Good Better Best Piano

 Buying a piano can be an intimidating task. Here we provide a few options at different price points that we’ve found to be quality instruments. We recommend digital pianos for a variety of reasons - they are less expensive, they do not have repair costs and don’t need to be tuned regularly, they take up less space, and more high-end models have exciting features like recording abilities, backing tracks, instrumentations to choose from etc.

One important thing to note is that your keyboard has weighted, or at the very least semi-weighted, keys. This means that the keys of the piano are a little heavier to push, simulating the action of a real piano, and giving more range for nuance and expression in one’s playing. 

If your piano is something you foresee being in the family for many years and passed down to the student when they get a house of their own, then it makes sense to invest more in a higher quality instrument. If you’re just dipping your toes in the water and exploring the wonderful world of music and the piano, there are options with reasonable price tags that will still be quality instruments that a student can spend many years with learning. 

If you have an acoustic piano that has been part of the family, or maybe you got it from a neighbor or off Craigslist, please just make sure that it is in tune and that it gets tuned at least yearly. This will not only make the music sound better, but will also help the young musicians ear to develop properly. 

BUDGET

Alessis Recital

Getting the full size 88-keys with the semi-weighted action for a very affordable price. The semi-weighted keys give an approximation to the natural weighted feel of piano keys, and are a necessary step up from a keyboard with no weighted action that is unresponsive to touch and does not feel at all like an actual piano. The sound quality is not the best, but is certainly just fine for students. It is not quite the rich and full sound we want, but it is also not as bad as the synthetic poor sound cheap keyboards put out. Getting a keyboard with a stand in a bundle package, it is a fine option, especially four young beginners.

GOOD

Yamaha P-45, or P125

For a reasonable price you are getting a full 88-key piano with weighted keys so that the feel of playing the instrument is authentic. The keys are responsive enough for musicians to play with more dynamics, meaning they can gradually increase or decrease their volume for expressive purposes. The sound of the instrument is also of a high quality and closely replicates an acoustic piano’s timbre. This instrument avoids the common pitfalls of a keyboard that has junky keys that don’t feel like a piano and also a poor, synthetic quality to the sounds made when the keys are played. This is the keyboard that our own Mr. Josh purchased for his apartment. It’s not a concert grand, nor a state-of-the-art digital keyboard/computer, but it is a reliable and high quality instrument that Josh can attest handles all styles of music well. Note that this keyboard is usually sold as the keyboard only and you will need to purchase a stand or buy a bundle type package that includes either a portable stand or a fixed stand that attaches to the keyboard. 

BETTER

Yamaha Arius YDP

A midrange choice that is sold as a console with an attached body if you are looking for a nice keyboard with a stand that will have a good spot in your home and you do not need portability as much. This keyboard has weighted keys and a high quality sound, and also features a more realistic pedal layout and feel

EVEN BETTER

Yamaha Clavinova

There are various models in this keyboard family, but they all provide a wonderful array of features that enhance the learning experience and also the joy of making music. The keys are fully-weighted and have a natural feel, the sound is great, and there are many different instruments that can be chosen to liven up the music. You can also record yourself and connect USB for storing and sharing files. Higher models also feature an incredible array of backing tracks that one can play along with, transforming any song into a full band arrangement! 

BEST

Yamaha Hybrid Avantgard

These are top of the line, outstanding instruments that provide versatility, no maintenance and tuning costs, and an elegant addition to any home. By Hybrid they mean that these digital pianos have the same key design and action mechanisms inside that their acoustic pianos use. Hence, the feel of the keys is authentic and extremely responsive to gradations in touch and weight. Couple that with the state-of-the-art sound and advanced features like USB connectivity and recording capabilities and you have the top of the line choice here. However, the Avantgard does surrender a huge amount of useful teaching features that are present in the CVP line in exchange for a pure play as a piano.