Who wouldn’t want to relax and play the piano after a hard day’s work? It relieves stress, broadens your horizons, and as a bonus and it can empty your wallet. But don’t despair, the best digital piano under $1000 will satisfy both your appetite for music and your need to save.
With a limited budget, you can still get a quality instrument that simulates the sound and feel of an acoustic piano as best as possible. We’ve looked at 25 models and selected 7 with Yamaha P71 as our tip pick. We looked at the weight and dimensions of the pianos. We also took the time to carefully examine how many preset voices each piano had. Finally, we tried to look for digital pianos that had a high polyphony, since this will increase the versatility of the instrument.
More features: includes power adapter and sustain pedal; dual mode
Even though all of the different pianos we are looking at today are relatively cheap in the musical world, that doesn’t mean that they are all that inexpensive. Some of them still come with a hefty price tag. Thankfully, this isn’t the case with this excellent offering from Yamaha. This keyboard would be a perfect beginner piano for someone who is just getting started in the music scene. It has a straightforward and easy-to-use design, which makes it a great option for novice pianists. The controls are set up in such a way that you can just plug in the piano and begin playing.
One of the biggest things that you will notice with this lightweight keyboard, aside from the lack of a stand, are the fully-weighted keys. The action and response of these keys are top-notch. Since they will give the proper feedback to your playing, you’ll get that feeling only an acoustic piano usually provides you with.
Though this piano comes with a low number of presets, this can act to the benefit of the novice players. The user interface is easy to understand and utilize, and since there are not that many different options to choose from, you will be up and playing as quickly as possible with this keyboard.
More features: comes with furniture-style bench, headphones, instructional book, instructional DVD, polishing cloth, AC adaptor, music stand
If you are someone who wants the feel of an acoustic piano, then you should be sure to check out this option from Casio. The PX-870 is a beautiful piano that looks and feels very much like a standard one. It is also one of the heaviest models on the market today, weighing over 70 pounds, while being among the most advanced digital pianos under $1000.
It utilized high-quality samples from a variety of sources, such as from a concert grand piano. This helps reproduce the finer details of the piano’s sound. In all honesty, if you were to close your eyes and listen to this piano play, you would think that you are listening to an acoustic instrument. This authenticity makes this a great choice for an expert player, though the easy-to-use interface makes this piano accessible to pretty much anyone.
While the keys on this piano are highly sensitive and provide awesome feedback while you are playing, they are also a bit loud. This could cause some problems for you if you are trying to record your music, as you might end up hearing the keys on your recording.
The polyphony level is unheard of at this price point. This piano has a ridiculously high 256 polyphony scale, which makes this one of the most versatile pianos available today. Another nice feature is the lesson mode, which is useful for beginners. This mode helps guide the user by allowing them to play along with one of the 60 different songs that are programmed into the piano. It also comes with an instructional DVD so that you could enhance your musical abilities even more.
More features: built-in 20W speakers, ¼” sustain pedal input (pedal not included), ¼” stereo headphone output for private practice, power adapter and ¼” stereo outputs; layer mode
This is one of the best digital pianos for beginners, mostly because it is cheap, has a nice stand, and highly portable. This keyboard can even be run off of batteries. Though it is small enough to take with you pretty much anywhere you want to go, it has a full-sized keyboard with weighted keys. While these keys will give you the proper amount of feedback you need if you are learning to play, they are not quite as natural feeling as some others. Some of the notes don’t always come through clearly either, especially when you are trying to play very low or very high notes. This might make this keyboard a tough one for a more experienced player to enjoy using.
Another reason that this digital piano is such a good choice for a beginner is that of the limited number of options that you will have to choose from. This keyboard only has 12 built-in voices, which can be selected on the control panel. The limited number of options will help keep the playing process simple for a beginner so that they can instead focus on the basics of playing the piano.
With this keyboard, you also have the option of recording your playing right on the device. This recording can only be about five minutes in length, however, and you will only be able to save one song total. If you need to record another one, you’ll have to do it over the one that you had recorded previously.
More features: headphone jack; USB/midi terminal; LCD display; 80 demo songs; 200 preset rhythms
At first glance, this might not look like the most appealing of digital pianos. It has a heavy and relatively boxy design, which makes it difficult to move around. This piano would be best suited to staying in one location since it is so heavy and its stand is not all that durable. Once you get a chance to look past these features, however, you will find that this piano has a lot to offer.
