10 Best Digital Pianos for Beginners – Easy to Understand and Learn to Play!

We compared the best digital pianos on the market and ranked them in order of our favorites.
Fact Checked Yoke Wong
Yoke Wong
Review by Yoke Wong
Expert Consultant
Yoke Wong is a talented pianist and piano teacher, author of online piano courses Pianomother.com, founder of Harmony and Melody Studio.
Updated 09-08-2023
Updated 09-08-2023
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Have you ever dreamed of becoming a pianist but don’t have the space or money for an acoustic piano? You’re not alone. Millions of people everywhere are turning to digital pianos to scratch their musical itch in a more convenient way.

Our Top Choices

#Editor’s Choice
"The Donner DEP-20 is a full-size 88 key weighted keyboard that comes with an included furniture stand and three pedals."
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#Premium Pick
"This digital piano is the best Yamaha digital piano for beginners and is also an 88 key keyboard, but this one is a bit slimmer. It features CFX Stereo Sampling audio which replicates the sound of Yamaha’s CFX Full Concert Grand Piano."
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#Best Value
"This keyboard is a more compact 61 full-size key. It has a number of cool and convenient features like a dual power system, LCD display panel, teaching functions, and much more."
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We took the time to compare all of the best digital pianos on the market to figure out which is the best digital piano for beginners. During our testing and comparison process, we looked at several key features that we think are important in any digital piano. Some of the features we explored include style, number of keys, pedal, touch sensitivity, polyphony, and amplifiers. Each of these features is important for different reasons, and the importance of each will depend on what you are specifically looking for in an instrument.

Top 10 Digital Pianos for Beginners Reviewed in 2024

1
Editor’s Choice
Donner DEP-20 with Stand
9,9
Site Rank
Features
  • Number of keys: 88
  • Style: full size weighted keyboard
  • Polyphony: 128
  • Pedal: 3-pedal unit
  • Size: 56.69 x 13.78 x 9.45 inches

More features: double keyboard, multimedia settings

Donner DEP-20 with Stand
Good
Bad
    Good
  • We loved so much about this digital keyboard (which is probably why it came in the first place!). The full-size 88 keys are great if you don't want to skimp on keys or constantly have to transpose during complex songs. We love the key sensitivity because it lets you play songs as they were truly meant to be played. The LCD screen display is incredibly helpful as well and is a great tool if you're learning how to play and are picking up on what notes are as you go. The keyboard construction is also very durable, which is something we always keep in mind when purchasing portable instruments.
    Bad
  • There isn't a lot to complain about where this digital piano is concerned, but we did come up with a few points of contention. The first is that the touch sensitivity for the keystrokes was a bit wonky sometimes. We were definitely hoping for flawless execution with this feature but are sad to report that this was not the case. That being said, it still functioned as it should for the majority of the time, but it was definitely annoying when it acted up.

This digital piano is a full-weighted 88 key keyboard with hammer action keys and adjustable touch response, making it compatible with virtually any play style. The keyboard has 238 tones and 128 polyphonies. Additionally, this keyboard features a dual-tone mode that allows you to combine two tones together (such as piano and ukulele, for example), which is quite cool. It also comes with a sustain pedal, triangle pedal, and audio inputs and outputs, as well as a backlit LCD screen that displays the names of chords and their notation.

This keyboard is perfect for someone who is truly looking for a great stand-in for an acoustic piano. The weighted keys do a great job of replicating the way a real piano feels during play and also register and translate the intensity of each strike of the keys, meaning that soft strokes yield soft notes and strong strokes yield louder notes.

