Digital pianos are available in more variety than ever before. There are many reliable brands to choose from, and what's more, there are tons of designs to suit a wide range of needs. Let's dive in to some of the options available in 2024.
Portable Designs
Portable digital pianos start at 9” depth, and 50" length, though most average 52”. Their weights tend to be about 25 pounds. These take up the least amount of room space while still giving the aspiring pianist a decent keyboard touch and feel so they can comfortably learn how to play. Check out this piano from Yamaha, the P-525, for a great example of a portable digital piano.
There are also now wood key models that start at 9” depth as well, and with much improved feel of keys, action, and higher-end sound samples. Most of these portable wood key models are 14”-15” deep with higher quality speakers and weigh around 48 pounds.
Compact Home Pianos
Compact home pianos starting at 12” depth are similar to portable digitals, but typically have much better speakers with improved keyboard touch. With a keyboard lid or sliding cover, these have a sleek aesthetic that looks, well, at home in your home. Also available are 15” to 18” depth home pianos that look more like an upright piano. With further improved sound, touch, and real wood keys, these pianos are still compact enough that they don't take centre stage in a room. The Roland F701 is an example of a compact home piano that fits snugly against any wall. Below that, the Yamaha Clavinova CLP-745, featuring a more traditional "upright" look, while still boasting only 18" depth.
Digital Grand Pianos
Yes, you can have your cake and eat it too! You can get the look of a grand piano while having the volume control of a digital piano. Digital grand pianos look like smaller baby grands, and often have plastic keyboard actions, typically starting at a length of about 3-4 feet. With sounds sourced from fabulous instruments like the Yamaha CFX and Bösendorfer lines, these pianos are a joy to play and hear. This is the Yamaha Clavinova CLP-795GP in Polished Ebony.
Hybrid Pianos
The top echelon of digital pianos are called hybrid pianos as they use real upright or grand piano designed keyboards mixed in with digital elements. Hybrid pianos are still often only 18” depth so they take up the least amount of space possible, while giving you grand piano keyboard action. These pianos feel almost exact to their acoustic counterparts, but still have no strings, so typically no tuning is needed. You still have total control over the volume of sound via digital speakers, and many offer exciting sound samples. Some hybrids will require some technician work down the road to regulate or adjust the touch depending on how much use the piano gets.
Here is the Casio Celviano Grand Hybrid GP-510.
Stage Pianos
The remaining category of digital pianos are stage or studio-focused pianos which have very small or no speakers on the piano. Stage pianos are popular with players who perform live or use them in studio recording sessions. Stage pianos have top-of-the-line sound and special features like advanced live sets so you can have quick access to the sounds you need for a show. It's common to "split" the keyboard to create a richer sound, like layering piano on the bottom half and strings on the top half when playing a ballad. Check out this full-featured stage piano, the Nord Piano 5.
And that's the lay of the land when it comes to digital pianos in 2024!
So, at the end of the day, your biggest question might be: What are all of these going to cost me? And the truth is, there's something for every budget! The price point of full-length portable digital pianos in 2024 starts at just $800, and then increases from there as you add things like special features and improved touch and sound quality.
We have all regularly stocked models on display in our beautiful showroom, so be sure to come by and try for yourself if you're in the market for a digital piano!