The best digital pianos for beginners in the UK 2023

Are you a beginner on the piano or do you want to introduce your child to this instrument? Why not opt for a digital piano for beginners? With this instrument, there is no need for a teacher! Thanks to the pre-recorded songs, the metronome and the various playable demos, learning to play the piano will be child's play. To help you choose the right digital piano for you, check out our guide.

Yamaha P-125 1
9/10

Best value for money

Yamaha P-125

The best digital piano for beginners in 2021

The Yamaha P-125 is the perfect piano for parents who want to introduce their children to the piano. It's a compact, portable digital piano that's easy to carry and versatile enough for beginners.

455 £ on Thomann

The Yamaha P-125 brand digital piano is the new portable piano that completes Yamaha's P series of pianos. It features 192 notes of polyphony, 20 drum rhythms and a controller app for iOS. This piano also has an 88-note heavy touch keyboard. Just like on a traditional acoustic piano, the keys for the lower notes have a heavier feel, while the treble notes are lighter.

This piano uses the pure CFIII sound engine from Yamaha. The quality of the speakers in this piano offers an excellent balance of power and clarity. It has exciting piano and accompaniment styles. Play a chord and the pianist style gives you full piano accompaniment.

Alesis Recital 2
8/10

Best value for money

Alesis Recital

The best digital piano for entry-level beginners

The Alesis Retical piano has an almost futuristic piano design. This piano is also perfect for beginners, as it is lightweight and its thinness makes it completely easy to store. You can then give it as a gift to your children.

200 £ on Amazon

The Alesis Recital piano features 88 premium semi-weighted keys with adjustable key sensitivity. This allows the pianist to feel the playing like an acoustic piano. This piano also comes with 5 built-in instrument voices, such as acoustic piano, electric piano, organ, synthesizer and bass. It can then offer you a wide range of musical possibilities. With powerful 20 watt speakers, Alesis Retical also provides you with a rich and realistic sound for a fantastic playing experience.

Its 12 built-in voices can be split or layered to add spice to your performance, and they sound great through the speakers. The Alesis Recital's keyboard can be split into two zones with the same pitch and voice, making it ideal for lessons. Learning rhythm and timing is a breeze with the Alesis Recital, thanks to a built-in metronome, and the recording mode lets you record and play back your performance. You also get built-in effects, a sustain pedal input and a headphone output for private practice.

8/10

Best value for money

Casio PX-870 BK Privia

The best digital piano for high-end beginners

Are you looking for a piano sound without the clutter of a piano? The Privia PX-870 piano is for you.

773 £ on Thomann

The Casio PX- 870 piano is equipped with the Tri-Sensor Scaled Hammer Action Keyboard II. The keys each have three sensors, sensitive to your typing and your speed, for a better realism of the response of the instrument to your playing as to repeat a note, for example, you do not need to raise the finger entirely. The keyboard is of course complete with its 88 keys, dressed with an imitation ebony and ivory coating for a very nice finish.

The Casio PX-870 piano also features Air Acoustic and Intelligent Resonator technology, which effectively diffuses sound in a multi-dimensional way around the room. And everything will sound truer than life, thanks to this digital piano's four-speaker, 40-watt sound projection system. Teachers will appreciate Casio's Duo mode, which allows two people to play the same notes simultaneously. And with a sleek, modern design featuring a sliding key cover, music stand and three-pedal tray, the Privia PX-870 will look great in any environment.

Roland RP 102 3
8/10

A great choice

Roland RP 102

The best for advanced

The Roland RP 102 is the ideal piano for your children's first learning experience. Because it meets the requirements to be the first piano for beginners.

783 £ on Amazon

With the Roland RP 102 digital piano, you can record yourself to listen. It is heavy and graduated note by note. This piano also has 88 keys just like an acoustic piano. But it is relatively firm and precise. This piano has 2 speakers of 6 watts each, its sound is round, precise and essential to be able to play for hours.

The Roland RP 102 digital piano also has connectivity with iPads and their countless applications. These apps all have a specific role like controlling even more musical instruments on Garageband to compose and record perfect songs and also learn to read music with Piano Partner this app corrects your mistakes.

Buying guide • November 2023

Best digital piano for beginners

Any specific needs?

