Best Cheap Keyboard/Pianos That Are Actually Good

Whether you are a  seasoned keyboard player, a beginner who has started falling in love with the keyboards or looking forward to upgrading a keyboard, your budget will dictate the model and brand you will buy. There are different models available on the market. Despite most having higher price tags, you will still come across affordable keyboards that match your budget.  To help you navigate the best cheap piano/keyboards with great quality, we have compiled a guide for you with a good number of excellent instruments for you. 

Most of our picks feel like acoustic pianos, while some have a synthesiser vibe at the same time. Some will instruct you how to play, and others will enable you to utilise multiple sounds and apply them in your performances. Features may vary from one keyboard to another, but different manufacturers work hard to ensure you get a quality piano. As technology advances, most brands are adding more enhanced and interesting functionalities.

On our list, we favoured keyboards with the following features:

  • Full-sized keys
  • Velocity or pressure response
  • Great piano sound
  • At least 61 keys

These are not challenging prerequisites to satisfy, but they are critical if you plan to be a professional pianist. The recent development of mini-keys is suitable for kids or fun, as they feel more like toys. However, they lack velocity or pressure response.

Nothing challenges the feel of hammer actions and weighted keys. Being in a position to vary between fortissimo and pianissimo is a basic requirement. With great samples, you will be able to hear the difference in dynamics. To get a keyboard that will allow you to practice with both left and right hands, you need a piano/keyboard with many keys. The more keys, the better the keyboard is. The ideal number of keys is a full-range: an 88-key keyboard.

Factors to consider before buying an ideal piano/keyboard

There are things that you ought to look out for before purchasing a piano/keyboard. However, these factors will depend on your priorities. Once you establish your budget, there are other important things to consider. Here are a few things to consider:

1. Size

The size of the piano is directly related to the number of keys it has. A full instrument with 88 keys will be a bit larger because of the fitting of the keys. However, sometimes you might not need all the 88 keys to play your piano. Some models have 76 keys, which qualify it as a medium-sized model, while others may be smaller with just 61 keys. What will matter the most when it comes to keyboard size is whether you will be required to travel with it or just for home use. If it is for home use, you might opt for a  piano with all 88 keys, but if you will be required to travel with your keyboard, a smaller keyboard will be appropriate. 

2. Presets

One of the benefits of using keyboard pianos is that they help you develop a wider range of sounds than when you use an acoustic piano. But, the model you will pick will have a big influence on what you can create. Most keyboards come with a lot of pre-programmed sounds, preset songs, demos, and drum rhythms. Some even come with built-in presets for instructions. When choosing a perfect piano, pay attention to the number of programs that come with the piano.

3. Accessories

There are necessities that you need to have to make your playing more comfortable and flexible. Things like a keyboard stool, stand, headphones, and a sustain pedal are very essential. Check whether the keyboard package you want to pick comes with those accessories, or you will have to buy them separately, which is a hassle. 

Our best cheap keyboards/pianos that are good

YAMAHA PSRE273 Portable Keyboard, Black

Product description

Yamaha Keyboard PSR-E273 Portable Keyboard is all you want if you want a keyboard that will motivate you to keep playing. It is created with a great design that helps you improve your piano playing skills. With this keyboard, every note you play, performing or practising, becomes an experience. The piano has a quiz mode: Guess the Note that allows you to learn different scales in fun and easier ways without getting bored. 

The keyboard is designed with 401 instrument sounds,112 practice songs, and 143 accompaniment styles, enabling an aspiring musician to be more creative. This lightweight keyboard is a lightweight keyboard that weighs 4.0 kg, meaning you can effortlessly move it from one place to another. It comes in black and with 61 keys. 

