Best pianos and keyboards for beginners on a budget

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Best pianos and keyboards for beginners on a budget

Firstly, some general advice on what to consider before buying a piano or keyboard for a beginner, and within this very first sentence I’m going to tell you the thing you really want to know which is that the decent beginner pianos start around £285 and the keyboards around £50.

Question 1 is do you want a piano or keyboard? To answer that you need to know what is the difference between a piano and a keyboard?

Keyboards and pianos look very similar and are set out very similarly so that if you know how to play a simple tune on one, you can likely play it on the other – i.e. If you know how to find a C, D and E on a piano, it will be the same for a keyboard because piano keys are set out the same as keyboard keys in terms of the pattern of black and white keys. Do be aware the keyboard/piano may start with a different note at the bottom/far left however.

The main difference being a keyboard has far more capabilities in terms of voices, accompaniment rhythms etc. and has non-weighted keys, and will tend to be smaller in terms of how many keys it has, whereas a piano will have less of the additional features mentioned, in fact perhaps none, but will have a full-sized keyboard (keyboard, as in the keys on the piano) and usually weighted or hammer-action keys.

Hang on, what are weighted keys?

Yes, quite right, this is important to understand if you don’t yet. Weighted keys are ones that are harder to depress as they are, in the case of an acoustic piano, in fact triggering the hammer action that then hits the string inside the piano to create the sound, or in many electric pianos/digital pianos the keys are weighted to emulate this. This all means that whichever you choose to go for, you will be used to that feel – weighted or hammer-action keys if you go for piano (usually!), or unweighted if you go for keyboard. Your best bet to get the full picture on what I’m talking about here is to go to a music shop, or someone or somewhere that has keyboards and pianos and ask to try both.

I wouldn’t necessarily use the feel of weighted or unweighted keys as your ultimate guide in your decision-making process though. I think repertoire is perhaps more important.

If you want to play many and varied genres of music – classical, jazz, blues, pop etc. I’d say learn to play piano. It will sound authentic playing all these genres and has more capacity for expression. Keyboard is designed for pop music alone really and gives you opportunities to accompany yourself with drum beats etc. Keyboard and piano are generally taught in different ways that lend themselves to these different repertoires. My courses are piano courses and I  will therefore focus on the best piano for beginners in this article but, that said, you can begin to learn piano way on a keyboard at the start, simple piano music can still sound great on a keyboard. But if you want to continue past any of the beginner courses I would recommend a piano with weighted keys as soon as possible as it’s more difficult to change later on, once you are very accustomed to un-weighted keys. There is such a thing as semi-weighted keys on some digital pianos. I’ve only included fully-weighted key pianos as, again, I’m not sure there’s much point in getting used to semi-weighted only to find it a difficult adjustment if and when you move to fully weighted.

Should I get an acoustic or digital piano?

If you have decided you want to learn to play piano, your next decision is acoustic or digital. Acoustic means not plugged in to an electricity supply – it is an instrument that creates its own sound acoustically. They often have a metal frame housing the strings, hammers and mechanisms that go with that, and a wooden exterior. Acoustic pianos are always the best in most pianist’s opinions – the most beautiful sounding and capable of the best expressive range and, especially with the sustain pedal, full, rich, resonant music. Downsides are they are big, heavy and need professionally tuning every 6 months to a year. Brand new ones are never really what I would call budget-friendly so I’m not going to list any acoustics here. But second-hand pianos go very cheap or even free quite regularly – you just need to bear in mind it might cost to get it moved and to get it repaired/tuned depending on what state it is in. If you find a piano for sale locally, I’d always go and see and hear it before agreeing to buy. If it sounds like it has that “honkey-tonk” sort of sound quality like pianos featured in saloons in out-of-date Western films, it may well be beyond saving!

Digital pianos also called electric pianos can look quite similar to acoustic upright pianos but without the tall bit at the back, or they can look much more slimline but still with fixed legs and pedals, or they may be separate from their stand and more portable. These are the most affordable if you are looking to buy new. The other advantage is they take up less space. This is the reason I’m now using a budget digital piano in my home, and I’m quite happy with it for day-to-day practice. I’m lucky I get to use varying other ones when I go out to teach and occasionally perform, and I’ll likely buy an acoustic grand piano when I miraculously have the space and money!!!

