Keyboard Test 2021

Welcome to Keyboard-Ratgeber.de - your keyboard test & guide portal on the Internet! On this website you can find detailed keyboard test reports and useful tips as well as a lot of information about the keyboard and playing this wonderful instrument. No matter if children's keyboards, beginners' keyboards or keyboards for advanced or experienced players. We have tested many keyboard models for you.

The great keyboard test 2021

Keyboards of different price categories are presented with regard to their characteristics, advantages and disadvantages, as well as a short concise summary with buying recommendation for the respective game type. Depending on the player's stage, whether beginner or advanced, there is something for everyone. Here you will find our respective test winners.

Our Keyboard Bestsellers 2021

Starting with the very little ones

There are many different Keyboards for children to buy. Mostly they appear in cheerful colours and provide a very good, playful introduction to the world of keyboard instruments. This way, the first experiences in handling a musical instrument can be made at the tender age of three years, depending on the individual development of the child a little earlier or later. Of course, this is not yet the time to acquire extensive musical competence, but the motor skills of the youngest children are encouraged and a foundation for later musicality is laid.

The perfect starting age

The starting age for actually learning to play the keyboard is about six years. Most music schools offer so-called early musical education for children from kindergarten age. Here, girls and boys can try out different instruments and thus learn the first basics of music making. If the offspring then decides to take up the keyboard, which is considered a sensible and inexpensive introduction to the world of keyboard instruments, regular music school lessons can begin from the age of six. The first finger exercises as well as the reading of notes are learned. The entry via keyboard is reasonable in so far as the purchase of the instrument is relatively inexpensive, especially in comparison to other (acoustic) keyboard instruments, such as the piano, and the transition to the piano or the concert grand piano can be fluent. Care should be taken to ensure that the octave width corresponds to the child's abilities and physical condition, so that an octave can be played with one hand width.

How to learn to play keyboard?

Apart from the possibility of teaching in the music school, there are many other ways to get started. Professional guidance by a teacher is not always possible. Whether it is because there is no music school nearby or because one does not get along with the respective teacher, there are several reasons why this form is not possible. Also the time constraints or the considerable financial expenditure can be reasons. Therefore some manufacturers offer pre-installed practice programs for learning the instrument. For example, virtually all Yamaha keyboards include an Education Suite, which is described in more detail in the respective product reports. There are also some online courses or analogue keyboard starters, often supplied with a CD to listen to the exercises.

A particularly recommendable learning method, which is also used in music schools, offers for example this multi-volume keyboard starter course. Here, not only finger exercises are explained, but also the correct sitting position and arm posture. The exercise pieces are simple, often well-known songs, which can be listened to on the CD and then played back. The respective timbre is indicated. Rhythm and melody are clearly and well explained. In addition, this keyboard starter is part one of a series, so that you can continue learning according to the same pattern as soon as you have mastered the first part without problems. A really good introduction for the ambitious autocrat. The course also gets consistently positive reviews (Show testimonials). The only shortcoming is that it is only recommended from a young age.

The standard keyboard to get started

Now that it has been clarified how access to keyboard playing can be facilitated and made possible, it is now a question of what a keyboard actually offers.

A standard full-size keyboard has 61 keys and different timbres, i.e. instruments to choose from. In addition, there are those that have 49, 76 or even 88 keys. However, a portable keyboard should not have more than 61 keys, otherwise it becomes too big. In our Keyboard Test you will find many different models in comparison.

In addition, keyboards also differ in key width. The standard width is 16.5 cm per octave, which is based on the piano. Beginners' keyboards often have a narrower octave width of 14 cm to make playing easier until the dexterity and hand size correspond to the normal octave width and nothing stands in the way of changing. In our current Keyboard Test, we look at various keyboards and also explain the number of keys. If no other information is available, it is a typical octave width.

Furthermore, a standard keyboard has at least one speaker, often two, so that a good stereo sound is achieved. Furthermore, it is usually possible to connect external speakers of higher sound quality or to practice with headphones. This is explained further down and in the section Keyboard accessories has been received.

To enter the musical world of keyboard instruments, a keyboard from a lower price category without too many different functions is recommended. A dynamic touch or hundreds of tonal colours and possibilities would simply overwhelm the beginner, so that a solid model with a good sound should be chosen instead. It is also advisable to make sure that a learning software is integrated if independent learning is desired.

The ambitious player

The advanced, ambitious player will already expect a little more from his instrument, as he will be able to use the low-priced entry-level models and now wants to continue to work on himself and his creativity.

There are a number of options here, depending on the player's preference. There are keyboards that have connections for foot pedals and those that have velocity-sensitive keys. There are also different gradations: From touch dynamics which have a dynamic range from hard to medium to soft to those which do not have to make any gradations between the tone volume and therefore feel almost like a piano, almost everything is on the market. More details can also be found in the product tests.

For the advanced player, a keyboard from the middle or higher price segment is recommended, because in addition to a wide range of functions, it almost always has a touch dynamic that makes the transition to the acoustic keyboard instrument easier and gives more freedom, and the possibility of PC connection, which is important for recordings.

