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Last updated: 1 Feb 2022

Best Cheap Pianos

Best Overall
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Best Choice Products 61-Key Piano
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Runner-Up
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RenFox 61-Key Electric Piano Keyboard
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Honorable Mention
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Alesis Recital 88-Key Digital Piano
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Also Consider
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Donner DEK-610 61-Key Keyboard Piano
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By Camilla Haywood
Published 6:38 pm

If you’ve ever listened to a beautiful, piano-as-the-main-track song, having just the right stereo-width, subtle reverb, and beautifully mixed, accurately-sibilanced, and presence-showered vocals, you’d know what all a piano is capable of. If you’re somebody who can sing and wants to learn an instrument – we’d suggest you go with a piano. Although guitar carries that cool-dude vibe, a piano has a fuller sound, allowing you to practice your vocals and polish your art with a much higher level of intricacy. In this article, we’ve put together a list of the top pianos in 2022 – they’re not full-sized grand pianos but rather a few of the excellent keyboards in the market.

If you’re a beginner, you’d probably like to start slow and build a grip on a beginner-to-intermediate instrument instead of going all-in on $25,000 worth of piano.

The Best Piano of 2022

1

Best Choice Products 61-Key Piano

– Best Overall
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THE SCOOP

This 61 key piano features LED lights for a brighter look. It is perfect for beginners, features 61 keys, 255 timbres, 50 demo songs, 32 types of keyboard percussion, and a starting tempo of 120 bpm. There are three teaching modes—one-key, follow, and ensemble mode—that provide lessons for novice players. It has an LCD display as well as a light-up key option that helps the learners build a grip on it faster! It has a USB port that allows you to plug a USB in and play the piano along with songs stored on a USB!

Pros
  • It’s excellent for teaching – excellent for learners, both adults or kids
  • It comes with an H style keyboard stand, music stand, and padded stool
  • It has 61 keys, giving you room to grow as a pianist
Cons
  • It doesn’t teach you to play with both hands – only teaches your right hand
2

RenFox 61-Key Electric Piano Keyboard

– Runner-Up
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THE SCOOP

This electric piano has 61 keys, comes with a music stand, and a microphone for teaching exercises. The smooth surface and fine workmanship will not harm children’s hands. It has an LED display that indicates what pace you should play so beginners or kids can learn to play the keyboard more easily and quickly. 

Moreover, it offers 16 tones, 8 percussions, 5 melodies, 6 demos, and a song record/play function that comes in handy during parties and karaoke nights! It comes with a built-in, rechargeable battery that can last you for up to 10 hours. It comes with the required instructions for setup and learning as well – we love it!

Pros
  • It sort of helps integrate music into a game so children can have fun while playing
  • Comes with a microphone and music stand
  • It has a battery timing of up to 10 hours
Cons
  • It’s good for absolute beginners and may not serve you well if you’re a tad bit experienced or used to playing better
3

Alesis Recital 88-Key Digital Piano

– Honorable Mention
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THE SCOOP

If you’re looking for a piano that’s above that ‘beginner phase’, this is the piano you should put a pin on!

This is a full-sized, 88 key digital piano keyboard with a built-in chorus, reverb, and two built-in 20W speakers that deliver crystal clear, room filling sound. Connectivity covered 14-inch sustain pedal input (not included), 14-inch stereo headphone output for private practice, and stereo RCA outputs for connection to speakers or amplifiers. The keyboard features 88 premium full-sized semi-weighted keys with adjustable touch response to suit your preferred playing style. It comes with 128 note max polyphony and Skoove 3-month premium subscription for expert interactive online piano lessons!

Pros
  • It comes with a metronome and you can run the lessons with it
  • It’s very light, easy to cart around, and comes at an excellent price
  • Has a surprising similar feel to a real upright piano
Cons
  • Some keys may be marginally tad bit closer than others
4

Donner DEK-610 61-Key Keyboard Piano

– Also Consider
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THE SCOOP

This electronic piano comes with a stool, a microphone, a music stand, and a keyboard stand. It is also compact and lightweight, making it easy to transport.

It’s a small and light keyboard with a three-dimensional surround sound and 61 keys. It comes with a dual power supply mode; 6D batteries or AC power. Moreover, it features innovative chord modes, stereo sound speakers, metronome, vibrato, delay, and more! 

