Looking to buy a quality keyboard for a beginner (and hopefully a little more advanced soon..).
I’m looking at these. Which is better? Should I just get something cheaper? I know nothing about this…
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0D1CTPFL8
https://www.costco.com/casio-casiotone-61-key-lighted-keyboard-with-sustain-pedal%2C-protective-case-bundle.product.4000280988.html
Neither of those would be my pick. They’re okay for absolute beginners, but if you’re really looking to get into the heart of piano playing and experience the emotional depth that music can bring—especially pieces by composers like Chopin, Rachmaninoff, Beethoven, Schumann, or Liszt—nothing compares to a real grand piano. Even an upright piano is often better than a digital one. The feel, the sound, and the way an acoustic piano responds to your touch are just on a completely different level.
Playing piano isn’t just about touch sensitivity or hitting the right notes; it’s about the nuances—the subtle dynamics, pedaling, and the resonance that you can only get with real strings and hammers. That’s where you really feel the music, and those emotions come through.
If a grand or upright isn’t an option, though, I’d go for a digital piano that gets as close as possible to that acoustic feel. I’d recommend something like the Kawai ES-120. It’s got an excellent piano-like action and sound, and it’s a solid choice without being expensive. They also have the ES-60, which is Kawai's new budget model (around $500), but I haven’t tried it myself.
The thing is, acoustic pianos give you something digital ones just can’t fully replicate. The natural depth, the richness of tone, and the way the sound resonates in the room—it’s all connected to the mechanics of hammers hitting strings and the player’s touch. Digital pianos simulate this, and brands like Kawai and Roland do an impressive job, but it’s still not quite the same.
Currently, I’m torturing both my piano (and my neighbors) by marathon practicing Shostakovich’s Piano Concerto No. 2 and Chopin's Fantaisie-Impromptu. If you happen to hear a funeral march echoing at midnight, don’t worry—it’s just me, hopelessly stuck in the ossia cadenza of Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 3. So, if anyone out here feels inspired to sponsor me a Bösendorfer or Fazioli grand (because obviously, my neighbors don’t hate me enough yet), please PM! I’ll be forever grateful!!!!
