Can anyone recommend a digital piano or keyboard for a beginner that is not expensive?

-- Kristen Jones (kristen@mail2woman.com), May 26, 2002

Answers

There's a huge difference between a keyboard and digital piano. Keyboards can be purchased for as little as $99 (Yamaha entry-level), but if you are able to afford a digital piano, that's the way you should go! Digital pianos have more of the action and feel of an acoustic piano; keyboards just don't cut it, although many of them have a "touch" feature which is supposed to resemble the weighted keys. It doesn't even come close to it and can be actually be annoying. I'm only familiar with some of the Yamaha digitals. I purchased a YDP101S from "www.music123.com" for $999 (w/free shipping, no tax). The clavinovas are better, but start arou

-- alexandra (alidoremi@aol.com), May 27, 2002.

In order of price & quality (in the portable ones) Korg SP-100 Yamaha P-80 Kawai MP-9000

I would have a preference for the P-80 although it is not the best one : It is extremely light, it's action is greatly balanced and it sounds pretty good.

The MP-9000 on the other hand has an as-near-as-it-can-be piano sound and a mechanical action of the same level but it is the same price as some entry-level real pianos.

The Sp-100 is a bit cheaper than the p-80 but is far below that standard. (the p-80 from yamaha is about 1300 CAN$ so approx. 850 US$)

It is important to have a wheighted action keyboard since it is impossible to learn piano on an unbalanced keyboard.

-- Olivier Cyr (soran94@hotmail.com), June 07, 2002.