James NugentChoosing your very first instrument is crucial, and in many cases, it can make the difference between sticking with it or giving up. I have tested a wide range of pianos of all levels, and in this article, you will find my recommendations for the best beginner keyboards and digital pianos to buy in 2023, suitable for all ages, budgets, and expectations.
About the author
How I chose the pianos for this list?
Choosing the best beginner digital piano or keyboard often takes a little more thought and attention than choosing the best overall. When I made this list, I considered not only the instruments but also the people who might use them.
Beginner is a broad term covering all types of students, from first-timers to those having a second shot at it, and all age ranges from young to adults. I reviewed a versatile selection of keyboards and pianos that I believe have what it takes to inspire and motivate every kind of beginner.
To find out more about how we test and rate digital pianos and keyboards here at Higher Hz, check out this page.
These are the best keyboards and digital pianos for beginners:
- Yamaha Piaggero NP-12
- Alesis Prestige
- Casio Casiotone CT-S1
- Casio Privia PX-770
- Korg B2SP
- Roland Go:Keys
- Yamaha PSR-E373
- Casio Privia PX-S1100
Yamaha Piaggero NP-12
The best beginner keyboard
- Number of keys: 61
- Type of keys: Piano-style
- Presets: 10 voices
- Polyphony: 64 notes
- Built-in speakers: Yes
I love the Yamaha NP-12 for its simplicity. It’s one of the best first keyboards for starters on the market. Despite its low price and basic feature set, it is a surprisingly professional instrument.
The Piaggero NP-12 is a lightweight, portable keyboard with 61 velocity-sensitive keys. It doesn’t come with an extensive list of features like many beginner keyboards do. Instead, it offers a fantastic sound and simple approach to help students stay focused.
It comes with 10 preset sounds, and I have to say, the grand piano tone is amongst the best I’ve ever heard from a beginner keyboard. It’s not just about the grand piano, it has high-quality electric pianos, organs, and strings.
Read the full Yamaha Piaggero NP-12 review to find out more.
What I like
- Outstanding sound quality.
- Lightweight/portable.
What I don’t like
- The power adapter is often sold separately.
Alesis Prestige
The best beginner keyboard piano
- Number of keys: 88
- Type of keys: Weighted
- Presets: 16 voices
- Polyphony: 128 notes
- Built-in speakers: Yes
The Alesis Prestige is possibly the best value for money on this list. It delivers everything a student needs (quality sound and feel) at a great price. It’s also good enough to stay with you as you improve and start to perform publicly.
The Alesis Prestige is a beginner keyboard piano on a budget. It offers a cheaper alternative to instruments like the Yamaha P-45. It has graded hammer-action keys and a selection of 16 high-quality voices. The best of the voices are the grand pianos, which are surprisingly good.
The Prestige has an impressive built-in speaker system, so you are ready to play anywhere. Along with surprising realism for the price, the Alesis Prestige has some excellent features for learners, like Record mode.
Read the full Alesis Prestige review to find out more.
What I like
- Surprisingly good sound quality.
- Powerful built-in speakers.
What I don’t like
- It’s well built (strong), but feels a bit cheap.
Casio Casiotone CT-S1
A fantastic first keyboard for learners
- Number of keys: 61
- Type of keys: Velocity-sensitive
- Presets: 61 voices
- Polyphony: 64 notes
- Built-in speakers: Yes
The CT-S1 is a throwback to the original Casiotone beginner keyboards. It’s simple, fun, and feels great to play, although not so much for adults. Not quite the sound quality of something like the Roland Go:Keys, but it’s cheaper.
The Casio CT-S1 is a 61-key keyboard that comes in a range of fun colors (red, white, black). It has very responsive velocity-sensitive keys, 61 voices, and 37 built-in effects. Despite the range of voices/effects, the CT-S1 has a very minimalist layout.
You can use the surprisingly good built-in speaker system to playback your favorite songs, thanks to the CT-S1 Bluetooth connectivity. That means you can also jam along with them or any other material from Casio’s Chordana Play app.
Read the full Casio Casiotone CT-S1 review to find out more.
What I like
- Easy-to-use.
- Cool features.
What I don’t like
- Keyboard action might be too light for some.
Casio Privia PX-770
The best budget piano for the home
- Number of keys: 88
- Type of keys: Weighted
- Presets: 19 voices
- Polyphony: 128 notes
- Built-in speakers: Yes
The Casio PX-770 is still one of the best beginner digital pianos you can buy for your home. It doesn’t compete with the high-end choices in some of our other top lists, but it doesn’t need to. For the money, it’s hard to fault the Privia PX-770 much.
The PX-770 comes with realistic scaled hammer-action keys and 128-note max polyphony. The grand piano sound (19 voices total) comes from Casio’s Air Sound Source, and it’s lovely. While it lacks the richness of a high-end digital piano, built-in chorus and reverb effects enhance the tone.
Casio included plenty of educational features, including Duet mode, 60 play-along songs, and a 2-track recorder to capture and evaluate your progress. It comes in a traditional upright piano design that looks good anywhere in the house.
