How To Choose The Best Keyboard For Beginners

 

If you have a beginning piano student at home, then you know the importance of having a quality instrument. It’s crucial to make sure that your piano student has all that he or she needs as he or she learns to play, whether with a teacher or with a set of books. However, as a parent, you may not want to spend too much money on a piano or keyboard, so maybe a baby grand is out of the question. But there are other options, and even with a smaller budget, you can still afford to buy a quality instrument for your beginning piano student.

 

The best and most expensive option is a traditional acoustic piano. And of course, if you’re not wanting to go this route, because you don’t have the space or funds, you can go with a digital piano. Another option, of course, is the electronic keyboard, which is much smaller, and can be transported to lessons or even on vacations with your student.

 

If you buy an acoustic piano, you’ll probably spend between $4,000 and $8,000. Acoustic pianos are high quality, and they offer the student an experience that nothing else can match. If you want this type of nuanced experience for your student, you can have it, but of course, as you see, it costs more than the other options. And if you want to go even further and consider a baby grand piano, you’re going to pay about $6,000 to $10,000, or even more.

 

This option requires considering whether or not you want to buy a piano because of the money involved. If you are not sure about the money, but you want the experience for your student, you can arrange to rent an acoustic piano. If you are looking to buy one for sure, but you have less to spend than is required for a new one, consider buying a used one. Many piano stores offer help with these matters, and you should be able to find a good deal on a quality piano whether you rent or purchase.

 

Another option to consider is the digital piano. If you are in the market for one, they only cost about $1,000-$2,000. These pianos are much like acoustic pianos, and while the quality isn’t quite the same as with your traditional piano, it is definitely a good option if you want the experience of playing a “real” piano for your child or beginning student. It’s not quite the same, of course, as having a real piano at your bidding, but it’s less expensive, and this provides a mid-range option that many may be happy with.

 

If you are not able to afford either the acoustic piano or the digital piano, consider an electronic keyboard. I do recommend that you plan to upgrade, but if you have to get started with a keyboard, it is more cost-effective. However, it can be very discouraging. You can find a keyboard in many sizes, and they are often very inexpensive. Electronic keyboards do not try to mimic the sound of a real piano, but they have a sound that is all their own.

 

One of the main advantages to having students learn on a keyboard with weighted keys (which the electronic keyboard does not have) is that they build your student’s hand strength, and the weighted responses are more “original.” If you’re not sure about this yet, then try an electronic keyboard for a while, but be sure that you plan to upgrade to a digital or acoustic piano as soon as you can. If you’re going to buy a keyboard, you may want to make sure you have a bench to go with it, and also a keyboard stand. Try to make your student’s experience of learning this way as valuable as possible.

 

If you’re looking for an easy answer to how to choose the best keyboard for beginners, there may not be one. One reason to choose an electronic keyboard is that it can be used with headphones, so your student will not bother anyone. You can, of course, connect a digital or electronic piano or keyboard to a computer, which makes for a world of possibility. And of course, keyboards and digital pianos can be moved more easily than acoustic pianos. So, if you want to give a beginning student a good start, these can definitely be considered, at least at first.

 

However, there is nothing like an acoustic piano. If you and your family can plan to get one of these at some point, your experience with playing the piano will be so much more authentic. So, try to make some space in your budget for an acoustic piano, and if you can carve out a niche for it, that’s the perfect answer. From the very beginning with an acoustic piano, your student will become a better musician, so measure out your spacing and budget requirements with this in mind.