The best digital piano for beginners in 2021

The best digital piano for entry-level beginners

The best digital piano for high-end beginners

The best for advanced

Your guide : Samuel

Rate this buying guide :
4.9/59 votes

By rating this buying guide, you are helping us to reward our best writers. Thank you!

Comparison table of the best digital pianos for beginners

TOP OF THE TOP CHEAP TOP OF THE LINE EXCELLENT
Yamaha P-125 4
9/10
Alesis Recital 5
8/10
8/10
Roland RP 102 6
8/10
OUR SELECTION
Yamaha P-125
Alesis Recital
Casio PX-870 BK Privia
Roland RP 102
The Yamaha P-125 is the perfect piano for parents who want to introduce their children to the piano. It's a compact, portable digital piano that's easy to carry and versatile enough for beginners.
The Alesis Retical piano has an almost futuristic piano design. This piano is also perfect for beginners, as it is lightweight and its thinness makes it completely easy to store. You can then give it as a gift to your children.
Are you looking for a piano sound without the clutter of a piano? The Privia PX-870 piano is for you.
The Roland RP 102 is the ideal piano for your children's first learning experience. Because it meets the requirements to be the first piano for beginners.
Keys
88-note keyboard
88 semi-weighted keys
88-key keyboard
88 keys
Notes
With 192 notes of polyphony
5 built-in instrument voices
Tri-Sensor Scaled Hammer Action Keyboard
Precise, round sound
Rhythms
20 drum patterns and an iOS control app
rich, realistic sound
Equipped with superb acoustic air technology
Perfect pitch
Playability

Help us improve this table:
Report an error, request the addition of a feature to the table, or suggest another product. Thank you for your kindness!

Buying guide - digital piano for beginners

Primary Item (H2)Sub Item 1 (H3)

Why can you trust us?

Why you can trust us
Our mission
How to support us
We do NOT accept any sponsored posts or advertising.

We spend thousands of hours each year studying the major specialized websites, analyzing products of hundreds of brands and reading user feedback to advise you on the best products.

Our mission is to simplify your purchasing decisions.

We are a product review company with a single mission: to simplify your buying decisions. Our research and testing helps millions of people every year find the best products for their personal needs and budget.

We are a small team of geeks and enthusiasts.

To support us you can: use our links to make your purchases (which often earns us a small commission), share our articles on social networks, or recommend our site on your blog. Thanks in advance for your support!

How to choose your digital piano for beginners

There's nothing like a musical instrument that sounds good and feels comfortable to start playing. Here are some tips to help you choose the right digital piano for you.

#1 - The use

This criterion varies according to the use and the level of its user. Your choice will not be the same if you are a professional as if you are a beginner. Also, a digital piano intended for learning will have fewer keys than a professional piano. Depending on the use then, you choose the number of keys (varying from 61 to 88 and more), the polyphony (from 32 to 64 notes), as well as the dimensions of the instruments (for example 94 x 30.6 x 10.9 cm or 13.6 x 36.6 x 13.7 cm).

#2 - Sound quality

A good sound quality allows for a pleasant moment of relaxation for the people listening and especially for the pianist. Also, when choosing the piano, take the time to check the sound quality by playing bass notes and comparing with other sounds emitted by other digital pianos. Sound sampling allows you to determine the sound quality of the chosen model based on pre-recorded references. The quality of the speakers is also a factor in comparing the sound quality, knowing that a lower quality may cause crackling or even not play certain notes correctly. For a portable digital piano, for example, 2 x 6 W is a minimum for proper sound. The sound tools will help the user to develop his art. For a beginner, they will be a great help in his learning process.

#3 - Tone and amplification

Pianos with heavier keys offer a better tone compared to others. This offers a pleasant sensation to listen to and provides the desire to play it constantly. The crucial difference lies in the sound emitted when amplifying your digital piano. Indeed, there is a difference between listening to pre-recorded sounds and listening to amplified sounds. Also, the power of amplification depends on the place in which we will play. The bigger it will be, the better the sound will be and vice versa.

#4 - The power

The

quality of a digital piano also depends on the power it has. Generally, this power varies between 6 to 12 W, but the ideal power is 2 x 6 W. It is thanks to its power that a piano offers a correct and impeccable sound quality. A good digital piano is resistant and powerful.