2
Premium Pick
Yamaha YDPS54B Arius
9,8
Site Rank
Features
  • Number of keys: 88
  • Style: slim
  • Polyphony: 192
  • Pedal: 3
  • Size: 53.26 x 15.9 x 31.18 inches

More features: GHS weighted action, CFX Stereo Sampling, Smart Pianist app

Yamaha YDPS54B Arius
Good
Bad
    Good
  • One of our favorite features about this piano is the Smart Pianist app. It is truly awesome, and we found it not only useful but super fun to play with. The app lets you control your pianos settings and functions from your smartphone, but it also helps you learn to play your favorite songs by instantly translating songs in your music library into playable chords. The piano also comes with its own stand and the three-pedal unit, and the keys themselves are imbued with a special technology that prevents them from becoming wet or slippery after extended use.
    Bad
  • There isn’t much to complain about here, and we personally didn’t have any problems with this piano, but we did find a few complaints that people left in the form of reviews. Some people found that this particular keyboard was prone to having wonky keys that didn’t sit completely flat, making the surrounding keys “click” when played as well. Other reviewers also felt that the weighted keys weren’t very close in feel to the true weighted keys of an acoustic piano.

As our Premium Pick, this piano is significantly pricier than a lot of the pianos on this list. That being said, you truly do get your bang for your buck with this one. This features weighted keys that are heavier in the low keys and lighter in the high keys (exactly like an acoustic piano). This piano also comes with a Smart Pianist app which you can use on your smartphone. The app allows you to control the major functions of your piano as well as translate your favorite songs into chords right from your music library.

This piano is a great choice for someone with a high budget or long-term goals to continue pursuing piano playing for years to come. It would be the perfect choice for anyone who likes to learn to play the songs they listen to, as well as for someone looking for a piano with audio output very similar to an acoustic piano.

3
Best Value
RockJam RJ561 61 Key Keyboard Piano
9,7
Site Rank
Features
  • Number of keys: 61
  • Style: full-sized keys
  • Polyphony: not specified
  • Pedal: none
  • Size: 35.4 x 9.8 x 5.9 inches

More features: LCD display kit comes with a padded seat and sheet music stand

RockJam RJ561 61 Key Keyboard Piano
Good
Bad
    Good
  • We are huge fans of this keyboard (as are the over 26,000 near 5-star reviewers!), and there’s a lot to love here, despite the smaller size. The smaller size fits well in smaller spaces and is easily stored. The teaching program on this piano is very helpful if you’re completely new to playing piano, and the 30 demo songs are a great way to follow along and acquire the basic skills you need to become a piano master. This keyboard also has 100 rhythms and 50 tones, making it fun to experiment with. We also love the included padded seat and the option to power this keyboard with batteries or main power.
    Bad
  • It's important to keep in mind that this is one of the more affordable keyboards we reviewed, and as such, is bound to lack the pristine audio or play experience of some of the more expensive keyboards on this list. Many reviewers described issues with the LCD display, as well as occasional audio feedback that made it difficult to play. Others still complained about the fact that striking the keys required much more force than a true piano to get the ideal tone.

Our winner for Best Value is this smaller keyboard which features 61 full-sized keys in a compact and portable frame. This keyboard has many great features, and the kit comes with a keyboard stand and a padded seat that is easily folded and padded enough to play for hours at a time.

This is great for someone who is a true beginner and is looking for their first keyboard to learn with. The smaller size and compact frame of this keyboard make it ideal for travel (to and from lessons, for example), and it’s not incredibly heavy.

Also Product Ranking:
4
Best 88-key Digital Piano
RockJam 88-Key Beginner Digital Piano
9,6
Site Rank
Features
  • Number of keys: 88
  • Style: full-size semi-weighted keys
  • Polyphony: 7 octaves
  • Pedal: none
  • Size: 49.21 x 11.42 x 3.11 inches

More features: in-built stereo speakers, 8 external connections, has a sheet music stand

RockJam 88-Key Beginner Digital Piano
Good
Bad
    Good
  • This keyboard has a lot of great and modern features that help it stand out from other keyboards we looked at in our process. The 88 full-sized keys are great for getting the true experience of playing the piano, and the keyboard itself has USB input capabilities that allow you to play along with some of your favorite songs. It also has a headphone input jack which is perfect for practicing piano without disturbing those around you (great for busy families or someone who lives in a community space).
    Bad
  • When we were looking at a digital piano for beginners’ reviews, many reviewers stated that this particular keyboard had a tendency to stop working as well after a few months. Primarily people complained about the keys stopping working or falling off the keyboard, which is obviously not ideal. Others commented that this keyboard is great for learning the basics but is not the right choice if you intend to progress to an intermediate level.

