Learning to play the piano is a rewarding journey, and starting with the right instrument is crucial for beginners, especially children. With experience playing on upright pianos, baby grands, and digital pianos, and as a piano teacher for over 17 years, I often get asked: “What’s the best piano for beginner students?”. Based on my teaching and playing experience, I’ve found what I believe is the ideal piano for those just starting out.
So, what is the best piano for beginners? The Casio Privia PX-160 is my top recommendation for a beginner piano player. It boasts a full set of 88 keys, is weighted to mimic the feel of an acoustic piano, and represents the perfect entry-level instrument for anyone starting their piano journey.
But why recommend a digital keyboard over traditional acoustic pianos like grand or upright models? And what makes the Casio Privia PX-160 stand out? Let’s explore these questions.
Digital Keyboard vs. Grand Piano vs. Upright Piano
In my own home, I’ve been fortunate to have an upright acoustic piano, a baby grand piano, and a digital piano all in the same space. It was a dream setup! I would simply walk into the room and smile, surrounded by my favorite instrument in three different forms. You can see them in the picture! My house isn’t huge, so imagine the surprise on people’s faces when they walked in and saw not one, not two, but three pianos! I loved it.
My point is, I’ve had ample opportunity to experience the nuances of each type: digital keyboards, upright pianos, and baby grand pianos.
My personal favorite piano to play? A grand piano, or even a baby grand. They are simply beautiful. The playability, the sound, and the responsiveness of the keys are exceptional. Every time I sit down to play a grand piano, it feels like a love affair. I truly LOVE playing on a grand piano!
However, would I recommend a grand piano for a beginner piano player? No. My reasoning comes down to three main factors: expense, space, and maintenance. For someone just starting out, a grand piano of any kind simply isn’t practical due to these significant drawbacks.
Grand Piano Disadvantages:
- Expense: New baby grand pianos typically start around the $10,000 range. Used baby grands can be found in the $5,000-$10,000 range. Grand pianos are generally about double the price of baby grands. This significant investment isn’t ideal for beginners who are still exploring their interest in piano.
- Space: Grand pianos, regardless of size, take up a considerable amount of space. Many homes simply don’t have the room, or homeowners prefer not to dedicate that much space to a piano. Their size also makes them inflexible to move. Once a grand piano is placed, moving it is a major undertaking, best left to professional piano movers.
- Maintenance: Grand pianos require regular tuning, ideally at least once a year, to maintain optimal sound and performance. A tuner will also inspect the piano’s mechanics to ensure everything is functioning correctly. Furthermore, the wooden components of the piano need regular polishing and upkeep.
Upright Piano Disadvantages:
Upright pianos are often touted as offering the high-quality sound of a grand piano in a smaller footprint. However, in my experience, they don’t quite achieve the same level of sound quality. This is largely due to the difference in hammer action. In a grand piano, hammers strike the strings horizontally, utilizing gravity for a natural and nuanced action. Upright pianos, with vertical strings and hammers, attempt to mimic this, but the hammer is “pulled” towards the string, resulting in a slightly different feel and sound. While subtle, experienced pianists can discern the difference.
Despite this, upright pianos are still a viable and good option, even for seasoned pianists. They can be excellent instruments for progressing from beginner to advanced levels, offering good sound quality and real string and hammer action.
However, I still don’t recommend them as the best option for beginner piano players due to similar issues as grand pianos: space, maintenance, and expense. And often, if an upright piano is cheap, its quality will likely reflect that.
- Space: An upright piano typically occupies about five feet in length, four to six feet in height, and two to three feet in width. While you might have a suitable wall space, consider that upright pianos are best placed against an interior wall. While not mandatory, placing them against exterior walls can expose them to temperature and humidity fluctuations, potentially damaging the internal mechanisms over time. This limits placement options.
- Maintenance: Like grand pianos, upright pianos require annual tuning and maintenance by a qualified technician. In my area, tuning costs around $100, excluding any parts replacements. Regular polishing and care of the piano’s finish are also necessary.
