, it’s easy to learn and play along, and use the microphone port to connect your own microphone for singing along.
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The Plixio 61 Key Electric Music Keyboard Piano is a fun and simple keyboard, perfect for kids who want to sing and play along with the demo songs. It’s compact, portable, and affordable, designed to help beginners get comfortable with their first musical instrument.
Beginner Piano Keyboards (Runners-Up)
As with budget keyboards, there’s a large selection of the best keyboards for beginners to choose from – which makes it harder to choose!
But don’t worry! We’ve done the work for you and hand-picked four more excellent-value keyboards for players who are just starting out:
Yamaha PSR-E263 61-Key Portable Keyboard
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Why we like it: The Yamaha PSR-E263 61-Key Portable Keyboard is an affordable keyboard that is perfect for novices and beginners. It has the Yamaha AWM Stereo sound engine and Ultra-Wide Stereo sound for surprisingly good audio in a beginner keyboard, and a good range of advanced features.
With 384 instrument voices, 16 drums and effects, 130 preset styles, 32 levels of polyphony, and 112 songs, along with a range of reverb, chorus, and other effects, it offers a great range of musical styles and options. Onboard recording and playback makes practice easy, and it has built-in lesson and learning functions.
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The Yamaha PSR-E263 61-Key Portable Keyboard is a great keyboard to introduce beginners to more advanced piano functions and capabilities without overly complex options. It has excellent sound for a keyboard in its class, and has features that will please even advanced players.
Casio CTK-3500 61-Key Touch Sensitive Portable Keyboard
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Why we like it: The Casio CTK-3500 61-Key Touch Sensitive Portable Keyboard is loaded with features and functions, but remains user-friendly and easy to use, even for young players. It has 400 instrument voices, 100 built-in rhythms, 48 levels of polyphony, and a range of effects to make learning music fun.
The 61 keys are full-size and touch sensitive, and Dance Music Mode makes it easy to start playing fun dance music right out of the box. Even better, it’s compatible with Casio’s Chordana Play app, that lets you control keyboard functions, learn and practice the piano, and expand your song library. All this in a keyboard that weighs just 7.5 pounds and can go anywhere you go.
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The Casio CTK-3500 61-Key Touch Sensitive Portable Keyboard is an excellent keyboard for the aspiring digital musician. Not only does it have lesson functions that help you learn to play a classical piano, but it has a pitch bend wheel and Dance Music Mode, with MP3 and USB connectivity for advanced digital functions.
With the Chordana Play app, you can control keyboard functions, but also make practicing and playing more fun and engaging, practicing your favorite songs right on your tablet or smartphone.
Joy JK-63M-KIT
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Why we like it: The Joy JK-63M-KIT is a complete piano setup that comes with a keyboard, stand, bench, and headphones. The keyboard has 61 standard keys, with 255 instrument voices, 255 rhythms, 61 keyboard percussions, 50 demonstration songs, and a wide range of effects and controls.
It has onboard lesson functions, or connect an MP3 player to use it as a music player or play along with your favorite songs. It’s a great way to set up a beginner piano studio in one kit, and make learning to play fun and simple.
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The Joy JK-63M-KIT is a complete beginner piano setup, with a nice array of features and educational functions to help beginners learn, play, practice, and have fun with their first piano. The included headphones let new players practice in privacy, without disturbing others, and the stand and bench create a professional looking studio right in your home.
Toddler Piano Keyboards (Runners-Up)
If you’ve never seen a toddler plucking away at a keyboard, you haven’t seen adorable! And the great thing is that playing a keyboard also has proven intellectual benefits for kids – including kids as young as toddlers.
Here are our runners-up for the top toddler keyboards:
Korg TinyPiano
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Why we like it: The Korg TinyPiano is a tiny piano with big sound. While it’s scaled down for children ages 2-6, and made more child-safe with a sturdy construction, fewer moving parts, lower volume, and small keys, it has authentic grand piano sound and audio quality that impresses adult musicians.
It is battery powered, has 25 instrument voices, and 50 demo songs. The songs can be used to play along with for early musical instruction, or simply play as a music box for nice background music. It has perfect pitch, accurate tone, and the wooden body creates a pleasing resonance, for exceptional sound in a child’s piano. Plus, The Korg Tiny Piano is available in other colors besides black: Red and Pink!
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Adults and kids alike love the Korg TinyPiano. Korg believes that early exposure to high quality instruments with accurate pitch and tones helps shape musical education and improve learning later in life, and they have made this tiny piano with all the craftsmanship and attention to detail needed for the high quality, professional instruments the company is known for.
