Choosing a first keyboard for kids: what to look for

Your child doesn’t need a grand piano to start lessons, but the instrument they practice on does matter. A good first keyboard or digital piano makes practice easier and more enjoyable, and what your child learns at home carries over to the teacher’s piano. Here’s what to look for, so you can judge any instrument you find in a shop, online or second-hand.

Full-size keys come first

Look for keys that are the same size as a real piano’s. Some keyboards made for children, and some small portable ones, have mini keys. They look sweet, but fingers learn distances by feel, and mini keys teach the wrong ones. When your child sits at a normal piano, everything feels too far apart. If you’re not sure, compare the keyboard with a piano, or ask the teacher to take a look.

Touch-sensitive or weighted keys

On a piano, pressing a key harder makes a louder sound. That’s how children learn to play softly and loudly, which is a big part of making music sound like music.

• Touch-sensitive keys (sometimes called velocity-sensitive) get louder when pressed harder. This is the minimum to look for. Skip keyboards where every note comes out at the same volume however it’s played.
• Weighted keys go a step further. They feel heavier, like a piano’s, and some are heavier in the low notes and lighter in the high ones, just as a piano is. They build finger strength and make moving between home and lessons easy.

For a young beginner, touch-sensitive keys are enough to start. If your child is taking lessons and sticking with it, weighted keys are worth it, because the gap between a light keyboard and the teacher’s piano grows as the music gets harder.

61 or 88 keys?

A full piano has 88 keys. Many keyboards have 61, and some have 76.

• 61 keys are fine for the first year or two. Beginner music stays near the middle of the keyboard, and a smaller instrument is lighter and takes up less room.
• 76 keys cover most of what children play for a long time.
• 88 keys are the full range, so your child won’t outgrow it. Digital pianos usually have 88 keys, often weighted.

Fewer than 61 keys tends to feel limiting quickly, even for a beginner.

A sustain pedal

The sustain pedal is the right-hand pedal on a piano. It lets notes keep ringing after your child lifts their fingers, and it shows up in music sooner than many parents expect. Digital pianos usually come with one. Many keyboards have a socket for a pedal but don’t include it, so check. A pedal shaped like a real piano pedal is easier to use than a small square switch that slides around on the floor.

A stand and the right height

A keyboard balanced on a table or a bed doesn’t work for long. Your child needs a sturdy stand and a seat at the right height. When they sit at the keys:

• Forearms are roughly level with the keys, with wrists neither drooping nor pointing up.
• Elbows are a little in front of the body, and shoulders are relaxed.
• Feet rest flat, on the floor or on a footrest or sturdy box if their legs don’t reach.
• They sit toward the front half of the seat, facing the middle of the keyboard.

An adjustable bench or stool grows with your child and suits siblings who share the instrument. Choose a stand that doesn’t wobble when they play loudly.

A few more things to check

• Built-in speakers that sound clear at the volume you’ll play at.
• A headphone socket, so practice can happen without filling the house.
• Second-hand is fine. Play every key softly and loudly, try the pedal, and listen for buzzes or keys that stick.
• An acoustic piano is wonderful if you have one, but keep it tuned. An out-of-tune piano makes it hard to learn what notes should sound like.

Any piano works with musicly

musicly works with any acoustic piano, digital piano or keyboard. It listens through the microphone on your phone, tablet or computer, with no cables or MIDI needed, and scores every note while your child plays. On a digital piano or keyboard, turn the speaker volume up to at least halfway and unplug the headphones, so the microphone can hear it. Every family starts with 7 days of Premium free, no card needed. Start free.

Once the keyboard is home, read how to help your child practice piano at home. Still deciding when to begin? Our guide to the best age to start piano covers the signs of readiness.