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
Pedals
- 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
Under $150
Hamzer Electronic Keyboard
- 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
Under $250
Alesis Recital
- 88 semi-weighted keys
- Has proper input for sustain pedal
- Has headphone jack
- Medium quality sound and feel
RockJam Beginner Digital Piano
- 88 semi-weighted keys
- Has proper input for sustain pedal
- Has headphone jack
- Low quality sound and medium quality feel
Under $300
Yamaha PSR-EW300 SA
- 76 touch sensitive keys
- Has proper input for sustain pedal
- Has headphone jack
- Medium quality sound and feel
Under $400
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
Other things to consider:
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