Goplus Classical Kids Piano
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Why we like it: The adorable Goplus Classical Kids Piano looks like a baby grand piano, scaled down to baby size. It’s durable wooden construction will stand up to some rough play from a child, and the 30 keys allow kids to explore, learn, and express themselves.
The sturdy design has smooth surfaces, curved corners, and safety hinges to protect small fingers, along with non-toxic paints. Just like a real piano, the sound is louder with the lid open, and the keys are sized and spaced especially for little hands.
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The Goplus Classical Kids Piano is a cute child-sized piano that will appeal to kids of all ages. The high-quality construction and materials are safe for children and built to last, and kids will love sitting on the small bench and playing this fun little piano.
Kids’ Piano Keyboards (Runners-Up)
There are so, so many reasons kids should learn to play piano. In addition to the brain benefits mentioned above, there’s the development of motor skills, confidence, discipline – not to mention fun!
Here are our top picks for best kids keyboards:
Casio LK-265 61-Key Lighted Portable Touch Sensitive Keyboard
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Why we like it: A lighted keyboard is a great way to get started learning to play piano, and the Casio LK-265 61-Key Lighted Portable Touch Sensitive Keyboard is an excellent choice. Light-up keys guide the hands, removing the intimidation of needing to learn to read music, and helping kids and adults alike quickly learn and practice their favorite songs.
It has 400 instrument voices, 150 rhythms, 48 levels of polyphony, and a variety of effects. It also has 60 built-in songs and the Casio Step-Up lesson system that helps you quickly learn to play. Dance Music Mode adds more fun ways to create and share music, and it’s compatible with the popular Chordana Play app that adds more functionality and fun ways to learn piano.
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The Casio LK-265 61-Key Lighted Portable Touch Sensitive Keyboard is a great keyboard to help kids learn and play the piano quickly. It’s simple and easy to use, and the Chordana app adds more features, functions, and ways to enjoy the keyboard.
RockJam 54-Key Portable Electronic Keyboard
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Why we like it: The RockJam 54-Key Portable Electronic Keyboard is a fun and engaging keyboard designed to help kids learn to play their first instrument. It has 54 full-size keys and two stereo speakers for realistic play, and has 100 sound effects, 100 rhythms, and 8 demo songs. Use onboard recording and playback capability to share your songs, and use the compatible Simply Piano app to expand your song library and access interactive lessons.
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The RockJam 54-Key Portable Electronic Keyboard is a great first keyboard for kids, with a simple and engaging display, and app compatibility that makes it appealing. The wide range of voices and effects makes it fun to learn and experiment with the piano, and record and play back your own music to share with others or track progress over time.
Roland GO:KEYS Music Creation Keyboard
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Why we like it: The Roland GO:KEYS Music Creation Keyboard is a 61 key keyboard that is great for aspiring piano players and DJs alike. It has the 500 high-quality synthesizer voices you expect from Roland, 128 levels of polyphony, and an incredible Loop Mix function that lets you easily and intuitively add instruments to your loops and adjust pitch, filter, and more.
Onboard recording allows you to easily capture and share your performances. This keyboard is designed for the digital age, with Bluetooth connectivity to a wide range of apps, allowing you to play along with or karaoke every song in your library, export MIDI files to GarageBand, create your own music videos, and even use the keyboard to create interactive games, stories, and animations.
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The Roland GO:KEYS Music Creation Keyboard is perfect for digital musicians, aspiring DJs, and creative types of all kinds. This keyboard lets you wirelessly connect to a world of entertainment, and create your own songs, music, even videos and games. The Loop Mix and Performance Pad will have newcomers performing like DJs in no time.
RockJam RJ761 61-Key Electronic Interactive Teaching Piano Keyboard
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Why we like it: The RockJam RJ761 61-Key Electronic Interactive Teaching Piano Keyboard is a complete studio setup that has everything a kid needs to learn, play, practice, and enjoy the piano. The keyboard has 61 full-size keys, with 200 instrument voices, 200 rhythms, and a 30-song onboard library.
It has teaching functions, as well as record and playback capability, and can export MIDI files to other devices. This package includes the keyboard, a stand, a seat, padded headphones, and even a sustain pedal for a full range of musical instruction and expression.
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The RockJam RJ761 61-Key Electronic Interactive Teaching Piano Keyboard is great for an aspiring rock star, because it’s a complete piano workstation in one kit. Complete with the stand, bench, headphones, and sustain pedal, kids will have fun using the onboard piano lessons or accessing more options, songs, and practice with the accompanying apps.