Yamaha, as a keyboard brand, is well-recognised for offering high-quality products. Their musical instruments focus on what matters to instrumentalists by allowing them to express themselves and impact the listener and player freely. It helps instrumentalists to be more creative in creating quality sounds and music

Main features

Below are the key features of this keyboard:

  • It has a lightweight and ultraportable design.
  • The number of keys is 61.
  • The keyboard has 32 notes which you can play simultaneously.
  • The duo mode enables the learner and teacher to share the keyboard for more interactive lessons.
  • Yamaha Education Suite and the quiz mode make learning, practising, and performing more fun.
  • The music rest is included to support the music sheet.

Why we have chosen it

Well, the price of this keyboard makes it one of the cheapest keyboards on our list, especially being an instrument professional would consider. Despite its price, this piano is packed with a wide range of sounds and effects that will enhance your skills and preferences. There are more than 400 instrument voices that include a classic and carefully sampled Grand Piano sound, an array of electric pianos, drum sounds, and various sound effects. All these features provide you with everything you need to improve your skills and compose high-quality sounds or music. 

This piano has a set of built-in speakers and headphones input to allow you to practice and perform whatever you like. Different functions also have been equipped into the Yamaha PSR-E273 Portable Keyboard that helps you learn faster and better. “The Guess note” feature and other lesson functions encourage learning by allowing learners to learn at their peace, should they need to take the lessons. 

This piano has a compact and lightweight design which enables the user to make it from one area to another without struggle. As its name suggests, this piano is ultraportable, and you can effortlessly transport it to your different playing stations. 

Read reviews

One of the most effective ways to know whether this product will meet your needs or not is by reading reviews. They will act as a guide on what to expect once you purchase this keyboard. You will also know whether its lower price means its quality is compromised. All in all, this product has excellent ratings, which is enough evidence that most people are satisfied with the services offered by this keyboard. On the other hand, some buyers feel that there are areas that need some improvements, and they have rated this product lowly. Read reviews from different avenues before picking this keyboard to know its strengths and weaknesses first. 

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Roland Go:Piano Go-61P Digital Piano, Wireless Smartphone Connection, Black

Product description

Roland Go-61P will allow you to learn unlimited lessons and songs right from your smartphone. It is a battery-powered piano that will enable you to use it in places without any electricity connection. Also, this keyboard has a compact design to make it more portable. It is designed with built-in speakers, and headphones support function. This piano is mostly ideal for students. With its standard full-size keys, and 61-notes, and expressive touch responses, it will allow you to play better.  For enhanced practice and performance, the keyboard is equipped with transpose, metronome, and recording features. 

It is always annoying to practice on a keyboard that does not feel like the actual piano. Unlike regular portable keyboards with lightweight synthesiser keys, this keyboard offers an expressive touch that gives you a similar feel to a grand piano. With the help of a smartphone, you can make music anywhere when inspiration strikes. With its battery-powered operation, you will not need an electricity connection to perform. You can opt to play music through the speakers or the headphones provided and a wireless connection to your smartphone. This allows you to quickly set up a learning session at any place and time.

When you are practising alone, you can easily lose focus.GO: PIANO keeps you focused throughout the entire learning period. It helps you access many learning tools and resources that motivate you to learn more. The metronome will help you build your timing techniques or transfer a different pitch to enhance your songwriting skills. 

The onboard recorder enables you to capture your performance and assist you in evaluating your progress. The great tunes produced by this piano make you want to keep playing. This keyboard offers you a wide range of sounds derived from Roland’s acclaimed pianos. The acoustic piano feel brought by this keyboard brings dynamics to your performance, pushing you to improve and grow your skills faster. In addition, GO: PIANO includes organs, electric piano, and other sounds, allowing you to explore various styles of music. 

Main features

The following are the key selling components of this keyboard:

  • It is designed with responsive sounds, which gives you a similar experience to a grand piano, allowing you to improve and grow your piano skills faster.
  • The keyboard comes with excellent learning features, which makes your learning easy.
  • It has a recording feature where you can record all your performances and learning progress.
  • It has a compact design, which makes it more portable.
  • The cordless feature allows you to perform anywhere as it is battery-powered with built-in speakers and headphones. 

