Are you wondering how to buy a piano or musical keyboard?

You probably typed in google “how to choose a digital piano” or “what are the best keyboards?” and you end up with lots of answers.

Too many.

Which is great, because we live an amazing time to make music!

We have access to lots of good quality and affordable instruments and all the technology to unleash our imagination.

But indeed, the counterpart is a certain confusion when you enter the game.

I am there to help you my best and show you how to make your choice.

I have also looked for you at the best models of digital pianos and keyboards available now.

It will save you hours of research.

And after reading this, you will know better which piano or keyboard to buy!

[su_note note_color=”#e6e6e2″]

Side note:

If you want to start learning and playing the piano before buying, you can play a virtual piano!

Yes, it exists!

You only need your computer keyboard and an internet connection.

Try these and have some fun:

https://virtualpiano.net/

https://www.onlinepianist.com/virtual-piano/ [/su_note]

[su_note note_color=”#e6e6e2″]A little disclaimer: the links below may be affiliate links, which means that if you buy something (or many things!) using these links, I will earn a little something to help me keep this website working and grow the amazing content that I want to create for you![/su_note]

What are the steps to buy a piano?

1. Know why you want to buy a piano

The first step to know how to buy a piano, the right piano for you is to think about what is your purpose, your WHY. (Read more about this article on the musician mindset).

This may seem obvious, but it is not.

And it will change a lot the way you choose and which instrument you end with.

Even then way you manage your money.

Let’s say for example that you want to play classical musical pieces at a pro-level.

Then you will have to go with an acoustic piano, and probably a grand piano.

If your constraints are too strong (space, money), you can temporarily go for a digital piano.

But don’t forget your aim and take action now to reach it.

Save some money (or a lot), change the furniture to leave some space, or even change home.

I am being serious.

Live your life according to your goals.

If music (and playing the piano) is something important for you, you have (you must!) do what it takes to make it happen.

Overwise, what will happen if you don’t do anything?

How will you feel in 10 or 20 years?

Do you want to feel sad and full of regrets about it?

Or joyful of playing the piano as you wish?

Don’t get me wrong and be irresponsible or do crazy things. But you can achieve your musical goals by making reasonable changes in your life.

The main obstacle is your mind.

2. What kind of piano or keyboard do you see yourself playing?

A grand piano? a high tech keyboard full of knobs and sliders?

A fixed piano in your home? a light-weight keyboard you can bring with you anytime?

Close your eyes and picture yourself in a room or any place you like, ready to play the music you love.

Now imagine the perfect instrument and environment for you.

Is it a home-studio full of equipment surrounding a big MIDI keyboard connected to a powerful computer with the latest music software?

Is it a big room with an acoustic grand piano?

Are you on stage, an arranger keyboard in front of you and 4 other musicians forming your band, ready to give it all for your audience?

Or maybe a digital piano at home, with you playing for your children, family, or close friends in during a heart-warming party?

3. Where do you want to play?

A grand piano will require some space.

On the contrary, a tiny MIDI keyboard can be used anywhere. Even on a plane if you want to compose your next song during a flight. (yes you can really do this, amazing, right?)

Thus, you have to know what will be your usage and situations where you want to play.

4. What are the features you really need on your instrument?

This one goes in line with your purpose of course.

If you already know that you want an acoustic piano, well the features are pretty fixed and standard.

But if you something else, like a digital piano or a keyboard, you should ask yourself what features do you need.

It might be a bit difficult when you begin, but take a few minutes to think forward and project yourself in a few years.

Is creating your own music something you want to do at some point?

Are you planning to play live? alone or with a band?

Do you want lots of different sounds and effects to play or compose with?

Make a list and keep it at hand when you want to make your choice.

A few questions you may have already:

– How many keys does a piano have?

A traditional piano has 88 keys. Keyboards can have different numbers of keys, from 25 to 88.

– Are 61 keys enough to play the piano?

With 61 keys, you can play a lot of songs and you may never need more.

Of course, you won’t be able to play a few advanced classical pieces.

But for more popular songs, it should be well enough.

I have a 32 keys keyboard and I can do many things with it.