Yamaha P37D 37-Key Pianica
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Why we like it: The Yamaha P37D pianica is the company’s name for an instrument also known as the melodica. The melodica is an increasingly popular instrument, combining the properties of a piano with a wind instrument, and it has gained a huge following in recent decades. With the Yamaha P37D 37-Key Pianica, Yamaha has redesigned the instrument, improving its resonance, build quality, tuning stability and tactile feel, making a mature instrument out of a novelty.
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The Yamaha P37D 37-Key Pianica is a mature take on a fun, quirky instrument that is increasingly found in all types of musical genres. It’s compact and requires no power, so it’s easy to take, play, and practice anywhere.
Portable Piano Keyboards (Runners-Up)
If you (or your child) is planning to take piano lessons outside the home, or you just want a model that you can take with you to friends’, school, or elsewhere, portability is going to be one of your top criteria when choosing a keyboard.
Here are our best portable keyboard models that you can take on the go:
Yamaha PSR-E-363 61-Key Touch Sensitive Portable Keyboard
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Why we like it: The Yamaha PSR-E-363 61-Key Touch Sensitive Portable Keyboard is both portable and affordable, but still has a lot of great features in a small package. It has touch sensitive keys, 574 instrument voices, 165 auto accompaniment styles, 150 arpeggio effects, chorus, reverb, EQ, and more, in a keyboard that weighs just over 10 pounds.
It has 48 levels of polyphony, 154 songs, and good Yamaha sound. Onboard lesson functions, as well as melody suppressor, let you learn and play along with your favorite songs.
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The Yamaha PSR-E-363 61-Key Touch Sensitive Portable Keyboard is a versatile, powerful keyboard in a small package. It has great sound, advanced functions, and onboard lessons and a big song library to satisfy beginners through intermediate players.
Yamaha YPT360 61-Key Touch-Sensitive Portable Keyboard
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Why we like it: The Yamaha YPT360 61-Key Touch-Sensitive Portable Keyboard has 61 touch-sensitive keys and weighs just over 10 pounds without batteries. It has the Yamaha AWM Stereo Sampling sound engine and 48 levels of polyphony. It comes with 574 voices, including panel voices, drum and effects, arpeggio, and XGlite voices. It also has reverb, chorus, harmony, and other effects.
The keyboard can be split or layered for multiple instruments or players, and it has melody suppressor to play along with your favorite songs. It has 158 built in songs, and onboard lesson and practice functions to help beginners learn to play, along with recording and playback to track your progress.
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The Yamaha YPT360 61-Key Touch-Sensitive Portable Keyboard is another great beginner keyboard from Yamaha. Great sound, compact size, rich features, USB connectivity, and onboard lessons make this keyboard the complete package for beginners and intermediate players alike.
Yamaha PSR-EW410 76-Key Portable Keyboard
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Why we like it: The Yamaha PSR-EW410 76-Key Portable Keyboard has 76 touch-responsive keys for a wider range of songs and musical expression than possible in a 61-key keyboard. It has a huge library of 758 instrument voices, a large number of reverb, chorus, harmony, and other effects, 150 types of arpeggio, and 235 preset styles.
It also has pitch bend and control knobs, sampling capabilities, and 35 built-in grooves for your own party music. It has 30 present songs, and onboard recording and playback functions, or use the USB port to export your music to other devices.
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The Yamaha PSR-EW410 76-Key Portable Keyboard is a powerful keyboard that lets you create music like a pro. It’s a portable keyboard with great connectivity, and tons of advanced digital features like quick sampling, pitch bend, groove creator, and more. The great sound and onboard amplifier are perfect for performances, or for enjoying with your headphones.
Yamaha YPG535 Portable Grand Piano
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Why we like it: The Yamaha YPG535 Portable Grand Piano has 88 keys with Graded Soft Touch weighting with intuitive and expressive touch response. The LCD display shows both the song score and lyrics, for intuitive performances, and the AWM Stereo Sound engine creates rich piano sound.
It has 32 levels of polyphony, 488 instrument voices, 12 drums and effects, and reverb and chorus effects. It also has 160 auto accompaniment styles with style control, easy song arranger, Performance Assistant Technology, a 300-song music database, and onboard recording and playback.
It comes with the Yamaha Education Suite, and the keyboard can be split or layered for lessons, duets, and more. It even has a pitch bend controller.
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The Yamaha YPG535 Portable Grand Piano is a portable piano with great Yamaha grand piano sound, and the included stand gives it the impression of a more substantial keyboard.