For information, the terms ‘piano keyboard’ or ‘keyboard piano’ when referring to an instrument as a whole don’t really mean anything but seem to be used interchangeably very often for keyboards or for digital pianos

So here we are, in no particular order, and based on my own experience, the best digital pianos, ideal for beginners, and budget-friendly, available in the UK (and probably elsewhere too, though you’ll have to do your own research on that)

Donner DDP-80 Digital Piano

Find out more: £435.99 at time of writing

Donner is a name you can rely on. Good quality and beautiful design. The legs screw in so you can, in fact store the piano away easily, but once it’s in place is feels surprisingly sturdy. The pedals too, though not attached to a frame have a good base so they almost feel like they are. That said, storing a piano away is best avoided if you want to get in the habit of practicing every day! And why would you want to hide this one away anyhow?

Donner DDP-200 Digital Piano

Find out more: £569.99 at time of writing.

This one with a fixed frame and dust cover/lid is even more durable. It’s very flat when closed too. I’d say the touch feels very similar to the DDP-80 but you get a bit more out of this one in terms of expression. Still very slimline so it won’t take up much room in the house.

Yamaha P45B

Find out more: £284.99 at time of writing.

A Yamaha digital piano offers another trusted name synonymous with quality and reliability. This instrument falls into the category we could call ‘stage pianos’ – it doesn’t have a fixed stand so it’s portable for gigging or storage. It has an excellent feel with its hammer-action keys. Only one pedal and it is less sturdy than some, but I’ve found it no problem when I’ve used it. It just might move around a little bit. One pedal is certainly sufficient for the vast majority of piano music for beginners and you can easily replace the pedal with a more sturdy one if you feel you need to later on.

Roland FP10

Find out more: £338.00 at time of writing.

This Roland is another stage piano highly rated amongst learners and seasoned musicians alike. It boasts “Superior Sound,” and I’d have to agree, when I’ve used one or heard one, it’s very close to an acoustic piano. There are various bundles available so you can add a pedal, stand, stool etc. at a small extra cost.

DP-6 Digital Piano by Gear4music

Find out more: £299.99 at time of writing

Gear4Music are not as well-known but a great budget option and in my experience still last the test of time. This one has sustain only and it’s an unfixed pedal but that offers some extra savings again. Good hammer action feel.

Kawai KDP75 Digital Piano 

Find out more: £689.00 at time of writing

If you have a little more to spend Kawai are my personal favourite for all-round similarity to an acoustic in terms of sound and touch. They are highly trusted and long lasting too. But you do pay more for this reputation. This is their budget option at the moment and is approaching £700 at time of writing.

And some of the best value keyboards for beginners if you want to go down that route.

This will save you money, but as mentioned, if you want to learn piano, beware of getting too used to the touch of a keyboard. Having said that I have had many pupils learn piano on a keyboard quite successfully during the early stages.

Casio CT-s300 Keyboard   

Find out more: £159 at time of writing

A trusted name and a great no-fuss design. Very good for storing away, moving around the house, taking out and about to practice or perform. Touch-sensitive keys mean you can produce some decent expression.

Yamaha PRS- E283 Keyboard

Find out more: £129 at time of writing

You can’t go wrong with a Yamaha keyboard. All the functions you would expect with pleasant voices and accompaniments for this price range. This is another touch-sensitive model, so while it won’t feel like a piano you can produce good results in terms of expressive range.

Hricane Kids Piano Keyboard, 61 Keys

Find out more: £46.99 at time of writing

If you’re looking for something for the absolute beginner, especially children whom you are still unsure will be sticking with learning long-term, or for whom piano/keyboard skills might be a pre-cursor to learning another instrument, my lowest price option I’m listing is this one. It doesn’t have a well-known brand name that you will recognise, but it does what it says on the tin – it has 61 keys, which is big enough to start with, a pretty good variety of voices, and can even be used with batteries. It has a USB power supply too though.

Good luck with purchasing your first piano or keyboard no matter what option you go for, and good luck on your journey as to begin to learn to play!

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