– Can I learn the piano on a keyboard?

It depends on your goal.

If you want to learn how to play classical music, it is not a good choice because it won’t have the same key action.

I manage to play classical pieces on a tiny MIDI keyboard with a soft springy action.

Because I learned and practiced for years on an acoustic piano.

On the other end, if you want to produce your music with loops and synths, go for it.

You may still benefit from a weighted-keys keyboard, but it is not that important.

– What are the pedals used for?

On an acoustic grand piano, you will find 3 pedals. From left to right, the soft pedal, the sostenuto pedal, and the sustain pedal (or damper pedal).

On upright acoustic, the middle pedal is usually a practice pedal to attenuate the volume.

On digital pianos they may have other features, you have to check on the model you are interested in.

But you should know that most songs only use the sustain pedal, if any.

– What are the best pianos brands?

• Acoustic pianos: Steinway & Sons, Bösendorfer, Yamaha, Kawai
• Digital pianos: Yamaha, Korg, Kawai, Casio
• Keyboards: Korg, Roland, Yahama, Casio, Kurzweil, Clavia Nord
• MIDI keyboards: Arturia, M-Audio, Nektar, Native Instrument, Roland, Korg.

– Can I buy a second-hand acoustic piano?

Yes, you can, but you must be aware that you may have expenses to make it functional, such as hiring a piano tuner.

And it may have invisible damages.

I would not recommend this option for a beginner.

Unless you know well the seller or you have someone experienced in acoustic pianos with you.

– How much should I spend when buying a piano or keyboard?

It depends widely on the type of piano or keyboard you want.

The price range is from $40 to $40,000 (or more!).

I suggest that you first find which type of piano or keyboard is for you.

And then you see how much you would spend on it.

– Can I really get an acoustic piano for free?

Yes you can. Or you could.

Many people want to get rid of their piano and are willing to give it away for free.

But as I said earlier, you have to consider the extra cost that you will have if you choose to do this. Hiring piano movers, a piano tuner…

In the end, it may need to be repaired with a final cost much higher than a brand new digital piano.

The different types of pianos and musical keyboard

1. Acoustic pianos

They are the “real” pianos.

And all other options are derived from them.

So even if you don’t want to have an acoustic piano, it is worth knowing a bit more about them.

And in some aspects, they can’t be really imitated.

The wood, the resonance of the whole instrument.

And the beauty of a nice piece of furniture.

The purity of the sound.

Digital piano can be close, very close.

But you won’t see a concert of a classical pianist with a digital piano.

And there are good reasons.

In an acoustic piano, the sound is produced by hammers hitting metallic strings attached to a frame.

These hammers are triggered when you press a key.

And the sound comes from the vibrations of the strings amplified by the frame and wooden closet resonance.

This delicate balance between size and tensions of the string, the frame, and the closet, together with interactions between vibrations make all the complex and rich sounds of a good concert piano.

2. Digital pianos

Digital pianos are, as the name says, digital version of acoustic piano.

The sound is not produced by the vibration of metal string but by a microprocessor and a sound card using an integrated software.

So they don’t produce the sound directly and the sound quality will depend on the process used to generate it. But it is usually quite convincing.

To give you an even better piano-like playing experience, there are actual hammers to give the keys an action close to a ‘real’ piano. But of course, their quality depends on the model.

3. Stage pianos

These are “light” versions of digital piano aimed to be used on stage for live performance.

They don’t have integrated speakers since they are made to be connected to a PA system.

4. Hybrid pianos

They are the combination of an acoustic and a digital piano.

They offer the same feel as an acoustic piano but with the advantage of a digital piano such as playing with headphones.

Quite expensive option, but the most realistic experience you can have from a digital piano. Even professionals tend to use them in place of an acoustic grand piano.

5. Synthesizers or synth keys

They have a wide range of sounds, including piano sounds.

Their main feature is that they offer sound generators that you can fine tune to create your own unique sounds.

They have usually a lot of functions and are more dedicated to certain styles of music (pop, EDM,…).

If you like playing with sounds, you will like them!

6. MIDI keyboards

They are not producing any sound by themselves and need to be connected to a computer or a synthesizer.

