Which Piano or Keyboard Is Most Suitable for Me?

We get this question all the time, so this blog will hopefully cover the important things you need to know before choosing a keyboard or piano.

The first thing we always ask is: who is playing, and what level are they at?

While we do get maestros coming in looking for a silent digital piano to practise quietly at home, most of the time it’s brand-new students wanting to start a hobby or learn an instrument for the first time.

1. Young beginners and absolute beginners

If you’re just starting, you’ve basically got two paths: go all-out and invest in a long-lasting, high-quality piano like the Casio Grand Hybrid GP310 or GP510 (around $5,000–$7,000), or start with something simple like the entry-level 88-key Casio CDP-S110 (around $600).

The differences between the two are huge, of course. The top-end models give you beautiful piano tones, a very realistic feel, and all the advantages of digital pianos — volume control, MIDI export, lots of instrument sounds to play with. They’re incredible… but the price tag matches that.

The CDP-S110, on the other hand, gives you what beginners actually need: weighted keys (this is the bare minimum for learning proper technique), a nice piano sound, and a simple interface that won’t overwhelm you. A lot of 61- or 76-key keyboards aren’t weighted or even touch-responsive, which really isn’t ideal for learning.

The CDP-S110 is easily our best-selling beginner model because it’s slim, affordable, sounds great for what it is, and comes with a sustain pedal and sheet music holder. It’s simple, straightforward, and you can put it anywhere — a desk, table, or on an X-brace stand like the KS162.

2. Slightly more serious players, but still on a budget

Once someone starts taking things a bit more seriously, we usually recommend moving to a digital piano with a proper cabinet and a built-in three-pedal system. This setup is much more stable and is important for pieces that require all three pedals. It also works with the free Casio Music Space app, where the pedals can act as a page turner if you’re using a device.

The PX-770 is our and many customer's choice in this category. It’s super affordable for what it is, comes with a bench, and gives a realistic piano experience for beginners up to around Grade 1–2. The tones sound great through either headphones or the speakers, and the whole setup just feels like a “real” piano without the big price tag.

3. “I want to spend a little more”

The next natural step up is the Casio AP-270. These have been around for years and are still one of the best budget digital pianos you can buy — even after comparing them with Yamaha and Kawai alternatives.

The AP-270 has a bigger cabinet, a more solid feel, and a really good tone (yes, recorded from a certain well-known grand piano that starts with the letter S, but you didn’t hear that here). We’ve assembled probably about a hundred of these and honestly prefer setting up the AP-270 over the PX-770 because they’re more stable and feel like a proper furniture piece. A heavier piano doesn’t wobble around when someone plays hard, which is surprisingly important.

If your budget allows, the AP-270 is one of our strongest recommendations for new players.

4. “Okay… what’s the best digital piano?”

If you want the top of the top, that’s the Casio Grand Hybrid series — the GP310 and GP510. We actually sell a lot of these, sometimes more than the models few steps below, because people absolutely love what they offer and you are getting your money's worth.

These pianos use a real hybrid hammer action designed with Bechstein — so the mechanism actually moves like a real grand piano, and the keys are made from spruce. The speakers, touch response, and tones are all in another league. You’re not listening to a generic piano sound here; the three main tones (Berlin, Vienna, Hamburg) are from real concert grand pianos - Bechstein, Stein.. and Borsend... but you didn't learn that here.

The GP310 has a matte wood-grain finish. The GP510 is the glossy, premium version with extra refinements. Both are fantastic.

5. “I play modern music, gig, record, or need to connect to devices”

This is where the Casio PXS7000HM comes in — especially in the Harmonious Mustard colour (we call it the Honey Mustard). This model is massively popular with contemporary players.

It has all the features you’d want for stage or studio work: customisable settings, microphone input with its own volume control, high-quality tones, and a design that looks incredible in any home. It even uses the same wooden keys as the higher-end Celviano models, so the feel is great too.

There are too many features to list in this blog, but if you need something capable, modern, stylish, and performance-ready, the PXS7000 is definitely one to look at. And yes — it comes with a matching bench that looks just as good.

If you’ve got any questions at all, feel free to reach out. We’re all musicians here, and we love helping other musicians find the right instrument.