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Which Yamaha keyboard to buy for beginners?

The Yamaha NP-12 is the perfect first keyboard for any beginner. It's a great way to give younger players the illusion of a more professional instrument without the cost. Some beginners might be upset with a lack of features, but we see that as a lack of distractions.

higherhz.com - The 7 best Yamaha keyboards and digital pianos in 2022 - Higher Hz

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The 7 best Yamaha keyboards and digital pianos in 2023

Yamaha is one of the most prolific manufacturers of keyboard instruments globally. They produce everything from stunning concert grand pianos to the ideal first keyboard for kids. We aren’t stretching our list to a concert grand, but we’re looking at various models over a wide price range. From a few hundred dollars to a few thousand dollars, here are our picks for the best Yamaha keyboards and digital pianos on the market at the moment.

These are the best Yamaha keyboards and digital pianos right now:

Yamaha Clavinova CLP-735 4.9

A luxurious piano experience

Yamaha’s Clavinova CLP-735 is one of our favorite digital pianos at any price. The playing experience is so authentic that it’s easy to get lost and imagine you’re at an acoustic piano. It sounds and feels wonderful, and it’s worth every penny for serious pianists. The CLP-735 is an excellent example of how authentic a digital piano can sound and feel. It utilizes Yamaha’s Real Grand Expression technology with real wooden keys. The weight of the keys provides the right amount of resistance to feel realistic and encourage dynamic, expressive playing. The Clavinova CLP-735 delivers two iconic grand piano voices that perfectly match the real wooden keys. It features the sound of Yamaha’s CFX concert grand and the legendary Bösendorfer Imperial. The two pianos offer contrasting voices and a good blend of brightness and darker tones. The contrasting tones make it an excellent piano for many genres of music.

Check out our full Yamaha CLP-735 digital piano review

Yamaha CP88 4.8

Authentic vintage sounds with a modern twist

The Yamaha CP88 is a stage piano that will divide opinions. It won’t be for you if you don’t like the retro-modern-vintage approach. But we love it; it’s one of our favorite Yamaha keyboards in years.

It has outstanding acoustic and electric piano sounds with lovely vintage effects.

Yamaha’s CP88 is a full-size stage piano that combines vintage sounds with modern technology. The AWM2 tone generator recreates the sound of Yamaha’s iconic 1970s Combo Piano beautifully. It also features one of the most sought-after acoustic piano sounds from the Bösendorfer Imperial 290. As acoustic/electric piano sounds go, the CP88 is better than most. Built-in effects come from Yamaha’s Virtual Circuitry Modeling, which mimics studio-grade processors right down to the inconsistencies. Thanks to a clever modular layout, sounds and effects are easy to change and tweak on the fly. The speedy workflow makes the Yamaha CP88 an ideal choice for the stage.

Check out our full Yamaha CP88 stage piano review

Yamaha Arius YDP-103 4.3

A solid beginner-friendly piano

Despite its age, the YDP-103 still makes it onto our list. It remains one of the best digital pianos under $1000, so the value for money makes it a no-brainer. If you’re a beginner to intermediate player who wants good-quality grand piano sounds at a reasonable sound, you’ll love the YDP-103. When you break down everything you get from the Yamaha YDP-103, it’s more than you might expect.

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It features a lovely graded hammer-action keyboard. The weight of the keys isn’t perfect, but it’s the ideal transition from portable keyboard to digital piano for beginners. The feel of the instrument should be good enough to last from beginner to intermediate playing. Yamaha’s AWM sampling powers the sound of the YDP-103. It doesn’t quite match the level of high-end digital pianos, but it delivers an impressive grand piano tone that is one of the best in the price range. It has 10 voices in total with a max polyphony of 64 notes. Understandably, the low polyphony might be a concern for some, but it shouldn’t cause any problems for beginner to intermediate players. It’s a straightforward digital piano with simple features, quality sounds, and a fair price tag.

