Learning to play
Yamaha PSR-E383
A first keyboard reviewers and owners rate for its sounds and value; its light keys do not feel like a piano.
Photos: Yamaha
of 7 reviews recommend itand 78 owner reviews
Choose it to learn to play. It has 61 touch-sensitive keys, built-in speakers, lessons and backing styles, and a USB to Host port that sends MIDI and audio to a computer. Reviewers and owners find the menus take time to learn, the speakers small and the light, unweighted keys no substitute for a piano. To build piano technique, the FP-10 has 88 weighted keys.
- Best for
- Beginners learning to play, with lessons, backing styles and USB to a computer.
- Skip it if
- You want weighted, piano-like keys or speakers that fill a room.
What people praise
- Good sounds for the price, the piano especially
- A good first keyboard to learn on
What to know first
- Multi-function buttons and menus take time to learn
- Small speakers, light on bass and volume
Video reviews
- Jeremy SeeJun 2024Recommends
- GearfactsApr 2024Recommends
Learning piano on weighted keys
Roland FP-10
A realistic hammer action and good piano sound for the price; weak speakers and a mini-jack output.
Photos: Roland
of 7 reviews recommend itand 74 owner reviews
Choose it over the PSR-E383 to learn piano. Owners say its hammer action feels close to an acoustic piano and praise the piano sound; its USB port and Bluetooth MIDI connect it to a computer or piano apps. The repeated reservation is the speakers, which owners and reviews call weak or thin in the bass, and it has few sounds on the panel and only a headphone jack as an output.
- Best for
- Learning piano at home on a realistic 88-key hammer action.
- Skip it if
- You need line outputs, louder speakers or many sounds on the panel.
What people praise
- Hammer action feels close to an acoustic piano
- Good piano sound for the price
What to know first
- Built-in speakers are weak, quiet or thin in the bass
- Few sounds and features on the instrument itself
Video reviews
- Piano ToneFeb 2022Recommends
Making tracks on a small desk
Novation Launchkey Mini 25 MK4
A small DAW controller with deep Ableton Live control and well-liked pads; the mini keys are its weak point.
Photos: Novation
3 of 3 reviews recommend it11 owner reviews read
Choose it to make tracks in a DAW on a small desk or on the move. It makes no sound on its own: it plays the software's instruments, sets itself up in Ableton Live and runs from the computer's USB. Reviewers and owners like its pads and chord and scale tools, but the mini keys play less easily than full-size ones. For two-handed parts, choose the Launchkey 49.
- Best for
- Making tracks in a DAW on a small desk or on the move.
- Skip it if
- You want to learn piano or play two-handed parts on full-size keys.
What people praise
- Compact and light enough to travel or sit beside a laptop
- Tight Ableton Live control that sets itself up
What to know first
- Mini keys are less playable and feel light or cheap
- DAWs other than Ableton Live take more set-up or behave unevenly
Full-size keys for production
Novation Launchkey 49 MK4
A 49-key DAW controller every review recommends, deepest in Ableton Live; its light keys have no aftertouch.
Photos: Novation
of 7 reviews recommend itand 34 owner reviews
Choose it over the Mini when you want room for both hands. Owners praise its DAW control, deepest in Ableton Live, and reviewers rate its chord and arpeggiator tools and semi-weighted keys. The keys are light and not piano-like, and they have no aftertouch. Novation's guide says to update its firmware when you first plug it in.
- Best for
- Making tracks in a DAW, especially Ableton Live, with room for both hands.
- Skip it if
- You want to learn piano technique or need aftertouch on the keys.
What people praise
- DAW control works well, deepest in Ableton Live
- Semi-weighted keys play well for the price
What to know first
- No aftertouch on the keys
- Keys are light and not piano-like, and can be noisy
Video reviews
- Yaahn Hunter Jr.Oct 2024Recommends
Also considered
- Yamaha PSR-E373. The 61-key model the PSR-E383 replaced. It isn't a pick because on 7 November 2026 no shop tracked here had it new in the US.
- Yamaha P-143. Yamaha's entry 88-key digital piano with weighted keys. It isn't a pick because on 7 November 2026 no shop tracked here had it new in Germany, France or Spain, and it has no product page yet.
- Yamaha PSR-E283. A simpler 61-key Yamaha with three-step lessons, but its specs list no touch response and no USB port, so it can't play softly and loudly or connect to software.
- Novation Launchkey Mini MK3. The previous Launchkey Mini, replaced by the MK4.
How to choose a beginner keyboard
An instrument or a controller
A keyboard like the PSR-E383 or FP-10 has its own sounds and speakers, so you switch it on and play. A MIDI controller like the Launchkey sends notes to software and makes no sound without a computer, tablet or other instrument; the MIDI tutorial explains how that works. The PSR-E383 and FP-10 also connect to a computer over USB, so learning on one doesn't rule out production later.
Touch response
Touch-sensitive keys play louder the harder you press, which is how you learn dynamics. All four picks have it; the PSR-E283 doesn't. Check for it in the spec sheet before buying any keyboard to learn on.
Number of keys and the action
Twenty-five keys is two octaves, with octave buttons to shift the range. Forty-nine is four octaves, room for both hands. Sixty-one is five octaves, the size of most portable keyboards, and 88 is a full piano. The action matters as much as the count: the PSR-E383 has organ-style keys, the Launchkey 49 semi-weighted keys, and the FP-10 weighted hammer action.
Connecting to a computer
On the PSR-E383, USB to Host carries MIDI and audio over one cable, so you can record the keyboard's own sound into a DAW. The FP-10 connects over USB and Bluetooth MIDI, which Roland says may be missing in some countries. The Launchkeys draw power over USB and need no adaptor. The computers for music production guide covers the machine on the other end of the cable.
Keys in a DJ setup
Chord and Scale modes keep everything in key, which matters if you already mix in key; a drum machine and a pair of studio monitors complete a small production desk.
How these picks are made
Each pick is the keyboard with the strongest evidence for its situation. The evidence is what professional reviews conclude and what owners report at Thomann and Guitar Center, compiled for each keyboard, with every source linked on its product page. Keyboard figures come from the makers' pages. We haven't tested these keyboards. Prices come from daily tracking across the retailers we link to. The methodology explains the whole process.
