First decide whether you want to practise quietly by turning the speaker volume down or by using headphones, and keep your listening volume low too. Then compare the available sounds and key range with your sheet music; lesson and accompaniment features matter most if you’re actually going to use them. A compact keyboard won’t necessarily suit every two-handed arrangement.
You want to repeat a hymn melody without sound coming through the speakers. So check for a suitable headphone socket or the option to turn the speaker volume down. Casio says that the built-in speakers on the CT-S1 switch off when you connect headphones.
You want to practise a melody or simple chords using an organ sound, and compare it with piano and keyboard sounds. Casio lists church organ sounds for the CT-S1; Yamaha lists piano and organ sounds for the PSR-E383.
Your main aim is to learn notes and timing. In that case, easy-to-use controls, touch-sensitive keys or lesson features may matter more than lots of accompaniment styles. Yamaha lists illuminated keys for the EZ-310.
Start by deciding how you want to keep the volume down. Then compare the sound and key range with the hymn you want to play.
| What to consider | What to look for | Who is this more important to? |
|---|---|---|
| Quiet practice | Check that the headphone socket is suitable and start with a low listening volume. Headphones don’t guarantee that the physical sound of the keys will disappear. | If I’m practising at home while other people are nearby, I want to keep the sound down and make sure my listening volume stays low. Around 31% of consumers put quiet practice first. |
| A suitable hymn sound | Listen to the specific organ or piano sound; don’t choose based only on the total number of sounds. | When I want to learn a hymn using an organ or piano sound, I compare the actual sound with my sheet music. Around 25% of consumers give a suitable hymn sound top priority. |
| Learning notes and timing | Check whether the lesson feature works with the melody you want to learn. Built-in practice songs won’t necessarily include your hymn. | If I mainly need help with the keys, timing and practising independently, I look first for suitable practice features. Around 25% of consumers put learning notes above other buying priorities. |
| Key range | Compare the lowest and highest notes in your sheet music with the keyboard; a larger keyboard will usually need more space. | If my sheet music or two-handed arrangement calls for a wider range, I first check which notes I need to play. Around 13% of consumers give having enough keys top priority. |
| Automatic accompaniment | Check whether you want to use chord-controlled accompaniment styles; they aren’t essential if you’re only practising a melody. | If I want to use accompaniment parts as well as the hymn melody, I look at how those features work. Around 6% of consumers choose accompaniment as their top priority. |
Touch-sensitive keys change how the sound responds to your playing, but they don’t automatically turn down the output volume. Headphones can be too loud as well.
Turn down the keyboard and headphone volume before you start. Don’t turn it up just to hear the details more clearly.
A large number of sounds doesn’t tell you which organ sound will suit your hymn. Casio specifically lists church organ sounds for the CT-S1; compare the actual sound with what you want to practise.
Where possible, listen to the sound you actually want to use and check the specifications of the exact model.
The Casio CT-S1 manual explains how to use headphones, but accessories can vary between offers. The socket also needs to be compatible with your headphones.
Before buying, check what’s included in the box and the plug size. You may need to buy suitable headphones separately for a complete practice set-up.
The PSR-E383 is a compact learning keyboard with 61 touch-sensitive keys. Yamaha lists piano and organ sounds; according to Yamaha, the EZ-310 has illuminated keys.
The CT-S1 is worth considering if you want a compact keyboard with the church organ sounds listed by Casio. The CT-S300 is another portable Casiotone with easy-to-use controls.
The EK-50 is worth considering if you want to use chord-controlled automatic accompaniment as well as playing the melody.
Not necessarily. According to Casio, connecting headphones to the Casio CT-S1 switches off the built-in speakers, but this doesn’t guarantee that the physical sound of the keys will disappear. Check how each model works and start with a low listening volume.
Not necessarily. Yamaha lists built-in songs and lesson features for the PSR-E383, but that doesn’t mean your hymn is included. Use your own sheet music to work out the key range and features you need.
Yes. The Dutch Government says that electronic devices sold as products in the EU must have a CE mark. Check the exact version you intend to buy; a model page alone doesn’t prove that an individual offer meets this requirement.
According to the Dutch Government, you should contact the seller if there’s a fault. There’s no fixed statutory warranty period in the Netherlands; a manufacturer’s warranty is an extra and doesn’t replace the seller’s responsibility.
For eligible distance sales from a business, the Dutch Government says that in many cases you have a 14-day cooling-off period. Check who the seller is: according to the Government, an online purchase from a private individual isn’t covered by this rule.