Check out our full Yamaha YDP-103 digital piano review

Yamaha P-125 4.7

A high-quality, lightweight stage piano

The P-125 is the first choice for many performers who want a simple stage piano without spending a fortune, and we can see why. If you need a great piano sound without unnecessary features, you can’t go wrong with the P-125. If you need more than a straightforward piano, it probably isn’t the one. The Yamaha P-125 is an 88-key stage piano with a max polyphony of 192 notes. It comes with graded hammer-action keys with moisture-absorbing matte keytops. Along with the realistic keyboard, features like key-off samples, string resonance, and damper resonance enhance the piano experience. The sound comes from Yamaha’s Pure CF sound engine. While we don’t rate it as highly as the CFX engine, it’s still excellent (especially in that price range). The Pure CF engine recreates the sound of the Yamaha CFIIIS concert grand in great detail. It doesn’t come with a wide range of features, but the ones it has got, like Sound Boost and the Stereophonic Optimizer, make a noticeable difference. Another thing that makes the P-125 attractive for performers is the weight. It weighs just 26 lbs, making it one of the most portable stage pianos on the market.

Check out our full Yamaha P-125 review

Yamaha Arius YDP-165 4.8

The sound of the Yamaha CFX concert grand

The Yamaha Arius YDP-165 is a great digital piano for intermediate players. We say intermediate because it’s a little pricey for beginners. It delivers a high-quality sound, realistic feel, and clear advancement in technology. It shows that the Arius range is here to stay. The YDP-165 is a newer addition to the Arius range that blends updated technology with classic Arius looks. The graded hammer-action (GH3) keyboard comes with synthetic ebony and ivory keytops. The weight and feel of the keyboard are a step up from the YDP-103 (we still favor the YDP-103 for the price). It comes with the sound of Yamaha’s flagship piano, the CFX concert grand. It’s the best piano sound Yamaha has to offer and one of the best from any manufacturer. Half-damper pedal control is supported, which gives more realistic and precise control over sustain.

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The YDP-165 has hundreds of built-in songs and 303 practice exercises covering various skill levels. It’s a sophisticated piano for anyone on a serious journey towards becoming an advanced player.

Check out our full Yamaha YDP-165 digital piano review

Yamaha DGX-670 4.5

A songwriter’s dream

The DGX-670 is widely considered to be one of the best arranger keyboards available. It’s the perfect singer-songwriter’s keyboard between the abundance of sounds and connectivity. It’s also one of the cheapest ways to get the stunning Yamaha CFX sound. Yamaha’s DGX-670 continues the trend of excellent DGX arranger keyboards. This 88-key portable grand version shows significant improvement over previous models. Like any good arranger keyboard, it comes with hundreds of high-quality sounds. Although the flagship voice is the Yamaha CFX concert grand, the other sounds are very good. Budding composers will enjoy many interesting features that add realism to their arrangements. Super Articulation Voices recreate the natural expression of non-keyboard instruments (great for saxophone). Along with the ability to record your ideas, the DGX-670 has a microphone input, making it perfect for rehearsing and performance. It’s a creative powerhouse.

Check out our full Yamaha DGX-670 review

Yamaha Piaggero NP-12 4.9

The perfect first keyboard

The Yamaha NP-12 is the perfect first keyboard for any beginner. It’s a great way to give younger players the illusion of a more professional instrument without the cost. Some beginners might be upset with a lack of features, but we see that as a lack of distractions. Let’s be clear, the Piaggero NP-12 isn’t one of the seven best keyboards that Yamaha produces. So it might seem like a strange addition to our list. But, we are trying to cover a broad price and ability range, and the NP-12 is top of its class. It’s a little different from typical beginner keyboards because it focuses on sound quality over flashy features. The NP-12 has a grand piano voice that any beginner keyboard will struggle to match. The other sounds (10 total) are also impressive. The electric pianos, strings, and organs offer enough variation to encourage young players to experiment with different playing styles. We also love the look of the NP-12. It isn’t multi-colored or attention-grabbing in any way. Again, some kids might not like that, but we think it gives the impression of a more grown-up instrument.

Check out our Yamaha NP-12 keyboard review

Conclusion

These are the best Yamaha keyboards and digital pianos right now (in our opinion). We have looked at high-end digital pianos and budget-friendly beginner keyboards, and we love them all. Whatever your budget or current musical ability, you should find something interesting here!

higherhz.com - The 7 best Yamaha keyboards and digital pianos in 2022 - Higher Hz