Best Portable and Digital Keyboards for Beginners 

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Purchasing a piano for your beginner can be quite a daunting task. The options are endless: upright acoustic pianos, grand pianos, digital keyboards. Beyond that, these days many different companies manufacture reliable pianos from Yamaha to Kawai. Pianos are quite the investment, so it is imperative that enough research goes into looking for a keyboard that will be the best fit for the beginning pianist. Here are our picks for portable and digital keyboards for beginners.

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Keyboards Options:

 

YAMAHA P-125 portable digital piano for beginner piano lessons.1. YAMAHA P-125

Price: $999.99

Overview: The Yamaha P-125 is a compact and portable digital piano with Graded Hammer Standard action. The P-125 offers high-quality sound and realistic touch and response comparable to an acoustic piano.

Pros:

  • 4-types of touch sensitivity
  • Provides sustain pedal
  • Onboard variety of instrumental and drum styles

Cons:

  • Heavier action than real acoustic pianos
  • No soft pedal

 

 

KAWAI ES110 portable digital keyboard - best pianos for beginner piano lessons by 88 Keys Private Music Academy2. KAWAI ES110 

Price: $959.00

Overview: The Kawai ES110 is a lightweight portable digital piano with grade-weighted keys. The keyboard features Responsive Hammer Compact keyboard action developed by Kawai for a smooth and responsive weighted touch.

Pros:

  • Smooth weighted action
  • Onboard lesson feature with songs from Alfred’s Basic Piano Course
  • Sustain and damper pedals included

Cons:

  • Downwards facing speakers
  • Heavy low register notes

 

 

ROLAND FP-30x portable digital piano for beginners3. ROLAND FP-30x

Price: $799.99

Overview: The Roland FP-30x has 88 keys with Progressive Hammer action, a concert piano feel with their PHA-4 keyboard technology and quality sound powered by the SuperNATURAL sound engine.

Pros:

  • Variety of onboard instrumental sounds
  • 5-types of touch sensitivity
  • Lightweight

Cons:

  • Downwards facing speakers

Conclusion

At comparable price points, the keyboards each have their own strengths. Here’s our roundup of these three options.

  • Best Sound: With upwards-facing speakers, the Yamaha P-125 provides the clearest, most direct sound that mimics the sound evoked from an acoustic piano.
  • Best Action/Touch: Kawai’s ES110 responsive hammer technology provides the smoothest and most realistic keyboard action.
  • Most versatile: The Roland FP-30x provides the greatest number of touch sensitivities and is the most lightweight keyboard in the list.