The sound relies then on the software you use.

That’s why they are also called sometimes MIDI controllers.

They are more dedicated to music producers and home studio owners wishing to make music themselves with different instruments and sounds.

The differences between acoustic and digital pianos

The main differences between an acoustic and a digital piano are in terms of:

1. Sound
2. Touch
3. Size
4. Weight
5. Volume
6. Features
7. Aspect and feel
8. Maintenance
9. Price

1. The sound.

As we saw earlier, acoustic piano produce their sound from hammers striking metal strings.

You will hear and feel the string vibrations, the wood reacting, the resonances and be immersed in the purity of the natural sound.

Digital piano produce sound using an electronic board or computer.

The piano sound you will hear from a digital piano is a simulation or sampling of actual pianos.

Which can be more or less realistic depending on the model.

And it will depends on the size and quality of the speakers, as any electronic sound producing system.

But nowadays, they are usually quite good and you won’t be really disappointed, especially if you are a beginner.

Even for a more advanced player, it can be a nice instrument to play if you choose a higher-end model.

In the end, digital pianos can lack the “defaults” of an acoustic piano.

The sound may be too perfect, without all the noises and imperfections which make it “natural”.

High-end digital piano thus incorporate these noises in their piano sound simulations for make them more realistic.

You can hear the difference (or not!) here:

2. Touch

This is the most crucial aspect you have to consider if you are serious about piano playing.

Especially if you want to play music with a lot of dynamics, such as classical music.

Digital pianos use hammers as on acoustic pianos to add weight to the keys and simulate their touch.

The realism of the touch is variable amongst the models, getting very close for high-end models. You can often modulate it from soft, medium and hard.

Some models offer also wooden keys to get even closer to a “real” piano.

Again, if you want to play piano, this is crucial that you learn on a piano with a realistic touch. Either an acoustic piano or a digital piano with a good keybed.

Since it is variable from one brand to the other and even between models of the same brand, I highly recommend that you try it before buying.

Ask someone used to play on acoustic pianos to help you if you have no experience.

3. Size

An acoustic piano is bigger than a digital piano.

This is obvious for grand piano, which can be 2 m long!

But an upright piano takes some space too.

However, a digital piano has a rather similar footprint compared to an acoustic piano, even if slimmer.

In the end, you will have to free some space for both.

4. Weight

This one is more important.

An acoustic piano has some weight.

Up to 400 kg for a grand piano, around 200 kg for an upright.

This means that you won’t want to move them. And you will need to hire specialized movers for this if you want to change floor or move home.

A digital piano weight is around 50-60 kg. With some around 40 and others more than 80 kg.

But on average, this is something you can move by yourself or with someone. Watch your back anyway, I don’t want you to hurt yourself!

5. Volume

Are you picturing yourself, at night, with candles, playing some beautiful soft music? maybe during a romantic night?

And you leave in a flat? for with neighbors close?

I guess they might not like so much that you play at midnight.

Because acoustic pianos are loud.

And except with the ones equipped with a silencing (and expensive!) mechanism, you can’t do much about it.

And I don’t recommend you use the practice pedal.

Because you will loose a lot of dynamics and I don’t recommend it, except for fingering exercises.

And even then, you won’t be able to learn how to press the keys correctly with a practice pedal.

I tried. No very good.

But now, imagine yourself playing on a digital piano. You can turn a knob and adjust the volume to something reasonable, even in the middle of the night.

Or play with headphones.

Quite a nice advantage here.

And if you are shy, nobody will hear your mistakes and you won’t be afraid of being judged. (even if you should not be and should not care. A different subject!)

Important note though: even with headphones, digital pianos make some noise due to the key mechanism. It can be loud enough to be annoying at times.

They are not totally silent.

6. Features

On an acoustic piano, you don’t have much features except the keys and 3 pedals.

You play and you get the sound.

Easy and simple. But limited.

On a digital piano, you open up a new world with a range of sounds, like organ, electric piano, or even strings.

You also have a metronome, a recorder and demo songs (to fake you play very well at your next party!).

And much more, because you have a MIDI connection.

Which means you can connect your digital piano to a computer or a MIDI box and use any sound you like.