In our opinion, this is by far the best digital piano for beginners. It has semi-weighted keys that are also sensitive to stroke velocity, and the keyboard itself is jam-packed with a ton of modern features that allow you to experiment with different tones and voices.

This is perfect for someone who is truly a beginner but is serious about wanting to learn and master the art of playing the piano. That being said, it is also a great choice if you just want to play piano casually, and it is incredibly fun to experiment with and play around with various settings.

5
Best 61-Key Digital Keyboard
Alesis Melody 61 MKII
9,5
Site Rank
Features
  • Number of keys: 61
  • Style: portable
  • Polyphony: not specified
  • Pedal: none
  • Size: 17 x 10.9 x 40 inches

More features: 300 built-in rhythms, 300 voices, Skoove 3-month premium subscription

Alesis Melody 61 MKII
Good
Bad
    Good
  • We had a ton of fun playing around with the included three free months of Skoove, which is an interactive online piano lesson platform. It allowed us to watch videos and learn the basics on our own time. In addition to the free trial Skoove membership, this keyboard also comes with two months of live video lessons on TakeLessons, which is another awesome feature that helped us hone our skills even more. Additionally, we love the 300 available voices and the compact size of this keyboard.
    Bad
  • We found the audio tone to be a bit strange and not as high quality as some of the keyboards that we tested. It occasionally presented with static and white noise, which was pretty distracting, especially when we were taking online lessons. The stand it comes with is also not the sturdiest, and we ended up using a different keyboard stand because we were worried that the included stand wouldn’t be able to support the weight of this keyboard reliably.

This keyboard has a ton of great features that are attractive to players of all skill levels. It has an amazing variety of 300 available voices to choose from, making playing fun and exciting. It also comes with 40 demo songs to help you learn to play the piano quickly and easily, all in a compact 61-key keyboard body.

This is perfect for a beginner who is looking for a slightly smaller or more compact keyboard to learn on. It’s great for anyone who is looking to experiment with instrument voices or someone who is looking for an interactive learning experience.

Also Product Ranking:
6
Best Keyboard for On-The-Go Playing
Alesis Recital Beginner Digital Piano
9,4
Site Rank
Features
  • Number of keys: 88
  • Style: full-size semi-weighted keys
  • Polyphony: 128
  • Pedal: none
  • Size: 3.6 x 11.52 x 50.52 inches

More features: built-in FX, adjustable touch response

Alesis Recital Beginner Digital Piano
Good
Bad
    Good
  • Much like the Alesis Melody 61-key keyboard, we love that this keyboard also comes with a three-month trial of Skoove (the online video lesson platform for learning piano) and a two-month trial of TakeLessons (where you can enjoy live lessons on demand). We are huge fans of the fact that you can power this keyboard using batteries or power cords, and we love that you can use pedals on this keyboard as well. You can also enjoy your keyboard in private using the headphone jack.
    Bad
  • Sadly, this keyboard doesn't come with the pedals like some of the others we reviewed do, which is a huge bummer. It's great that you can use pedals if you have them, but if you're on a bit of a budget, it can be expensive to splurge on pedals as well. Another feature that we had a problem with was the headphone jack, which seemed to only want to function correctly part of the time. We compared our experience with online reviews and found that other people had similar issues with the headphone jack as well.

The Alesis Recital has 88 full-sized, semi-weighted keys that have adjustable touch responses, making it easy to adjust this keyboard to fit your precise play style. It features 5 voices: acoustic piano, electric piano, organ, synth, and bass. It also offers chorus reverb, built-in effects, and two 20W speakers that “deliver crystal-clear, room-filling sound.”

This is perfect for someone who wants a full-sized keyboard with great audio output, educational components, and the option to take their instrument on the go with the dual power options.

