The Best Digital Piano for Learning How to Play 2023

If you want to learn how to play the piano, not just any keyboard will do. You want something that finds a balance between ease of use and authenticity. Which is why we put together this guide to the best digital piano for learning.

Learning to play the piano is one of the hardest and one of the most rewarding things you can do.

But to learn the piano, you also need, well, a piano. And not just any piano – you need something that offers a mix of affordability and authenticity.

Most digital pianos for experienced players tend to be too expensive for new learners. While a $1,000+ Yamaha YDP will sound fantastic, it makes little sense to spend that much money on something you aren't even sure of pursuing.

Which is why we put together this list of the best digital pianos for learning. Unlike our other roundups of digital pianos, we focused entirely on learning features and playability in this guide. Authentic key action, learning modes, and a natural sound were our top priorities, as was ease of use and affordable pricing.

Based on this criteria, here's our pick of the best digital piano for learning:

Best Digital Piano for Learning: Overall

When learning to play the piano, you just want to feel the weight and the tone of an acoustic grand piano, but since you do not have one, you can take the next thing closest to it. They do not come any better than the Yamaha P71. You need the best digital piano for learning.

Built with a Yamaha sound engine, this is a perfect option for people that love good sound. It will help with your rehearsing skills at home, thanks to the full piano size as well as the 88 fully weighted keys.

Performance

This digital piano is very good for beginners as well as advanced users, thanks to its simplistic and advanced sound features. First, almost every tenet of its operation can be changed with just one press of a button.

The sound is deep and rich, thanks to the Advanced Wave Memory, an advanced digital sound technology that captures the tones of an acoustic piano. It uses a pair of waveforms, which are captured by the two microphones integrated into the piano. The result is that the AWM technology can play one key at a time. This gives different timbre and volume.

What I like:

• You can use dual mode to combine voices such as strings and piano to enrich your sound experience when playing
• It is easy to move around since it only weighs 25 lbs
• Slim design makes it a space saver when pushed against the wall
• Comes with 10 unique voices and some of them are tones from the acoustic grand pianos made by Yamaha
• The weighted keys – 88 of them give you the feeling of playing an acoustic piano
• Sold with a sustain pedal and a power adapter

What I don't:

If you plug in the sustain pedal before tuning the piano, it is going to do the opposite of what it is supposed to do. It cuts off the sound when you press it rather than sustain it.

Best Budget Pick: Alesis Recital

The Alesis Recital is a great beginner keyboard that has been manufactured with the needs of a student at heart. This is why it makes learning such fun and it is easy to see why it attracts rave reviews online. The split and layer functions enable you to customize the five inbuilt voices to suit your needs. You cannot exhaust the fun that the features of this keyboard bring.

Performance

The performance is incredible. First, start by using the split feature that allows you to play one voice on one half of the keyboard while you get another voice on the other side. This allows you to increase the number of sounds that you can get from this piano. There is a stereo RCA feature behind the keyboard so that you can plug-in a good speaker to enjoy higher quality sound. It also has a headphone jack if you prefer such.

What I like:

• 88 half-weighted keys and touch response that can be adjusted
• Has 5 voices – Synth, Electric Piano, Bass, Organ and Acoustic Piano
• Good learning features like split, layer, lesson and standard modes
• Powerful integrated speakers for good sound quality
• The USB to MIDI connectivity allows you to expand your playing world
• Use dry cells to power the keyboard when you do not have grid power connectivity, or when camping

What I don't:

We do not like that the Alesis Recital comes with semi-weighted keys. Everyone knows that fully weighted keys are best for beginners, children and students. However, even at semi-weight, this keyboard is still a good performer.

Best Performance: Yamaha DGX660

As an improvement of the preceding Yamaha DGX650, this is the best digital piano for learning. It has many special effects such as 44 chorus types, 237 DSP types, 5 Master EQ types and 41 Reverb Types. At 46 pounds of weight minus the stand, it weighs more than most beginner piano models. The features compensate for this weight. With sounds such as 15 drum kits, 100 songs, 151 Panel and others, your piano lessons should be as exhilarating as the real thing.

