Buying a Keyboard on a Budget

Priorities

88 or 72 keys
- Your keyboard should have at least 72 keys. There are 61 key keyboards and smaller, but you will outgrow these extremely quickly.
- 88 is the full amount of keys on a standard piano and the best option.
- If you buy a keyboard with less than 88 keys it means that you WILL outgrow the keyboard and would have to eventually upgrade.
- Keyboards with 88 keys are instruments that can last you forever regardless of the level of the pianist.
Hammer action, Weighted, or Semi-weighted keys
- Hammer action is the best, but expensive and not required for beginners.
- Weighted/semi-weighted keys are important because they will make the keyboard feel more like an acoustic piano as opposed to a plastic toy piano.
Must have an input labeled “sustain”
- Even if the student is not yet learning how to use the pedals, they will.
- If your keyboard does not have the correct input for a pedal, you will have to upgrade to a better keyboard.
- Most keyboards come with a small electronic plug-in pedal, but you can also buy a universal sustain pedal for $10-$20.

Highest Quality & Trusted Brands: Yamaha, Casio, and Roland

It is important for your keyboard to have the ability to have a sustain pedal
All three pedals are NOT necessary
Make sure your pedal input is a UNIVERSAL input.
- This is important because if your pedal breaks, or the dog chews through the cord, you can buy a universal, low-cost replacement pedal for $10-$15
If you have a NON-STANDARD pedal input, you would have to buy the exact pedal from the manufacturer at whatever price they offer.
- Brand name sustain pedals typically cost 4-5X more than universal sustain pedals

88 semi-weighted keys
Has input for sustain pedal (comes with pedal)
Das headphone jack
Low quality sound and feel
Pedal input is NON-STANDARD, so if pedal breaks, you CANNOT buy a low-cost universal pedal

Alesis Recital

RockJam Beginner Digital Piano

Yamaha PSR-EW300 SA

Yamaha P-71 (Victoria’s Favorite)

This is a great keyboard for beginners and will last for a lifetime of piano playing.
88 weighted keys
Has universal input for pedal
Has headphone jack
Feels and sounds like a real piano
This is only sold through Amazon
It is sold elsewhere as the P-71b and usually costs about $50 more

Posture

It’s very important to have correct posture while playing in order to avoid injuries
Students should have their arms parallel to the ground while playing and their feet on the ground
The best way to achieve this is with an adjustable keyboard stand and piano bench
Even if you don’t have those it’s very important that you have a flat surface for the keyboard and a chair that is the correct height
You use books, pillows, etc. to achieve this
Read more at https://www.wellbalancedpianist.com/proper-seating

Buying Used/Borrowing

If you would like a budget friendly option, consider buying used or borrowing
Facebook Market Place always has tons of keyboard options
eBay is also another option, though shipping can get pricey
You can also consider asking your friends/family if they have an unused keyboard you can borrow