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Hello,

My 6 year old has just taken up piano lessons and has been rather enthusiastic about the whole thing so I am looking to buy a cheap piano of some sort and wondered if anyone could give any recommendations?

I'm slightly torn between buying something terrible like a junior digital piano (gear4music) which won't dominate the house or something which at least has some quality to it.

Ideally, I'm looking to spend precisely £0 but have been looking at a Roland HP-101e which I could stretch to; I know it's old now but is it still a decent entry point?

I like music and would prefer something which sounds pleasant and, for the benefit of learning properly, which functions in a way which is akin to a real piano.

Any recommendations for super cheap learner pianos?

Many thanks

Well, at ~£0 you can't focus on all the fancy features, so the main things would be a "decent" hammer action with 73 or 88 keys and a "decent" piano sound even if it lacks fancy stuff like various resonances found in acoustic pianos and such. Hopefully a sound that doesn't decay unnaturally quickly.

Older second hand models from reputable brands (Yamaha, Roland, Kawai, Casio, Korg and such) may have both. Gear4Music pianos and such (Artesia, Williams, Broadway, Thomann and whatnot) are bit of a mystery to most people here.

The risk with very old models is if something breaks and there are no spare parts available.

Around ~£300 might be needed at least as e.g. a "Nearly New" (i.e. a return item) Gear4Music SDP-3 is £274 and some sort of a stand and bench are needed too.

But maybe the £300 is better spent on an old second-hand quality instrument(?)

Casio Privias are quite compact and don't really take up any more space than a "portable" digital piano on an ugly stand. Yamaha P-121 is one the rare digital pianos with less than 88 keys, so it's a bit smaller in width, but also a rare model to find.

Hi, thanks for the response. I appreciate that coming on a piano forum and saying "hello, I would like to spend no money; what can I get?" is a bit stupid but thanks for trying to respond!

I shall have a look at the Casio Privias, cheers!

Do you have any thoughts on the Roland HP-101 or is this a bit of an unknown piece from eons ago? I imagine it could fall into the category of 'if something breaks and there are no spare parts available' but it might be worth a go considering it would be cheaper than the gear4music nonsense and the Casio Privia.

Thanks again.

Hp-101 2005ish release. I guess it depends on the price and condition.

Could be perfectly fine.

I wouldn’t pay a lot for it. It was $1600 at release.

If every key works and it is functioning and the price is right, I would consider it.

One thing I would consider, especially for such a young child is maybe a slab piano so you can lower the piano so the child’s feet can reach the pedals and ground.

I think any of the hammer action entry digital pianos would be very suitable. Kawaii, yamaha, Roland, Casio,

Good luck!

If the Roland is very cheap, then it's a decent start anyway assuming it works fine.

I've never seen a one. It's maybe from ~2006 or so.

I only found the specs for a model without the "e": https://www.roland.comfi/products/hp-101/specifications/

Oh, and it sounds somewhat like a piano, which is always a big bonus. 😉

Try Facebook marketplace and see if you can get an ES110 or FP30 for around £300. I tested an FP30 for my sister to buy for my Nephew post lockdown. Avoid the Roland 2005 thing, it will be less nuanced than many of the used pianos you can get.

Hello again,

Cheers for your response on this. Unfortunately, the Roland HP101e went out the window (metaphorically speaking) so I'm now trying to buy a 'cheap as chips yet relatively acceptable' electric piano... as soon as possible.

My daughter's lessons are stepping up a bit so the use of a tiny keyboard and/or a Schoenhut toy piano are no longer going to cut the mustard (no matter how lovely the latter is...)!

What are your thoughts on an Alesis Recital 61? Obviously this is a 61 key keyboard so not ideal but I just wondered if this is generally acceptable for ~£100 ($120) second hand or if there is something else worth looking/waiting for?

Cheers!

Edit: just to say that a 61 key would be quite good as it would fit in my daughter's room rather than being in the living room. Personally, I'd quite like a piano in the living room but feel that she would probably enjoy it more (practicing and creating) if it were in her own space.

Nice one.

I agree that 61 keys is probably enough for learning -- the lowest and highest octaves on an 88-key piano aren't used very much in 'beginner's music'.

The problem is to find a 61-key instrument with _weighted keys_ (="hammer action", which use their own weight to return the keys to level, when a finger is lifted), rather than synth-action keys (which use springs to return the keys to level, when a finger is lifted). That difference is significant, even for beginning players.

Weighted keys cost more to make, and more to buy. So there aren't many short keyboards with weighted keys.

