Best 88 key keyboard for Beginners – Now you’ve been through and seen exactly what you should look for in an 88 key keyboard, and you’ve got a good idea what some of the options might be, you should be in a great position to find your next instrument. The best way of doing this is to sit down and draw up a list of all the things that are really important to you, whether it’s amazing value or piano-like authenticity, and then cross-check these against the reviews.
OVERVIEW
Beginners are going to want a few specific things from their keyboard. Overly complex functions and options can be confusing, but there are some features that are designed to help people learn. These functions include things like play-along songs, light-up keys, and split boards to share with a teacher.
ROUND UP
Lesson modes are fairly common, even on lower end keyboards, so you should have no trouble finding something suitable.
back to menu ↑1.Casio Privia PX-S1000
Features
- 88-key Digital Piano with 192-note Polyphony
- Smart Scaled Hammer Action Keyboard
- Onboard Effects
- St - Black
- 18 Sounds
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2.Alesis Recital Pro
Features
- A Digital Piano That’s Tailored to You - Feature-packed electric keyboard with 88 premium full-sized weighted hammer action keys with adjustable touch response to suit your preferred playing style
- Premium Sounds - 12 voices (Incl. Acoustic Piano, Electric Piano, Organ, Synth, and Bass), built-in FX: Chorus, Modulation, Reverb, and 2 built in 20W speakers for clear, room-filling sound
- All The Right Connections - ¼” sustain pedal input (pedal not included), ¼” stereo headphone output for private practice and stereo outputs for connection to speakers, amplifiers
- Play the Keyboard Wherever You Go - Power via the included power adapter or 6 D cell batteries (not included) for professional piano performance anywhere
- Powerful Educational Features - Standard, split, layer, record and lesson modes with 128-note max polyphony and Skoove 3 month premium subscription for expert interactive online piano lessons
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3.Yamaha P-45
Features
- BUNDLE INCLUDES: Yamaha P-45 88-Key Entry Level Digital Piano | Pedal/Footswitch | Music Rest | PA150 AC Adapter | Yamaha 3 Year Limited Warranty | Keyboard Stand | Keyboard Bench | Keyboard Pedal | Studio Monitor Headphones
- Authentic to the touch: Yamaha's GHS (Graded Hammer Standard) weighted action has heavier touch in the low end and lighter touch in the high end, just like the hammers inside an acoustic piano. Great for the aspiring pianist, practicing on the GHS action builds the proper finger technique for when the time comes to perform on an acoustic piano. Plus the matte finish of the black keys are less slippery when playing for extended periods of time.
- Tried and true, Yamaha's classic sound engine for realistic tone: AWM (Advanced Wave Memory) sampling uses digital technology to record the sound of an acoustic piano. AWM Stereo Sampling creates a deeper, richer and more spacious sound by using pairs of waveforms (L and R) captured with two microphones. The P-45 uses AWM to play one sample per key at varying levels of volume and timbre.
- A compact and lightweight design makes it easy to get around: Slim and stylish form with a depth of less than 12 inches, the P-45 requires little space. At only 25 lbs. with a built-in sound system, it can be easily moved anywhere in your home or even used for performance outside.
- Simple, single-button operation: Various P-45 settings can be changed with a single button. Hold down the "GRAND PIANO/FUNCTION" button and press the keyboard to change Voices, play demo sources, configure the metronome and more.