- Expense: While significantly less expensive than grand pianos, upright pianos can still be a considerable investment. New upright pianos can easily cost thousands of dollars, potentially reaching up to $10,000. Finding a new upright for under $1,000 is unlikely. Used upright pianos can be found for less, but caution is advised. “Free” or very cheap pianos often have hidden issues. Moving a used piano is also a significant undertaking, requiring several strong people and careful handling. It’s crucial to be wary of used pianos with unforeseen problems, as the effort of moving and potential repair costs can outweigh any initial savings.
Why a Digital Piano is Ideal for Beginners
For beginners, a digital piano emerges as the ideal choice for several compelling reasons.
#1 Mobility: Digital pianos are easily portable. This is incredibly convenient, especially for beginners who might want to experiment with different playing locations as they become comfortable with the instrument.
#2 Low Maintenance: Digital pianos never require tuning. Ever! Once purchased, they remain perfectly in tune for their entire lifespan. Maintenance is minimal to nonexistent.
#3 Headphones: The ability to use headphones is a game-changer. Headphones allow for immersive practice sessions, free from distractions, helping beginners focus and get “in the zone.” Furthermore, for households with others, headphones are invaluable for silent practice, especially important for beginners who are still developing their skills! Of course, digital pianos also have volume control, offering another layer of consideration for those nearby.
#4 Affordability: Compared to acoustic pianos, digital pianos are significantly more affordable. This makes them accessible to beginners who may be hesitant to make a large investment before committing to piano lessons.
#5 Digital Capabilities: Many digital pianos offer connectivity to apps like GarageBand, opening up creative possibilities for songwriting and arranging with virtual instruments and backing tracks. They can also connect to computers for recording compositions using notation software like Noteflight or MuseScore. Furthermore, interactive piano learning programs can be utilized, potentially supplementing or even replacing (though I still highly recommend lessons with a live teacher!) the need for a traditional instructor.
#6 Recording Feature: Self-assessment is crucial for piano practice. Digital pianos often have recording capabilities, allowing beginners to listen back to their playing, identify areas for improvement, and track their progress – an invaluable tool for effective practice.
What are the disadvantages of a digital piano? The primary drawback is that the sound is digitally sampled, not produced by live strings and hammers. While this means it’s not exactly the same as an acoustic piano, the difference is often negligible, especially for beginners. Another potential disadvantage is the key feel, which can differ from acoustic pianos. However, many high-quality digital pianos now closely simulate the weighted action of acoustic pianos. Each piano, even acoustic ones, has a slightly unique key feel, so a digital piano that effectively mimics the weighted feel is more than sufficient for learning.
It’s important to note that not all digital keyboards are created equal. Choosing a low-quality keyboard can lead to buyer’s remorse. This is precisely why I recommend the Casio Privia PX-160.
The Ideal Beginner Piano: Casio Privia PX-160
Even as a beginner, selecting the right digital keyboard is vital for success. Certain features are absolutely essential in a beginner keyboard.
Since a key disadvantage of digital keyboards is the digitally-produced sound, prioritize a digital piano that sounds as close to a real acoustic piano as possible. The Casio Privia PX-160 excels in this area. Casio claims:
Casio’s proprietary sound source, AiR (Acoustic and intelligent Resonator) provides the grand piano sounds in the PX-160. Casio meticulously recorded the sound of a 9-foot concert grand at 4 dynamic levels. The AiR engine delivers this sound with seamless dynamics for a remarkably expressive and powerful performance. Damper Resonance is simulated by AiR for uncanny realism when the damper pedal is used.
While this technical description might not be immediately meaningful, having had an upright piano, a baby grand piano, and the Casio Privia PX-160 digital piano in the same room, I can attest to the impressive sound quality of the PX-160. To my trained ear, I can still discern a difference compared to acoustic pianos, but I was genuinely impressed with the sound fidelity of the Casio Privia PX-160.