Why we have chosen it

This product is a contender for the best cheap keyboard/piano because it is very affordable with great features to offer. Roland GO: PIANO features 61 full-size keys with a pack of great sounds, which include electro piano, drum sounds, organ, and some acclaimed Roland piano sounds. The realistic feel of the touch response makes sure your keyboard responds accurately to your different playing dynamics. Also, this will allow you to effectively learn each note. 

The wireless connectivity makes it easy to connect your piano to your tablets, computers, or smartphones via Bluetooth function when you are learning Skoove lessons, steam music, and use different Roland piano apps. With this keyboard, you will never have to worry about moving it. It is a battery and AC adaptor-powered instrument with headphones function and built-in speakers which allow you to play anytime you want. 

This keyboard gives you an equivalent feel to a traditional acoustic piano. Once you learn to use this piano, it will be very easy to transition to a grand piano. Also, this keyboard is ideal for students and professionals. It does not discriminate against your level of piano knowledge; hence it allows everyone to use it. 

Read reviews

Reading reviews give you a different view of any product away from what the manufacturer makes you see. Reviews vary from positive to negative. What makes reviews vary is that there is no particular product that can be satisfactory to all. Some may like it while others may not want to buy it ever again. These divergent opinions help potential buyers learn more about the strengths and weaknesses of products online without even physically seeing them or touching them.

YAMAHA P-45B Digital Piano - Light and Portable Piano for Hobbyists and Beginners, in Black

Product description

This is an instrument that provides authentic acoustic sounds in a simple design. It comes in a compact design, which makes it a portable keyboard. It is slim with a lightweight design, making it ideal for taking the keyboard wherever you go. You carry all your music and creativity with you. This full-size keyboard gives a graded hammer standard 88-keys and ten high-quality voices. It feels like an acoustic piano or a sweet electric one, which makes playing more realistic and fun. The package comes with one portable piano, pedal, a USB, AC adaptor, and owner’s manual.

The enhanced advanced wave memory (AWM) technology allows you to generate more tones, giving you more realistic grand piano sound features. The single-button operation enables you to configure your instrument wherever you are easily. This keyboard allows you to connect it with other devices. You can connect it to your headphones when you want to practice quietly. Also, you can use a USB-to-host connection to link your keyboard to your computer or smartphone to use music software, apps, and other programs.

 You can learn more keyboard techniques using one of the most engaging Yamaha apps. Once you purchase a Yamaha keyboard, you automatically receive a three-month course which helps you learn different songs and styles faster and more effectively. All you have to do is register your instrument on the Yamaha website.

Main features

Below are the main features of the Yamaha P-45B keyboard:

  • This keyboard offers you an authentic acoustic piano feel.
  • It comes packed with all the 88-keys, which allows you to play it just like an acoustic piano.
  • It has ten great-quality voices.
  • Its slim, compact, and lightweight design makes it more portable. 
  • The keyboard allows you to learn more with its three months course.

Why we have chosen it

We have included the Yamaha P45 Digital piano here as an honourable mention. Although it is not as cheap as other keyboards on our list, we consider it cheap because of what it offers. In addition, its brand name and such a price tag is something we would consider cheap. Yamaha keyboards are being used all over the world and their reputation is something that makes them sell even more. You should budget for this piano as you will get the value for your money.

With Yamaha P45 Digital Piano Keyboard, you will get ten lush voices, ten piano songs, ten voice demo songs, and a host of easily explored settings to enhance your sounds. One of the interesting things about this keyboard is that the Yamaha P45 features an 88 key Graded Hammer Standard keyboard (GHS) with great touch sensitivity. This feature motivates learners by giving them a realistic feel similar to an acoustic piano. The keys become heavier as you go lower on the register. 