Also Product Ranking:
7
Best 128 Polyphony Keyboard
Donner DDP-100
9,3
Site Rank
Features
  • Number of keys: 88
  • Style: weighted keys
  • Polyphony: 128
  • Pedal: triple pedals
  • Size: 49.6 x 13.77 x 29.52 inches

More features: beginner bundle, MP3 function, built-in amplifier, streamlined design

Donner DDP-100
Good
Bad
    Good
  • We love the built-in amplifier that comes with this keyboard and also found the sound quality to be top of the line. The ability to input and play MP3s was another thing that we really liked because it let us hook up some of our favorite songs and play along with them. The true touch keys are able to translate your stroke intensity and deliver sounds that are correspondingly soft or intense depending on how hard you play. Additionally, this keyboard was easy to assemble and had a beautiful design that looked very much like an acoustic piano.
    Bad
  • We didn't personally experience any difficulty or problem with this keyboard, but many reviews reported that some keys had a tendency to get stuck and were difficult to fix. Others stated that some of the keys would click when you pressed them, and still, others found that the audio from this keyboard sounded "damp" to them. We didn't have any issues with the audio and found it to be of superior quality, but many of the reviews had the same audio issue.

This keyboard is great and has really intelligent fully-weighted keys. It has other features that make it quite special as well, including its notable design, wooden cabinet with sliding key cover, and 128 Polyphony with pure tones sampled from actual acoustic grand.

This is great for a beginner who is looking to increase their skill level over time and wants a reasonably affordable keyboard to grow along with them.

Also Product Ranking:
8
Best Keyboard Under $100
Hamzer 61-Key Digital Music Piano Keyboard
9,2
Site Rank
Features
  • Number of keys: 61
  • Style: portable
  • Polyphony: not specified
  • Pedal: none
  • Size: 33 x 13 x 4 inches

More features: comes with a microphone, integrated learning system

Hamzer 61-Key Digital Music Piano Keyboard
Good
Bad
    Good
  • We really like the awesome sound quality offered by this affordable keyboard. It comes with 255 timbres, 255 rhythms, 61 keyboard percussions, and 24 demo songs that allow you to express your individuality, all while mastering your instrument. We also love that this keyboard has record and playback features and comes with an included microphone, allowing you to listen to your own performance and correct any mistakes.
    Bad
  • Although the included voice options were really cool on this keyboard, we were left scratching our heads a bit because, among those sounds, there was only one single piano voice available. That's totally fine if you love the one voice for piano, but if you were looking for a robust assortment that includes electronic, acoustic, recital, etc., this is not going to cut it for you. We were also disappointed that this keyboard didn't have a sustainable function.

This is a very affordable keyboard at just over $75. Despite the price, it packs a punch with its sound output and the number of features that it offers. It has 61 keys, a versatile learning system, and a number of audio effects that allow you to quickly hone your skill.

This is great for the eager piano student who is trying to save money without compromising on base features. It’s perfect for someone who is looking for a lightweight and compact instrument that they can take with them to play anywhere.

9
Best Keyboard for Composing
Alesis Virtue
9,1
Site Rank
Features
  • Number of keys: 88
  • Style: full-size velocity-sensitive keys
  • Polyphony: 128
  • Pedal: 3 pedals
  • Size: 55.9 x 18.9 x 10.6 inches

More features: has a lesson mode, 3 months of Skoove lessons included, backlit LCD screen

Alesis Virtue
Good
Bad
    Good
  • We love the included wooden music stand, which was very easy to assemble and is the perfect size and sturdiness for supporting an iPad. We love the recording function that allows you to record and compose your own music. This keyboard also comes with a whopping 80 demo songs, as well as 30W speakers and 128 polyphony that allows the sound to be as clear and realistic as possible.
    Bad
  • One of the things we didn't really love about this keyboard was that we struggled to get ahold of customer support when we called with a question. It was a really frustrating process that caused us to place this keyboard pretty low on the list. We also found that the music stand was not designed to hold sheet music and was not able to do so at all. It was much better suited for use with an iPad which is fine but is not the most versatile.