Pros
  • It comes with a microphone and all the required stands so you don’t have to buy them separately
  • It’s available in a 37-key option two in case you’re buying it for a newbie kid
Cons
  • It doesn’t come with a manual that guides about various options and sounds in the keyboard
5

YAMAHA P71 88-Key Digital Piano

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THE SCOOP

This 88 keys Yamaha piano is a great choice for anyone looking for a full-sized piano with a quality playing experience.

The Yamaha P71 has 88 fully weighted piano-style keys that simulate the feel of an acoustic piano! It features 10 different voices, including digitally sampled tones from real acoustic grand pianos. The dual-mode lets you combine 2 voices together, like piano and strings. When it comes to design, this one’s a slim and stylish piece with a depth of less than 12 inches, weighing only 25 pounds!

Pros
  • It’s compact, lightweight, and authentic (feels like an acoustic/grand piano) to the touch
  • It has a USB port, a sustain jack, and a headphone jack
Cons
  • It doesn’t have MIDI but the USB port can get the job done
6

Casio SA-76 44-Key Mini Piano

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THE SCOOP

This 44 key mini keyboard is perfect for traveling musicians who want to use their portable keyboard for long periods. It comes with five percussion pads, 100 sounds, and 50 rhythm patterns – the amp output is 0.8 watts. It’s got an easy-to-read LCD display so it’s not like you won’t be using it – it’s a handy feature. A simple tone selection can be made using the organ tone button or melody on/off function.

However, keep in mind that it doesn’t come with an adapter so you have to buy one from your local music store if you want to use this as a piano tuner!

Pros
  • You’ll like the LCD display if you’re a beginner since it shows what note are you playing
  • It has 5 dedicated buttons for drum/percussion sounds
Cons
  • It doesn’t come with an adapter and that’s kind of a hassle
7

RIF6 Electric 61 Key Piano

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THE SCOOP

This 61-key electric piano has two learning modes that make it suitable for both beginners and advanced players. It features 300 tones, 300 rhythms, and 50 demo songs. You can use the optional percussion and drum sound kit to maintain a beat as you play along!

It comes with a keyboard stand, padded piano stool, and a 9V DC adapter. You may also run it with 8 rechargeable D size or alkaline batteries. Moreover, it gives you two teaching function modes that allow you to learn popular songs and practice your chords! 

Pros
  • It has a foldable X-Style Piano Stand, foldable stool, headphones, and a sheet music stand
  • It’s plug and play, has a built-in recording function, and is best value for money
Cons
  • The sheet music stand is pretty flimsy
  • If you’re expecting to touch up on your classical piano skills on this keyboard – do not
8

Hamzer 61-Key Electronic Piano

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THE SCOOP

This 61 key electric piano features a heavy-duty steel frame and comes with a high-quality microphone, keyboard stand, and sticker sheet.

It offers an excellent sound with over 300 rhythms, percussions, and song demonstrations. Moreover, it’s a 61-key piano so you’ll have all the room you need to grow as a pianist. It comes with a headphone as well as a microphone jack, the record and playback features allow you to play the music and sing along! It has a dual power mode, it’s easy to transport since it doesn’t weigh much, and the stand it comes with offers excellent height adjustment. We think it’s a great deal to get your hands on at this price! 

 

Pros
  • It comes with a great quality microphone as well as an adjustable height stand
  • It features additional selling points; tempo adjustments, rhythm sync and fill-in, accompanying volume, and a master control
Cons
  • It’s a good piano to start with but sounds tinny (not very authentic to the sound)
9

RockJam 61 Key Keyboard Piano

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THE SCOOP

This 61-keys keyboard has an LCD display panel, over 180 rhythms, teaching functions, tones, and demo songs! It comes with a record and playback functionality, allowing you to layer your sound. 

It comes with a padded seat and an adjustable keyboard stand. Design-wise, this good boy is compact, portable, and can be powered by either batteries or main power. The best part? It comes with a cool, good-quality pair of headphones that you’ll fall in love with!

Pros
  • Comes with a music stand, keyboard stand, stool, and headphones
  • It’s available in a touch display model as well
  • You can connect a microphone with it, record, playback, layer sounds, and sing along
Cons
  • No option for addition of a sustain pedal

Best Pianos Buying Guide

When it comes to buying an instrument, you’ll often have an encounter with a variety of products out there. It’s the same with pianos and if you’re new, it’s completely alright to get overwhelmed by the plethora of cool keyboards available out there.

You don’t know what kinds of effects you’re looking for, you’re constantly confused by the number of different keys in each piano, you aren’t sure whether you need a keyboard stand or you can make do without one.

