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Last updated: 15 Feb 2021

Learn to Play Piano with one of these Cheap Keyboards

Best For Beginners
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RockJam 61 Key Piano Keyboard
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Best Features
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Alesis Melody 61 MKII Portable Keyboard
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Most Portable
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Hamzer 61-Key Portable Electronic Keyboard
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Best For Learning
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Moukey MEK-200 Electric Keyboard
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Best For Traveling
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Akai Professional Standalone Mini Keyboard
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Published 1:03 pm
Show contents
  • 1 RockJam 61 Key Piano Keyboard
  • 2 Alesis Melody 61 MKII Portable Keyboard
  • 3 Hamzer 61-Key Portable Electronic Keyboard
  • 4 Moukey MEK-200 Electric Keyboard
  • 5 Akai Professional Standalone Mini Keyboard

Having a keyboard gives you the power to carry a portable piano with you anywhere, allowing you to play your favorite tunes on the go or at any location. In addition to their compact, portable design, keyboards come pre-installed with amazing features that make it very easy for you to play and record music. Keyboards are one of the most versatile instruments, especially if you're a beginner musician or just learning how to play. The following cheap keyboards have been chosen by our team for their ability to produce brilliant sound quality, amazing features, compact shape, excellent speakers, and plenty of accessories that make playing easier and more fun. Keep reading for our top picks and learn to play the piano with one of these cheap keyboards. 

Best Cheap Keyboard

1

RockJam 61 Key Piano Keyboard

– Best For Beginners
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Key Features

The compact size of this keyboard makes it very portable, although it still offers 61 keys that provide you with an excellent musical range. Also, you can power this keyboard with either a few batteries or by connecting it with the main power supply for uninterrupted playback.

THE SCOOP

A feature-packed keyboard piano with plenty of useful accessories.

Pros
  • Has an easy-reading LCD display with plenty of features for beginners, including rhythms, demo songs, and teaching functions
  • Comes with an adjustable keyboard stand, easy-folding padded seat, and padded headphones, ensuring a comfortable playing experience
Cons
  • Teaching app requires a subscription to access lessons
2

Alesis Melody 61 MKII Portable Keyboard

– Best Features
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Key Features

The top-quality integrated speakers on this keyboard piano provide exceptional feedback whenever you strike one of its highly-responsive 61 keys. The keyboard comes with 300 rhythms that are built-in, each one easily accessible through its easy user interface so you can instantly switch between tones for a great performance.

THE SCOOP

A complete keyboard kit with highly-responsive keys and easy operation.

Pros
  • Offers 40 demo songs for play-along activity, also allows you to record songs
  • Comes with helpful accessories, including an easy-assembly stand, adjustable sitting bench, headphones, and microphone
Cons
  • Microphone does not produce the best sound quality
3

Hamzer 61-Key Portable Electronic Keyboard

– Most Portable
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Key Features

There are plenty of excellent features offered by this keyboard kit, including 61 high-powered keys, an excellent range of rhythms, and brilliant-quality speakers with a headphone jack for private sessions, making it perfect for use by players of beginner to intermediate skill level through its simple yet powerful interface.

THE SCOOP

A portable keyboard with numerous accessories and built-in features.

Pros
  • Portable size that’s easy to carry, also offers battery-powered operation
  • Comes with accessories including stand, stool, headphones, and microphone
Cons
  • Does not have full-sized keys
4

Moukey MEK-200 Electric Keyboard

– Best For Learning
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Key Features

The LED screen on this keyboard makes it very easy for you to learn new tunes, and the plentiful pre-installed sounds, rhythms, and demo songs on this keyboard further enhance your playing experience.

THE SCOOP

A fully-equipped keyboard with excellent learning features and useful accessories.

Pros
  • Has high-definition speakers that produce an amazing sound output, also has a headphone jack
  • Comes with all necessary equipment, including a comfortable sitting stool, a durable stand, and power cord
Cons
  • Microphone cord measures only three feet in length, requiring you to stand very close to the keyboard to perform
5

Akai Professional Standalone Mini Keyboard

– Best For Traveling
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Key Features

Although this keyboard only has 25 keys, these are more than enough to allow the production of a wide array of rhythms, especially when combined with other features that are integrated into this keyboard such as drum kits, pre-installed sounds, and pitch/mod control.  

