Beginner's Gear Guides: Keyboards

Personal keyboards offer lightweight portability at a price that's practical for those just dipping their toes in music. Many models can even run on batteries, with an optional AC adapter power cord. These affordable keyboards have built-in speakers, and they come loaded with a plethora of sounds, musical "styles", rhythmic patterns, and built-in songs to get your fingers moving.

Digital pianos offer realistic acoustic-piano sound in a sleek package, and higher-end models have fully weighted hammer-action keys that feel like the real deal. When portability is key, smaller "stage pianos" are the more practical choice. Larger "home" digital pianos deliver the look of a spinet piano without the cost and space requirement -- ideal for churches, performance spaces, or your living room.

Workstations and arrangers are at the top of the keyboard food chain, with tons of sounds and effects, plus built-in sequencers or audio recorders that let you compose and produce music right on the instrument. While most workstations or arranger synths are often beyond a beginner's budget, these picks are a great place to start exploring the category.

Want to add classic analog warmth to your music, create new sounds from scratch, or tweak existing samples beyond recognition? If so, a performance synth is the right keyboard for the job. Smaller, lighter, and more affordable than most workstations, performance synthesizers are suited for gigging bands that need pro-level keys and sounds for live shows.

If you already have music-production software (such as Apple's GarageBand or FL Studio) on your computer, the most affordable way to start playing keyboards can be with a MIDI controller. These MIDI controller keyboards don't make any sound on their own -- they connect to your computer via USB, and trigger sounds stored in your recording software's virtual instruments. When choosing a MIDI controller, consider how many keys you'll need. For those who want to play pieces spanning the whole octave range, choose a full 88-key instrument. If your space is more limited, 25-, 37-, or 49-key controllers are just your bag for one-handed synth parts or bass lines. Many MIDI controllers offer more than just a keyboard -- some include drum pads and sliders that can help you take hands-on control of your DAW (digital audio workstation) software.