Another important thing we considered is the design of this piano. It is slim and compact, which allows you to take it anywhere with you. Also, this feature makes it easier to store it, and it takes less space in your studio or home. Once you buy this piano, you will have access to a three-month program to teach you different keyboard skills that will take you to the next level, especially if you are a beginner.

Read reviews

If you want to get more information about this product, read reviews. They will present you with new things that the manufacturer doesn’t tell you. Amazon allows buyers to give feedback about their experience with the products they buy from them. Different buyers have different opinions about these products as different buyers have different priorities. This is why products satisfy some buyers and are unsatisfactory to others at the same time. Divergent views allow you to see all sides of a product even before buying it.

This keyboard has positive and negative reviews. Some reviewers agree with what the manufacturer says about the product, while some are stating the drawbacks of this keyboard, telling you why you should not buy it. Although most reviews are excellent, pay attention to negative ones too.

Alesis Recital Pro - Digital Piano Keyboard with 88 Weighted Hammer Action Keys, 12 Premium Voices and Built-In Speakers

Product description

Alesis Recital Pro – Digital Electric Piano / Keyboard is tailored for you. It has 88 full-sized weighted hammer action keys which have adjustable touch responses. This feature allows you to play your most preferred style. It comes packed with 12 voices, including acoustic piano, synth, electric piano organ, and bass. It is equipped with powerful 20 speakers for decent, clear, and room-filling sound for more enhanced sounds. 

The keyboard is powered by six D cell batteries though not included in the package or a power adapter. The battery element allows you to play the piano anywhere you go.  This keyboard also forms a powerful educational tool for anyone looking forward to learning piano skills. The features that make it suitable for learners include split element, record function, and a standard piano. In addition, it has a three-month Skoove premium subscription which gives you an ample opportunity to engage with professionals online for faster growth. Moreover, there are other 60 Free Virtual Lessons from Melodics to sharpen your skills for any kind of sounds you would like to master.

Main features

The following are the main features of this piano:

  • It has full-sized keys with weighted hammer actions for greater responses.
  • It can get its power from a power adapter or six D cell batteries allowing you to play your piano anywhere you go.
  • It has standard, powerful, and high-end educational features which enable beginners and instrumentalists who want to improve their skills to learn better and faster.
  • The sound quality of this piano is excellent.

Why we have chosen it

The first thing to notice once you open the box is this instrument’s sheer weight, which is 14.8 kg. It is not the kind of keyboard you would carry anywhere you go as it will be suitable for playing at a single station. Its weight makes it more stable once you set it up on its stand, and it would hardly slide or jiggle around once you get carried away while performing. 

The manufacturer’s excellent and detailed description and owner’s guide helps you understand the piano basics better. This simple keyboard piano is not equipped with excess rhythms, voices, and functions that sometimes can be confusing and distracting and not always necessary, advisable, or useful. However, the limited set of voices are carefully chosen to ensure you get all the voices you need to make different music. 

We would like to stress this keyboard’s usefulness, effectiveness, and ease of use. With its single function control, you will easily control different features of this piano. You can easily adjust various features such as the volume of the metronome, the bpm, the type of chorus, reverb, Hi/Lo volume, the preferred EQ balance, modulation to be applied, and the touch sensitivity of your keys. To adjust, you will just need to select the parameter that needs to be changed and press the “Function”; it is that simple. 

The hammer actions with weighted keyboard experience make you feel like you are using a grand piano. This experience shouldn’t surprise you, as this keyboard is meant to make you feel like you are using a traditional acoustic piano. With this keyboard, you can vary the strength of the keys. This feature makes it very valuable, especially for newbies or those transferring from keyboards with mini-sized keys or other smaller instruments. 

According to our research, when it comes to the quality of sound, this keyboard is an excellent option. It has options that allow you to use your instruments with separate amplifiers and headphones. The headphones function will enable you to practice quietly or regulate the amount of volume produced by built-in speakers to give you the sound you need for home use. If you want to use your keyboard for performing in public, you will need an amplifier to increase the volume and the range of sound. The built-in speakers provide excellent sound quality without distortion, and you can easily adjust their volumes with the Function button. 

