Top 5 Best Electronic Keyboards for Beginners Under $500 in October 2024 (Updated)
1. Casio SA-80/SA-81 Mini Keyboard (S$116)
We started with the lowest price in the market for a beginner’s portable keyboard which comes with Casio SA-80 or Casio-81. This slim and mini-size keyboard is specifically designed for kids under 7 years old to discover the joy of learning music and it comes in 2 colors (Black and White).
The keyboard features a mini-size type of 44 keynotes which is perfect for the kids’ fingers. With 100 instrument sounds, 50 rhythms, and 10 integrated songs, the kids will be having a fun time discovering new sounds and playing new songs. Casio SA-80/881 was built with high-quality and safe materials for children to use.
Budget-wise, with a starting price of only S$116 (PROMO), a very reasonable purchase for your kid’s first keyboard.
Customers’ Testimonials
2. Casio CT-S200 Keyboard (S$229)
Everyone loves vibrance-themed instruments, that’s why the Casio CT-S200 keyboard comes in 3 colors to choose from, they are Red, White, and Black. Not only it’s colorful, but the Casio CT-S200 also comes with so many advanced features that will help every beginner learn to play the instrument faster. Features 61 standard keynotes, you will be able to explore the 400 instrument sounds in a wide range. Then there are the 77 built-in rhythms and 60 songs for you to play along with. Casio CT-S200 is also equipped with a damper pedal input which means you can play an acoustic piano sound with the sustained sound function. The lightweight keyboard has built-in speakers and is easy to carry with a unique handle grip.
Budget-wise, quite a good deal with so many features included, starting from S$229 (PROMO) in the Singapore market.
Customers’ Testimonials
3. Casio CT-S1 Portable Keyboard (S$299)
Based on our sales performance, the CT-S1 portable keyboard is the top-selling Casio model for 2 years straight from 2021 to 2022. Pretty much the same reason as the previous recommendation, this compact keyboard piano comes in 3 colors (Black, Red, and White) plus a seamless Bluetooth (with an additional Dongle) connection feature. The 61 keynotes have a touch response with 3 adjustment levels to suit your preference. Casio CT-S1 is also equipped with a music-making MIDI Recorder function and a premium set of 61 instrument sounds. The Bluetooth connection is really set this keyboard apart from the rest in its category because you can easily connect it to your smartphone and start using the Casio native app “Chordana Play” to help you learn to play the instrument. Not to mention it only weighed 4.5 kg, has high-definition built-in speakers, and is able to operate with 6x AA batteries.
Budget-wise could be one of the perfect portable keyboards ever created for beginners with a starting price of S$299 (PROMO).
Customers’ Testimonials
4. Yamaha NP-15 Keyboard Piano (S$319)
One of the most popular keyboard pianos for beginners got renewed in the Yamaha NP-15 model. Yes, you guessed it right, this is the new version of Yamaha NP-12 that was recently discontinued.
The NP-15 is still preserving the much-loved features of its predecessor such as the piano-style keynotes to the preset tones (10 essential instrument sounds), and the quality of the built-in speakers but with additional new sounds that have a better feel compared to the NP-12.
Additionally, the portability could be another plus factor, weighing only 4.5 kg and able to operate with only 6 AA-type batteries, this compact “digital piano-like” keyboard is sure a great option for beginners who would like to focus on playing a classical or pop piano.
Budget-wise, a hundred-dollar difference from the previous recommendation but it is still a reasonable price for a beginner’s keyboard at the starting price of S$319 (PROMO).
Customers’ Testimonials
5. Roland GO:PIANO61 Digital Keyboard (S$479)
For those of you who are looking to hone your skill specifically in the classical or pop piano, Roland GO:PIANO61 could be your best option because this model is a piano-focused portable keyboard. The 61 keynotes feature ivory-feel and box-shaped keys with velocity-sensitivity which means you are going to experience a traditional piano touch on every note. A total of 40 essential instrument sounds (most of them are piano-focused tones), and 99 songs are going to help you a lot when it comes to learning to play the Pop piano. Wireless connection is also available with the Bluetooth system (no additional dongle needed) to pair your smart device to the keyboard and start running the native app for onboard learning or you can stream your favorite song to the keyboard’s built-in speakers. This compact piano-focused keyboard is also a compact machine weighing only 3.9 kg and able to operate with batteries.
Budget-wise, the starting price is S$479, definitely a good deal for a piano-focused keyboard.