For instance, it has the highest level of preset voices of any piano that we looked into. With over 480 different presets to utilize, this is a piano that is made for experimentation with different sounds and sound combinations. The display and controls for this particular model are also straightforward and easy to use.
Another good point for this digital piano is how easily connective it is as it can be hooked up to a variety of different media quickly. This includes external speakers and recording devices. It also has headphone jacks, which makes playing in private as easy as pie.
The keys to this piano are semi-weighted. This means that, though they won’t have quite the same feel as an acoustic piano or a digital piano with fully-weighted keys, they will still give you some resistance when you press them. This lack of sensitivity might be challenging to overcome for an expert musician but won’t make too much of a difference for a beginner.
More features: includes Casio CS-67 furniture stand, Casio SP-33 triple-pedal system, furniture bench, Austin Bazaar Instructional DVD, Hal Leonard instructional book, and Austin Bazaar polishing cloth
If you are looking for the best digital piano under $1000, then this offering from Casio might be your best bet. It is somewhat straightforward to be of use to beginners but also has enough versatility to be a good choice for more advanced players as well. It looks, feels, and sounds very close to an acoustic piano.
The fully-weighted keys provide a natural and realistic feel when played. They give the appropriate level of feedback when you push down on them so that you will be able to figure out how hard you need to do it to get your desired volume and sound quality quickly. The polyphony level is high enough that you will be able to layer your playing quite easily, though the low number of presets might make this problematic for more complex pieces.
Another feature that helps make this feel much like a standard piano is the triple pedal system. Though these pedals are not all that durable, they operate in the same manner that you would expect on an acoustic piano, which makes the transition to a digital piano that much easier for more advanced players.
Something that you will need to keep in mind when you are buying this piano is that the stand is a bit flimsy. You will want to take extra care to ensure that nothing happens to it when in use.
More features: comes with furniture stand, three pedal board also, AC adapter sheet stand and piano bench
One of the best things about a digital piano is the high level of portability that they can afford you. Such is the case with this offering from Korg. It weighs in at a minuscule 12 pounds without its stand, which makes it quite easy to grab and take with you wherever you go. This portability is also aided by the high-quality design and sound of the internal speakers. They help this piano have a very crisp sound, no matter where you are playing.
Of course, with this lighter weight, it is not surprising that some features needed to be cut from the design of this piano. Unlike many of the other digital pianos in this price range, this model does not have a ton of features, such as USB connectivity or a built-in recorder.
It does, however, feature a full-sized keyboard with weighted keys. While the keys are not quite as sensitive as some more expensive models, they are close enough to give you an exceptional playing experience that over time will feel more and more comfortable for both beginners and experts alike.
This piano is also lacking in the presets department. It only features eight different voices, which means that you won’t be able to experiment too much with this model. The voices are nice and clear and should provide enough variation for someone who is just looking for a fun, simple, and easy-to-use digital piano.
More features: USB audio recording/playback; comes with a bench, dust cover, instructional book, DVD, and polishing cloth
If you are in the market for a high-quality digital piano that can be used on stage or in your home, then this is a good option to check out. With this piano, you can quickly hook up external speakers to provide more sound while you are performing. You also have the opportunity to record your playing through a USB, which would be an excellent option for both beginners and experts alike. This is mostly due to the great feel of the keyboard. Yamaha has long been one of the leaders in the piano industry, and for a good reason. Their fully-weighted keys are some of the best on the market. They act and feel very much like the keys you would find on a high-quality acoustic piano. They provide the proper amount of resistance that you need to be the best player you can be.
The polyphony level and the number of presets on this piano are also impressive. If you are an experienced player that is looking to experiment a bit with your playing, this versatility will give you the opportunity to try different techniques and sounds.
If you do choose this piano, be sure that you have a good spot in mind for it in your home, as it is a bit on the heavy side. This isn’t all that surprising, however, since the stand is so sturdy and well-built. While it is nice that you can use your headphones with this keyboard, it is tricky to hook them up since the headphone jack is in the back of the keyboard.
In our buying guide, we will take you through all the essential features you need to know to find the perfect piano for your needs.
The simple answer to this question is, obviously, yes! Of course, it is a bit more complicated than that. Each of the pianos that we have featured in this article is a quality product, but they are not all the same. These differences will not be as readily apparent for a beginning player as they are for an expert. As such, a beginner will be able to aim for lower quality, and thus, cheaper piano, than an expert. Luckily, our in-depth reviews will help you narrow down your choices based on your different needs and wants as a musician, no matter your skill level.
In this section, we will go through all of the different key features you need to keep in mind to make sure that you find the best digital piano under $1000.