The cheapest level of keyboards have keys which aren't "touch-sensitive" (= "velocity-sensitive"), that give the player no control over the dynamics (loud/soft) of the sound. Strike the key gently, strike the key forcefully -- there's no difference in volume. Those, I would avoid even (especially?) for beginners.

If you're really budget-constrained, I'd suggest getting a used Yamaha PSR-3xx or PSR-4xx, which have synth-action, touch-sensitive actions. (The PSR-2xx line isn't touch-sensitive.) They are synth-action, but you can learn a lot of music on them.

Casio makes similar keyboards. Just about any music store will have a selection, used and new.

The Alesis Recital 61 is another touch-sensitive, synth-action keyboard. ("Semi-weighted" is meaningless.) Your daughter could certainly start on that -- it's above the "toy piano" level. If she gets serious, both she, and her teacher, will bug you to get an 88-key, weighted action --

. ; . Listen to them, if that happens.

Also, I know that clothearednincompo has said that Gear4Music are a bit vague to people on this prestigious forum but in just wondered if anyone had experienced them at all?

A SPD 3 with a stand may be obtainable for £150 ($180); would this be better than the Alesis Recital 61?

It all seems to me like choosing between a punch in the face and a kick in the balls... but I've got to buy something sooner or later!

Brilliant, cheers. Much appreciated.

I think her teacher is already expecting an 88 key, weighted set up but I'm just hoping to wing it until something else turns up.

If the semi-weighted is almost pointless then I shall wait for a better one. I've just mentioned the Gear4music SPD3 which I think is weighted. I imagine this would be more helpful to a learner even if the sound itself is quite unacceptable; would you say that's about right?

Cheers!

For 'learner' please read 'young beginner'.

Also, I'm aware that having an instrument which sounds amazing is more likely to inspire someone to continue playing but, look, I'm skint...

Still no personal experience of G4M pianos, but it might indeed be a better piano substitute with the 88 weighted keys.

And it doesn't sound awful:

Cheers. There was something about that Roland HP101e which sounded wholly acceptable which is lacking in this... but needs must.

Anyway, the nylon guitar sound was alright, I reckon!
I have to bite the bullet at some point otherwise the lessons will be completely pointless.

Thanks again.

If you provide a ballpark number for the maximum price to spend, then you can form a list of candidates based on the price - as in either new or used units.

The SPD-3 seems to check all the right boxes, and has some features that you wouldn't get in a Roland FP-10 (probably the least-expensive alternative). Its weight is about right for a weighted-key DP. The "stage package" gets you a "double-braced" X-stand, a sustain pedal (= damper pedal), a headphone, and a bench, and is probably cheaper than buying those things stand-alone. The "Complete" package has a wooden stand (and a bench) -- probably more solid than an X-stand, with room for her knees, and more fitting for living-rooms.

I know, budget creep . . . <g>

There was a member here once, who spent over a year figuring out what low-price DP offered the best combination of features, without any conclusion. As you say, a day spent deciding, is a day without any practice.

Have fun --

PS -- I've just listened to the video. It's quite nice, IMHO. The recording was done over the "Line Out" connections. It won't sound like that through its own loudspeakers, but it _should_ sound like that through a good set of headphones.

Cheers everyone.

Just to say that I got the Gear4Music SPD-3 in the end. The weighted keys feel really pretty good and the sound (even through the speakers) is surprisingly pleasant. Through my cheap monitor headphones it sounds good.

Obviously, this is just a cheap option for a beginner but it's much better than I had expected/feared!

My daughter is genuinely over the moon with it and immediately started playing things which are not possible on the Schoenhut toy piano (xylophone). She's probably just relieved more than anything! Anyway, all worth it for the enthusiasm.

Cheers for your help. Hopefully I'll be back in a few years asking stupid questions about expensive options!

Thanks

Very good! May she practice so much that she wears it out. <g>

I have a portable Yamaha P-125 with 88 weighted keys. I play with a music group so being able to take it to different venues and setup quickly is a consideration.

Many parents want an instrument with reasonable quality but don’t want to spend a lot. Should look for a second-hand instrument. In my area there are people giving away their old acoustic piano for free. All you pay for is the moving. The quality varies so some may have broken keys. Many definitely need tuning by a technician.

A while ago a friend of the family brought her 2 sons who were in Suzuki piano & violin over. They played a few tunes in our living room. The older boy had a Casio keyboard with just 61 soft-touch keys.

Serious learners would avoid keys that are not weighed. There are cheaper brands like Williams Legato or Alesis you get inferior sound quality but still have fully or semi-weighted keys.