Digital Piano: How to choose the best model in 2022?

Today we are going to talk about a type of instrument increasingly common among pianists: the digital piano. Because it has some facilities that the acoustic piano does not provide, it is being used more and more.

In the age of technology, the digital piano stands out. Many models offer facilities such as the use of Bluetooth to connect the smartphone or tablet to the instrument, allowing you to play music or use training applications.

However, there is still a lot to question: How to choose the best model? Are there digital pianos with the sound quality of acoustic pianos? Digital piano or keyboard? Here we will answer all your questions and help you choose the best instrument for you!

First, the most important

• Despite being similar to the keyboard, the digital piano has its own specifics. Here, we will clear your doubts about both.
• Most digital pianos cannot achieve the timbre of an acoustic piano, however, some models stand out for those looking for the instrument for this purpose.
• Among the advantages of the digital piano are its technological facilities, the fact that you can control the volume and there is no need to tune the instrument.

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Best digital pianos: Our favorites

Among the different types of digital piano, such as compact, portable, vertical and syrup models, the ones you will find in the ranking below are the favorites of pianists. Check out the selection of the best:

• Compact digital piano with Yamaha source
• 88-key Roland FP-60 digital piano
• Yamaha Arius YDP-103R Digital Piano

Compact digital piano with Yamaha source

 

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Compact Digital Piano with Source, Yamaha, P125B, BlackRead user reviews

R $ 5,305.00

 

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Compact and easy to use, the Yamaha P-125 model is ideal for those just starting to play the piano. It produces dynamic, high-quality sound. Its minimal light reflection on the continuous surface and the discreetly designed speakers have a beautiful and elegant finish. Because it is compact, it can be placed in the living room, bedroom or other room without complications.

 

88-key Roland FP-60 digital piano

 

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Roland FP 60 88-Key Digital PianoRead user reviews

R $ 16,196.00

 

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Ideal for use at home, at school or in live performances, the Roland FP-60 model is portable and easy to carry, as well as being elegant and charming. Its internal speaker system is specially designed to produce an expressive sound with wide projection.

With 288-voice polyphony, it reproduces the sonority and response of an acoustic piano. It also offers tones of electric pianos, strings, organs and synthesizers. There is also the option to connect your smartphone or tablet to improve performance and practice with music apps, including Roland’s Piano Partner 2.

 

Yamaha Arius YDP-103R Digital Piano

 

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ARIUS Digital Piano, Yamaha, YDP-103R, BrownRead user reviews

 

 

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In a more classic and elegant model, the YDR-103R has a 88-key Graded Hammer Standard (GHS) keyboard and provides a heavier touch on bass and lighter on highs.

It is suitable for beginners, as the practice with GHS helps to develop finger technique suitable for acoustic pianos. It also has Advanced Wave Memory technology that provides real piano sounds. The pedaling of this model also helps when producing grand piano sound. The feature allows for continuous increase in note sustain.

 

Buying Guide

Technology shows its face everywhere. It couldn’t be different with the piano, turning these big, classic instruments into something more portable and digital. And although many people confuse the digital piano with the keyboard, they are distinct instruments.

There are several specificities in each digital piano model such as notes, sounds, technologies, among others. Here, we’ll talk about the benefits of digital pianos and what you should pay attention to to get the best model for your needs!

 

Digital piano is an instrument that imitates the acoustic piano but has technological resources. (Source: guvo59 / Pixabay)

What are the advantages and disadvantages of the digital piano?

The digital piano has several advantages. One of them, and perhaps the most obvious, is the fact that it is directly linked to the technologies we are used to on a daily basis.

This is an advantage especially for those who are starting to play, as it is possible to connect your smartphone or tablet to the digital piano via bluetooth and train with music or applications.

Another advantage is the ease of tuning. Every acoustic piano needs to be tuned with a certain frequency and this costs around R $ 300. The digital piano does not need this tuning.

 

 

In addition, the digital instrument is much easier to transport, making it more practical to take to shows or classes. Some models are compact, making transport even easier.

Noise is also an advantage, especially for those who live in an apartment. It is possible to connect your headset and train at any time of the day or night without receiving complaints.

Electronic resources are also very advantageous, as they can reproduce sounds from several other musical instruments.

Among its disadvantages, we can mention the timbre. Although there are digital piano models with technologies that resemble the instrument to the acoustic piano, most models do not have as much harmonic richness.

In addition, many digital pianos also have high variation in the sensitivity of the keys, which can be difficult when changing models.

Benefits

• Easier to transport
• Offer technological facilities, such as connecting the smartphone via bluetooth
• No tuning required
• They are quieter, allowing you to play at any time
• Reproduce sounds of various musical instruments

Disadvantages

• They don’t usually have as much harmonic richness as the acoustic piano
• Many have high variation in key sensitivity

What is the difference between digital piano and keyboard?

