Buying The Right Digital Piano
Digital Vs Real
When I was a child, having a real piano was a requirement if you were taking piano lessons for beginners. Digital pianos have come along and changed this expensive barrier to learning how to play piano. Digital pianos are getting more and more affordable with time, and many of them are lightweight and capable of just being plugged into the wall. Would I like for all of my students to have a real piano of their own at home? Absolutely. In my experience however, a real piano or even a good digital piano isn’t required for the first year of piano lessons.
Digital Piano Variability
When a pianist wants to add dynamics and emotion to the music they are mastering, that is when you want to be able to master the “touch” of playing piano. This is impossible with a cheap digital keyboard. You will find that digital keyboards come in different sizes. Most commonly they are sold as 61-key, 76-key, and full-sized 88-key keyboards. The key count includes both black and white keys. Anything smaller than a 61-key keyboard is a toy and not worth your time.
Feeling The Difference
The more you pay for a digital keyboard, the more like a real piano it will be. The digital piano market is like a spectrum of quality that rises with price. Top-notch digital keyboards are 88-keys, weighted similar to a real piano, and feel and sound much like a real piano. The lower end keyboards will have less keys, and no real weighted feel that changes the dynamics of the sound.
Digital Piano Brands
Many students of mine throughout the years that couldn’t afford a nice piano right off the bat got through their first year of piano lessons just fine with a cheap keyboard. I exclusively buy Yamaha pianos and keyboards (no affiliation), but my students have found that cheap no-name brands from China suffice for the first year, give or take.
Where To Find Your Digital Piano
I have had much luck finding used digital pianos online using sites like Ccraigslist, Facebook marketplace, etc. If you would prefer a new digital piano, wholesalers like Costco, Walmart, or Sam’s Club often have online deals around the holiday season. Read reviews, do your research, but most importantly, get the piano that will fit your budget and get you or your student started in piano lessons.