With onboard lesson, metronome, and duo keyboard functions, it has everything a beginner needs to learn, but the graded soft touch keys and rich array of voices and capabilities will satisfy even a pro musician who wants a keyboard for performances.
Casio WK6600 76 Key Workstation Keyboard
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Why we like it: The Casio WK6600 76 Key Workstation Keyboard has 76 touch-sensitive keys and is backed by the Casio AHL sound engine for great piano voices. It has 700 instrument tones, 210 rhythms, and a wide range of reverb, chorus, and other effects. It also has a real time song sequencer that can support 16 tracks, with a 32-channel mixer, so you can sample, edit, mix, and play back right from the keyboard.
It has robust registration memory, a pitch bend wheel, and a range of controllers for advanced compositions and performances. The onboard speakers are powered by the Bass Reflex System for rich, deep sound, or connect external speakers and bring your show to life.
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The Casio WK6600 76 Key Workstation Keyboard is a keyboard for intermediate and advanced musicians who want a workstation where they can record, edit, mix, and perform from a single instrument. It’s a powerful keyboard in a portable package.
Roland Lightweight 88-note Weighted-action Keyboard with Pro Sounds
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Why we like it: The iconic Roland Lightweight 88-note Weighted-action Keyboard with Pro Sounds has the distinctive synthesizer sound that Roland keyboards are famous for. It’s a full-size keyboard that can be battery powered, although at 35 pounds it’s not easily portable.
The 88 full-size keys have an ivory feel for good grip, and a weighted action. It has 128 max levels of polyphony, over 1,200 preset patches, 30 preset drum kits, and 64 preset performances. It also has ample memory for storing your own samples, kits, and performances, and you can use the wave expansion slots to download new sounds and voices from the Axial sound library.
It has pitch bend and modulation with 4 knobs, 4 sliders, and 8 pads for your own compositions. With great connectivity to pedals, microphones, aux devices, MIDI, and USB, it’s a keyboard that can take you from the studio to the stage.
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The Roland Lightweight 88-note Weighted-action Keyboard with Pro Sounds is a classic Roland synthesizer that is a gig-ready keyboard. With onboard sampling, editing, and performance capabilities, as well as robust memory and compatibility with external software, it’s everything a professional digital musician needs to hit the studio or the road.
Intermediate Piano Keyboards (Runners-Up)
Even if you’re not at the intermediate level yet, it’s a good idea to plan ahead and look at these mid-level keyboards.
Are you (or your child) planning to play for years? Then it’s a good investment to look at keyboards with 76 or 88 keys – which is what intermediate-level keyboards have.
Here are two more that we like:
Casio WK-245 76-Key Touch Sensitive Keyboard
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Why we like it: The Casio WK-245 76-Key Touch Sensitive Keyboard is compact and feature rich for a 76-key keyboard in this price range. It has full-size touch responsive keys, and weighs less than 16 pounds. It has 600 built-in instrument voices, 180 rhythms and patterns, and 48 levels of max polyphony.
It also has an onboard song sequencer with 5 songs and 6 tracks, and a class-compliant MIDI port for sharing your audio. The integrated Casio Step-Up lesson system helps beginners learn to play the piano, enjoying the onboard library of 152 songs.
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The Casio WK-245 76-Key Touch Sensitive Keyboard is a beginner’s workstation keyboard, with the capability to take you all the way from your earliest piano lessons to sound sampling, recording, and composition. It’s a feature-rich keyboard with good sound and broad capabilities.
Korg B1SP 88 Weighted Key Digital Piano
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Why we like it: The Korg B1SP 88 Weighted Key Digital Piano has the Natural Weighted Hammer system for realistic, satisfying play in a digital piano. It has three levels of touch sensitivity and a three-pedal system, so people who are used to playing a traditional piano will have natural, expressive play.
It has an incredible sound system, with powerful speakers, MFB speaker technology, and a passive sound radiator that create the depth, power, and complexity of a grand piano. The Stereo PCM sound engine delivers 8 piano voices with nuance and character, and 120 levels of polyphony allow for overlapping chords and sustains with no clipping. It also has transpose, reverb, and chorus effects to maximize your sound.
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The Korg B1SP 88 Weighted Key Digital Piano is a digital piano with the look, feel, and sound of an upright piano. The incredible speaker system and sound engine give great piano sound, and the realistic keys and pedals give players the full range of expression and nuance in a performance. It’s a luxurious digital piano for those who love the piano.
88-Key Piano Keyboards & Digital Pianos (Runners-Up)
Acoustic pianos (in other words, the traditional ones) have 88 keys. So if you’re looking for a keyboard or digital piano that feels, plays, and sounds like the real thing, you should be looking for the best keyboard with 88 weighted keys.
