WE NEED TO BUY A PIANO...Please Help! What do I Buy?

When enrolling beginners into piano lessons, it is very overwhelming when considering which piano/keyboard instrument to buy.  When parents approach me with these questions for their beginners, I have a few suggestions I like to make!  
There are several key things (see what I did there-HA?) to consider when looking for a musical instrument for young pianists:

Weighted keys—this means the harder you push the key, the louder the sound—- this is important so kids can play louds and softs in music...
It is also good to find an instrument with a minimum of 60 keys 
Finally a sustaining pedal for the instrument 

Here are a few amazon options I think are worth considering--

YAMAHA P71 88-Key Weighted Action Digital Piano With Sustain Pedal And Power Supply

​This instrument is great because there are 88 keys which make it a full size piano... I would recommend a minimum of 60 keys 

Another thing is that the keys are “weighted.” That means if you push the key with more force, you get a louder sound. If you play the keys more gently, you get softer sound.  This is important when we play loud and soft sounds on keyboard. 

This also includes a sustaining pedal which students need within 3-4 weeks for certain songs.  

The negatives on this instrument:  the price is a bit higher than you might want to spend. Most likely because it’s a Yamaha and that’s an amazing brand;  another negative is that you also need some sort of stand and seat for Playing the instrument.  Some people use a desk and stool. The chair has to be high enough for the student to sit at proper height...just like when we sit at a computer it needs to be a proper height... 

It looks like you can get a separate pedal here:

M-Audio SP 2 | Universal Sustain Pedal with Piano Style Action For MIDI Keyboards, Digital Pianos & More 
​

This next one seems to get good reviews.  It has 88 keys, touch sensitive... but no sustaining pedal and no stand...


Alesis Recital Pro - Digital Electric Piano / Keyboard with 88 Weighted Hammer Action Keys, 12 Premium Voices and Built in Speakers 

Different brand but gets good reviews

Here is a stand:
RockJam Xfinity Heavy-Duty, Double-X, Pre-Assembled, Infinitely Adjustable Piano Keyboard Stand with Locking Straps along with a proper height bench for sitting at the instrument

For the more serious student, there are full size electric pianos, which include all three pedals, 88 weighted keys, real feel piano action, bench, and beautiful wooden cabinets.  These beauties are more of an investment, similar to an acoustic piano, but of course do not require annual tunings, etc.  These are great instruments because they are well-made and require little to no maintenance.  They also play, feel, and sound like an acoustic piano!  Which is great fun!

If you like the idea of a real acoustic piano, you can also go to a piano retailer like Cooper Piano and rent a piano like band kids rent their instruments... the monthly rate is based on the type of piano you rent ...

As always, I'm happy to help!