Because they are similar instruments, many are in doubt about the similarities and differences of the digital piano and the keyboard. To begin with, both instruments do not emit sound, but reproduce samples that are stored in memory through digital recordings.

In addition, the keyboard resembles some digital piano models when it comes to size. Both are easier to transport than the acoustic piano. But either way, digital pianos are a little heavier and more robust than most keyboards.

 

 

The keyboard, however, has a much larger number of functions. There are several types of keyboard that have different purposes like workstation, synthesizer and the controller. The keyboard is more suitable for those who like to compose with sounds of different musical instruments.

The digital piano, on the other hand, is more focused on reproducing the sound of other key instruments, such as acoustic piano and organ (although it is often not able to reproduce it with total fidelity).

The digital piano has the heaviest keys, which actually imitate an acoustic piano. Compare:

	Digital Piano	Keyboard
Spotlight	Imitates the acoustic piano in the sensitivity and weight of the keys	It has more functions
Size	Although they are compact, they are still a little heavy and robust	Lighter and more compact instrument
Price	Average investment, cheaper than the acoustic piano and more expensive than the keyboard	Low investment. You can buy a keyboard for less than R $ 500

How much?

The price of a digital piano, like the acoustic piano or keyboard, is usually quite high. Most pianists do not recommend models that cost less than R $ 2,000.

From R $ 1,500 it is already possible to find simpler models, which are more suitable for those who are starting or do not want to play professionally. Portable models are usually the cheapest.

The most expensive and complete digital pianos can cost more than R $ 50,000. Of course, if you are not a professional musician you will not need to pay such a high price. The average price of the instrument is around R $ 8,000.

Where to buy?

To purchase your digital piano physically, you will need to do a quick search to see where there is a musical instrument store near you. For those who live in São Paulo, for example, you can pay a visit to the stores on Rua Teodoro Sampaio.

Buying online is easier to find the model you are looking for. On sites like Amazon, Mercado Livre or the virtual store of specific brands you can make your purchase. The good thing about buying online is that you don’t even have to go looking for your instrument and still get the digital piano at your door.

 

Purchasing criteria: Main factors for evaluating a digital piano

Even though you already know several things about the digital piano, there are still some features that you should consider when purchasing. These are the main ones:

• Digital piano type
• Polyphony
• Number of keys
• Timbre

Read on to learn more about each topic.

Digital piano type

There are three types of digital pianos. In addition to size, they can also differ in terms of sound quality.

Portable Digital Piano

This is the simplest type of digital piano. It is ideal for those just starting out or for those who need to transport the piano frequently to shows, classes or studios.

The cheapest models of digital piano are usually exactly portable. Although many are simpler and without many functions, there are also professional notebooks, which are very similar to the sound of the acoustic piano.

Upright Digital Piano

This model is similar to the portable, however, it comes with a “mobile” attached. Although it is easier to transport than an acoustic piano, it has less portability than the portable model itself.

Many upright digital pianos provide better sound quality due to the pedals. They assist in harmony and help the instrument resemble the acoustic piano.

 

Digital Piano with Syrup

Like the acoustic models, the digital piano with syrup provides unmistakable elegance and sophistication. His biggest difference to the upright piano is exactly in appearance.

In terms of sound, it also usually provides better sound quality due to the pedals.

	Portable Digital Piano	Upright Digital Piano	Digital Piano with Syrup
Benefits	It offers greater portability, being ideal for those who frequently carry the instrument. In addition, it is usually the cheapest model	Usually provides greater sound quality than the portable model	In addition to providing superior sound quality, it offers elegance and sophistication to the environment, resembling the acoustic piano
Disadvantages	Some models are simpler and do not reproduce the sound so similar to the acoustic piano	They are not so easy to transport	They are not so easy to transport and cost more
Average price	R $ 3,000	R $ 8,000	R $ 30,000

Polyphony

One of the main things to take into account when buying your digital piano is polyphony. It is as if it were the “memory” of the instrument. That is, how many notes he can issue at one time.

This will depend a lot on the playing style of each pianist or the musical style. If you are going to play sustained arpeggios, for example, the ideal is to select a model that the previous notes do not stop sounding in advance.

Before choosing your digital piano, check how many polyphony voices the model has. Prefer those with at least 200.

 

Number of keys

There are digital piano models with several key numbers. The most common are those that come with 61, 76 and 88 keys.

This will greatly influence the reach. If you are looking for a longer range, the ideal is to opt for an 88-key digital piano. For those who are starting to learn now, purchasing a 61-key keyboard may be enough.

Also take into account that the more keys, the more complicated the portability of the instrument becomes.

Timbre

Sound is an essential factor not only on the digital piano, but on all instruments.

By nature, digital pianos often have a timbre that reverberates with little variation. If you are looking for a sound that resembles that of the acoustic piano, it is necessary to buy a model with greater sound and quality. When possible, test your piano’s timbre to check its harmonic richness.