While the additional keys make these keyboards more expensive than 61- or 76-key models, the superior versatility, sound, and quality makes the extra investment worth it.
There are many 88-key models on the market. We’ve chosen the best ones for you:
RockJam 88-Key Beginner Digital Piano
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Why we like it: The RockJam 88-Key Beginner Digital Piano is a full-size 88=key keyboard designed for beginners. It has velocity-sensitive semi-weighted keys, to help beginners learn proper finger techniques. It comes with 10 instrument voices, 10 tones, 10 metronome settings, and 10 demo songs.
The keyboard can be split for duets or lessons, and it has two powerful built-in speakers. It also has ample ports to connect to optional pedals, microphone, or headphones, along with USB connectivity. It is compatible with a number of apps to expand the song library, enhance learning, and share your progress.
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The RockJam 88-Key Beginner Digital Piano is a great piano for beginners to learn, share, and practice their music. The Simply Piano app helps to make a game out of piano practice, which will engage and motivate young learners. The range of ports for accessories allow this keyboard to grow along with your skills.
Alesis Recital Pro
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Why we like it: The Alesis Recital Pro is a full-size 88-key keyboard with hammer action keys and customizable touch response to enhance your playing. It has 12 instrument voices, with chorus, reverb, and modulation effects, and 128 note polyphony.
The keyboard has layer and split functions so you can combine and play different instrument voices at once, and onboard recording and playback for easier learning and sharing. It has onboard lesson modes, but also comes with 2 months of premium online piano lessons to help you learn your favorite songs. It has USB connectivity, along with support for pedals and other accessories.
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The Alesis Recital Pro is a keyboard designed to give beginners a head start, with onboard lessons, online lessons, and the full-size hammer action touch responsive keys that simulate playing a traditional piano. It has good sound and high-quality instrument voices, and online subscriptions and apps allow you to expand your song library and continue learning with this instrument.
Casio PX350 88 Key Digital Stage Piano
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Why we like it: The Casio PX350 88 Key Digital Stage Piano boasts the tri-sensor scaled hammer action that captures the subtle dynamics of every player’s movement and style, for realistic, expressive play. Simulated ebony and ivory key tops resist slipping and provide a luxurious feel.
Driven by Casio’s AiR sound processor, it delivers full, rich grand piano sounds, down to the sound of open strings when the pedal releases the dampers. It has 250 built-in tones, 180 rhythms, multiple reverb, chorus, and other effects, 6 demo songs, and storage for 10 user songs.
It also has a pitch bend wheel, along with a variety of tuning and transpose functions. A large number of terminals, including USB, pedal, MIDI, and LINE ports, make this keyboard compatible with a broad range of devices and accessories.
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The Casio PX350 88 Key Digital Stage Piano has a great, grand piano-like feel and sound, thanks to the technologies that drive touch and feel on the keyboard, and the new sound engine that drives the audio.
The simulated ebony and ivory keys have a rich feel that prevents slipping when moist, and the large library of voices, rhythms, and effects captures the full range of expressive play. With connections for pedals, accessories, and digital devices, there is almost nothing this keyboard can’t do.
Yamaha P71 88-Key Weighted Action Digital Piano
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Why we like it: The Yamaha P71 88-Key Weighted Action Digital Piano is an extremely popular model, that offers a lot of features for a great price. It has 88 full-size Graded Hammer Standard keys for realistic feel and weight when playing, with AMW stereo sound engine for rich, nuanced piano sound.
It has 10 instrument voices, 64 levels of polyphony, reverb, and other effects. The keyboard can be layered or split for playing multiple voices at one, or sharing with another player. It also has a USB port for connectivity to other devices.
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The Yamaha P71 88-Key Weighted Action Digital Piano has a great feel and rich sound in a compact footprint. For those who love pure piano sound, and don’t need a lot of extra voices, rhythms, and effects, this simple, beautiful keyboard is a pleasure to play.
Yamaha P125 88 Weighted Key Digital Piano Bundle
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Why we like it: The Yamaha P125 88 Weighted Key Digital Piano Bundle has the Yamaha Graded Hammer System of realistic key weights that replicate the feel of an acoustic piano. It’s driven by the new Yamaha Pure CF sound engine for incredible concert grand piano sound in a compact digital piano.
The two-way speaker system with Sound Boost and Intelligent Acoustic Control creates rich stereo sound from the small keyboard. It has 24 instrument voices, 20 rhythms, reverb and other effects, 21 demo songs, 50 piano songs, and 192 levels of polyphony.
