The winter holidays are just around the corner. Now is the time to shop gifts for the piano players in your life!
If you’re not a pianist, buying a piano may feel intimidating. And even advanced pianists may not know what to get for a friend who’s just starting out. In this guide, we’ll take the guesswork out of shopping for you! Don’t stress—we’ll tell you how to buy piano gifts, what to buy, and for whom.
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Digital pianos make amazing holiday gifts for piano players of all levels. They’re compact, relatively inexpensive, and come in easily gift-wrappable boxes! They’re also perfect for beginners.
Now, you may have heard that acoustic pianos are far superior to digital ones. But today’s digitals are very sophisticated instruments. It is no longer universally frowned upon to learn piano on a digital keyboard. The trick is to buy a quality digital piano that checks the essential boxes:
If at all possible, try a piano before you buy it. How it feels under the fingers is subjective.
Now, this is more difficult if you intend to surprise someone with a new piano. But we still recommend trying a piano in-person if you can. If it passes your test, it’s more likely to pass the test of the person you’re buying for.
Aim to get 88 keys, even for a beginner. This way, the pianist can access the full range of notes a piano has to offer. Even if you or your giftee don’t plan on playing complex music, you’ll run out of keys quickly if you get fewer than 88 keys.
If you can’t get 88 keys, 76 keys are the next best thing.
The action is how piano keys feel when you play on it.
Acoustic pianos can produce a wide dynamic range because how hard you press a key determines how loud you play. In recent years, digital piano makers have done a phenomenal job of imitating this mechanism.
Key feel can be a personal preference, but at the very least, buy pianos with weighted action. This means the keys will closely resemble that of an acoustic piano.
If you want to learn more about buying pianos, including how pianos work, check out the following articles:
How to Buy a Piano: The Ultimate Guide
Still unsure? We’ve rounded up some top keyboards across three levels of piano skill: beginner, intermediate, and advanced.
If you know a budding producer, we also have synthesizer recommendations for you!
🎹 Roland GO:KEYS
While it only has 61 keys, the GO:KEYS is a compact, lightweight instrument that packs a punch. It’s made a welcome appearance in many of our videos — Lisa has even gone stand-up piano boarding with one! If you want the full experience of 88 keys in a similarly compact package, check out the GO:PIANO88.
Buy Now:
Roland GO:KEYS
SWEETWATER | GUITAR CENTER
🎹 Roland FP-10
The Roland FP-10 is low-profile and lightweight, but it’s a solid keyboard to learn on. Like the P-125, it has graded action and features Roland’s SuperNATURAL sound engine, which is renowned for its authenticity.
Buy Now:
Roland FP-10
REVERB
🎹 Yamaha P-125
If you want to start on a solid keyboard, the Yamaha P-125 is a popular pick. This instrument has graded action, which means the bass notes are heavier and the treble notes lighter, which is how acoustic pianos work. You can watch Lisa review the P-125 here.
Buy Now:
Yamaha P-125 (stand sold separately)
SWEETWATER | GUITAR CENTER
Get 90 days of Pianote membership with your Roland piano. What better reason to get started with playing piano today?
CHECK IT OUT🎹 Yamaha P-515
If you (or your giftee) are ready for the next step, check out the Yamaha P-515. This instrument takes musical realism to the next level with built-in Yamaha CFX and Bösendorfer sounds, and the Piano Room feature lets you customize your soundscape. Watch Lisa and Kaitlyn discuss this piano in this video.
Buy Now:
Yamaha P-515
SWEETWATER | GUITAR CENTER
🎹 Casio Privia PX-S3000
The Casio Privia PX-S3000 is a sleek, aesthetically pleasing keyboard. With 700 tones, 200 rhythms, graded action, and five sensitivity levels for greater dynamic expression, this is a fun instrument for pianists hoping to take their creativity to the next level. There is also an authentic, textured finish on the keys.
Buy Now:
Casio Privia PX-S3000
SWEETWATER | GUITAR CENTER
🎹 Roland FP701
You might recognize this as the Singeo piano! The beautiful cabinetry is designed to fit into small spaces. The piano itself comes with Roland’s signature SuperNATURAL sound engine, powerful dual speakers, and Headphones 3D Ambience. Comes in three color ways: sleek black, snow white, or light oak.
Buy Now:
Roland FP701
SWEETWATER | GUITAR CENTER
🎹 Roland FP-90X
The FP-90X is the most advanced instrument in the Roland FP series, which is their flagship digital piano series. It has the same action as the RD-2000, but fewer features and a slightly less sophisticated sound engine. Still, this is a beautiful piano that comes in black or white. You can watch Lisa and Kaitlyn discuss this piano here.
Buy Now:
Roland FP-90X
SWEETWATER | GUITAR CENTER
🎹 Roland RD-2000
The RD-2000 is an 88-key stage piano built for gigging musicians. This piano features two sound engines and is encased in sophisticated aluminum. You can hear the supreme sound quality for yourself by watching our friend and professional pianist Erskine Hawkins demonstrate it here. Also check out the RD-88 one tier down.
Buy Now:
Roland RD-2000
SWEETWATER | GUITAR CENTER
🎹 Dexibell VIVO S9
The VIVO S9 is the top model of Dexibell’s line of professional stage pianos. Dexibell’s True 2 Life technology includes unlimited polyphony and a combination of sampling and modelling technology, all encased in a beautifully designed interface.