Beyond sound, another critical factor is the key feel. You need a keyboard that simulates the feel of an acoustic piano as closely as possible, both in sound and touch. A full-size keyboard with fully weighted keys is absolutely essential. Many keyboards on the market lack these features – avoid them. Smaller keyboards might suffice for the very initial stages, but beginners will quickly outgrow them within a few months.
Weighted keys are crucial because they respond to touch dynamics, playing louder or softer depending on key pressure. This is absolutely essential for developing proper piano technique from the outset. Learning to control dynamics is fundamental from the very first lesson and becomes ingrained through practice. Don’t compromise on weighted keys to save money – you’ll regret it.
The Casio Privia PX-160 includes both of these essential features: a full-size keyboard with weighted keys. For those interested in technical details:
The PX-160 utilizes Casio’s famous Tri-Sensor Scaled Hammer Action II keyboard. This action features new simulated Ebony and Ivory textured keys for an incredible feel and its three sensors capture the dynamics of a performance with unparalleled speed and accuracy. Casio’s proprietary Hammer Response feature takes into consideration the speed at which different sized hammers move inside an acoustic grand piano relative to the velocity the keys are played. This timing nuance provides the ultimate key-to-sound experience that is unmatched by the standard actions of other brands.
From my experience, I can perform all my piano exercises on the PX-160 without any noticeable sound delay. Some digital pianos struggle with rapid passages, resulting in delayed sounds, note blending, or even missed notes. I haven’t encountered this issue with the Casio Privia PX-160.
The ability to connect the PX-160 to a computer for digital music creation is a fantastic bonus. While beginners might not immediately utilize these features, they offer excellent future possibilities. This keyboard has the necessary connectivity to make these digital functionalities accessible.
Of course, one of the most appealing aspects of the Casio Privia PX-160 is its affordability. When I purchased my PX-160, the piano store described it as an “entry-level professional digital piano.” It was their most popular digital piano at the time, and it remains a top seller. This longevity speaks to its consistent quality and value. I would wholeheartedly buy it again.
While there are undoubtedly more advanced keyboards with more features and potentially even better sound and key feel, they come at a significantly higher cost. This is what makes the Casio Privia PX-160 so appealing: it’s affordable and budget-friendly while providing all the essential features, especially for beginners. It prioritizes quality where it matters most – sound and key action – over less critical features like touchscreens, which can inflate the price without significantly enhancing the core playing experience.
On a more personal note, I appreciate the PX-160’s two headphone jacks – incredibly convenient for teaching or for students playing duets. I also like the front-facing speakers and the available white finish (which is the one I own!). Just personal preferences, but they add to the overall positive experience.
The Piano for Beginners and Beyond
Another key reason I advocate for the Casio Privia PX-160 is its longevity. It’s a piano that can grow with the pianist. As an experienced player, I still thoroughly enjoy my Casio. It’s simple enough for beginners to grasp easily, yet possesses sufficient quality and features to serve even advanced players effectively.
This is a major concern with many cheaper, lower-quality digital pianos. While they might suffice for absolute beginners, they quickly become limiting. Any keyboard with fewer than 88 keys is unsustainable for piano learning. Players will need the full range of the keyboard within months, or at most, a year. Investing in cheaper, smaller keyboards is ultimately not worthwhile.
The overall quality of many budget digital pianos is also a concern. I’ve owned two other relatively inexpensive digital pianos. Despite careful maintenance, they developed problems within 3-4 months. Speaker outputs failed, headphone jacks stopped working, and keys became unresponsive. The most significant issue was the subpar sound quality, which became grating to listen to over time.
If a very basic, budget keyboard is your only option, it’s better than nothing to get started. However, if possible, investing in a quality instrument like the Casio Privia PX-160, with its superior sound and long-term durability, is a far wiser choice for anyone serious about learning piano.
PianoTels
Tel enjoys life as a piano player, teacher, and mom. Beyond piano blogging, teaching, and playing, she loves exercise classes, volunteering at her children’s school and church, and spending quality time with her husband. Read her full bio at About Tel.