The keyboard has dual and split functions, it has onboard recording and playback, and comes with a sustain pedal. USB connectivity allows you to export and share your songs, and it’s compatible with the Smart Pianist app for improved control of the keyboard.
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The Yamaha P125 88 Weighted Key Digital Piano Bundle has the famous Pure CF sound engine, and a number of speaker technologies and enhancements that give real, rich, complex grand piano sound in a small digital keyboard. The Smart Pianist app lets you choose, adjust, and save your keyboard settings, minimizing button pushing and keeping you playing for longer. It’s a new favorite in the Yamaha family.
Console Digital Pianos for Your Home (Runners-Up)
Console pianos are what most people picture when they think of a “traditional” piano – a keyboard encased in a nice-looking stand.
These tend to be more expensive than simple keyboards, but they’re a great addition to any home – they look great, and they’re attractive to play!
Here are the best-value console digital pianos for your home:
LAGRIMA 88 Weighted Key Digital Piano
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Why we like it: The LAGRIMA 88 Weighted Key Digital Piano has the great style of a handsome upright piano, complete with 3 pedals, a sliding keyboard cover, and an attractive music rest. The full size keyboard has GHS weighting for realistic play, with touch sensitivity that responds to your fingers. It has high quality audio samples for vivid piano sound, and built-in stereo speakers for clear, loud sound.
It has 960 instrument voices, 200 rhythms, 128 levels of polyphony, 80 demo songs, and chord, fill, and transpose features. The pedals function just like an acoustic piano, and it has USB and MIDI terminals for audio sharing. Nice details like dual headphone jacks and split keyboard functions make this furniture-style digital piano perfect for lessons and duets.
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The LAGRIMA 88 Weighted Key Digital Piano is an attractive, affordable digital piano with the style and presence of an upright. It has all the features and functions that invite people to play, share, and learn music with each other, either in performance or with headphones. It has realistic feel, clear sound, and comes in black or white to fit in with any décor.
Yamaha YDP184R Arius Series Console Digital Piano
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Why we like it: The Arius series is one of Yamaha’s most popular, and the Yamaha YDP184R Arius Series Console Digital Piano has a classic look that people love. It is powered by the Yamaha CFX Premium Grand Piano voice with Virtual Resonance Modeling for incredible sound and power, with GH3 key weighting for realistic feel and expressive play.
Synthetic ebony and ivory key tops prevent slipping and give the keys a luxurious feel reminiscent of classic pianos. It has 24 piano voices, 20 rhythms, 50 preset songs, 256 levels of polyphony, and a full dot LCD screen for easy navigation of settings and options.
Realistic pedals with half-pedal functions give dimension and realism when you play, and the piano has Stereophonic Optimizer for incredible sound when played with headphones. It is compatible with USB and the Digital Piano Controller app, and has onboard recording and playback.
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The Yamaha YDP184R Arius Series Console Digital Piano is an incredible piano for those who love to play and share the piano, and want the experience of a traditional piano with less space and maintenance. It has incredible sound, and is a pleasure to play. It’s the top of the line in the Arius series, and a luxurious addition to your home.
Digital Grand Pianos (Runners-Up)
A digital grand piano is a high-end keyboard that typically has more precise keyboard action and high-quality sound system.
Here’s our runner-up:
Yamaha P515 88-Key Weighted Action Digital Piano
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Why we like it: The Yamaha P515 88-Key Weighted Action Digital Piano is the only Yamaha keyboard in its class to include not just the Yamaha CFX binaural sound engine, but the incredible Bösendorfer Imperial sampling, for the sound of two incredible timeless pianos in one portable keyboard.
Professional players love the Virtual Resonance Modeling and key-off samples for delicate, nuanced performances with all the dimension of acoustic pianos. It has a natural wood keyboard escapement with synthetic ebony and ivory keytops to prevent slipping.
It has over 500 instrument voices, with advanced technologies and powerful speakers that provide an immersive experience. It is also compatible with the Smart Pianist app that simplifies controlling the keyboard and expands your music library.
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The Yamaha P515 88-Key Weighted Action Digital Piano is Yamaha’s premiere portable keyboard, with the richest, most dynamic, most nuanced and expressive piano experience Yamaha offers in its class. It’s the only P-series with the Bösendorfer voice, and the most authentic grand piano sound in a keyboard this size anywhere.
Now that you know the best piano keyboards on the market, let’s get into some tips for knowing how to choose the keyboard that best suits you…
Piano Keyboard Buying Guide: Everything You Need to Know
In this section we cover the most important questions related to buying a piano keyboard:
What’s the Difference Between a Keyboard and a Digital Piano?
