Best Stage And Digital Pianos Under £500

We know that if you’re looking at buying your first keyboard or digital piano, the choice between all the different models can be a bit of a minefield. We also know that if you’re buying an instrument for your child, there can be a bit of trepidation over whether or not they’re going to carry on with it. That’s why we’ve compiled a list of the best digital pianos under £500 that have proved to be very popular.

‘What’s the difference between a stage piano and a digital piano?’ you might ask. Well, a stage piano is just the keyboard bit of the instrument, so you’ll usually need to buy the stand separately. A digital piano on the other hand has the keyboard set in a casing, that looks a little more like a traditional upright acoustic piano. Stage pianos are much easier to transport from one place to another, and a digital piano is more like a permanent piece of furniture, though these do tend to be more expensive.

It’s worth noting that each one of these pianos has weighted keys; that is the keys need a little more force pushed down on them, unlike the keys on a keyboard, which are much lighter. Different companies have different ways of doing this but the end result is that the keys feel more like they do on a traditional acoustic piano. None of them will need tuning either – that’s one of the joys of a digital piano. You can also plug in headphones for silent practice, so you can play away in peace, no matter what time of day.

This is the cheapest entry level digital stage piano with weighted keys. It has three levels of sensitivity so pushing down harder on the keys results in a louder note. The CDP-130 gives you five different sounds, including piano and it only weighs 11kg making it easy to transport around. This piano is at a great price point, well under £500 and makes for a fantastic beginner instrument. Given that the keys are full size and weighted, there won’t be too much difference if the player is going from an acoustic piano in their lesson to this at home for practice. The CDP-120 is great for someone starting out learning to play piano and will see them through their first couple of grades.

The Yamaha P45 is their most affordable digital piano and, coming in at well under £500, it’s one of the best instruments around this price. You’ve got 10 different sounds, including a very authentic piano sound (sampled from Yamaha’s own acoustics) and the ability to let 64 notes ring out at once (polyphony). A feature that makes this piano great for those just starting out with piano lessons is the Duo function – this splits the kleyboard in two so that both student and teacher can play the same thing at the same time. USB-host connectivity also means you can plug it into to a computer for easy recording. The Yamaha P45 sounds great and is reliable – a great digital stage piano under £500.

It’s available with an X-frame stand and headphones, or with the matching stand, stool and headphones.

The Casio PX160 does have a few upgrades over the CDP130. First off, it has a better piano action so it plays a little more like an acoustic piano. It’s got greater polyphony too, so 128 notes can ring out at once – useful for playing more complex pieces. There are also 18 different tones on this model, instead of 10 on the CDP130. It’s probably better suited to players a little further down the line in terms of playing experience, but it also makes for a very good starter piano. It is towards the far end of our £500 budget but it’s definitely one of the best digital pianos around that price. Click on the product page to hear this piano being played.