#5 - The brand and the design

The reputation of the company producing the piano plays an important role in the choice. Also, the leading and recognized brands in the market such as Yamaha, Kawai, Casio, Thomann offer more confidence to the customers and better security in terms of quality devices compared to the new companies present in the market. The choice of digital piano also depends on its visual aspect, a beautiful machine offers the desire to use the piano properly and at all times.

#6 - The options available

And last but not least, the last criteria are the options offered by the digital piano. For example, an audio database can help with learning. Some pianos can be equipped with headphones for good listening. Duo, split and metronome options are also very practical. Others even offer illuminated tutorials and self-recording. There are also protective covers to protect the device from dirt and dust to keep the piano in its original condition.

The functions of a digital piano good to exploit

A digital keyboard offers a variety of possibilities to progress and perfect your piano playing. It also allows you to improve your solfeggio skills. Here are the interesting functions that a digital keyboard offers:

  • The reverb (or echo) is a feature that allows you to play with a certain resonance, or with a drier sound.
  • The metronome allows you to beat time and work on your sense of rhythm.
  • The Split mode that "splits" the keyboard in two. One half piano and the other guitar for example. Particularly useful for creations and improvisations.
  • The Layer mode (dual) allows you to obtain two different sounds by pressing the same key. You choose the two sounds of your choice in the options. For example, you want to play a piece with a grand piano sound but want to add a bottom end to your original instrument. So, the dual mode allows you to add a background like strings, organ, violin, etc... This function will make your learning moments more pleasant and will also be very useful once you are at the stage of composing arrangements.
  • The accompaniment function is probably the most widespread, and the most used by private piano teachers. It consists in playing chords with the left hand and a complete musical accompaniment corresponding to the chords used is played by the digital piano. This allows the right hand to play the melody or to improvise.

Important

Do not lose the serial number of your piano because it will be very useful especially in case of technical problems.

The different types of digital pianos for beginners

Digital pianos come in different types to meet a variety of needs and expectations throughout the piano learning process. Here is a closer look at them.

Digital upright pianos

A digital upright piano is a model capable of faithfully reproducing the sound of an acoustic upright piano to a certain extent. It is also less bulky than a grand piano and allows the sound to be played through headphones depending on the model chosen. It offers good value for money for pianists looking for a semi-professional instrument to practice on. The upright piano has some useful features such as the ability to adjust the volume of sound and requires little maintenance. Mostly suitable for a beginner to do regular practice, this type of piano does not, however, provide high sound performance.

Portable digital pianos

A

digital piano is a piano with the 88 notes of the acoustic piano reproduced digitally. The portable model is thus, as its name suggests, a model that is not very bulky and has great mobility due to its portable design. It is therefore very easy to carry and is suitable for people who travel a lot or who are often on the move. As it is a fairly simple model and therefore not very elaborate, the sound obtained with a portable digital piano is not always faithful to that of an acoustic piano.

Digital rhythm pianos

With

an incredibly rich sound bank of over 300 tones in some cases, the digital rhythm piano has many features and thus allows you to work on a wide variety of styles and sounds. This makes it the ideal ally for any musician who wants to compose beautiful melodies. The rich sound capabilities of the digital rhythm piano make it an excellent instrument for practice. In addition, since most models of this piano also have a cabinet back, the rhythm piano is much more stable and thus limits the shaking of the sound. Although the price range is wide, the cost of this instrument can climb quite quickly depending on the quality of the model.

Digital grand pianos

A

digital grand piano has the quality of a professional instrument. It can reproduce a sound that is extremely faithful to that of an acoustic piano. With three legs, it is quite imposing and often requires space because of its large size. It also delivers exceptional sound quality. Because of its manufacturing costs and the quality of the final product, the digital grand piano remains relatively expensive and its size makes it rather bulky. Thanks to the quality of the materials the digital grand piano is made of, the richness of the resulting sounds of this instrument makes it an exceptional piano, ideal for great piano virtuosos.

Digital stage pianos

A

digital stage piano is the ideal instrument for pianists who often

perform.

Indeed, this piano has many features that allow it to create and mix different sounds quickly. Devoid of speakers, it is mostly intended for connection to an amp or any other sound system. Rich in features, the variety of sounds and mixes obtained from this type of piano allows for quality performances. However, a stage piano is much less aesthetic than a grand piano or any other model with a cabinet. It is quite bulky and difficult to transport and its cost is also quite high.

