Thomas J. West Music

This is a guest article written with the help of the Teachstreet Community. TeachStreet is a website dedicated to providing local and online classes, including Piano Classes.

Although keyboards have improved remarkably over the years to match their acoustic counterparts, nothing beats a good old upright or baby grand for developing as far as the weight and feel of the keys. The one big disadvantage, of course, is that acoustics take up a lot of space. You simply can’t take them wherever you go, which can make it difficult to stay in practice. The obvious alternative, of course, are keyboards. The problem is there are so many to choose from and so many of them come attached to price tags a little too steep for non-professionals. Instead of picking a keyboard at random, we decided to turn to the experts at TeachStreet who use our site to promote their classes. Here’s what some of them had to say:

Music teacher Ernie Mansfield of Mansfield Music Said: “If you are just a beginner, you can start out with a 61-note keyboard, but make sure that it is touch-sensitve. If you are an advancing student, invest in at least a 76-note touch sensitive keyboard. You will want to make certain the keyboard has a feel and sound similar to a real piano.”

Pianist and Teacher Megan Said: “Get a keyboard with touch-sensitive keys or what are called weighted keys, and at least one pedal-the damper pedal. Some brands have several choices of damper pedal: OK, Good and Best. Get Best. If a soft pedal is available and you are planning on playing classical music, get it. Get a full sized keyboard unless you envision playing nothing but classic rock and roll. The record function is a great addition. Everything else is up to your taste and budget. Generally, the more you pay, the more realistic the instrument will be. Really high-end digital pianos cost many thousands of dollars but you can do well for under $1000.00."

Piano Teacher Emily Eliot Said: “I have truly enjoyed my Casio Privia PX-110 and recommend something like it all my students. It has the standard 88 keys and they are weighted so you can fell like you are playing on a traditional upright without paying the price for one. It also supports two pedals, includes the music stand and has a headphone jack. It has an extra pedal, power adapter and headphones. It's a great deal. While you are there take a look at stands and benches and try out several to find the one that fits your situation the best and is the most comfortable.”

It seemed that general consensus among teachers was that an acoustic was best if you had access to one, but there can be some good alternatives out there as far as touch sensitive weighted keys are concerned. These pianos are generally more expensive, but if you keep your eyes out, you’ll be able to find the best piano for you.