The most important purchase you are going to make in teaching piano lessons is going to be the piano you choose to purchase. You may already have a piano and if so, that’s great. Even if you do, though, I would still recommend looking at this recommendation I am giving you closely to make sure that your piano fulfills the needs that you are going to have.
Casio Privia PX-160 88-Key Full Size Digital Piano
I spent hours and hours of researching and comparing models before I settled on the Casio Privia PX-160. I was super impressed with how the Casio showed up among the top 3 of almost all of the reviews sights that I found. I have now had this piano for about 2 years and I still love it. Just so you know, it is still rated just as high now as it did 2 years ago. This piano is solid and people love it.
First off, why an electric piano? I actually have both an acoustic and an electric piano — several of both actually. The acoustic pianos are great, don’t get me wrong. I love them. But they take a lot of maintenance. You have to tune them once a year, and they are a pain to move around. If you do move them around, they immediately are out of tune and you have to tune it again. An electric piano is one that can move around, be brought with you, and has so much more flexibility for teachers with built in features that you will need and love. So, if you were to only have an acoustic or an electric, go electric. They never go out of tune, they can hook up to your laptop or tablet to cool programs and apps, they record, and you can have versatility in your sounds. They have a built in metronome and you have volume control with these babies. They can go anywhere you want them to go and don’t have to be plugged into a wall if you use batteries. Have I said enough to convince you that this is the way to go?
I am going to share with you an electric piano that I have found to absolutely love! I do have to say — you can go more expensive. There are absolutely electric pianos out there that have way more features and include some more nice touch response, etc. But I am going to offer you my advice on a piano that won’t cost you an arm and a leg and that you will most likely be able to purchase sooner than later. On the flip side, there are definitely electric pianos out there that are cheaper.
I also have to let you know that Casio has not always had the best of reputations for good quality. Don’t be fooled by that on this one. I have been very impressed with the quality of this piano for its price point.
One of the main reasons that I suggest this particular model is because it is the entry level to the “real” electric pianos. This is the basic entry level electric piano that has the necessary feature of truly being able to simulate a real piano. The simulated hammer action with the fully weighted keys is absolutely important in being able to have the student practice and perform on a piano that would be similar to a true piano.
The sounds system has speakers that are to the front and to the back. This is important for if you have the piano set against the wall, the sound still projects. You will understand just how important speaker quality is when you remember the electric pianos you have heard that just “twang”. This has a beautiful sound to it and can be hooked up to more speakers if you so desire.
Two headphone jacks on the front. These headphone jacks come in handy so many times when I want to plug into the piano with the student. I use these constantly.
A feature that some of the cheaper electric pianos don’t carry, is that you will want full sized keys. Not only a full sized keyboard, but full sized keys. Some of the cheaper brands carry keys that are smaller than a real key. You do NOT want this for it will produce bad habits and not be akin to a real keyboard. This piano carries full sized keys and a full sized keyboard.
If I had to give a negative, it is that this keyboard does not have a screen. Having a screen on your keyboard will increase the cost of your piano by a couple hundred, if you are trying to keep with the same type of quality. There are just a few features on an electric keyboard that I personally use frequently. That is the metronome, the variable tones, and the recording. Those are easy enough to learn without having to pay the extra couple hundred for a screen. So I think it’s worth it.
Sustain Pedals: Get the right one!
It is well worth the extra few dollars to get yourself the right sustain pedal. Most electric pianos come with a pretty wimpy pedal. That pedal just won’t do. Do yourself a favor and get one that will not only last you much longer, it will provide you the sound quality you are looking for. You will have a much easier time with a better pedal.
Check out this high quality pedal here. It has lasted me through thick and thin and still held up really well. It also allows for me to press and lift it much more like an acoustic piano. It also has a quick response — something the cheaper pedals do not have.
Piano Stand
If you are going to get an electric piano, the last thing you are going to want is for it to fall over as soon as someone bumps it! The stands that are under $50 are those that will just fall over once you bump it. You find yourself reaching to catch it!
Do yourself a favor and get one that will not fall over so easily. That’s why I like this piano stand. It isn’t the cheapest stand, but it won’t break the budget either. It is heavy duty enough to stand without falling over easily, but still easily transportable.
Piano Bench
This piano bench works perfect for your set-up. You will want a piano bench. It’s absolutely necessary for your studio! This piano bench will fit nicely for you needs and it will allow for adjustments as well.
Electric Piano Carrying Case
If you are planning on being pretty portable with your electric piano, you will for sure want to make sure that you get a case that will keep it safe while you are transporting. The greatest risk for damage is the transporting, so check out this carrying case. It is padded and will more likely keep your carrying case safe than some of your really cheap ones. But it is still affordable.
Portable Speaker
You may want to have a performance and you will need a large speaker. One that can project to the audience. I am assuming you aren’t looking for a full professional set up (we’re talking tens of thousands of dollars for that). So let’s look at an option that will allow us to hold a performance somewhere, but it still pretty portable and still affordable.
This portable speaker has about everything you will need! It can fill up the room with sound. It has a pretty decent sound quality, and it is easy to carry around. This speaker is a great way to get what you need for the right price.
You can connect your phone really easily with this speaker. You can also just hook your electric piano straight into the speaker.