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4.Kawai ES110
Features
- "Harmonic Imaging sound technology 88-key piano sampling Responsive hammer compact action, 88 weighted keys 19 sounds, including eight exceptional piano sounds Bluetooth MIDI Dual and split keyboard modes 192-note polyphony Built-in Alfred piano lessons Damper pedal with half-damping Built-in stereo speaker system"
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5.Roland GO
Features
- Premium piano performance in a compact and affordable instrument
- 61-note keyboard with standard full-size keys and authentic touch response
- Bluetooth audio/MIDI support for connecting with your smartphone or tablet
- Onboard high-quality Bluetooth speakers for wireless smartphone connection
- Compact and lightweight for playing and storing anywhere
- Fully wireless operation with battery power and Bluetooth connectivity
- Features Roland acclaimed piano sounds with 128-voice polyphony
- Also includes electric pianos, organs, and other sounds for exploring different styles
- Turn your piano goals into a reality with three months of free piano lessons, compliments of our partner Pianote, the ultimate online piano lessons experience. If you own a Roland piano, you’ll get unlimited access to everything inside Pianote—from step-by-step lessons, to detailed song tutorials, and even access to live lessons and support from real piano teachers. Learn to play your Roland piano from the comfort of your own home, anytime you like. Plus, access your lessons from any internet-ready computer, tablet, or phone.
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6.Artesia
Features
- Full feature Digital Piano for beginners Electric keyboard with 88 full size semi weighted keys with adjustable touch response
- Compact, lightweight (19 lbs) and Connectivity Covered ¼ Inch sustain pedal input (included), ¼ Inch stereo headphone output for private practice and stereo RCA outputs for connection to speakers / amps
- Powerful Educational Features such as USB/MIDI for easy connection and operation with Smartphones, Tablets, Laptops and other USB devices
- Premium Sounds 12 voices (including Grand Piano, Electric Piano, Organ, Strings, Bass & more), built in FX: Chorus, Reverb, Metronome, and four built in 15W speakers
- Includes 2 Months of FREE Online Piano Lessons with Take Lessons Live & Access to Melodics Lessons
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7.Nektar
Features
- 88 note, velocity-sensitive semi-weighted keyboard
- 8 hyper-sensitive backlit pads
- Mac, PC and iOS Compatible
- Software instruments automatically Mapped to controls
- Includes Bigwig 8-track DAW
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8.Korg B1
Features
- 88 Natural Weighted Hammer keys
- Built-in stereo sound system with MFB Servo technology
- Eight accurate digitally-sampled sounds
- Onboard reverb and chorus effects with Partner mode that is ideal for lessons and instruction
- OPTIONAL Keyboard stand available
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9.M-Audio Hammer
Features
- 88 fully weighted, hammer action velocity sensitive keys deliver natural piano feel, faithfully replicating every subtle nuance of your performance
- Driverless class compliant and USB powered specification provides seamless USB midi connection for playing virtual instruments, controlling recording software and more
- Conveniently located pitch bend, modulation, volume and octave controls for immersive, expressive performances
- Expanded control options for inputs for sustain, expression and soft pedals included
- Includes free 3 month subscription to Skoove; The easiest way to learn piano with interactive piano lessons for beginners and advanced players
- Comprehensive performance software package for MAC and PC included; air “mini grand” acoustic grand piano, air “velvet” vintage electric piano instrument, air “db 33” tonewheel organ simulator and sonivox “eighty eight ensemble” authentic piano instrument
- Dual keyboard zones for layering, splits and 4-note chords with a single key press. Clean, professional editing with included Hammer 88 Controller Editor.
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10.Kurzweil
Features
- Hear the new High Def Japanese Grand and German D Grand, each optimized especially for the SP6 and featuring "KSR" - Kurzweil String Resonance for enhanced acoustic piano performance
- Features 32 FX units horsepower, award-winning Reverbs, Delays, Choruses, Flangers, Phasers, Distortions, Rotary Amps, Compressors, more; modeled after classic organs with real-time controls
- Weighing in at only 27 pounds - Kurzweil's lightest professional 88-note AMS-SP6-8 ever; every sound is perfectly matched to its 88-note fully-weighted hammer-action keyboard
- Activate up to 4 independent Arps (1 per program, 4 per Multi) with dedicated on/off and tap tempo buttons
- Maximize real-time control over presets via 4 knobs, 1 switch, 2 wheels, 2 dual-switch pedal inputs and 1 continuous control pedal input; pitch/modulation wheels, Dedicated +/- transpose, more
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Best 88 key keyboard for Beginners – BUYER’S GUIDE
Features
This is going to be one of the most important considerations to make because it’s the factor that really differentiates most keyboards from one another.