Buy Now:
Dexibell VIVO S9
SWEETWATER | GUITAR CENTER
🎹 Yamaha Reface Series
The Yamaha Reface Series recreates the sound of vintage keyboards from the 1970s. Each model has its own sound. For example, the Reface CP imitates the sound of e-pianos (like the Fender Rhodes) and is probably the easiest for a beginner to navigate. Meanwhile, the Reface FM makes for a good introduction to FM synthesis techniques.
Buy Now:
Yamaha Reface CP
SWEETWATER
Buy Now:
Yamaha Reface FM
SWEETWATER
🎹 Yamaha MX-61
The Yamaha MX series comes in three different sizes—49, 61, and 88 keys. These entry-level synthesizers are easy to use and connect to a DAW with a USB cable. The 88-key version has fully weighted key action so you can play expressive jazz, classical, and pop songs too! You can watch Lisa and Kaitlyn discuss the 61-key model here.
Buy Now:
Yamaha MX-61
SWEETWATER | GUITAR CENTER
The most important tool in a pianist’s arsenal is their piano. But accessories like benches, lighting, music stands, and pedals can really elevate the playing experience.
And if you’re comfortable practicing, you’ll naturally practice more 😉
🎶 On-Stage KT7800 Piano Bench
A dedicated, adjustable piano bench is a must because it fosters good posture and correct technique. Technique isn’t just about playing fast; good technique can ensure someone keeps playing for years without developing tendonitis and pain.
Buy Now:
KT7800 Piano Bench
SWEETWATER | AMAZON
🎶 On-Stage SM7211B Music Stand
Many (but not all) digital pianos come with built-in music stands. If not, pianists should invest in a stable, durable, and trustworthy music stand to hold up their sheet music, chord charts, stationery, and whatnot. Here is Lisa’s pick.
Buy Now:
On-Stage SM7211B
SWEETWATER | AMAZON
💡 BenQ PianoLight
Lighting can make a big difference to the piano playing experience. There are specially designed piano lamps to help make the sight-reading experience more comfortable. Lisa is especially fond of the BenQ PianoLight.
Buy Now:
BenQ PianoLight
AMAZON
🎹 Roland DP-10
Pedals are one of the most important tools in a pianist’s toolkit. Try to avoid footswitches and make sure the pedal comes with a non-slip bottom. The DP-10 has an extended bottom that helps you anchor the pedal to the floor with your foot.
Buy Now:
Roland DP-10
SWEETWATER | GUITAR CENTER
Need a quick, inexpensive, but witty gift? Here are some cool piano-themed gifts we found around the web that your beloved piano person will appreciate!
Piano stationery. When I was learning theory, my piano teacher gifted me a piano keyboard ruler that really helped me with understanding intervals and the Circle of Fifths.
Piano accessories. The black and white keyboard makes a good visual theme for gift items like socks, mugs, bags, and more. Here’s a creative gift idea: fingerless gloves for a piano player who always has cold hands! (We all know one.)
Roll-up piano. To be clear, we don’t recommend using this as your instrument to learn on! But roll-up and collapsible pianos are fun novelties for piano addicts on-the-go who have the itch to hammer out a tune between flights or in hotel rooms.
Henle sheet music. Henle is a premiere publisher of Classical sheet music. Their team of expert editors make sure their beautifully designed sheet music is true and accurate to the originals penned by composers.
Books. If you (or your giftee) love reading, check out these books about music:
Pianote merch aren’t reserved for fans of Pianote. We hope piano enthusiasts of all stripes will find joy with these products designed by people who love music.
📝 Practice Planner
One of the most challenging things about playing piano is knowing what to practice! This full-color, 198-page planner with resource pages is written by Lisa Witt and is lovingly designed by and for pianists. Take a look at all the features inside.
Buy Now:
Pianote Practice Planner
PIANOTE STORE
🎄 Christmas Songbook
Get the sheet music of 14 Christmas hits in this beautiful songbook arranged especially for beginner and intermediate pianists by Kevin Castro. Songs include “Carol of the Bells” and “Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy.”
Buy Now:
The Pianote Christmas Songbook
PIANOTE STORE
🎧 Piano Headphones
Designed by piano players…for pianos players. Practice comfortably in private, and with fantastic sound quality, with the Pianote Concert Series Headphones. We only have a limited supply of these, so grab them while they’re here!
Buy Now:
Pianote Concert Series Headphones
PIANOTE STORE
👕 Piano Apparel
Show your piano pride with our piano-themed apparel! Some of our favorites include the Pocket Keys T-shirt (men’s and women’s), the Rainbow Pianote T-shirt, and the Grand Piano Hoodie. We also have mugs, caps, and other fun products in the Shop.
Buy Now:
Pianote Apparel
PIANOTE STORE
We hope this guide has helped you narrow down gifts for the piano players in your life! Happy holidays!
Charmaine Li is a Vancouver writer who has played piano for over 20 years. She holds an Associate diploma (ARCT) from the Royal Conservatory of Music and loves writing about the ways in which music—and music learning—affects the human experience. Charmaine manages The Note. Learn more about Charmaine here.
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