electronic keyboard for learning to play keybards

Hello,

I took some piano lessons as a child, but it's been a long time. I would like to find an electronic keyboard to help remember how to play a little. I am really at a basic level - something that would remind me which note corresponds to each key, or maybe with some songs and keys that light up when it's time to press them.

Quality is more important than price, but I would prefer something cheap, something I can give to a child later, assuming that I upgrade.

Speaking of which, are there good keyboards for very young children? I would like to put something in his crib and see if he intentionally uses it after he notices the cause-and-effect. Something child-safe would be great, but I could monitor use if there is nothing designed for children.

Thanks & regards,

-John

I think a better idea would be to simply buy a good keyboard -- one you can grow into, rather than throw away, as you improve your skills -- along with a basic instructional book that shows you which keys play which notes.

Fortunately, you've got a massive aid in your favor: the basic design of the keyboard. One of the reasons I switched from guitar to keys is that I love how visual the keyboard is, as an instrument. I never have to fumble around wondering which fingering produces a Gsus; I just look down and see the G, the C, and the D.

It might seem challenging at first, but once you learn your intervals, it all falls readily to hand (and eye).

Thanks, but that almost makes it harder - there are too many options for someone who doesn't really know what they're looking at/for. Maybe it's just the internet that makes it feel that way - I will check out a real instrument store later.

I am also really interested in any kinds of keyboards for very young children.

Well, without knowing your specific musical goals, it's hard to make recommendations. Are you just looking to play piano, or do you want to branch out into organ, electromechanical keyboard, or synth sounds?

As for recommendations for young children, I'm sorry that I can't be of much help. I'm a committed bachelor, and my teaching experience only extends to college undergraduates. I would think that a child would be able to learn on whatever keyboard you're using -- the standard upright piano has worked fine as a basic instructional instrument for well over a hundred years, without needing special versions for younger players. You might want to shield the young'uns from the inner sound-creation features of a more advanced keyboard, to keep from confusing them, but otherwise I'd imagine anything would suffice.

Thanks! I would really like a piano, but don't have the space and can't afford it. Maybe later, once I determine whether I'm actually going to commit to this for the long term. In any case, something that has about the same size keyboard, feels and especially sounds like a piano would be best - not lots of artificial options, drum lines, etc. I took my few lessons on a real piano, and would hope to provide the closest possible experience for my child. But I can't really imagine spending much more than a few hundred dollars at this point.

This conversation might not point me to a specific product, but it's definitely helping me consider points I might not have otherwise.

Update: I just want to do really simple things at first, such as very simple children's songs and hopefully Christmas carols (no chords, pedals, etc. yet).

Well, I'll be straight up honest -- I'm probably not the best guy to be handing out advice, here. I'm more of an organist or synthesist than a pianist. That said, I can get you started.

If you want to emulate a piano, you'll need either 76 or 88 keys (preferably the latter), with a proper weighted action that reproduces the physical sensation of hammers striking the strings. This will give your finger muscles the same workout they'd get playing an acoustic piano, which is important for developing (or re-establishing) proper technique. If you learn on an unweighted keyboard and then switch to an acoustic piano, you might find that your fingers tire out before you can finish a song.

Fortunately, there are options for inexpensive 88-key stage pianos with hammer actions. I've heard good things about Casio's Privia line, in particular. Here's a link to the Privia lineup at Musician's Friend -- that should give you a fair idea of what to expect with regard to pricing, assuming you live in the United States.

It might seem like more than you want to pay right now, but I think you should definately spend the extra couple hundred dollars to get a proper hammer action. Your fingers will thank you for it if you ever want to play an acoustic piano.

If by "I don't have the space" you're talking about acoustic pianos and not electronic ones, then an electronic one with 88 keys should be fine. My Casio Privia takes very little space compared to an acoustic piano.

Casio and Yamaha dominate the "affordable home electronic piano" market. I bought my Privia after comparing it with other models and brands in that price range. Mine wasn't the cheapest model (normally about $600 - I got mine with a discount) but the difference in sound quality was dramatic enough to warrant the extra couple of hundred bucks. The digital piano I had before that was a Yamaha 76-key, which was ok at the time I got it, but I always missed the 12 more keys that 88-keys had, and the sound quality was something I had to live with every day.

Excellent keyboards for very young children who take care of their stuff: Any Va synth. Korg Microkorg for low price, great sound and small size easilly carried to and fro by little one, lol. Va's cause they dont require much menu diving which might be awkward for little ones. Lotsa get yer mitts on em knobs, sliders and so on for them to experiment with without haveing to decipher all the menu diving of most romplers.

For yourself, a liked 61 key rompler since I'll assume you also want to play regular instrument voices like piano, organ, symphony voices and so on. Va for you if your more into synth voices today.

Thanks, I will try to find a local music store with the Privia so I can be a little more sure. I will probably go for the $500-end of this line as I don't seem to understand the high-end features well enough to know if they would ever matter to me.

It sounds like I should not try to have the piano teach me to play. I assume that instead, I just try to just play music as I read it. I realize that I should probably take lessons, but that's not really an option at the moment. I can read music that I can play with one finger on one hand, and I can generally tell if something doesn't sound right and fix my mistakes.

Any good techniques or resources for learning piano/keyboard without an instructor? I am basically restarting from scratch.

Any suggestions for really simple learning songbooks for children, preferably with Christmas carols? I had a great one that was specifically for early learners, but that was almost 30 years ago.

I will check amazon and probably the local music store, but any tips could save me some time and mistakes.

Thanks again,

-John

Well, the problem with keyboards that teach you how to play is that, once you strip away their learning features, they aren't very good keyboards. The only instruments I know of in that category are the Casio LK-series, with lighted keys that show you what notes to play.

However, all the LK-series instruments are only offered in 61-key, unweighted-action form. If you learn on one of those, you'll be at a technical disadvantage should you switch to an acoustic or proper stage piano.

the LK series are a waste of space, and at best will teach you to finger-peck like a child. Avoid them like the plague, please

Edit: They also sound really, REALLY bad.