Even drums or special effects.

You can also record what you play and start to create and record your songs.

Immense possibilities.

7. Aspect and feel.

It is a matter of taste.

But a nice wooden acoustic piano doesn’t bring the same wow effect than a plastic digital piano.

Even if a few models are most elegant, taking the shape (and bigger size) of a grand piano.

The feel is also not the same.

I like how convenient digital pianos are and all the features you get with them for a lower price.

But I dream of playing a beautiful acoustic piano.

8. Maintenance

Here there is a clear advantage of digital pianos: no maintenance.

I mean except removing the dust as any other furniture in your home.

Acoustic pianos need a bit more than that.

Because they have much more moving part, are sensitive to displacement and changes in temperature.

They thus will get out of tune after a certain time. It is recommended to re-tune them once a year (or more if you use it a lot).

9. Price

I mention the price last because it shouldn’t be the first criterion for choosing the right type of piano for you.

Wrong way to making a choice. For anything.

Don’t get me wrong again. Many of us (me included!) have limited or very limited resources.

But if thinking further, it makes more sense to put more money for a better piano which makes you happy.

Anyways.

The price can vary a lot.

But you can find opportunities, negotiate, buy second hand. And save more to buy what you need. Not just what you can afford right now.

The price range for a new acoustic piano is around $3,000 – $18,000 for an upright, $8,000-$50,000 for a grand piano.

For digital pianos, the range is around $300-400 up to $15,000. Much more variable depending on the quality and features you want.

The differences between digital pianos and musical keyboards

At first, you may think that digital pianos and electronic keyboards are the same thing.

And you are not wrong.

But you aren’t right neither.

Let me explain this.

Both produce sounds using electronic devices, internal or external.

But digital pianos are made to simulate an acoustic piano. Electronic keyboards, to make sounds and electronic music.

And since they are designed with different goals in mind, they have different characteristics and features.

1. The number of keys
2. The key action
3. The features
4. The sounds
5. The portability

1. The number of keys

One obvious difference is the number of keys.

Digital pianos have 88 keys like any piano.

Keyboards have a variable number of keys, from 25 to 88. But quite often less than 88.

2. The key action

The keys action is also a big difference.

Whereas digital pianos all have weighted keys with hammers, keyboards have often non-weighted keys. Sometimes semi-weighted key. And more rarely fully weighted keys.

Because it is not that useful to have weighted keys to produce other sounds than the piano.

3. The features

On a digital piano, you have usually a few sounds, a metronome, headphones output, MIDI connection.

And a few demo songs.

You can generally also change the key action.

On a keyboard, you can have much more than that, including a lot of sounds and controller to change their parameters or control your DAW (Digital Audio Workstation) software.

On workstations for example, you have all the tools to compose and record a full multi-instrument song.

Or play it live.

And even plug in other instruments or devices, such as a microphone or an electro-acoustic guitar.

4. The sounds

Digital pianos offer a few sounds.

But they are mainly build and programmed to reproduce a quite realistic acoustic piano sound.

Electronic keyboards offer lots of sounds.

And not only existing instrument simulations as on a digital piano, but synthetic sounds (that’s why some of them are called synthesizers).

Pianos sounds can be good if you use a specific software.

But if you don’t have weighted keys or good speakers, it will be much less convincing.

However, I am already quite amazed by the sound I get using my tiny MIDI keyboard.

An M-Audio Keystation mini 32 mk3, with soft “synth” key action. And simply using GarageBand on my iPhone.

5. Portability

Electronic keyboards are transportable and even more often portable.

You won’t be able to take your digital piano to your parents house or friends. Except for specific models.

But you can with all keyboards.

You can even go to the beach to make a private concert!

If you don’t care too much about it, because sand + water + salt… well not a great combination for electronic devices!

Conclusion

To keep it simple:

If you want to play the piano only, go for a digital piano.

If you want to produce different types of music and play some piano, an electronic keyboard would make more sense.

Think about your main musical goal.

Personally, I have a MIDI keyboard because I create music with different instruments and sounds and it is what I need for that.