One of the main differences between standard pianos and digital versions is the feel of the keys. Since standard pianos work with resistance because of the mechanics of the instrument, they are going to feel much different from a digital keyboard, which has little to no resistance on their own. When you are shopping for your digital piano, you can look for different keyboard actions that will allow you to replicate part or all of the feel of a standard piano. These actions are usually listed as semi-weighted or fully weighted, which might be the best option.
Something else to keep in mind when it comes to the keyboard is something known as velocity sensitivity. This scale describes the amount of force you are using to press the keys, which would result in a tonal shift on a standard piano. In the best digital pianos, this will be built right into the piano’s design. On cheaper, or worse quality models, you will see volume switches, which indicates that they have no velocity sensitivity built-in.
The weight and dimensions of the piano you select are going to be determined by two things. The first thing you need to think of is how large of a space you have to put your piano. Lots of different digital pianos come without a stand, which makes them great for apartments or smaller homes. They also weigh a lot less, like the Korg B1SP, which only weighs around 12 pounds. If you have more space, then you can opt for a larger model such as the Casio Privia PX-870.
The other factor that is going to determine the weight of your digital piano is how advanced you need it to be.
If you are only looking for a basic model, you can get by with a smaller and lighter instrument. If, however, you want your digital piano to be almost the same as a standard model, you should go with a heavier and bigger one.
The various voices that a digital piano can create describe the different instruments that you can make your piano sound like when you play. The higher the number of preset voices, the more versatile the piano is. If you are an expert musician that is looking to change up how the pieces you enjoy playing sound, or you want to record a variety of instruments by utilizing your keyboard, the more presets, the better!
Of course, if you are just a beginner, these presets are going to be fun to play around with, but after the fun factor wears off, they probably won’t be all that much use to you. If you are beginning, and you want to save a bit of money, you can probably look for a digital piano with a lower number of presets.
The polyphony of an instrument refers to the maximum number of notes that can be produced at one time. If you intend to play a three-note chord with a one-note melody, for instance, then you would need a keyboard that is capable of at least a four-note polyphony. Most digital pianos come with a 64 or 128-note polyphony, which helps to make sure that you can play more complicated layers on your keyboard.
The more complicated your playing is going to be, the higher the polyphony capability you should look for. This will help ensure that, no matter how many layers you put into your music, you will not exceed the polyphony of your piano. Of course, if you are only a beginner, you probably won’t need such a high number.
Most digital pianos come with either a one-year or a three-year warranty. This will help cover some of the parts of the pianos, should something happen to them during regular use. While you might pay slightly more for a model that comes with a longer warranty, it might be a good idea. That way, you will be covered should anything unfortunate befall your piano while you are playing it.
Just make sure you completely understand the terms of the warranty, as some parts will not be covered if something happens to them.
One of the most essential features to keep on your radar is a stand for your digital piano. While lots of models come with one, they are not all the same. Some, like the Casio Privia PX-870, come on a stand that makes it look very much like a standard piano, turning it into a great showpiece within your home and will make the transition from standard to digital that much easier. Some other stands, like the Korg B1SP’s, come with a pedal board that will make your playing sound that much richer.
Something else that you should keep an eye out for is benches and music stands. Both of these additional features will make playing much more comfortable than it would be if you didn’t have them.
Full-weighted keys on a digital piano help reproduce this feeling. If you get a model with full-weighted keys, you will be able to achieve a better understanding of the different sounds and volumes you can produce with your piano. This, in turn, will allow you to create a much richer sound quality for whatever pieces you choose to play than you would get with non-weighted keys.
Luckily, sever different digital pianos come with DVDs or books. One such model, the Casio Privia PX-160, comes with a DVD and a book. This should help make learning the piano a whole lot easier and more enjoyable from the outset. Setting up a digital piano is quite simple. All you need to do is plug it in and arrange the setting by following the user guide, after which you will be good to go.
Getting a digital piano on a tight budget can be difficult, but if you buy the Yamaha P71, we don’t think you will be disappointed. This piano is relatively straightforward, but still has plenty of key features to make playing it a pleasure. That’s why it is our Editor’s Choice.
The Casio Privia PX-870 has the highest level of polyphony thus it is an excellent pick for professionals searching for a quality sound and durable, sleek design. It also comes with a lesson mode and instructional DVD.
And last but not least is the Alesis Recital Pro which is Best for Beginners as it is a full-sized keyboard with weighted keys which gives the player the proper amount of feedback they need to learn to play.
