Digital Piano Recommendations

Please note: this blog post was written in 2019. Some of the prices listed may have changed. 

Starting piano lessons for a lot of people means that we have to look at acquiring an instrument. Today, I'm sharing my favorite digital models for beginning piano students. These are at a lower price point than comparable instruments, but still provide the hammer action feel, touch sensitivity and good quality sound samples that replicate a grand piano well. 

If you are deciding between an acoustic & a digital, be sure to check out this article, and if you're in the market for a used piano keep the tips in this article in mind.

So if you're still reading, you've decided on a digital, and are wanting to know the best, affordable options that will still provide the quality your budding pianist needs. All pianos listed below feature Graded Hammer Standard or Weighted Keys, meaning the keys are engineered to feel like an acoustic piano. Having this feature shortens the learning curve on transitioning from a keyboard to an acoustic, so that when a student is at lessons or on stage in a performance, they will be able to play the acoustic instrument without their technic betraying them. This is a crucial feature in any at home practice instrument.

My personal favorite for both quality & price point is the Yamaha P-series, in fact these are what we have in the studio's piano lab. There are a few different models in this series to provide options, here's the breakdown of two of the most affordable:

The p-125 has 24 different instrument voices, and a 2-way speaker system that mimics the resonance of a wood piano - all that to say, the sound quality is textured and rich. This has an option to bundle it with a furniture stand for an elegant look in the home.
Shop for P-125 Keyboard $599
Shop for P-125 Bundle with Furniture Stand, Bench & Pedals $849

The P-71 is an Amazon Exclusive version of the p-95 (Yamaha has stated that they are the exact same piano), and this model has 10 instrument voices. The speaker system is good, but doesn't have the 2-way feature. A good set of headphones can be a workaround if a student needed to work on more nuanced playing. At $399, this is by far the most affordable option in the P-series. As an Amazon Exclusive, this one does not have a bundled option, but keyboard stand, pedal & bench can be purchased separately if you do not have them.
Shop for P-71 Keyboard $399
Furniture stand for P-71 $99
Portable Stand, Bench & Pedal Pack $68

And I'm going to list one more option because the Yamaha pianos don't have all that many instrument voices. If you've got a piano kid who would really enjoy sitting down and playing with all kinds of different instrument sounds and synthesizer/workstation type features, then the Casio CDP-240 is a good choice. It still has the weighted key feature. It is also an Amazon Exclusive, and as such is available at a lower price point that comparable models.
Shop for Casio DCP-240 
Furniture stand for CDP-240 $105
Portable Stand, Bench & Pedal Pack $68

And those are my picks for the best digital pianos for students who are starting out piano lessons. Two of the options listed are under the $500 mark, making them a really good deal for the quality of instrument that you'll be getting. As always, I'm happy to help with questions as you choose an instrument that will set up your piano kid for years of confident and beautiful playing.