And since I wanted to be able to make music anywhere, I choose a tiny one. It fits in a backpack and I can create music with my phone in any place I want.

[su_note note_color=”#e6e6e2″]IMPORTANT NOTE:

Digital pianos usually have the 3 pedals you have on an acoustic piano, which is not the case on keyboards.

You can add one on many models, but check this before buying it.[/su_note]

What are the different types of digital pianos?

Digital pianos come in various formats and features, from nearly identical to acoustic pianos to close to electronic keyboards.

Here are the main types of digital pianos on the market.

Hybrid Digital Pianos

These premium and rare digital pianos are the most advanced simulation of an acoustic piano.

These are exceptional digital instruments.

The principle is to have the same construction of an acoustic piano, with wood and all.

The keys are actual acoustic piano keys, with the exact same mechanism.

Except that the sound is purely digital. And they are slimmer.

You can’t get closer to an acoustic piano.

My selection of the best hybrid pianos

• Kawai Novus NV-5 (Learn more here): a beautiful upright hybrid piano with a near-acoustic experience. And quite slim. My favorite!

• Yamaha AvantGrand NU1X (Learn more here): a nice upright hybrid piano, with a simpler display.

• Casio GP-510 Grand Hybrid (Learn more here): another nice example of upright hybrid piano (the name is misleading, it is not a grand piano!).

Digital Grand Pianos

Not the most common type around also, they definitely bring a wow factor.

They are truly beautiful and luxury instruments, with a very realistic key action and very high quality sounds.

On the best models, there are several speakers placed in a way to reproduce the resonances you would have on an acoustic grand piano.

They will give you the deep experience of playing a grand piano (the dream of many pianist!), with the advantages of a digital piano.

My selection of the best digital grand pianos

• Yamaha CLP-665 GP (Learn more here): a premium grand piano, digital way. In black, or a classy white version.
  
• Yamaha Clavinova CVP-809 (Learn more here): a high tech full of features luxury digital grand piano. Very impressive.

Upright Digital Pianos (a.k.a console digital pianos)

Upright digital pianos, the most popular type, aim at reproduce the feeling of playing an acoustic piano at home, with a small footprint.

You are sitting on a piano bench, in front of your keyboard and you have 3 pedals as on a regular piano.

And you can play the piano straight away, at the volume you want, or with headphones.

You will have a playing experience close to an upright acoustic piano.

My selection of the best upright/console digital pianos

• Kawai CN-17 (Learn more here): a beautiful digital piano more geared towards beginners. With the quality of Kawai, a master in digital pianos.
  
• Yamaha YDP-S54 (Learn more here): also a good option for beginners. I like its elegant simplicity. And it is quite slim.
  
• Casio PX-870 (Learn more here): in the same range of the models above, with more features on the electronic side.

The best entry-level option (good for your fingers and your wallet!):

• Thomann DP-26 (learn more here): very affordable, but still good quality.

Stage Digital Pianos

These digital pianos allow you to keep the sound and touch of a piano while being portable.

As the name suggest, they target players wishing to play outside, at a concert, a church or any event.

Of course, you won’t have the same feeling as playing on an actual piano since you have only the keyboard part.

But the action can be very good on high-end models.

My selection of the best stage digital pianos

• Nord stage 3 88 (Learn more here): a professional stage piano from a great brand. Can’t go wrong with that one.
  
  If you want something lighter but with the same professional quality, you may be interested in the 76-key model: Nord Stage 3 HP76.

• Korg D1 (Learn more here): a simpler but solid option more for beginners from another leader of this market.
  

• Roland FP-30 (Learn more here): a simple but good model, with a nice touch.

What are the different types of keyboards

Electronic keyboards also come in a variety of formats depending on their purpose.

And with a wide range of features, from very basic MIDI keyboards to full portable music studios offered in workstation keyboards.

It is a bit arbitrary sometimes to choose a category for each keyboard, because there is quite some overlap between them.

But I did my best to separate them into categories thus here are the main types of keyboards.

Portable Keyboards

They are popular amongst beginners because of their affordability and the fun to play on them.

Indeed, they are light and full of different (low- medium quality) sounds which are good to get a first experience of playing music.

