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The piano is one of the easiest — and most fun — instruments you can pick up. But if you’re a beginner who’s learning to read music for the first time, you might not be completely ready to commit to a full-sized instrument just yet (or have the space for one either). Enter the keyboard piano, a lighter alternative that can help you learn to play like your favorite composer or artist in no time.
I’ve been playing piano since I was four years old and I used a keyboard at first, since my parents lived in a small apartment and didn’t want to commit to a full-size setup. And as a child with still-developing digits, the lightweight keys on a beginner keyboard were much easier for my fingers to press down or hold; I could also place the keyboard on a table or on the floor if I couldn’t quite reach the keyboard stand or bench.
Of course, a keyboard is a good piano learning device for aspiring musicians of all ages, and these days, manufacturers have new keyboards and digital pianos that sound — and feel — just like the real thing. Think: weighted keys, realistic instrumental effects and even sustain pedals to hold that note.
Ready to get started with a beginner piano keyboard? Here’s everything you should know to find the right instrument for you (plus a few of our top choices available to purchase online on Amazon from brands including Casio and Yamaha).
In This Article
What Are the Best Keyboard Pianos for Beginners?
Best Keyboards for Beginners Buying Guide
How We Chose the Best Keyboards for Beginners
The Best Keyboards for Beginners
We’ve rounded up the top keyboards and digital pianos for practicing, recording music and playing your favorite songs. Many of our top picks come with pedals, music stands and benches too, so you have everything you need to get started with playing piano right out of the box.
TOP PICK
Casio Casiotone CT-S1 61-Key Touch-Sensitive Retro Keyboard
We’ve played and practiced on Casio keyboards in the past, and this affordable 61-key model is a good fit for players of all ages and skill levels. With its portable size, anyone starting out on the instrument will appreciate the approachable size and price tag. But just because it’s not a full size doesn’t mean it feels cheap.
The Casio’s keys are touch-responsive, which will come in handy when sustaining notes and chords — or simply when you’re just practicing scales. It’s lightweight, at under 10 pounds, which makes it ideal for carrying to lessons or commuting. You can choose among 60 tones, including a can’t-go-wrong stereo grand piano setting. A metronome, meantime, makes sure you’re not rushing or dragging. While it delivers stellar sound thanks to its built-in stereo system, you can also connect a pair of headphones when you’re practicing around others.
“I own a top flight acoustic piano and professional digital keyboards,” described a reviewer on Amazon. “I searched everywhere for a portable, super light-weight keyboard that I could carry-on when flying/traveling to use for practicing and composition. The Casio CT-S1 fits the bill well, with a few very minor nits.”
What we like: this Casiotone keyboard comes in three colors to match your home aesthetic or musical personality — choose from black, white or red.
BEST KEYBOARD KIT
Alesis Melody 61 MK4 Keyboard Piano for Beginners
For a complete keyboard kit that includes a bench, stand, headphones and a mic, this Alesis model can’t be beat. For under $100, you get a solid keyboard with 61 keys and a ton of features (it’s also available in 32 and 54 keys if you want a smaller set).
This beginner keyboard is a super versatile and portable option that makes learning a little more fun in the process. Case in point: The keyboard has more than 300 built-in sounds, so you can switch between playing the organ one minute, to playing drums or synths the next. There’s even a metronome to help you make sure you don’t rush through your songs.
Want to write the next iconic rock piano masterpiece? You can record what you play on the keyboard, too. And if you don’t know where to begin or you don’t have a teacher lined up, you can take advantage of the included three-month subscription to the lesson service Skoove.
“This is a fantastic keyboard for anyone who doesn’t need crazy special effects,” wrote one Amazon reviewer. “It’s great quality, was really easy to put together and the stand and seat fold down to make it easy to store in a spare closet when not in use. There are some great features (my fave is the transposition because it makes it easy to use the key I want without needing to find different sheet music) and the sound quality is perfect for my needs.”
AMAZON BESTSELLER
Donner DEP-20 88-Key Full-Size Weighted Keyboard
Just because you’re learning a new instrument doesn’t mean you have to settle for a low-quality instrument. This Donner digital piano has 88 full-sized keys for a more authentic playing feel, similar to a standard piano. At about 25.5 pounds and measuring a hair over 52 inches wide, it also has a compact frame, so it won’t take up as much space at home.
Like other models in our guide, this piano comes with a sustain pedal that you can connect to the keyboard and press down with your foot so every song you play won’t sound like “Chopsticks.”
