My First Keyboard: Buying a child’s first electronic keyboard instrument

I believe that the buyers’ guide I wrote a couple of years ago still stands as a good introduction to buying a keyboard instrument

However, in this feature I want to look specifically at buying a child their first “serious” electronic keyboard.

My Story

Every child is different, but let me tell you a little of my musical upbringing as it will give you a better idea of where I’m coming from, and hopefully give you some ideas on the way forward for your child / potential musical genius.

I was lucky enough to grow up in a home with an acoustic upright piano, which I started playing and picking out tunes on from a very young age (say 3 or 4). I think from this my parents realised that I had musical aptitude/talent, and I began taking classical-based piano lessons from around age 5.

I enjoyed this, and was incredibly blessed to have access to the piano (it’s probably why I love the acoustic piano, or as near as I can get to it, to this day). However, from the age of about 12, after seeing someone on stage playing some amazing synth lines and creating sound textures, I wanted to get into electronic music.

My parents agreed, and bought a fairly entry-level keyboard. However, it was enough to get me started in trying out new sounds, rhythms, and even doing some basic sequencing work on my computer.

The point to this is that, whether or not your child shows some interest and aptitude for music, and in particular a keyboard, it’s worth starting with a basic set up and building on that, rather than splashing out on an all-singing, all-dancing keyboard, digital piano, or even an acoustic piano, only for it to be a costly mistake.

Don’t force them - see the interest

I fell in love with keyboard instruments because that’s what was around, but I wasn’t forced to play.

Fashions come and go. Guitars are cool, and many kids want to play them. Don’t force them to play one type of instrument they’re really not interested in. Having said that, if they show interest in a piano (I’ve seen a great many children who love to try to play things on the keyboard, and it’s (arguably) an easier instrument to begin learning/experimenting on than the guitar, especially for small fingers) then go for it.

Make it fun

Though you may pay a bit extra, or sacrifice a bit of sound quality, by getting a keyboard with plenty of functions on, it will make it fun for your child to play, experiment, and learn about music.

If they really get a taste for playing seriously, and when they’re a bit older, they’ll probably find out what kind of things they want their keyboard to do. In fact, if they’re anything like me, they’ll be down at the local music shop every Saturday eyeing up the next model, getting the specifications and the price, and working out how to introduce the concept of a new keyboard to you.

In reality, even today’s relatively inexpensive keyboards do absolutely amazing things, and sound fantastic.

Which manufacturers are best?

While this is a rather subjective question, my personal believe is that Yamaha make some of the best sounding, feature-rich, value-for-money electronic keyboards around.

Casio also make decent enough keyboards, though for some reason they’ve always had a bit of a rough ride in the reputation stakes (at least, they were always joked about - maybe it’s because Casio makes calculators, I don’t know).

Other manufacturers include Roland, Korg, and M-Audio, but they tend to lean towards semi-professional and professional musical instruments and recording equipment.

Some features to look out for

Here’s a non-exhaustive list of features that can be found on modern electronic keyboards, with a brief explanation. Generally, the more features you have, the more expensive the keyboard. However, even quite basic keyboards have a large number of features.

• Number of keys

  Most home keyboards come with either 49 keys (4 octaves) or 61 keys (5 octaves). More keys equals more room for playing, or for splitting the keyboard between accompaniment and melody.

• Type of keys

  Most home keyboards use thin plastic keys with a very light touch. This doesn’t mean they’re not durable, but they’re not heavy or hard to depress like the keys of a piano.

• Touch sensitivity

  This determines whether hitting a key harder produces a louder and/or different sound. A lot of home keyboards do have some kind of touch sensitivity built in, though very cheap ones are “fixed velocity”.

  The advantage of touch sensitivity is that it gives the ability to play with greater expression.

• Sounds

  Most keyboards come with a wide array of sounds, including real world acoustic and electric sounds, synthetic sounds, and sound effects.

  Check the acoustic piano sounds if this is important - Yamaha in particular put a decent enough grand piano sound even on basic models though it will never sound as good as their thousands-of-dollars Clavinova.

  Some acoustic sounds may not be great (horns in particular usually sound awful, guitars are often dubious) but may serve as a good introduction to making music. Strings are usually fairly good, and synth/sound effects are fun.

• Pitch bend/modulation

  A lot of home keyboards have a pitch bend wheel, usually located to the left of the keyboard. This allows notes to be “bent” up and down in pitch.

  Some have modulation, which changes the colour or effect of a particular sound, though this is less common on entry-level keyboards.

• Sustain pedal

  Many home keyboards have a jack input for adding a sustain pedal, used to hold the sound of played notes. Not all do. Some come with a pedal, others it’s an optional extra. Worth having particularly when playing piano sounds.

• Polyphony

  Polyphony measures how many sounds the keyboard can play at one time. The higher the polyphony, the less risk of notes being cut off, and also the more detailed accompaniments can be played. Every note of every sound, including those being sustained, counts towards polyphony. 32 is a decent entry-level value to look for.

• Drum Pads

  Some keyboards come with extra drum finger pads, located above the keys. They’re fun for playing or sequencing rhythm.

• Auto-Accompaniment

  Most home keyboards have at least some kind of automatic accompaniment. This usually includes drums, bass, guitar, or other accompaniment instruments.

  Some have different patterns for song intros, outros, bridge, verse, chorus, etc.

  Others allow you to record your own accompaniments, though this is usually on more expensive instruments.

