Something that might be taken for granted is the inclusion of a sustain pedal jack. Of course, the provided AC adapter can be used as well. This connects to external amplifiers and doubles as a headphone output for practicing in private.Īs a side note, the CT-S300 can be powered off 6 AA batteries and has a pretty good quoted battery life of 20 hours. If you’re aiming to use the CT-S300 (or any other model from the Casiotone line) as a gigging instrument, the output mini TRS jack will be used. The dual 2.5W speakers aren’t the best sounding speakers, though they’re stereo and relatively clear, which is really all I want from a practice keyboard. The rhythm section won’t be adequate for the dedicated arranger keyboard courses, but they’re quite fun when used for practice. It also gives newcomers a taste of more exotic rhythm styles, like Latin beats such as Bossa Nova. This isn’t as fully-fledged as you find on the CTX-line, but it serves as an alternative to metronomes in practice. That said, an extra $20 for visual stimulus-based learning might be just right for visual learners.Īpart from a decent sound bank, you also get 77 accompaniment rhythms with a button-triggered variation. The most important thing of note is that it’s basically a CT-S300 with light-up keys, which may not appeal to everyone. The LK-S250 is something we didn’t choose for a few reasons. If you’re looking into the Casiotone line, go for the CT-S300. The lower models lack pressure sensitivity, which makes them less viable for practice. Our personal favorite of the bunch is the CT-S300. The following list includes best budget keyboard pianos that can serve as a stepping-stone for further endeavors down the line. Younger kids don’t necessarily need premium, in-depth features, and parents will be happy to know that they’re not paying too much in case of accidental breakage. Hence, these budget choices work in the short term and allow you to understand the fundamentals of piano playing, while also helping you decide whether the piano is the right musical instrument for you. That’s not a slight when it comes down to it since for most of us music is a hobby rather than a career, so it’s hard to justify spending too much as the first step into a hobby. That said, the sub-$150 category is a viable option for people who aren’t willing to go all in. We must state clearly that these keyboards aren’t great for learning piano, and we still recommend a sub-$500 digital piano for the best learning experience.Įven going up to $300 gives you significant improvements in sound quality and feel.

We’ve been a little more lenient this time with going slightly over, but these are our personal best picks for budget-conscious people. There are even official accredited courses built around arranger keyboards and their capability for ‘one-man-band’ playstyles (like the Trinity Guildhall, for instance). Of course, it’s still possible to learn the basics of piano playing on these models. If you’ve read our $300 article, you may have found that none of our selections include all these ‘ must-haves.’ At this budget level, sacrifices are a necessity and may end up stunting your learning process. These characteristics are ideal, as they give you a solid foundation to build correct playing techniques and habits, which are in turn transferrable to other pianos, acoustic or digital.

Good sounds that allow you to hear subtle nuances.

Pressure and velocity sensitivity that reacts to how hard you press on the keys.

Full-sized, weighted keys that emulate the look and feel of a real piano.

If your goal is to learn the piano (not necessarily master it), we’d say the ideal digital piano needs: Back then, we struggled to choose stand-out keyboards in this price range due to our expectations. Our previous lowest price range was an article covering keyboards that cost less than $300. Since this is a piano-focused site, we’ve got lists of digital pianos and keyboards from multiple price points to help you make informed purchases. While the large range of options means there’s almost always a digital piano to suit your needs, it might not be priced to what you’d like. Regardless, the price will always be the biggest barrier. Purchasing a real acoustic piano is likely out of the question for many of us, but digital pianos and keyboards are viable alternatives due to advancements in technology.

As with any instrument, practice makes perfect, and you can’t practice without owning an instrument of your own. This flexibility is why pianos find their way into everything from classical to modern pop. One of the most popular first instruments to learn is the piano, a versatile instrument with a wide dynamic and harmonic range. We’re always glad to see people enthusiastic about learning music.

Best arranger keyboard under $500