Donner included hundreds of different playing tones on this digital piano, so you can make it sound like you’re playing an acoustic grand piano, a church organ and even like you have a full orchestra in the room with you. It also comes with its own stand for your sheet music or tablet.
This is an Amazon bestseller too, with the site reporting more than 1,000 units sold in the last few weeks alone. Almost 80% of shoppers give the Donner beginner keyboard piano a full five-star rating.
BRAND NAME PICK
Yamaha P225B 88-Key Weighted Action Digital Piano
I grew up learning to play the piano on a Yamaha keyboard when I was a child, and now, more than 30 years later, the venerable Japanese company continues to be a leader in the musical instruments and accessories space, thanks to their products’ quality construction, durability and ease of use. In fact, my nephew is now learning to play the piano on the same Yamaha keyboard I had.
Yamaha makes some of the best pianos you can buy — and this 88-key portable piano is no exception. This beginner keyboard bundle comes with all you need for starting out and then some, including a sustain pedal and a music rest for your lesson books and sheet music.
“As someone completely new to piano, this has been a great keyboard for me,” a reviewer on Amazon noted after purchasing the keyboard. “It has all of the features I need, and more, which means I will be able to grow into this keyboard as I progress. Overall sound and feel are great.”
You may be picking this up as a beginner keyboard piano, but this Yamaha unit will last you for years.
RockJam RJ761 61-Key Keyboard Piano With Bench
If you’re looking for a full keyboard kit — complete with a sustain pedal, a padded, collapsible bench, and a portable stand — you should consider this RockJam model. It’s easy to set up and use, sounds great, and it won’t break the bank at around $150 on Amazon.
This starter piano/beginner keyboard boasts 61 full-sized keys, along with a touch display so you can choose up to 200 different tones or rhythms to play along to. New players can also record tracks, no matter where they’re at.
The keyboard has more than 45,000 verified reviews on Amazon at the time of this writing, with an average 4.5-star rating (out of five). One Amazon reviewer wrote: “I love the sticky keys that show you where each note is and the different tones, rhythms and percussion sounds are quite nice for a keyboard this size.”
Best Beginner Keyboard Pianos: Buying Guide
Whether you’re learning new chords, how to read sheet music, or trying to play your favorite song from the radio, you can get by without a ton of buttons or unnecessary effects — a simple setup and a power source are all you’ll really need to start playing some tunes or scales. Here are a few features and accessories we think are the most important to think about when looking for the best keyboard for beginners.
Number of Keys: Keyboards come in different sizes, each with a different number of keys. In general, the most popular keyboards and digital pianos come with 49, 61, 73 or a full 88 keys, like a real piano. As a beginner, you should be able to learn the basics with fewer keys, but we like starting with more keys so your instrument can grow with you as you progress in your playing. That way, you can play everything, no matter which octave it’s in.
Weight and Portability: Our favorite keyboards and digital pianos have weighted keys, which mimic the feel of playing the actual piano. Those keyboard pianos will likely feel a little heavier than options that don’t have weighted keys. Whichever option you choose, keep in mind how much you’ll be moving your keyboard and how much you’ll need to carry it with you.
Cover: If you’re planning to commute with your keyboard, a keyboard cover can help protect your instrument from scratches and any damage that might occur, whether it’s sitting in the back of your car on the way to a lesson or a show, or you just want to keep it safe from spills at home. Some models come with covers, but you may need to purchase one on your own.
Music Holder or Music Rest: If you’re just starting to learn the piano, you’ll want to make sure that you can easily read your sheet music or lesson books and that you can prop them up with a music stand. Most digital pianos, including some of our picks in this guide, feature a built-in stand. We think it’s a useful attachment if included, but it’s not a make-or-break accessory.
Keyboard Stand: Where are you going to keep your keyboard? If it’s not on a table, you’ll probably need a stand to set it on when playing. Many beginner keyboards are sold along with stands, but if yours doesn’t include one, they’re easy to find and set up with most brand’s instruments — a foldable, X-shaped design will be able to easily hold up your keyboard and break down when you’re hitting the road.
How We Chose the Best Keyboards for Beginners
Along with the above criteria, we picked keyboard pianos for new players based on top-rated Amazon reviews, ease of use, and from reliable brands we have experience testing. We also based our keyboard recommendations based on our own decade’s worth of piano-playing experience.