Read the full Casio Privia PX-770 review to find out more.
What I like
- Good piano sounds.
- Nice cabinet.
What I don’t like
- Controls could be better.
Korg B2SP
A great beginner-friendly piano
- Number of keys: 88
- Type of keys: Weighted
- Presets: 12 voices
- Polyphony: 120 notes
- Built-in speakers: Yes
If you feel you need more than a portable keyboard, the B2SP is one of the best digital pianos for beginners. The playing experience with realistic weighted keys and three pedals will prepare any learner for the real thing. The quality of the non-piano sounds encourages experimentation, too.
The B2SP is a beginner digital piano that is perfect for anyone serious about learning piano. It has Korg’s Natural Weighted Hammer Action (NH) keyboard. What that tells you is that you’ll get one of the best-feeling keyboards in the price range.
The B2SP has 12 voices with gorgeous acoustic pianos and electric pianos. Unlike most similar pianos, the B2SP comes with a fantastic software bundle covering tutorials, sounds, and music production.
Read the full Korg B2 review to find out more.
What I like
- World-class sounds.
- Realistic feel.
What I don’t like
- The pedal jack is only great for the included pedal.
Roland Go:Keys
The most fun beginner keyboard
- Number of keys: 61
- Type of keys: Velocity-sensitive
- Presets: over 500 sounds
- Polyphony: 128 notes
- Built-in speakers: Yes
The Roland Go:Keys might be the most fun electronic keyboard around, right down to its appearance. It has a bit of everything, which is excellent for budding songwriters/producers, as long as it doesn’t distract from a practice routine.
The Roland Go:Keys is a 61-key portable keyboard, packed with awesome features. It has velocity-sensitive keys and 10 performance pads. You can use the pads to trigger sounds or effects like pitch bend. There are well over 500 sounds, and the quality of some organ/synth sounds is incredible for a budget keyboard.
What I like best about this starter keyboard is that it encourages songwriting and production with features like Loop Mix and an extensive built-in recorder. It might be fun, but it can seriously help you develop your skills.
Read the full Roland Go:Keys review to find out more.
What I like
- Loop Mix feature.
- Performance pads.
What I don’t like
- Build quality could be better.
Yamaha PSR-E373
The best arranger keyboard for beginners
- Number of keys: 61
- Type of keys: Organ-style
- Presets: 622 voices
- Polyphony: 48 notes
- Built-in speakers: Yes
The PSR-E373 is one of the best electronic keyboards for beginners right now. It’s no surprise, as the PSR series has been helping beginners learn piano for decades. It’s primarily for children and has enough sounds and features to keep them entertained.
The Yamaha PSR-E373 is a 61-key portable arranger keyboard with over 600 voices. It’s packed with features that will help any learner improve their technique. Features include a two-track, five song recorder, and 154 preset songs. You’ll never be short of play-along songs.
The synth-action keys are light, but there’s still some room for dynamic playing. Being an arranger keyboard, it will encourage creative kids to explore new sounds and styles. It also has some great practice features like Duo mode, Touch Tutor, and the Yamaha Education Suite.
Read the full Yamaha PSR-E373 review to find out more.
What I like
- Lot of sounds and presets.
- Great practice features.
What I don’t like
- Built-in speakers could be a little better.
Casio Privia PX-S1100
A fantastic beginner to intermediate keyboard piano
- Number of keys: 88
- Type of keys: Weighted
- Presets: 18 voices
- Polyphony: 192 notes
- Built-in speakers: Yes
Casio’s Privia PX-1100 isn’t the cheapest option for a complete beginner, but I like it because it offers longevity. It provides an excellent weighted keyboard to learn on, and you won’t have to buy another keyboard for many years (unless you just really want to). It’s also super light and portable, making it easy for beginners to carry from one room to another.
The Privia PX-S1100 is a keyboard that I highly recommend to beginners who already know they are serious about learning. It’s not overly expensive; in fact, it’s outstanding value for money, but there are cheaper options. If you are sure you can commit to learning to play piano, the PX-S1100 will serve you well for many years.
I like it for beginners because it has a graded hammer-action keyboard, which helps students prepare for the weight of a real piano. It also has one of the best acoustic piano tones in its class, Casio’s flagship German concert grand tone.
It features powerful built-in speakers that are perfect for showing off what you’ve learned to friends and family. When friends and family have heard enough, you can always use headphones.
It’s the slimmest stage piano in the world, which makes the weighted keyboard even more impressive. It’s also one of the lightest, so practicing anywhere you like won’t be a struggle.
Read the full Casio Privia PX-S1100 review to find out more.
What I like
- Slim lightweight design.
- Quality sound and feel.
What I don’t like
- Built-in speakers could be a little better.
Conclusion
People learn in different ways and at different rates, especially kids. Some will thrive with lots of fun features, but too many features will be a distraction for others.
The most important thing about choosing a beginner keyboard/digital piano is that it fits the student’s personality. The list above features some amazing instruments that should match a wide range of personalities as well as budgets.