Being electronic, there are a lot of different features that can be potentially packed in. Let’s take a look at some of the most common ones that you might want.
Realistic keys are an absolute must for a lot of players because they feel much nicer to play. They aim to replicate the weight on each key as the hammer would move on a real piano, and change as you move from lower to higher notes.
Lesson modes and metronomes may be important functions for some, which can help beginners either learn to play or fine-tune their skills.
Connectivity is likely to be fairly important to a lot of players too. You might wish to output the audio from the keyboard into your headphones with a headphone jack, a PA or even your computer. As a result, you should always check to see what connection options are available on the keyboards you’re looking at.
Sound
The sound is incredibly important for acoustic pianos, and manufacturers will strive to craft the very best sound by using specialist techniques, materials, and designs. When it comes to keyboards, things are a little bit different, because there is no acoustic sound being produced at all. The keyboard is simply playing a sample from a genuine piano, which is electronically altered. See the differences, pros, and cons between a digital and acoustic piano here.
As a result, when you’re thinking about the sound you’re going to get from your keyboard, you’re not going to be thinking about the usual considerations. The first thing that you might want to look at it how the sample has been acquired – Yamaha, for instance, take their electronic sounds from recordings of their most prestigious concert grand pianos. Higher end products will use better samples. You’ll then also want to consider the sound options you get on the keyboard – from the different voices to the effects you can place on them.
Finally, there are the built-in speakers. These can make quite a large difference to the quality of the sound that’s produced if you’re not using headphones. The better the speakers, the clearer the sound will be, and the better it will be able to reproduce the feel of a real piano. You’ll be able to feel deeper low notes and crisper highs. Note that many MIDI keyboards don’t have speakers built in; they’re designed to be used with other hardware. However, the higher-end MIDI controllers do sometimes.
Quality
As with all instruments, quality is an important thing to think about. Keyboards that haven’t been made particularly well might not stand up to the rigours of being moved about a lot, which is something that keyboards often have to do if you’re putting them in and out of storage, taking them to practice elsewhere, or even playing at a concert. Check out user reviews of older models to get an idea.
Design
Design won’t be important to everyone, but given that instruments can be works of art in their own right, it’s always worth thinking about. Do you prefer your electronics to be sleek and minimalist, or do you like the look of banks of switches, sliders, and knobs? There’s plenty to choose from, and although most electric keyboards come in the usual black, look out for the couple on this list that is also available in white.
back to menu ↑Frequently Asked Questions
back to menu ↑What is an 88 Key Keyboard?
Quite simply, an 88 key keyboard is one that has the full size scaled hammer action, with 52 white keys and 36 black keys. It’s the most common type, though many other sizes are available.
back to menu ↑How Many Keys On Piano?
A standard, full-size piano has 88 keys, comprised of 52 white keys and 36 black keys, which translates to seven full octaves plus a minor third. Some older pianos did have fewer keys, and some synthesizers can have as few as 25.
back to menu ↑How Many Piano Keys Do I Need On A Keyboard?
This is a question that gets asked quite a lot, especially when space is a real constraining factor.
To fully be able to play the keyboard well, you are going to need the full 88 keys. However, beginners can get away with smaller 76 or 61 key instruments if they’re just learning the basics. Having a smaller piano can be better for people with smaller hands, as this study suggests.
back to menu ↑WRAP UP
In this review, we’re going to take a look at the very best 88 key keyboard you can buy today, whether you’re a brand new student, you’re looking for a replacement for your acoustic grand piano, or you need the very best sound modelling.
Full size pianos are certainly a thing of real beauty, and are one of the most distinctive and charismatic instruments. The problem of course is that they’re big, cumbersome and static, which means that they just aren’t convenient for a lot of people. Being acoustic, they’re also limited in that they don’t offer any additional features to help you learn or change your sound. Enter the size digital 88 key keyboard – a full sized electronic option that is designed to replicate the sounds of a piano as well as possible, while giving you a variety of digital benefits, plus of course a dramatically smaller form factor.
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