That’s why you will even find “toy” versions for children.

There are also more serious models, real instruments with lots of features that you can bring easily with you.

The main advantage is here: being able to carry a very versatile instrument.

Which you can use for your own entertainment or your next private concert.

My selection of the best portable keyboards

• Casio CTK-3500 (Learn more here): a nice start into the world of keyboards, with 61 keys, lots of sounds and rhythms to play with.
  
• Yamaha PSR-F51 (Learn more here): another entry model to start playing and having fun on a keyboard.
  
• Korg EK-50 (Learn more here): a slightly more advanced option from one of the best brands on the keyboards’ market.

Arranger Keyboards

If you wish the same versatility at a professional level, the arranger keyboards are the way to go.

They also allow to play backing accompaniments to allow you building a whole performance alone.

You certainly already saw someone using these instruments in a cafe or a restaurant. Often along with a microphone that you can directly plug into the arranger to benefit from integrated effects such as echo.

They can also be used to compose complete songs without needing any other instruments.

The main target is thus performing musicians and composers.

My selection of the best arranger keyboards

• Yamaha DGX-660 (Learn more here): an 88-keys keyboard of good quality, enough to play the piano with pleasure. Lots of features for composers as well.
  
• Yamaha PSR-EW410 (Learn more here): an affordable but full-featured 76-keys arranger.
  
• Casio CTX-800 (Learn more here): a simpler arranger keyboard with 61 keys, for beginners.

Synthesizer Keyboards

Synthesizers are a specific type of electronic keyboard (often confused with arrangers), which produce synthetic sounds.

They are not using actual instrument samples as in other keyboards, but a digital sound processor.

Less common amongst beginners, they are targeted to electronic music producers or other musicians wishing to create their own sounds.

If you are into electronic music, for instance, a synthesizer will be a must-have to create this new sound everybody will speak about!

My selection of the best synthesizers

• Roland JUNO-DS88 (Learn more here): an 88 weighted-keys synthesizer with loads of potential, including microphone input and nice effects.
  
• Nord Wave 2 (Learn more here): a high-end professional synthesizer combining 4 synthesis methods: analog, FM, sampling, and wavetable.
  
• Moog Matriarch (Learn more here): an analog synthesizer from a legendary brand. I mean, a Moog. What else?

Workstation Keyboards

These are the advanced version of arranger keyboards, focused on music creation.

The idea behind this is to have a fully integrated music studio around a keyboard.

If you want to create music using a single instrument, this is for you.

My selection of the best workstations

• Korg Kronos (Learn more here): an excellent professional 88-key workstation. Can’t go wrong with that model. Exists also with 61 keys.
  
• Yamaha MOXF8 (Learn more here): another high-end 88-keys workstation, with a nice weighted action.
  
• Yamaha Genos (Learn more here): a smaller but very high-quality 76-keys workstation, but with a massive list of features. A one-man band in itself.

MIDI Keyboards

MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface) is a digital communication system to allow a controller to send orders to a computer. Or any compatible sound generation system.

You can find a range of MIDI controllers, but here we will only talk about MIDI keyboard controllers.

They are very lightweight keyboards that cannot produce sounds by themselves.

You have to connect them to a computer, a tablet, or phone using USB. And launch software that can recognize your keyboard and generate the sound you want.

OK, it may sound a bit technical but in practice it is very easy to use.

Most are totally plug and play.

And very light which make them very portable.

I have a small MIDI keyboard. I just have to plug it into my iPhone and launch Garageband to be able to play the instruments I want and record myself.

Of course, you can do this with others type of computer/device and musical software.

They can be very simple, with almost no buttons or knobs. Or more complex and offer you full control of your Digital Audio Workstation with plenty of knobs, sliders and buttons.

They are mostly used in a home studio by musicians wanting to create their own music.

[su_note note_color=”#e6e6e2″]Important note:

If you want to take all the benefits of online piano lessons, a MIDI-capable keyboard will be a must.

Because some of them can detect the note you play and correct you while you learn a song or practice an exercise.