This keyboard has a ton of cool features and high-quality 88 full-sized weighted keys with adjustable touch response and velocity sensitivity that we have come to know and love from Alesis.

This is great for someone who is looking to go beyond simply learning to play piano and to dabble in the world of music composition and recording. It is also a powerful educational keyboard that is very helpful for anyone who enjoys assisted learning.

Also Product Ranking:
10
Best Keyboard for Practicing
Plixio Digital Electric Piano Keyboard
9,0
Site Rank
Features
  • Number of keys: 61
  • Style: portable
  • Polyphony: 132
  • Pedal: none
  • Size: 37 x 7 x 14 inches

More features: has a sheet stand, dual power supply, lightweight

Plixio Digital Electric Piano Keyboard
Good
Bad
    Good
  • This is a superb keyboard for the price you pay, and there are a ton of great features that make it really special. We always love a keyboard that allows us to take it on the go, so the dual power features of this keyboard are great for switching between battery power and corded power. We like the compact size and how easy it is to transport this keyboard, and we had a ton of fun using our own microphone to jam out with some keyboard karaoke at the office.
    Bad
  • This is kind of a weird problem, but one of the things that we kind of hate about this keyboard is the fact that no matter what volume you used the last time you played, this keyboard always resets to max volume when you turn it on again. This was a very startling and LOUD problem to encounter, especially when we were wearing headphones.

This sweet little 61 key keyboard is great for the whole family. It can be used for keyboard karaoke (although the microphone is not included) and can be used on the go, thanks to the dual power supply capability. It also comes with a power adaptor, a music stand, and an aux cable.

This is perfect for someone who wants to learn to play piano as well as anyone who plans on using their keyboard for entertaining or for playing with the whole family.


Things to Consider

Choosing the best digital keyboard for beginners is kind of a daunting prospect. It can be scary to think about spending so much money on something that you’ve never gotten to experience before. Luckily, we took the time to review all of the best ones on the market, just for you.

Important Features

When comparing the different digital pianos, we looked at a number of features, including style, number of keys, pedal, touch sensitivity, polyphony, and amplifiers.

There is no one size fits all answer here, though, and you should make a choice based on what you think is important for your own experience.

Style

Style can mean a lot of different things when it comes to instruments, but when writing our review, we were referring to the style of the keys. Most of the keyboards here featured full-sized keys like the Donner DEP-20, but the Yamaha YDPS54B Arius has slim keys, which is different from the others.

Number of keys

When choosing Trusted Source The Benefits of Playing Piano - Steinway & Sons Piano practice also boosts cognitive and intellectual abilities, which is to say it makes you smarter and activates similar parts of the brain used in spatial reasoning and math. Studying piano has also been shown to amazingly improve memory — particularly verbal memory — and build good habits like focus and perseverance, diligence and creativity.  www.steinway.com a keyboard, you should think about whether you want the full 88 keys like a true piano or a more compact 61 keys. There are pros and cons to both, and it’s really about what you prefer.

Pedal

10 Best Digital Pianos for Beginners - Easy to Understand and Learn to Play!
Pedals are usually preferred by more experienced players but are definitely not necessary.

Some keyboards have the option to use pedals— and some even come with pedals included, like the Donner DDP-100.

Touch sensitivity

Touch sensitivity refers to whether the keyboard is able to pick up on the nuanced differences in the strength of each of your keystrokes.

If you press firmly on the keys, a touch-sensitive keyboard would then produce a louder sound than if you touched the keys softly.

Polyphony

Many experts will argue that polyphony is one of the most important considerations when buying a digital piano. Broken down, polyphony means “many sounds” and directly translates in context to how many notes your piano is capable of playing at once. The number value of a digital piano’s polyphony refers to how many notes you can play at one time on your keyboard. If you try to exceed this number, your keyboard will have to sacrifice some of the notes to make room for the new ones.