Performance

Instead of the AWM sound engine that the P45 and P71 digital pianos from Yamaha come with, the Yamaha DGX660 comes with the Pure CF sound engine which produces awesome sound. The sound samples that it comes with have been captured from the CFIII Concert – a grand piano made by Yamaha.

Every aspect of this piano is performance-oriented. Take for example, the keys. They are touch sensitive and so as you bend a note every now and then, you will achieve fantastic sound effects. You also get a whole range of sounds such as 12 electric pianos, 10 pianos, 14 organs, 5 accordions, 14 guitars, 9 bass guitars and so many more. This digital piano is the real deal if you love some excitement.

What I like: 

• 88 fully weighted keys
• It displays the lyrics and score on the on-built LCD display screen
• Comes with Yamaha Education Suite for lessons
• Has all of 554 different sounds
• Lots of connectivity options such as auxiliary jack in, headphone, sustain jack and microphone in
• The keys are touch sensitive with some being hard, soft, fixed or medium
• Record up to 5 songs with the MIDI recorder
• Has quite a lot to offer in the effects department

What we don’t like

The user interface can be quite something to figure out, as you would expect from the flurry of features and sound effects that this digital piano comes with. It has quite a learning curve.

Best Entry-Level: Casio CTK-3500

The Casio CTK-3500 is one of the best beginner digital pianos we have. It has many basic and some advanced features too. You will enjoy a dynamic playing experience that is within your control, engaging the effects that you want as well as controlling the sound output. As a lightweight instrument, you can even take it with you when traveling. The touch sensitive keys are a nice touch and many people love the way that they enhance their playing experience.

Performance

The 400 sounds from different instruments in combination with the 48 note polyphony makes the Casio CTK-3500 a really versatile tool, allowing you to create your own unique playing style as you learn. The backing tracks (built-in songs) are a lot of fun as you create your own music. You may also download the Chordana Play app from Google Play Store or App Store and then connect the smartphone to this piano through an audio cable to help you learn faster how to play.

What I like:

• 61 touch-sensitive keys
• Has 60 built-in songs
• More than 400 instrument sounds
• 48 note polyphony
• Comes with power adapter or it can use batteries
• You can store songs with the app
• Has equalizer, reverb, chorus and other effects

What we don’t like

The keys are not weighted. Although that does not affect your learning experience a lot, semi or fully weighted keys are always better.

Other Options

There is a great variety of digital pianos on the market from brands big and small. If you want more options apart from the ones I shared above, you'll love these:

1. Casio Privia PX-160

This high quality piano is built with durability in mind. The plastic casing is almost one piece, which makes it quite compact and sturdy. You will love how everything is so well laid out to make learning to play the piano for beginners easier. All the controls that you need are clearly laid out, making this a great beginner piano.

Performance

The Casio Privia PX160 combines the best of everything to deliver a great learning experience for anyone. In this class of beginner pianos, it is almost hard to find something that comes with a bass sound that can fill the room without the need to connect any external speaker, but this Casio delivers such. Another thing that you will love about it is that is the split feature. You can split the keyboard sounds to two instruments. This piano is also not lacking in the effects segment because it offers hall reverb, brilliance adjuster as well as a chorus effect.

What I like:

• 88 fully weighted keys
• Modes like Dual, Split and Duo
• Has piano songs built into it
• Has sustain, Bluetooth and headphone connectivity feature
• Has a lesson function which enables one to use each hand separately
• 17 types of temperaments
• Has many instrument sounds, up to 18
  

What we don’t like

It would have been better if this model came with more built-in sounds. Right now, it has only 18, which is much lower as compared to what competitors in the same price range come with.

2. Yamaha P45

The build of the Yamaha P45 is such that it collects minimal dust even when in storage,thanks to how the keys are attached. As a result, it does not need as much cleaning as other digital pianos. The Graded Hammer Standard keybed was specifically designed by Yamaha for beginners. This digital piano has 10 voices only, not enough, but certainly not the fewest in the market.