Keyboard headphones for a full sound experience

Which headphones are to be connected to the keyboard has to be decided individually as well as the purchase of the keyboard itself. It is important to be comfortable to wear and to be aware of what you actually want from the headphones. If there is a lot of ambient noise, closed headphones should be chosen that enclose the auricle to block out as much noise as possible. You should also pay attention to the connectivity, most instruments have a 6.3 mm jack, so an adapter from 3.5 mm to 6.3 mm is sometimes mandatory. Buying a pair of headphones with a matching jack plug is therefore another criterion where you can also save the money for an adapter.

Buying a keyboard - How much is a keyboard?

Often there are discussions and arguments about how much an instrument may cost. This is, however, to be reconsidered individually depending on the expectations one has of the keyboard.

However, it is recommended in any case to compare prices, as the music store is usually much more expensive than an online shop.

Kids' keyboards:

A keyboard for the youngest children of kindergarten age usually costs between 10€ and 30€. The colourful visuals and animal sounds are used to introduce the children to the instrument.

Entry level keyboards:

An entry-level keyboard for beginners, with fewer keys and a smaller octave width, can be purchased from about 40-45€. Besides the partly colourful appearance, the solid and robust, battery-powered realisation of the instrument is especially important in order not to overstrain the learner and to offer an inexpensive introduction. Recommended here are for example products from Casio.

Rookie keyboards:

A slightly better keyboard for beginners, which is not only for testing and getting to know the instrument, but should also serve as a long-term companion for the child, is available in very good quality with some functions from about 90€. It should be considered whether a complete set with bench and other accessories could be cheaper. For more information see the category complete sets.

Advanced:

A keyboard for the ambitious, advanced player who is no longer satisfied with just learning and now wants to become creative himself is a somewhat more expensive undertaking. It starts at about 150€.

Traditional keyboard brands

One look is enough to see that there are countless keyboards from just as many manufacturers and brands to buy. It is not always easy to decide which is the right instrument for your own needs. Therefore this homepage was brought into being: In addition to the practical tests, there is always a conclusion that explains for whom the respective keyboard is especially recommendable.

Roughly speaking, it can be said that there are well-known manufacturers, which will be discussed in more detail in a moment, who consistently deliver very good quality and have high standards for the instruments they sell. These include, for example, two of the largest and most successful manufacturers:

Yamaha:

A traditional company that has been manufacturing musical instruments since 1887. Starting with an organ, this renowned company has made a great development and still sells the very best quality today. It has masterfully made the leap from acoustic instruments to electronic ones and is one of the leading companies on the market: rightly so, because they have a huge product range and there is something for everyone.

Casio:

However, a group that is today primarily associated with electronic devices also established its roots about 60 years ago. Due to its various products in the electronic field and the many years of experience, this company also offers good quality, but at a lower price. Absolutely suitable and recommendable for beginners and newcomers. However, the product range is limited and offers nothing for the more ambitious player.

Tips for buying a keyboard - what the musician should consider

Anyone who has decided on a keyboard as a musical instrument in their own home or on the road has a free hand in choosing between a variety of different models. A portable device, which is also well suited for working on the road, or a master keyboard, which is equipped with all kinds of functions - the choice of keyboards for purchase is large, so some criteria for the perfect choice should be made before you buy a keyboard.

In advance, the musician should decide on a particular model, for example by reading test or experience reports. Above all, the wishes of the pianist should be taken into account so that the future musical instrument offers all the important possibilities of use that are needed.

Furthermore, the quality of the product and the user-friendliness of the keyboard are also important, so that nothing stands in the way of happy and, in particular, multi-faceted music-making.

Buying a keyboard - a guide

The criteria that make a good and a high-quality keyboard are not only important product features, but also the presentation and the user-friendly application of the music device. Of course, different criteria apply to children's keyboards, as different demands are made on such a musical instrument. In the case of keyboards for the little ones, the colourful presentation and child-friendly handling are particularly important, while the following purchase criteria, for example, play a role in the case of devices for adults:

• keyboard expression
• at least 61 keys available
• Power supply unit included in product scope
• Wide range of rhythms and sounds available
• possibly provided with illuminated keys
• Memory functions included
• Music stand included
• professional timbre
• powerful speakers

In order for the keyboard to feel authentically like the piano, it should be equipped with 61 keys, if possible, which also have a touch dynamic. In addition to the touch dynamics, which play a major role in the feel of the musical instrument, the product range should also be examined. A power supply unit, like a music stand, is part of the classic equipment, while a large variety of rhythms and sounds underline the possibilities of creative use. Illuminated keys then help beginners in particular to memorize the correct note and tone sequence without making the usual mistakes.

If the selected keyboard then also has a professional sound, which is output via the powerful loudspeakers without interference, there is nothing to stand in the way of musical use of this modern and practical musical instrument, then the other purchase criteria will also match.