The Best Electronic Piano Keyboard for Piano Lessons

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Can you really use an electronic piano keyboard to learn the piano? Here is a look at some of the pros and cons.

What is an Electronic Piano Keyboard?

The electronic keyboard, simply called "keyboard," comes at many sizes and prices. It is lightweight, portable, and relatively inexpensive (at least compared to an acoustic piano). It is often sold separately from its stand compared to a digital piano.

As with all technology, there are new innovations all the time, so it's an exciting market (and hard to keep up!).

Pedals

Electronic keyboards are usually sold without pedals, but you can buy a separate pedal that you just connect with a cable.

Keys

An electronic piano keyboard also has a choice of fewer keys than a regular digital or acoustic piano, around 60-80 keys, and the keys are also sometimes smaller than a traditional piano.

But times are changing, and there are more and more electronic keyboards with a choice of a whole 88 keys keyboard, which I strongly recommend for any serious pianist, beginner or not.

Touch Control

It is important to consider that some electronic keyboards have no “touch control.” That is, you can not play loud and soft by pressing the keys heavier or lighter.

For learning piano, remember to get a keyboard with touch control to be able to play music with dynamic changes!

Speakers

Some keyboards have inbuilt speakers, and others are connected with speakers. Like the “stage piano,” which is intended to be used... on a stage(!) and connected to large speakers.

For home use, it usually is better to get a keyboard with inbuilt speakers. Remember to pick up a nice pair of headphones as well!

Types of Piano Keyboards

Portable Keyboards

This is a general term for electronic keyboards. Many of these are usable for home use. Look for an electronic piano keyboard model with:

Touch control (so you can play loud and soft).
Full keyboard with 88 keys.
Weighted keys (not so light and “fluffy” but more like an acoustic piano). Pedal.
Note stand.
Inbuilt speakers,
and if possible, “sampled” sound which has been recorded -sampled- from an acoustic piano.

Foldable Piano Keyboard

If you're looking for a piano to bring to the summerhouse, here is the newest on the market! Foldable pianos- imagine! What a valuable thing for people like me, who have hesitated to go visit elsewhere, since I just had to practice!😆

Stage Piano

Like the name says, a stage piano is meant to be used on stage. This is an instrument usually used by professional musicians. It usually has no speakers since they are intended to be connected with amplifiers and speakers on stage. But there are some with inbuilt speakers available.

Workstation

This keyboard is meant to be used by professionals or amateurs to compose and record with a computer. Since it's used more for composing music and creating sounds, there is no need for an 88 key keyboard. There is a wide price range here, depending on your level of expertise and the type of music you compose.

Synthesizer

A synthesizer is an instrument where you create sounds. It is used by professional composers or in bands, for example, to create specific sound styles.

Digital Piano

Many piano keyboards are now called digital pianos. Digital pianos are a great alternative to an acoustic upright or grand. The border between a portable digital piano and an electronic piano keyboard is getting more and more blurred as the quality improves all the time.

Piano Keyboards for Piano Lessons

Here I have picked a few lower-priced quality piano keyboards that would be suitable for piano lessons for beginners. They all have a full keyboard with 88 keys, touch control, and weighted keys for a more pianistic "feel." Make sure to get a pedal as well if it's not included.