The main differences between a keyboard and digital piano come down to portability and sound quality. To understand the difference, you should first know how a regular acoustic piano works: In an acoustic piano, sound is produced when the player strikes a key. In turn, pressing a key causes an internal hammer to strike a wire to produce the desired note. Acoustic pianos also have foot pedals, which are used for dampening, softening, and sustaining different notes.A digital piano is a digital reproduction of an acoustic piano. They are designed to sound as close to an acoustic piano as possible without the hammer and wires. Most digital pianos have touch-sensitive keys, which means notes sound louder the harder the keys are struck, much like an acoustic piano. The keys of a digital piano are often weighted as well, giving them a feel that is very close to an acoustic piano. Most have foot pedals, and very elaborate, expensive digital pianos can look like real acoustic pianos.On the other hand, keyboards are designed for portability first. They are lightweight and easy to set up, making keyboards a favorite among musicians who do a lot of traveling. Keyboards sound less authentic and more synthesized than a digital piano. However, they often come with hundreds of preprogrammed voices and tones, which allows for customization.
Piano or Keyboard: Which is Better?
Whether you choose a piano or keyboard depends on your goals and needs. Overall, pianos have a bright, warm sound and respond very well to touch. Not only do they feel nice to play, they are also the best option for developing piano skills. Acoustic pianos are the very best instrument for learning piano, but they can be bulky, heavy, and very expensive. Digital pianos are the closest to the real thing, but a good one costs about the same as a small, used car.Keyboards are smaller and the least expensive option for pianos. They can be great for beginners, young children, or anyone who has limited space in their home. Due to its affordability, a keyboard is a great introduction to the world of playing piano. However, they don’t have the responsiveness, warmth, or feel of a true piano.Objectively, pianos are “better.” But nobody wants to spend thousands of dollars on a piano just to get started, especially if there’s a chance of losing interest later. Buying a keyboard piano for beginners makes a lot of sense, but beginners are still encouraged to upgrade to a digital piano as soon as they’re able.
Can You Learn Piano on a Keyboard?
Yes! Keyboards are a great way to learn how to play piano.
Just keep in mind that they are much smaller than a piano. Not only do they have fewer keys, the keys will be smaller as well. Because of this difference, playing a keyboard feels different than playing a piano.
Beginners learning on keyboards are encouraged to at least try playing a digital or acoustic piano to get a feel for them, especially if they want to improve their playing skills.
Can you learn piano on a computer keyboard?
Kind of.Thanks to modern technology, there are websites, apps, and programs that allow you to turn your QWERTY computer keyboard into a musical keyboard, where each letter corresponds to a different note on the piano. This type of setup might be appealing because there is virtually no cost involved. At best, this method is only good for developing a foundational knowledge of piano, such as keeping rhythm or distinguishing notes. Developing muscle memory is critical for learning piano, and the best way to do that is to learn on actual piano keys. One possible solution to this is the MIDI keyboard.MIDI keyboards can be plugged into the USB port of your computer. Instead of producing sound on their own, they need to be hooked up to a computer and some software to play different sounds. They are usually used for music production and have limited functionality as actual piano-style keyboards. The smallest MIDI keyboards have 25 keys, which can work for the one-handed playing that most beginners start with. MIDI keyboards larger than that will be more expensive and complex.In short, using the computer to learn piano can be a good introduction to the subject. You can learn how to tell different keys apart, and you might learn to play a few simple melodies. However, if you want to move beyond “messing around” on the piano, a musical keyboard is a much better option.
How Much Does a Piano Keyboard Cost?
Piano keyboards can range in price from under $40 all the way up to multiple thousands of dollars. The price depends on a few factors: brand, features, quality, and condition (if used). In general, digital pianos are more expensive than keyboards.
How Many Keys Do I Need on my Piano Keyboard?
Most experts recommend at least 61 keys on a keyboard. This type of keyboard has just the middle 6 octaves of a piano, which are the most used notes on a piano.
Can you learn piano on a 61-key keyboard?
Absolutely!
Beginner students probably won’t ever use the highest or lowest octaves of a piano in the first few years of their studies, so the 61-key keyboard is perfect for beginners. It has more than enough keys to cover the majority of beginner-level exercises and lessons.
Do I need 88 Keys to learn piano?
While 88 keys aren’t necessary to learn piano, advanced students with five or more years of practice might need to upgrade to 88 keys, especially if they are playing classical music.
What are the Most Important Features of a Piano Keyboard?