Read reviews

Learn more about this product by reading its reviews. Different buyers and users have a lot to say about this product. They all present their own independent and honest experiences with this product. Some recommend this product to other potential buyers, while others explain why the product did not satisfy them. Despite a few negative comments, most buyers seem to recommend this product. Different opinions enable you to see different sides of this keyboard. You will also be in a position to know the strengths and the shortcomings and weigh out your different options.

Sale
RockJam 88 Key Digital Piano Keyboard Piano with Full Size Semi-Weighted Keys, Power Supply, Sheet Music Stand, Piano Note Stickers & Simply Piano Lessons

Product description

RockJam 88 digital piano keyboard has 88 full-sized 88, velocity-sensitive, and weighted goods. It is designed with modern features and ten outstanding voices, including a grand piano, electric keyboard piano, strings, bass, synth, guitar, church organ, Percussion, and Hammond organ. The in-built speakers of this keyboard offer a powerful 24 Watts of sound. If you want to practice quietly, the headphones input allows you to perform without disturbing others. 

This piano keyboard includes numerous inputs, including a USB input that enables you to play your favourite song, the sustain pedal input, soft-pedal input, seven-pin sostenuto pedal input, and a microphone connector. Other essentials that come with this keyboard include a music stand, exclusive content from Simply Piano, piano note stickers, Android, and IOS applications. All these external features of this piano help you learn, practice and perform better. They are all playing fundamentals.

Main features

Below are the main selling areas of this piano:

  • Gamified learning has turned the piano learning process enjoyable, engaging, and fun, and it is effective for people of all ages.
  • It has full-sized 88 weighted, velocity-sensitive keys that give you a similar experience to a traditional acoustic keyboard. 
  • The keyboard allows you to play different music genres.
  • The Simply Piano App gives you all you need to learn and play your favourite song using IOS and Android platforms.

Why we have chosen it

This piano is outstanding among the best keyboards that can be considered cheap, and it performs exemplarily. With this piano, you are guaranteed quality sounds and a variety of sounds that will help you create or play your favourite music. Different voices are appropriate for different occasions, making this piano a flexible one and a piano for all. 

Using this piano, you will get the same taste and feel as an acoustic piano. It is designed with full-sized 88 weighted keys with velocity sensitivity for a great experience. When you learn piano skills with this piano, you will find it easier when transitioning to a grand piano or an acoustic one. 

The enhanced connectivity is another feature that impressed us. During your privacy practices, you would want a keyboard that will allow you to play the piano without disturbing others. This instrument has a headphone input where you can use your headphones for quiet and more private practice. Other connectivity features include the USB, sustain pedal input, soft-pedal input, seven-pin sostenuto pedal input, and a microphone connector. All help in making the piano more flexible with other devices.

When buying a keyboard, there are other things that you need to make your playing more relaxing, engaging, fun, and fulfilling. This keyboard package comes with a music stand, exclusive content from Simply Piano, piano note stickers, and Android and IOS applications. A piano product with all these fundamental features reduces the hassle of having to buy them separately; you buy everything as a whole package. 

Read reviews

Read reviews to make a better decision before buying this keyboard. This product has great ratings and reviews, which clearly reflects that most buyers are satisfied with what it offers. Read both positive and negative reviews to get different sides of this product.

You must have noticed that there are products with higher prices than others. Our products are what you would consider reasonable and best; our main aim is to give you the best of the best keyboard options at lower prices. To pick the best choice that meets your needs, you should first understand why you are buying the keyboard, for example, whether it needs to be a portable instrument, whether you are a professional or a beginner, etc. These factors will determine the kind of piano to pick. Ensure you take your time to research the best cheap keyboard to pick the best option for you.

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