10 Best Digital Pianos for Beginners - Easy to Understand and Learn to Play!
Buying a piano that has too low polyphony will eventually become frustrating for most piano players once they reach a certain skill level and want to continue progressing.

Amplifiers

The amplifiers on a digital piano are built-in speakers that are able to amplify the sound of the notes you play when you connect your digital piano to a power source. Some amplifiers are better than others, and this usually correlates with price (which can be an unfortunate reality for many).

FAQ

How to take care of a digital piano?

There are a lot of great ways to take care of your digital piano, but there are a few hard and fast rules that you should always adhere to to make sure your digital piano is in tip-top shape. Some good things to keep in mind include keeping your instrument away from doors and windows. Doors can cause problems by smashing into your piano when they open, and windows have the potential to let debris mess up the keys of your keyboard. On that note, if your keyboard doesn’t have a cover, you should consider investing in a dust cover. You can also avoid placing your keyboard near any shelves with heavy objects like books. These items can fall unexpectedly and damage your instrument.

How to assemble a digital piano?

Not all pianos are the same, which is one of the reasons that there isn’t a standard answer to the question of how to assemble your digital piano. Depending on where you purchased your piano from, it may come pre-assembled, in which case you’ll simply need to find a good spot for it (likely near a power outlet). If your piano did not come pre-assembled, it would most likely come with a set of very detailed instructions on how to set it up. Be sure not to skip any steps because each of them was sure to be included for a very specific reason. If you somehow acquired the piano and it isn’t assembled, and it didn’t come with an instruction manual, you can look up how to assemble it online by googling the model’s name and “how to assemble.”

How to choose headphones to go with a piano?

Looking for the right headphones to use with your digital piano is very different than looking for headphones for other purposes. You’ll need to find a great pair of well-balanced and neutral headphones that will be best able to replicate and deliver the true sound designed by your piano manufacturer. Popular headphone sets used by music enthusiasts and DJs are often not great choices for using with a piano. These headphones, like Beats or the Sony Extra Bass headphones, are designed to amplify bass notes and will therefore cause your sound to seem distorted and confusing when used with a piano.

Our verdict

When you’re a beginner Trusted Source Experience: I learned to play the piano without a piano | Life and style | The Guardian I had been told I had started playing too late to reach conservatoire level, but when I Ieft Purcell, I was awarded the senior piano prize and senior academic music prize. That was the point when I realised I wasn’t behind everyone else. I am now at the Guildhall school in London, where I was offered a scholarship. I feel proud: it’s been 10 years since I drew my paper piano and I’m at one of the world’s leading conservatoires. www.theguardian.com who is on the hunt for the best digital piano for beginners, it can be tough to settle on just one option. We looked really closely at a lot of factors during our hunt for the best one, and we’re super proud of the list we compiled for you. Although all of the keyboards that made a list are noteworthy in their own right, our top three choices are worthy of being mentioned again. To sum it all up, our Editor’s Choice was the fantastic Donner DEP-20, our Premium Pick was the Yamaha YDPS54B Arius, and our winner for Best Value was the RockJam 61 Key Keyboard Piano. We’re sure you’ll find at least one instrument on this list that’s just perfect for you.

References

1.
The Benefits of Playing Piano - Steinway & Sons
Piano practice also boosts cognitive and intellectual abilities, which is to say it makes you smarter and activates similar parts of the brain used in spatial reasoning and math. Studying piano has also been shown to amazingly improve memory — particularly verbal memory — and build good habits like focus and perseverance, diligence and creativity. 
2.
Experience: I learned to play the piano without a piano | Life and style | The Guardian
I had been told I had started playing too late to reach conservatoire level, but when I Ieft Purcell, I was awarded the senior piano prize and senior academic music prize. That was the point when I realised I wasn’t behind everyone else. I am now at the Guildhall school in London, where I was offered a scholarship. I feel proud: it’s been 10 years since I drew my paper piano and I’m at one of the world’s leading conservatoires.
9,9
Total Score
Donner DEP-20 with Stand - Editor’s Choice
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