- Number of keys
- Music stand
- Keyboard stand
- Bench
- Speakers
These are the basics that you should look for.
The keys should be tested for resistance, weight, and width. Weighted keys are a definite advantage, which can help build up hand strength and dexterity.
The keyboard stand and piano bench are necessary to position the student and the instrument at the correct height. This will encourage proper posture, which is important for preventing back, neck, and wrist strain.
Where Should I Buy a Piano Keyboard?
In-person at the store is the best option for buying a keyboard piano for beginners. This way, you can try playing multiple kinds of keyboards to find the one that feels best.
Where can I buy a piano keyboard near me?
Piano stores and music stores can be found in most cities, and they will have different pianos and keyboards on display for buyers to try. Your local music store has the added bonus of having associates who can answer questions and recommend the right instrument for you.Some big-box retailers and electronics stores carry keyboards as well. They will probably be very basic, and the store might not have them on display to try. However, there is a good chance that this type of store will carry affordable keyboards to appeal to customers that aren’t used to buying very expensive musical equipment.
Where to buy a cheap piano keyboard?
Used keyboards can be very cheap, especially if they are older and lack the extra features of modern keyboards. Most music stores also buy and sell used instruments and might offer warranty programs for some used keyboards. Online classifieds like Facebook Marketplace and Craigslist are another good place to find used keyboards.If you prefer a new keyboard, you can usually find a very basic one for under $100. The Hamzer 61-key digital music piano keyboard is $69.99 on Amazon and a good starter keyboard for the beginner pianist on a budget. The RockJam 54-key portable electronic keyboard is a smaller, even cheaper option at $59.99 While an expensive keyboard isn’t necessary, you do want a good quality keyboard if you want to improve quickly.
Where to buy a piano keyboard online?
The best place to buy a piano keyboard online is directly from the manufacturer’s website. This is great if you know the brand of keyboard you are looking to purchase. You will have access to knowledgeable customer service reps if you have any questions about their products. Also, they will be more likely to pack and ship your new keyboard safely. You definitely want this if you bought an expensive model!Online websites have become a great place to buy keyboards in recent years. Regional and national music store chains will often have an online inventory you can browse. Guitar Center, for example, offers many keyboards and digital pianos for sale, both new and used.While they are not music stores, Amazon, Wal-mart, and Ebay are general retailers that have a good online selection of keyboards. Chances are you have an account with at least one of these websites. It might seem convenient to buy a keyboard from there, but they are focused on serving the general population, not musicians. With that said, you can still buy a decent keyboard from a general retailer’s website as long as you do your research.
How Do I Start Playing a Piano Keyboard?
You can start by plugging in the keyboard and turning it on! But if you want to begin with some direction, here are some easy ways you can start actually playing a piano keyboard.
Playing by ear
Many people have tried picking out a favorite tune on the piano without having any knowledge of music. This is called “playing by ear.”
Advanced musicians can play by ear quite well, while beginners will need several tries before they can pick out the accurate notes of a song. While this method is free and convenient, there are better ways to learn piano if you want to get serious.
With your keyboard’s “learner mode”
Some keyboards come with a tutoring program that shows you which keys correspond to certain notes.
Newer keyboards might have light-up keys to show you exactly which key to press or have a few simple songs you can learn in this mode. If your keyboard has this feature, try consulting the user manual to figure out how to turn it on.
With online tutorials
You can find a lot of free content on the internet these days. A simple internet search for “how to play piano for beginners” yields thousands of websites and videos.
There are also a number of piano-teaching apps that make it very easy for someone to teach themselves the basics of piano playing.
With books
Books are a great way to learn how to play the piano. Piano instructors have been using books for generations to teach their beginner students.
Normally, a student begins with the first book in the series and progresses to subsequent books as their skill and knowledge improves.
There are a few book-based curriculums that have been developed over the years to teach students in a precise, logical way. The Alfred method of learning is perhaps the most widely-used and recognized in the U.S. Other methods include:
- Bastien Piano Basics
- Faber and Faber
- Suzuki Method
Learning from a book exposes you to the same content that you would receive from a private instructor. It’s also the best way to learn how to read music.
With a private instructor (the BEST way)
Private instructors provide the most comprehensive approach to learning the piano. They will probably use the book-based curriculums mentioned above, but the experience you get will be very different than if you try to learn the curriculum on your own.
Private instructors can answer any questions you have about the material. They can also coach you on proper posture and fingering technique, which you can’t learn from a book.
A private instructor is the most expensive option for learning how to play piano, but the lifelong knowledge you obtain will be well worth the price.
How to Buy the Right Keyboard / Digital Piano
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