Choose based on your score: a digital piano is the more obvious choice if you’re practising a piano part with a wide range, nuanced touch or sustain; a compact keyboard may be enough if the piece fits its range and features. Also check which pedals you need, whether there’s room for the complete setup and whether it has a headphone socket. Headphones won’t eliminate the mechanical sound of the keys, and you may need to agree practice times in a shared home.
You want to practise the touch and range of a piano part, perhaps using a pedal, without constantly exposing your housemates to sound from the speakers. Oostendorp Muziek explains that a keyboard often has fewer keys than a digital piano, so check that its range suits your piece.
Your piece fits on a shorter keyboard or calls for keyboard features, and you want to be able to put the instrument away after practising. Check the range and features of the model you’ve chosen before relying on its product name.
You can set up a permanent space and value a stable setup or suitable pedal more than easy storage. Remember to measure the space needed for a chair, music stand and pedal too.
Choose this option: if your score calls for a wide range or piano-style dynamics and you have enough space.
Bear in mind: portable 88-key models such as the Yamaha P-145 and Korg B2+ are around 1.3 metres wide. Also check which pedals and stand are included with the model you’ve chosen.
Choose this option: if the whole piece fits within its range and you’re looking for particular sounds or accompaniment features.
Bear in mind: a shorter keyboard may limit your practice if notes in the piano part fall outside its range.
| What to consider | What should you check? | Who is this important for? |
|---|---|---|
| Key range and touch | Compare the lowest and highest notes and the required dynamics with the exact model; check that the touch suits your needs. | When I practise a piano part, I want to be able to play the notes and dynamics as written in the score. Around 36% of consumers prioritise a suitable range and touch. |
| Sound while practising | Check for a headphone socket and assess the mechanical sound where you’ll be playing. | I want to practise with headphones, but I need to consider that housemates may still hear the keys. Around 29% of consumers prioritise keeping noise to a minimum. |
| Placement and storage | Measure the available width and depth, including space for a music stand, chair, stand and pedal. | When I share a room, I want to know whether the instrument and complete setup will fit and whether I can put it away afterwards. Around 21% of consumers prioritise space and storage. |
| Pedal and complete setup | Check what’s included with the exact model and whether the pedal supports the technique your piece requires. | If my piece calls for sustain, I want to know which pedal I need and whether it comes with the instrument. Around 14% of consumers prioritise the pedal and complete setup. |
The Joybuy MLS-931 has 61 keys. Whether you can play your entire recital piece on it depends on the range of the score.
Compare the highest and lowest notes in your piece with the range of the exact model; don’t rely on the product name alone.
Headphones mean you don’t need to use the built-in speakers, but the keys may still make an audible sound as you play.
Assess the mechanical sound where you practise and, if needed, agree arrangements with your housemates and neighbours.
What’s included varies by model and version. You may need to buy a pedal, stand or headphones separately.
Before buying, check what’s included and whether the pedal solution is suitable for the passage you want to practise.
The P-145 is a portable digital piano with 88 GHC keys. Yamaha gives its width as 1.326 mm.
The FP-10 is a portable digital piano with an 88-key PHA-4 Standard keyboard.
Casio describes the CDP-S110BK as a portable piano with a stated depth of 232 mm.
The ES120 is a portable digital piano with a Responsive Hammer Compact keyboard, as described by Kawai.
The B2+ is a portable 88-key piano with a stated width of 1.312 mm, according to Korg.
The Joybuy products below are compact 61-key keyboards for pieces that fit within this range.
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An option for practising with headphones if the notes in your piece fit within its 61-key range.
The product title lists touch-sensitive keys and a headphone socket.
The product description lists USB-MIDI and a metronome.
Headphones won’t eliminate the mechanical sound of the keys.
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An option if your piece fits within its 61-key range and you want to practise with headphones.
The product description lists USB-MIDI, a recording function, a headphone socket and a metronome.
The product title mentions a music stand; check what’s included with the model you’ve chosen.
Headphones won’t eliminate the mechanical sound of the keys.
No. Don’t assume you’ll have complete silence: headphones mean you don’t need to use the speakers, but mechanical key noise is still a factor. Test your setup and, if necessary, agree arrangements with your housemates and neighbours.
That depends on the score and the instrument you ultimately want to play. Check the highest and lowest notes and any sustain passages; an instrument with 61 keys isn’t automatically suitable or unsuitable.
Measure more than just the instrument itself: allow for a music stand, stand, chair and pedal too. If you share a room, decide whether the instrument can stay set up or needs to be put away after practising.
According to ACM ConsuWijzer, online purchases are generally covered by a 14-day cooling-off period after delivery, with some exceptions. This period is separate from your rights if a product is faulty: ACM ConsuWijzer states that the legal guarantee doesn’t have a fixed, general duration of two years and that the seller is responsible for providing an appropriate solution.
Don’t assume that the same practice times apply to every home. The Dutch government advises people to agree arrangements when dealing with noise from neighbours and notes that municipal APV rules may apply. Check the arrangements that apply to your home too.
