Top 5 Digital Pianos for the Home
Do you notice, sadly, that acoustic pianos have a shelf life?
Do you notice that many acoustic pianos get pushed past their prime and are played far beyond their “expiration date?”
Usually it’s because families are willing to invest in lessons but cut corners and make do with a second-hand piano. They figure one piano is just like the other just like one soccer ball is like the next.
With high quality instruments in my studio, students soon get spoiled and can’t wait to play on my all time favorite piano Bella, a Yamaha C7 reserved for their best pieces. Word gets out and eventually parents hear that their home piano is subpar to Ms Leila’s pianos. This always warms my heart to hear and is usually followed by the question from parents with a limited budget:
What piano should we purchase?
Of course, I’d love to suggest an acoustic grand by Yamaha, Kawaii, Steinway but am realistic and want to give them affordable options.
Nicole McCray kindly asked if she could write a guest post for LeilaViss.com and I thought it would be marvelous if she could address the question that I’ve been wondering for quite some time:
What are the best digital pianos for student families and even for teachers looking for another high quality, reasonably priced keyboard?
Nicole did her homework and I’m thankful for what she uncovered. Feel free to share this article with your student parents when they begin their search for a digital piano if an acoustic one is just not in their reach.
Nicole McCray
When we like to admit it or not, the price of something is the driving factor a lot of times in selecting things, even if we need them. But there is much more thought and consideration that goes into the purchase of larger things, such as buying a piano for the home.
Other important factors to consider are things like extra accessory needs, where the piano might be utilized within the home (or even outside of it if you might need a portable model), and how large the piano will be in order to fit in the room you designate.
One great thing about digital pianos is that you don’t have to worry about tuning them, and typically the weight of the piano will be lighter than any other type. They can often be taken from one location to another, which may matter more than ever, as piano performances and recitals have moved outdoors due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Plus, they all come with headphone plugins so that you can keep the noise level down when practicing.
For those who are looking to purchase a piano that works well for either at-home practicing or even pairing with an online piano class, here is a breakdown of some of the best digital pianos for the home out there right now.
1. CASIO PRIVIA PX-770
Starting with a more mid-range in terms of price, this digital piano could be a great piano for the home. It has a solid build, has both the hammer and damper resonance to mimic a true acoustic piano, and also boasts the three foot pedals like an acoustic as well. One nice bonus is that it comes with a built-in library with ten classical music pieces where you can play along with the recordings of the orchestra.
The price point for this model is around $699.00 USD, which is pretty decent for what you get. However, there are not any audio outputs, just two headphone ports, and no MIDI outputs if wanting to connect to other keyboards (but you could utilize USB on a computer if necessary).
2. NORD PIANO 4
If you’re looking for more of the “go big or go home” type of digital piano, then Nord Piano 4 is your piano of choice for the most professionalism, and probably one of the largest price tags - $2999 USD. However, if you’re looking for all the bells and whistles, this is most definitely where it’s at. The keys are weighted, the sound is exquisite, and there are some vintage-styled effects that you can use including reverb, delay, EQ, and amp emulation.
There are also both audio outputs, a monitor output, headphones, pedal input, MIDI in and out, USB, and USB-Midi. This stage piano truly has it all, and it’s not a surprise that it’s used by many professionals when exploring a digital or stage option.
3. YAMAHA PIAGGERO NP-12 PORTABLE KEYBOARD
Yamaha is a tried and trusted brand, so if you’re looking for something more scaled-down and portable when it comes to digital pianos, this is a great one to have. It’s also much cheaper than the first two, only around the $199.99 price point, so if you’re more concerned about price this may be your perfect option.
It’s geared more towards kids who may be just starting out learning the piano and this is really a great beginner piano, being lightweight and slim. It also has a simple, 10-sound selection that includes acoustic piano sounds. You can upgrade to the bigger NP-32 version as well if you want the more piano-like experience - it has more keys at 76, this has 61.
4. ROLAND RD-88 STAGE PIANO
This is also on the more affordable side of things for a home digital piano, with a little more to it. Priced around $599-$1000 USD, it is a nicely compact and lightweight stage piano, containing all 88 keys and a huge sound selection, to boot. It offers the same playability as the RD series in a lighter package.
If you’re just starting out with the piano, it may be a little bit more than you need right off the bat, but for those who want a real piano experience, this may be the one. It has the weighted keys like a real piano and has an easy-to-use interface and an onboard speaker system.
5. YAMAHA P-45
This digital piano has been a best-selling beginner digital piano, and for great reason. This boasts the same weighted key action as an acoustic piano. Its price point is around $499 USD, making it affordable but definitely displaying that there is quality.
One of the key elements for this being a great piano to learn on is that the speakers actually face the player rather than facing down, like the Roland. There aren’t a lot of extra features, but the heavier touch in the low end and lighter at the high end really do provide a satisfying playing experience as if on an acoustic piano, but with a more portable and lightweight design. The built-in sound system is excellent for an only 25-lb piano that can be easily moved around.
To help choose the best digital piano for your home, make sure you take in all the factors - or reach out to someone experienced, such as a piano teacher, for some advice, especially if you’re purchasing your first piano. You may also want to consider bundling when buying your piano to add on certain accessories you might need when in lessons if online, such as USB connectors, piano stands or stools, or specific headphones.
The best piano for you is dependent upon what you’re looking for in terms of price, usage, and the size of the room you plan to play in. We hope that his digital piano guide brought you one step closer to finding the instrument that suits your home perfectly.
-Nicole McCray, learn more about her here.
Input from Grant Kondo
Recently, a conversation thread popped up in Facebook about this topic and friend and colleague Grant Kondo chimed in with his opinion based on his experience and I share it below.
I'm no expert, but I love the Casio Privia series. After trying many brands, Casio Privia is actually the one I purchased and still own! It certainly helps dispel the idea that Casio only makes the cheap toy keyboards.
Several of my students own the Nord Piano 4 and absolutely love it. If they can afford that instrument then great!! Note that they don't have internal speakers so they will need to buy external speakers. They also don't even have metronomes -- that's how fancy they are!
Yamaha P-45 is also my recommendation as the cheapest "acceptable" keyboard for practice. (I suppose there is a better way to word that!!)
Roland is also a brand I love but I can't speak about that model, or the other Yamaha model as I don't have any experience with those particular models.
All in all, I'm in agreement with the Nicole McCray!
Input from Leila Viss
Digital piano models change SO quickly and yet, I decided to add one more option to Nicole’s list because I adore it. It’s the Yamaha P 255 I purchased back in 2016. I own two of them.
One of the reasons why I like the keyboard is the fact that it sits in a cabinet and by unscrewing 4 screws, I can take it out of the cabinet and move it myself. Another reason is that the keyboard can be easily controlled by an app.
I’m not sure what current digital piano is similar to this model but I believe it could be the Yamaha P 125 which seems widely available in 2021.
Read my past post about the P 255 here.
Thanks again to Nicole for rounding up this list of digital pianos and helping us help our students to find an affordable yet high quality keyboard and a possible replacement for their “expired” acoustic pianos.
What digital piano would you add to this list?
Please leave your answer in the comment section below!