THE SCOOP

A phenomenally compact keyboard with 25 highly-responsive keys.

Pros
  • Impressively compact size that allows you to easily carry the keyboard almost anywhere, has a battery-powered operation
  • Highly-customisable, allows tweaking of sounds and offers many amazing features when connected with supporting software applications
Cons
  • The integrated speaker has a low volume

Best Keyboard Buying Guide

Having the right keyboard means you’re able to easily and conveniently share your talents with others, be that your family or a live audience. We know that playing in front of others might be a scary prospect, but buying a keyboard doesn’t have to be, which is why we’ve created a guide to help you understand everything you need to know.

What is the price range of keyboards?

Prices can vary depending on the keyboard that you get, but they typically range anywhere from 100 to 1,000 dollars. Beginners or casual players will find that a keyboard priced on the lower end of that range will be sufficient for their purposes, even though they won’t get all the extra bells and whistles on their keyboard, such as touch-sensitive keys. Intermediate and advanced players will more likely spend closer to 1,000 dollars for a keyboard that has the extra features they need. What’s more, the more keys a keyboard has, the more expensive they tend to be. Make sure you think about your skill level and what you want out of your keyboard when determining your budget.

Choosing a keyboard

Start by deciding how large of a keyboard you want. Pianos normally feature 88 keys on them, but keyboards come in three different sizes primarily: 76, 61, and 49 keys. The more keys you have, the more space your keyboard will take up in your house or apartment. To play devil’s advocate, though, the more keys you have, the greater musical capabilities you’ll have right at your fingertips. Keyboards with fewer keys, such as 61 keys, tend to be suitable for beginners because the missing keys are, well, hardly missed. Keyboards with 49 keys or even less are the best when it comes to portability, so if that’s your top concern, a small keyboard might be right up your alley.

You should also look for a keyboard that has weighted keys. What weighted keys mean is that they will spring back up once you press down on them, just like regular piano keys. Weighted keys are especially good for beginners because they help you build up your finger strength and technique. If you make the move from keyboard to piano, having played on weighted keys will make it an easy transition for you.

The great thing about keyboards is that they are portable, compact, and typically light. One thing you should look for when choosing a keyboard is that you can adjust the height of the stand it sits on. This will allow you to play in a comfortable position. Plus, if you happen to grow, you can easily adjust the stand to your desired height.

The most important thing you can remember when buying a keyboard is that some will be better for you than others, so take the time to carefully consider your options.

Most important features of keyboards

There are some important considerations before you buy a keyboard.

One of the most important features is the polyphony of a keyboard. Polyphony is the number of individual tones that your keyboard is able to produce. While the number of notes your keyboard can play is not super important to beginners, it does become a relevant factor for more advanced players. Even still, if you’re looking to play complex sounds, you should look for a keyboard that has a 32-note polyphony or 64-note polyphony. For the most advanced players, keyboards with 128-note or 264-note polyphony are better choices.

The number of sounds your keyboard has is another important feature. It can be fun to play with backing instruments such as organs and flutes and they can help enhance your sound. Keyboards aren’t all built the same, so the number of sound samples your keyboard comes with will depend on which one you get. If you’re looking to stick to the basics and just utilize the keyboard, then you can opt for a keyboard with fewer sound samples.

Learning tools are another important and useful feature for beginners. Features such as a metronome, which help you stay on beat and improve your rhythmic abilities, or even built-in lessons can greatly help a beginner player master their skills. Because learning tools are meant to help you become a better player, you’re going to find them on beginner keyboards. If those features aren’t appealing to you, you might need to spend a little bit more money to get a keyboard meant for more advanced players.

You’ll want to also make sure your keyboard has a pedal. If it doesn’t come with one, consider investing in one. The purpose of a pedal is to sustain the sound of the notes you are playing. You’ll find them on a traditional piano, so if you’re trying to emulate the experience of playing on a piano, you’ll definitely want to have a pedal.

The last important feature you should look for in a keyboard is the speakers. It’s important that you can clearly hear the notes you play adequately and that the sound produced is of a high quality. If you live in an apartment and can’t play that loudly, some keyboards come with a headphone jack that’ll let you play as long as you want without receiving any complaints. If you’re looking to play outside of your home and in front of others, you’ll want to make sure your keyboard has output options to connect to external amplifiers or PA systems.

The features you end up picking in a keyboard should be centered around what works best for you.

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