  Often seen just as a bit of fun, they can be quite useful for developing an initial appreciation of rhythm, and playing with other instrumentalists, even though they’re all pre-recorded and can be rather “staid”.

• Interactive Learning

  Many keyboards now come with some kind of built in learning system which can teach beginning players how to play notes and chords.

  Though this adds to the cost, it can be useful for getting kids to learn the basics without having to pay for tuition, which could be expensive and wasted.

• Recording/Sequencing

  Some home keyboards offer basic recording of notes, accompaniment, and so on. Sequencing (recording multiple tracks and being able to edit notes) tend to be found only on more expensive keyboards, though it is often possible to connect cheaper keyboards to a PC or Mac via MIDI or USB, and use computer software to record and edit music.

• MIDI/USB connection to computer/other instruments

  Most keyboards have MIDI connectors. MIDI is a well-established standard for connecting musical instruments to each other, and to PCs.

  Some newer keyboards also have USB interfaces, allowing direct connection to a PC or Mac.

  This can be great for using music software, updating sounds, downloading material from the Internet to play on the keyboard, and more.

  Possibly not essential for a young child, but does open up more possibilities.

Buy new or second-hand?

My personal preference would be to buy new, even if you buy a slightly older “end of line” model at a discount. Though keyboards can last a long time, you’ll get the best technology and pristine equipment by buying new.

If buying second-hand, be very sure what you’re getting and paying for. If possible, check the instrument out for yourself. Ensure all the keys and buttons work, and there’s no damage to the casing. Remember that these instruments depreciate in value quickly, so don’t be tricked into paying significant money for a keyboard, even one that’s just a year or two old.

Try before you buy

Though you often get the best deals on the Internet, it really is worth checking out a selection of keyboards at a local music store so that you can hear them, play with their features, and decide which one you like best.

What’s around now?

Bearing in mind that music technology advances very quickly, here are some of the latest, entry-level keyboards available (December 2007)

Yamaha YPT-210

This is a new version of the Yamaha YPT-200 (which retails for under US$100).

Features include 61 full-size touch sensitive keys, 32 notes polyphony, realistic grand piano sounds, Yamaha Education Suite (Y.E.S.) with a 9 Step Piano Lesson Suite, stereo speakers, auto-accompaniment, headphone jack, sustain pedal input, 375 instrument voices, and MIDI.

Product page

Yamaha PSR-E203

Retails for around US$120.

Features many similar but slightly more advanced functions as the YPT-210. Often can be picked up with a “survival kit” featuring DVD, headphones, AC adapter, sustain pedal, and so on.

Product page

Yamaha PSR-E213

Features more advanced functions than the PSR-E203, but for just a little more money (around US$160).

Yamaha lists the best features of the PSR-E213 as the Portable Grand sound — the “industry’s best piano”, the interactive Yamaha Education Suite version 5, a sound effect Kit for cool sounds and grooves, computer connectivity using General MIDI, stereo sound quality, 32 note polyphony, 9 digital reverb effects, 102 internal songs, chord dictionary, and built-in metronome.

Product page

Yamaha PSR-E313

The step-up model from the PSR-E213 additionally features more expressive piano touch, backlit LCD screen, 2-track recorder, 482 voices, more effects, 106 accompaniment styles, dual voice and split keyboard functionality.

Costs around US$260.

Product page

Yamaha PSR-E403

This is one of Yamaha’s more “synth focused” entry level keyboards, meaning it is geared more towards creating synthetic sounds and dance rhythms. It also features a six-track recorder, and more advanced sounds and effects. It also comes with a range of music educational tools.

Costs around US$199.

Product page

Casio SA-75

Very definitely an entry-level keyboard for little hands! While it costs just $60, it has 37 mini keys, built in speakers, 100 sounds, some accompaniments, four note polyphony, headset with microphone, and on screen musical display. It runs from five AA batteries.

Product page

Casio CTK-496

This keyboard offers 61 full size keys, 100 tones, 100 accompaniment rhythms, 100 pre-installed tunes, an LCD display, dual (not stereo) speakers, transposition and tuning functions, and microphone input.

It also has a Music Information System, which graphically shows note fingerings, keyboard keys and notes to be pressed. It offers up to 12 note polyphony, MIDI, a sustain pedal input, and AC power input.

Priced around US$130.

Product page

Casio CTK-800

A step up from the CTK-496 and Casio’s other $130 keyboards, the CTK-800 offers 61 full-size keys with touch response control, 500 tones, 32 notes of polyphony, 120 accompaniment patterns with variations, 3-step lesson system, Musical Information Function, sing along mode, metronome, sustain jack which can also be assigned to other functions, and USB connection.

Priced around US$180.

Product page

Casio CTK-900

Another step up from the CTK-800, this keyboard offers 61 full-size keys with touch response settings, 824 tones, 176 accompaniments with variations, 32 notes polyphony, 200 types of effect with user-definable settings, synthesizer function allowing greater control of sounds, mixer function, and MIDI.

Priced around US$230.

Product page

Other keyboards

The above keyboards are the main entry-level instruments from both Yamaha and Casio. Below are links to other keyboard ranges from Yamaha and Casio.

Casio

Mini keyboards
Portable keyboards
Workstation keyboards
Lighted keyboards
Privia digital pianos

Yamaha

Entry-level keyboards
Synth-focused keyboards
Piano-focused portable keyboards
Lighted keyboards
Arranger workstation keyboards
Digital pianos
Clavinova Digital Pianos