Performance

When it comes to sound, Yamaha really gets it right and it is little wonder that the P45 is the best digital piano for learning. The weight of the keys, and the ivorite touch make you feel as if you are playing a grand piano. There are no thuds or clicks from the keys, and this puts Yamaha miles ahead of the competition. The power cord of the adapter is also quite long, so you do not have to place the piano so close to the outlet. The compact design and good casing ensures the piano can take some abuse from your kids, without falling apart on you.

What I like:

• 88 keys are actually weighted with a hammer making them heavier than many beginner models
• Has dual mode for combining two voices to enrich your playing experience
• One button operation is very simple for beginners
• AWM technology helps you record the sounds of an acoustic piano
• Has a music stand, foot pedal and power adapter

What we don’t like

You have to tape or glue the sustain pedal to the floor. The reason for this is that the pedal is not solid or heavy enough.

3. Roland GO-61K

According to many users, the Roland GO-61K is more than just the best digital piano for learning. Many say that it is an entertainment system in its own right. The reason for this is that you can stream your own music and play it from the speakers using Bluetooth audio.The Loop Mix features makes it easy for players of all levels to create something fantastic. Even if you have never played a piano before, this feature makes you feel like a pro. It generates a loop and then you can just add instruments as you play along.

Performance

The Roland GO-61K is a creators dream-come-true. First, there are the more than 500 sounds that have been captured from some of the best Roland synthesizers in the market. Then there is the Bluetooth MIDI, which allows you to control all of your MIDI devices blissfully. You will stream your favorite music from your smartphone or other Bluetooth enabled device and jam along with it on the keyboard, creating something special with your best music.

What I like:

• Bluetooth connectivity for tablet or smartphone
• More than 500 instrument sounds incorporated into the piano
• The built-in recorder will record your practice sessions for future reference
• Has 61 keys
• Audio in and out, headphone and USB port enhance connectivity
• Has 128 note polyphony
• Light in weight for portability and can also use batteries for when you are off the grid

What we don’t like

There is no split function, which as we have seen in other pianos, allows you to play one voice on one half and another on the second half, creating an awesome combination of voices.

4. Yamaha PSR-EW300

The touch sensitive keys of the Yamaha PSR-EW300 will give the user a feel of an acoustic piano. This means that when you really punch the keys, they will give off a loud sound and vice versa. This piano packs many basic features for beginners. You also get 154 preset songs that will help you create a robust music experience.

Performance

With its 12 inch speakers (two of them), the preset songs and more than 400 other sounds to help your music lessons along, this is the best digital piano for learning. The two 2.5W amplifiers are also incredible and so you do not need external speakers when you are playing to a room. Effects such as Harmony, Reverb and Chorus enhance the sound, and we all know that sound is the most important feature in any piano.

What I like:

• Has a backlit display –LCD
• 76 keys, all touch sensitive
• Has many voices and sound effects – 574 instrument sounds
• Has split mode, Duo mode and Dual mode
• Has YES – Yamaha Education Suite for piano lessons
• Has 154 inbuilt songs
• Scoring feature, which shows you how good your progress is
• Function buttons help you adjust things like tempo and volume easily
• Tuning feature allows you to tune the pitch and volume to your liking

What we don’t like

Yamaha customer service could be better than they are. They take a long time to respond if you have an issue and this is not a good thing considering that they have many products targeted at beginners.

Over to You

Buying the best digital piano for learning isn't a decision you should take lightly. Hopefully, this list will help you decide which is the right digital piano for your needs.

For more recommendations and advice, don't hesitate to reach out to me here.

Also read:

• Have a higher budget? Here is our list of the best digital pianos, regardless of budget
• Absolute beginner? Check out these digital pianos for beginners
• Want the flexibility and lower cost of a MIDI keyboard over a digital piano? Read this guide

References:

• Yamaha official website
• Casio keyboards official website
• Roland official website
• Alesis official website