Digital piano or acoustic piano?

Digital piano

The digital piano is an instrument that offers its user the possibility to play at any time of the day or night without the risk of disturbing the neighbours thanks to its adjustable volume. A digital piano can also be connected to headphones, allowing the user to listen to his or her pieces in peace while playing. With lighter keys than an acoustic piano, it is the ideal companion for beginners. In addition, it is light (about 25 kg on average) and easy to move. Finally, the digital piano has a remarkable bank of sounds and rhythms that can reproduce a wide variety of music and also allows those who can not afford music lessons to learn alone. The lessons available on a digital piano will never replace a music teacher in the flesh, but their contribution to learning the piano is not negligible either.

Acoustic piano

Uprights and grand pianos are acoustic pianos that offer a remarkable sound and can play the different nuances of a musical work to perfection on classical scores. They also have the reputation of standing the test of time and therefore benefit several generations. The sounds emitted by an acoustic piano are certainly much better and more authentic than those emitted by a digital piano. However, with this instrument, you cannot turn down the volume. Therefore, it is not suitable for use in an apartment and may disturb the neighbors. Moreover, an acoustic piano is heavy: about 500 kg for a grand piano and 150 kg for an upright. To this end, in order not to damage it in case of moving, it requires the owner to hire specialized and expensive movers. Not to mention the fact that it must be tuned at least twice a year to keep the right sound. This operation costs around 110 €.

Verdict

In conclusion, to begin playing the piano, it is better to opt for a digital piano that offers both a variety of incredible sounds and keys less heavy than the acoustic piano. Indeed, the heavy keys of an acoustic piano allow you to train your fingers but may discourage novices. As the novice improves and if his budget allows it, it will be possible to consider investing in an acoustic piano.

Why buy a digital piano for beginners?

An affordable price

The first criterion when choosing a digital piano is the price of the instrument. This price is of course variable depending on the quality expected by its user, nevertheless, most of them remain largely lower than the prices of classical pianos. The price range is between 1400 euros to 6 000 euros, or even more, while the classics are generally above 4 000 euros.

Ease of travel

It is not uncommon, especially for a musician, to move from one place to another. This move is often a problem because of the weight of the acoustic piano which depends on the heavy constituent material. As for the digital piano, you should know that its weight is generally around 30 kg, which provides more ease during its movement. Being less high than acoustic pianos, they are also less bulky and can be placed under windows for example.

Multiple functions

Digital pianos, unlike the classical ones, allow you to reduce the output sound or to amplify it. This is very practical during rehearsals. It is even possible to insert headphones so as not to disturb others, but especially to allow the artist to play at any time. Also, it is possible to add accompaniment rhythms with this instrument. On some models of digital pianos, it is even possible to reproduce the sound of other instruments such as electric guitars, the flute or the violin. The quality of sound produced is also excellent, with a homogeneous touch that is adjustable in dynamics and response, especially for recent models.

Ease of use

It is important to know that to use an acoustic piano correctly, you must first know how to tune it. Tuning the instrument every time you use it can be a pain. Digital pianos do not have this disadvantage. In fact, for classical pianos, just moving the instrument can take it out of tune, which is not the case for digital pianos. It goes without saying that digital pianos are more suitable for beginners and neophytes, which does not prevent them from pleasing professionals.

Ease of recording

Digital pianos are very easy to record. Whether it is on the instrument itself, via a floppy disk or simply by connecting it to a computer, you can do this easily. Producing proper music from this instrument is therefore child's play. It is also possible to play a downloaded song on the instrument, and even play it in the background of your own music.

Easy to maintain

In addition to the tedious tuning, the acoustic piano must be subject to mechanical adjustments to function properly. These adjustments must be made daily, especially before each use. The same applies to cleaning. Digital pianos do not require any of these manipulations. However, it is important not to clean the instrument with water.

The best brands of digital pianos for beginners

In our opinion, the best brands of digital pianos for beginners in 2022 are :

Yamaha
Roland
Kawai
Casio
Korg

Founded in 1889, the great Japanese brand Yamaha is a reference in the field of pianos and synthesizers. The brand's digital pianos are distinguished by their sturdiness and are highly appreciated by the brand's fans: professionals and beginners alike, thanks to their ease of use.

