Electronic music instruments have come a long way in the last 20 years and nowhere is this change more apparent than digital pianos. Options for digital pianos are varied and the sound from each has a unique tone. The following are a few of the better options for a digital piano.
Full Size
While many modern digital pianos and keyboards have become truncated, many musicians want the full 88 keys. The apex of pianos has always been the grand piano (and baby grand) and the digital piano world has options for these sizes. Of note, I have found the Suzuki MDG-300 Baby Grand Piano to be a very reliable digital piano that gives a full and deep sound. Yamaha brings its DGX-650 Baby Grand to the musical realm along with the Airius YDP-142. Both offerings from Yamaha give a grand sound with a feel that is spot-on. The feel of all of the full sized, 88 ket pianos is magnificent and gives the musician a full sound in a slightly smaller package than a traditional grand piano.
Table Top/Small Keyboard Style
With the inevitability of electronics getting smaller and smaller, it should come as no surprise that digital pianos/keyboards are also getting more streamlined and smaller. This gives the traveling musician a wide range of solid piano options. These tabletop version often have the full range of 88 keys, but house the offerings in a small, almost flat package. Of note, I have found the offerings from Suzuki, Yamaha and Casio to be the standouts in this range of digital pianos. My experience has been that to get the rich sounds you desire, it is best to shy away from keyboards found in bulk shopping stores and other non-music specific retail outlets. This is an area where it pays to seek out the esoteric and upper end offerings as “you get what you pay for” is a very real adage and truism in musical instruments.
No matter your reason, buying and working with a digital piano requires solid knowledge, education and testing. It is always a smart idea to give any potential new digital piano a solid test by having a jam session, be it in a store or in a studio. One thing I learned early on when beginning my journey to mastering the piano was that lessons and one-on-one sessions with top professionals truly helped my musical prowess and skill with the keyboard. Everyone should consider not just the piano, but lessons to help with the mastering of the art.