Which keyboard for a beginner?

amother

Bisque

Tue, Dec 11 2018, 7:28 am

My 6 year old would like to play keyboard. I live in Israel and the keyboards are extremely expensive. I also don't know if he's serious. I think he's musical but not the type to practice. Should I go for a very basic Yamaha which will be about 1000-1500 shekels or a second-hand better machine such as Korg which will be much more money even as second hand.

How important is new? How important is advanced? I would love new and decent but to spend so much on something so basic is hard.

Choirmistress

Tue, Dec 11 2018, 10:16 am

Suggestion from a fellow keyboard newbie:
Don't waste your money on a six-year-old's stated ambition. Get him only a basic keyboard (it needn't be more than four octaves' worth) with the promise that if and as you see how seriously he applies himself to learning it, you will consider a serious upgrade. THEN one to two thousand shekels will be worth it. Further suggestion: When you do invest in that upgrade, don't go for gimmicks such as a "light-up" tutorial feature. Provide self-instruction piano/synth booklets instead. And you might even want to spring for a MIDI feature so that as he learns music proficiently enough, he will be able to connect the keyboard to a computer system, which will in turn let him record and upload songs of his own, maybe over the Internet. Good luck with your decision, and to your son with his musical ambitions, to which I can personally relate. (Only 80+ melodies in my head, along with a frustrating lack of ability to read or write sheet music.)
Cordially and with best wishes that you and yours all enjoyed a freilechen Chanukah,

amother

Bisque

Tue, Dec 11 2018, 12:07 pm

Choirmistress wrote:

Thank you for your advice and well wishes.

imasinger

Tue, Dec 11 2018, 12:16 pm

The brand name doesn't matter as much as the features most of the time.

A basic Yamaha, 76 key, used but in good condition, is your most practical bet.

If you have some available left over, spring for some private lessons to get him started.

amother

Bisque

Tue, Dec 11 2018, 12:54 pm

I see a second hand Roland E09 for a good price. I understand from reviews that it is considered a basic, learning keyboard. Only has 61 keys. Am I better off with a Yamaha 76 key than the Roland?
Thanks!

imasinger

Tue, Dec 11 2018, 3:15 pm

In order to answer that better I'd need to know: a) the difference in price between the two; b) how long your DS tends to stick with learning a new skill (say, reading independently, or catching a ball); and c) which specific models you were looking at. The first consideration may be the most significant in making the decision.

amother

Bisque

Tue, Dec 11 2018, 3:24 pm

imasinger wrote:

Thanks for taking the time. I really appreciate it

a- price for second hand Roland is cheaper than new Yamaha with 76 keys. As of yet, I didn't see a second hand Yamaha that is well priced.

b-Ds does read independently. He can be fairly focused on puzzles, handwriting practice. swimming lessons. whatever interests him. he claims interst in music but I can't know till we try it out. he has a great sense of rhythm and he is great with new songs

c- Im not sure what I'm comparing the Roland e09 to. There are several new yamahas in that range and slightly more expensive.

Thanks again

Hashem_Yaazor

Tue, Dec 11 2018, 9:46 pm

Assuming no one else in the family is wanting to play, I'd get the second hand Roland. If he really expresses an interest and you need to upgrade to a larger size, you can resell this one for probably the same price.