Don’t worry because we’ve got your back and we’ll try to cover it all for you in this buying guide. Let’s start by introducing you to all the cool types of pianos out there so you aren’t missing out.

What Are The Different Types Of Pianos?

Pianos are normally broken down into three primary categories:

Grand Pianos

As suggested by the name, these are the grand pianos that you find in hotel lobbies – people who can afford these elite boys have them in their drawing/living rooms. They’re grand, have a grander voice, and any musician out there would die to have one of these in their home! Having one of these bad boys will cost you at least $7000.

Upright Pianos

The upright pianos are a bit small than grand pianos. You’d usually find them placed against a wall. They’re usually overlapped with the grand pianos since there’s mainly only the size difference between the two. An upright piano will easily cost you 3000 bucks at the very least.

Digital Pianos

A digital piano costs anywhere between $500 - $2000 – the low-end, beginner models can cost even less! As a beginner, it’s completely alright to start between the $150 - $500 price and move up from there.

The digital pianos are also referred to as keyboards since they look like a computer keyboard – a plastic/metal slate with dozens of keys and a couple of cool sound effects!

Things To Consider When Buying A Piano

There are a couple of things you look into when getting a piano. If you’re a newbie and not sure where to start, here are a few factors to get you going:

Keys/Size

A full-sized piano has 88 keys - you’ll find digital pianos with 88, 61, 54, and even only 44 keys at times. The majority of the songs out there do not use more than 5 octaves so a keyboard with 61-64 keys is more than enough. Anything less than that and you may not be able to grow as a pianist.

So, if your plan is to grow as a pianist quickly, we’d suggest you get your hands on a piano with over 64 keys.

Purpose

If you’re a somewhat experienced pianist or perhaps a music producer looking for a certain kind of sound for their track, you’ll need to make sure you’ve got the right kind of XLR/USB connectivity to suit your setup.

Similarly, if you’re a parent buying a budget piano for your kid, there’s no reason to spend over 200 bucks.

Budget

Pianos can cost a fortune and you don’t want to buy an expensive one unless you’re absolutely sure that’s what you want. Therefore, be very solid about your current budget and finalize a purchase within. The suggestion is to have a price cap in your mind and choose the best possible piano you can get under it.

Touch Response

Touch response refers to the key sensitivity – how quickly and sensitively the keys are pressed. Although it’s a matter of personal preference, you don’t want your keys to be highly stiff but you don’t want them as light as air either.

Sound

When it comes to digital pianos, what you hear is actually the recorded sounds of upright/grand pianos. You want to make sure that the sounds recorded are good-quality as well as the output. When you couple it with the various effects, you want to make sure you get a good sound and not an overly synthetic one.

How Much Should I Expect To Invest In A Good Piano?

As we’ve described above, if you’re planning on buying a digital piano, you can get a great deal in the $400 - $2000 range. If you’re looking for budget buys, the digital pianos listed here will serve you well!

For the high-end grand/upright pianos, you should expect to pay $5000 - $10,000 for a purchase that will last you long!

Best Piano FAQ

Q: How do I clean a dirty piano?

A: You can clean your piano by applying a damp cloth to the keys and then wiping dirt away using a soft, microfiber cloth. You should avoid letting any moisture get into the piano, whether electric or not, as this could damage the instrument. If you have large, heavy, deep scratches, then you should leave the service and cleaning to a professional.

Q: Can I learn a piano on a 54 keys keyboard?

A: You can play a plethora of tones and even sing a bunch of songs with a 54-key keyboard. However, if you're talking about learning all the wizardry that goes into a piano - you may end up missing out on some of it if you've got a 54-key keyboard. If you're serious about it, you should get your hands on an 88-key digital keyboard or at least a keyboard with 61 keys.

Q: What is the cheapest and quickest way to learn piano?

A: Well, there are really cool applications out there that can help you learn piano on your smartphone. It's nowhere near to the original experience but it's a fine point to start from. We suggest moving forward with a Garageband on your iPhone and a couple of YouTube lessons - you'll come back thanking us!

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By Camilla Haywood
Within the city limits of NOLA, you may find Camilla hammering away on her 88, playing anything from old jazz to modern country music. Camilla's goal is to one day open a piano studio in New Orleans where she can teach the black and whites and other common jazz instruments to enthusiastic students. Ms. Haywood hopes to bring instruments to old and new musicians alike, reviewing pianos, orchestral instruments, and other products that make her tap her fingers to the beats.
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