Roland digital pianos are instruments that live up to their promise both on paper and in practice. Musicians around the world have been won over by these pianos thanks to the combination of beautiful designs and the advanced technology used by the company in the manufacture of its products.

The Japanese brand Kawai is a specialist in the manufacture of pianos. With 70,000 keyboards sold per year, the brand has earned a reputation among pianists around the world for the robustness, high sound quality and beautiful design of their digital pianos.

The Japanese giant Casio is best known for its watches, calculators, cameras and especially for its digital pianos. What we particularly appreciate about this brand is the unbeatable quality/price ratio of its products.

Korg is a Japanese brand that is very famous among musicians around the world. The brand manufactures electronic equipment for musicians, including digital keyboards that are, according to the brand's followers, as powerful and innovative as each other.

What is the price for a digital piano for beginners

The diagram below will help you to get an idea of the typical prices for each price range (entry-level, mid-range and high-end).

However, more expensive does not necessarily mean better.

We therefore advise you to always consult our ranking before deciding, rather than blindly relying on price ranges.

Entry-level
200 £ to 700 £
Mid-range
700 £ to 1000 £
High-end
more than 1000 £
Price range diagram

Tips

Place your instrument in the right place

Place your digital piano in a designated area of your home, preferably away from traffic, heat sources, sunlight, doors and windows to avoid unfortunate accidents that could damage it. Also, do not place it near an air conditioner, as the latter accumulates condensation and may leak without you noticing. The water could deteriorate the material of the piano and damage the piano's circuitry.

Use the voices offered by your instrument when learning

Make

your workouts more enjoyable by playing with the sounds of different instruments on the piano. Thanks to this, you can easily improve your fingering to the sound of a flute, an organ, a violin, a guitar or a trombone, etc... without the risk of getting bored.

Accentuate the nuances of your playing with a pedal

There are three types of pedals: loud, soft, and tonal, and they offer nuanced playing that is particularly pleasing to the ear. Very popular with pianists, they allow you to authentically reproduce the nuances of the most beautiful works composed by the greatest pianists of the past.

Protect your instrument after each use and during transport

To

ensure a longer life for your digital piano and to protect it from dust, always close the top that folds over the keys. If your piano doesn't have one, buy a special cover for this purpose in stores that specialize in musical instruments and accessories. When you take your digital piano with you on the road, carry it in a soft case for optimal protection.

Clean it regularly

To keep

your instrument clean at all times, always remember to wash your hands before playing. Then, avoid eating or putting food near the piano. To clean the piano, simply dust it with a feather duster or a clean cloth. Go over all parts of the instrument carefully. For a polished piano, a simple guitar polish will do the trick to restore the original shine and remove any fingerprints or dirt.

Sources

Note: Below are some of the sources we have consulted in writing this article. Links to other sites are not continuously updated. It is therefore possible that a link may not be found. Please use a search engine to find the desired information.
  1. , dorelami.fr
  2. , imusic-blog.com
  3. , orbcb.fr
  4. , rolandce.com
  5. , superprof.fr
  6. , happynoote.com
  7. , playpopsongs.com
  8. , sight-o.io
  9. , blogue.bestbuy.ca
  10. , elpiano.fr
  11. , piano-electrique.info
  12. , lemonde.fr
  13. , cultura.com
  14. , pianoshop.fr
  15. , pianonumerique.org
  16. , lebonpanier.fr
  17. , elpiano.fr
  18. , michelmusique.fr
  19. , producteurpro.fr
  20. , woodbrass.com
  21. , pianofacile.net
  22. , cdiscount.com
  23. , lacartemusique.fr
  24. , darty.com
  25. , superprof.fr
  26. , dorelami.fr
  27. , amazon.co.uk
  28. , latouchemusicale.com
  29. , piano-en-harmonie.com
  30. , quel-piano-numerique.fr
  31. , m.youtube.com
  32. , m.youtube.com
See more

Updates

March 2022 : Translation of this buying guide from our partner meilleurtest.fr

See more
Our selection
Yamaha P-125 7
Yamaha P-125
Alesis Recital 8
Alesis Recital
Casio PX-870 BK Privia
Roland RP 102 9
Roland RP 102

Lecteurs

Every month we help more than 1 000 000 people buy better and smarter.

Copyright © 2022 - Made with by buyingbetter.co.uk

Your reviews and buying guides 0% advertising, 100% independent!