Digital pianos have a MIDI connection also.[/su_note]

My selection of the best MIDI keyboards

• M-Audio Oxygen 61 Mk4 (Learn more here): a good 61-keys MIDI controller, with sliders and pads for controlling your DAW from a leading brand.
  
• Native Instruments Komplete Kontrol S61 MK2 (Learn more here): a high-end MIDI keyboard with all the controls you will need to make your music. And better keys.
  
• Roland A-88 MKII (Learn more here) a professional 88 weighted keys MIDI keyboard. It can bring into the studio (almost) the feel of a piano keyboard.

The accessories

OK, you may have chosen your piano or keyboard now, but you will need a few accessories probably.

Piano bench/stool

You can play the piano standing up, but it is not really something I would recommend!

Thus you need (unless it was offered with your piano) to buy a bench to sit in the right position.

I recommend that you choose a model that is adjustable in height to ensure a proper position of your hands and forearms.

Here is an adjustable model that should bring you comfort and robustness: Thomann KB-15BM.

Metronome

Music is rhythm.

And mastering the rhythm is once of the biggest challenge of any musician.

Fortunately, someone (maybe the great inventor Abbas Ibn Firnas) invented a very helpful instrument: the metronome.

Also probably the most hated accessory of lots of piano players.

But you have (and so do I!) practice with a metronome. Not everytime, but at least a part of your practice session.

You can use any metronome because nowadays there are all precise enough.

You can also use a phone app for this.

But if you like the traditional metronome, so classy, here is a nice model you should check: the Wittner Metronome 811M.

For a cheap digital option, the Korg KDM-3 has a nice traditional shape with good features such as an adjustable volume, a tap tempo (I like that a lot!), and light option (silent mode).

Keyboard stand

If you buy a keyboard, it won’t float in the air.

You have to consider a proper stand.

Beware of the stability and fiability of the stand. You don’t want your precious new keyboard to fall.

Or having to tighten the screws every single day.

Save some money to buy a good quality stand, because it will directly affect your playing and the pleasure to use your keyboard.

Be aware that there are stands made specifically for a particular keyboard model.

Here is a sturdy keyboard stand which should give you satisfaction: Gravity KSX 2.

Keyboard bags

Since keyboards are made to be portable, you will probably move yours from time to time.

To protect your keyboard, I recommend you to buy a bag.

There are various models on the market, but at least a very basic one will give some protection.

Here an interesting universal bag: Thomann Keyboard Bag 1.

Sustain pedals

If you buy a portable digital piano or any compatible keyboard, you will certainly need a sustain pedal to play certain songs, in particular classical pieces, but not only.

You will find a few models, from very basic to more durable and elegant options.

Depending on the model of piano or keyboard you will buy, you will need to use a specific model of sustain pedal.

Otherwise, you can find here a versatile model of good quality: Roland DP-10.

Piano music sheet

Usually, once you have a piano, you need some music sheet to start learning songs.

There are lots, but really a lot of piano music sheets on the market!

And if you don’t already have an idea, you may struggle to know where to start and feel quite overwhelmed.

Thus, I digged for you a few books proposing piano songs for beginners.

• To start playing smoothly, here are 50 very easy piano songs:

• If you prefer pop music, you will find very first easy pop songs:

• Or here a longer list of 50 famous pop songs you will love playing:

• More into classical music, here is a selection of 50 classical pieces accessible for beginners:

And if you wish to learn songs from videos, I have written a post with beautiful songs for beginners.

CONCLUSION

We have seen the different types of pianos and keyboards, what distinguish them and their advantages or drawback.

I have also made a short selection of the best models in each category of pianos and keyboards to help you choose.

By now you should have all the information you need to chase the right piano or keyboard for you!

If you can, try a few ones.

If not, don’t worry, in the worst case scenario, online shops have a good policy for returns and refunds.

Now go and buy your new instrument. And play!

[su_highlight background=”#f8ff01″]If you are looking for the best online piano lessons, read our review here.[/su_highlight]

But before going away, let me know in the comments below which type of piano or keyboard is for you!

Or if you have any question or suggestion, please feel free to write them down here!

[su_note note_color=”#e6e6e2″]Please leave a comment below and tell me what is your favorite instrument![/su_note]