Best Piano For Beginners – Top 5 Beginner Keyboards & Pianos

Trying to find the best piano for beginners doesn't have to be difficult with our handy guide.

When you decide it’s time to finally learn the piano or take up the keyboard, you need to pick something that’s going to be able to provide you with an enjoyable experience, sound great and not break the bank!

But where should you start and which beginner piano is right for you? To make it a little bit easier when it comes to choosing the best keyboard for beginners, or best pianos for beginners (whichever you prefer) we’ve rounded up our top 5 beginner keyboards that will not only help you learn to play piano but make the learning process so much more enjoyable.

Just so you’re clear, we’re going to be talking about both pianos and keyboards in this blog, just to give you a few more options, as keyboards and pianos tend to have different features and sounds.

The Yamaha P45 Digital Piano Keyboard, Black is one of the best beginner keyboards on the scene today thanks to the fact it features an 88 key Graded Hammer Standard Keybed (GHS) that gradually get heavier as you play the lower notes - this accurately reproduces the feel of a real acoustic piano.

You can also set the touch sensitivity to Hard/Medium/Soft/Fixed so you get a better understanding of playing dynamics and get more of a “feel” of how a piano should be played.

The keys on the Yamaha P45 provide a smooth gradient of touch – just like a real acoustic piano. In addition, Yamaha has loaded the P-45 with 10 authentic sounds including Grand Piano, Electric Piano, Harpsichord, Vibraphone, and String sounds.

All sounds are sampled utilizing the Advanced Wave Memory (AWM) technology which digitally samples sounds from stereo recordings of real acoustic instruments - it's like playing real acoustic instruments.

The Yamaha P45 Digital Piano Keyboard is one of our best beginner keyboards thanks to the fact you also have access to a 'Split' mode which splits the keyboard into two identical zones - ideal for students and teachers to play along together.

• 88 weighted keys for realistic feel
• 10 different tones
• Lightweight
• Built-in speakers

The Roland GO:Keys GO-61K Digital Keyboard is another one of our favorite beginner keyboards, that’s also ideal for the likes of touring professionals.

Thanks to the unique Loop Mix function within the Roland GO:Keys, anyone, whether they have experience in playing the piano or not, can just get started playing piano and create music on the fly.

The Roland GO:Keys digital keyboard is also one of the best beginner pianos for beginners as it features over 500 ready-to-play sounds built-in, including an array of different sounds from Roland’s impressive back catalog of synthesizer and piano sounds.

Bluetooth connectivity is a great feature, letting you hook up your Bluetooth enabled device and stream your music through it so you can play along.

The GO:Keys is also extremely portable, making it a great choice for beginners who need to transport their keyboard to and from practice sessions. You can even power it via the included AC adaptor or via 6 x AA batteries.

In addition, the headphones line-in will allow you to practice in silence, thus providing you with a great way to enjoy your music on your terms and in your own time.

• 500 sounds built-in
• Bluetooth connectivity
• Can be powered via battery
• Headphones in for silent practice
• Built-in speakers

The Yamaha Piaggero NP12 Portable Digital Piano in Black is an industry-standard beginner keyboard and makes our best piano for beginners blog thanks to its wide range of sounds, user-friendly interface and portability.

The Yamaha Piaggero NP12 Portable Digital Piano features a graded soft-touch keyboard which offers a far more realistic and comfortable touch to encourage a positive learning experience.

The full size 61 key keyboard really comes in handy when you want to take full advantage of the 10 high-quality voices which also includes a beautifully sampled Stereo Grand Piano.

This also makes our best piano for beginners list as it allows you to go beyond the simple learning techniques and start mixing in a variety of different sounds thanks to the dual/layer function, which means you can enjoy lush piano sounds and string sounds at the same time.

This is also a great piano for beginners as you can record your performance directly to your DAW via the USB connectivity and even control external MIDI gear! At just over £160 it’s a perfect accompaniment and learning partner for beginner pianists that won’t break the bank!

At just over 4kg, the Yamaha Piaggero NP12 Portable Digital Piano is probably the best keyboard for beginners as it’s easy to carry to practice or take to rehearsal when the time comes.

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• Lightweight at just over 4kg
• Built in speakers
• 10 voices
• 10 piano sounds

We can’t talk about the best piano for beginners without including the Roland FP-30 Digital Piano! Although it's slightly more expensive than some of our other beginner pianos in this list, it’s worth the extra investment as it’s an extremely high-quality digital piano capable of high-end performance.

It might be beginner-friendly but is still used by professionals worldwide.

The 88 notes give you the full spectrum to learn to play piano and the SuperNATURAL Piano engine provides lush, realistic sounds whilst the newly developed keys feature an ivory feel that is a joy to play.

When you want the sound and feel of an acoustic piano, but need a world of sounds and connectivity options, the Roland FP-30 is the ideal option providing you with an array of beautifully sampled piano sounds including grand pianos, keys, strings, organs and more.

In addition, you have the benefit of Bluetooth connectivity that allows your FP-30 to work with MIDI music apps on your smartphone or tablet such as GarageBand, Piano Partner 2, Sheet Music Direct, and many more. In addition, you can play along to your favorite songs and learn as you go and even save songs made with the built-in recorder.

The Twin Piano mode also allows you to play along with your teacher or student in the same octave ranges, effectively splitting the piano in two.

A fantastic piano for beginners that will last a lifetime and provide you with the means to learn yet become a mainstay in the family home, on stage, or in your school – when you become a seasoned player, you’ll still want to come back to this great digital piano.

Available on its own or with a stand so you can place it anywhere in the home and leave it hooked up ready to go.

• Twin piano mode for dual play
• Features Roland’s SuperNATURAL Piano engine
• Perfect for following you along your musical journey, from beginner to professional
• Detailed articulation and ivory feel keys – like playing a grand piano
• Stereo speakers

Next up we have the Korg B2 Digital Piano Black, which makes our best piano for beginners blog due to the fact it’s geared up to help the learners out there continue their journey on to the stage and studio.

The Korg B2 Digital Piano is a little more expensive at around £360 but it’s an exceptional learning partner that will still be relevant 10 years into your playing journey.

We think it’s one of the best beginner pianos as it features an NH (Natural Weighted Hammer) keyboard action that encourages a positive playing experience by mimicking the feel of an acoustic piano.

The keys offer a lighter touch in the upper regions and a heavier touch towards the lower registers and can even be set to your personal preference. Each of the sounds within the Korg B2 has been meticulously sampled to the point where even the sympathetic string vibrations and damper resonances are present in your sound – it’s just like playing an acoustic piano! Speaking of sounds, you have 12 different sounds to play with – more than enough to learn your craft.

You can enjoy 5 beautifully sampled piano sounds from its new piano engine including a German Concert Piano, Italian Concert Piano, Jazz Piano, Ballad Piano, and Classic Piano. You also have an Electric Piano, as well as Organ harpsichord, and strings.

If you’re serious about learning to play the piano and you can stretch your budget, this is a great option.

• A professional-level digital piano that has been designed for beginners and pro musicians alike
• Wide range of sounds
• Expert, realistic response
• 88 note Natural Weighted Hammer keyboard
• Highly portable
• Fun to play

Check out a complete selection of Pianos and Keyboards over at PMT Online today or call into your local PMT store to speak to one of our experts - we'll help you get the best beginner keyboard or piano so you can start your musical journey in style.

Updated 2020-06-15