After fiddling with his grandpa's old Yamaha PSR-E323, my then 10 year old son ended up learning to play the main theme of Fur Elise. And he did so with just the built-in tutorial features, without help from anyone else.

His curiosity soon developed into passion for playing and learning, and as such, he needed a beginner-friendly keyboard. So after much research, I ended up getting him the current generation model of his grandpa's keyboard, the Yamaha PSR-E373.

The PSR-E373 is part of Yamaha's long running PSR line of portable keyboards. It has 61 synth style keys with touch sensitivity, packed with over 600 voices, along with multiple rhythms and effects.

What sets it apart from its predecessors is its improved sound processing, and the use of better sound samples - some of which are taken from more expensive models. More importantly, it comes with built-in lessons that teach students how to play a wide variety of songs, from kid friendly tunes to classical pieces.

The keybed doesn't stray from standard piano size, so there's no need to adjust finger positioning when playing on stage-ready keyboards or an actual piano. But there is a big difference in playing feel, because this one has a lighter "synth style" action. The keys have uniform weight and are easy to press, making for a more relaxed playing experience. Most young musicians, including my son, prefer this softer feel over the weighted keys feel of an acoustic piano.

Touch sensitivity adjusts the volume of the note you're playing in relation to how hard you press the keys. This results in more control over dynamics. There are 4 different Touch sensitivity settings available, Soft, Medium, Hard and Fixed. My son and I are content with the default medium setting, we can really hear the dynamic differences as we lighten our key presses, and as we pound on the keys.

Those who want the keys to respond to lighter playing will appreciate the Soft setting. Hard setting is meant for those who are used to playing acoustic pianos and weighted keybeds. Fixed setting disables touch sensitivity altogether, much like how old synths behave. For the price, the Yamaha PSR-E373 has good touch sensitivity, comparable to more expensive keyboards that I've tried.

The main advantage of the PSR-E373 over its predecessors is the use of voices and samples that are taken directly from the their former flagship Tyros line. And because of that, there was a lot of hype about its sound quality being better than more expensive keyboards from other brands. Thankfully, the hype turned out to be real - the main voicings sound really great, especially the grand piano sound which is sampled from a very expensive Yamaha CFX concert grand piano. Since my son is into classical pieces, and is taking piano lessons, having a good piano sound is really our primary concern, and so far, the PSR-E373 has not disappointed.

The keyboard's built-in lessons include breakdowns of popular piano standards, classical pieces, nursery rhymes, pop songs and more. My son used this to learn Fur Elise on his own. It has controls for phrase repeat and for adjusting tempo, which helped my son focus on sections that he is having a hard time with. There's even a lesson that teaches dynamic playing. Other lessons include chord study and chord progression.

Note that while these built-in lessons are helpful, there's still no substitute for a good tutor. And speaking of tutors, this keyboard is tutor and student friendly, with its tap tempo metronome, and a built-in chord dictionary. It also has a headphones out for quiet practice. Unfortunately, it doesn't have twin headphone outputs which would be great for tutors to also listen in.

The Yamaha PSR-E373 has exceeded most of my expectations, and it truly is instrumental in developing my son's playing and love for music - definitely worth getting.

Specifications

• USB MIDI
• 61 Synth Style Velocity-Sensitive Keys
• 48-note Polyphony
• 622 Voices,
• 12 Reverb and 5 Chorus Effects
• 2 x 4.7" Speakers, 2.5W Amp per side
• Optional Sustain Pedal
• 12V DC Power Supply (Sold Separately) / 6 x AA batteries
• Weight: 10.1 lbs.

Demo

The Casiotone CT-S200 is as portable as it gets while still retaining a 61-key piano style keybed. As such it can serve as a compact digital piano, but with expanded sound options: 400 voices and 77 rhythms. That's a lot of sound options for its size.

And its small profile, and lightweight design, make it even harder to beat in terms of features per pound. Especially when considering that it can also serve as a good MIDI controller.

Other features that add to its portability include being able to run on 6 x AA batteries and having a carry handle.

To improve the resulting sound, it comes with different digital reverb effects. It also has a dance music mode that expands rhythm options that matches what's being used in modern music.

Students will appreciate its built-in lesson function that can assist in learning popular Piano pieces. It also helps that it has a modern sleek appearance.

If you're looking for a super affordable portable keyboard with good quality, then definitely check this one out.

Specifications

• USB MIDI
• 61 Piano Style Keys (Not Weighted)
• 48-note Polyphony
• 400 Tones, 77 Rhythms
• 10 Reverb Effects
• 2 x 5.1" Speakers
• Optional Sustain Pedal
• AC Adapter (Included) / 6 x AA batteries
• Weight: 7.3 lbs.

Demo

The Piaggero NP-12 is a portable digital piano keyboard with 61 full-size touch sensitive keys. As such, it doesn't bombard you with hundreds of voices, rather it focuses on quality emulations of piano, organ and related instruments.

It features Yamaha's Advanced Wave Memory Stereo Sampling which gives this compact instrument quality voicings based on expensive pianos, the downside though is that the number of voicings is limited.

An upside of having fewer voices is that you won't have to get lost in a long list of voices and complex menus, instead you get good plug-and-play functionality that doesn't distract from actual practice and playing.

The NP-12 comes with record and play functionality, along with the all-important metronome.

You can play this keyboard anywhere for up to 5 hours on just six AA batteries, and even longer with alkaline batteries. And portability is really the main strength of the NP-12, it sounds close to digital pianos, but with less of the bulk and weight.

The need to buy a power supply separately is a bummer, so be sure to get one alongside the NP-12. Those who are looking to play with different instrument voicings will have to look at other portable keyboard pianos, given the limited sounds that this one has.

If you're looking for an affordable, good sounding, and portable piano keyboard, then this is for you.

Specifications

• USB MIDI
• 61 Piano Style Touch Sensitive Keys
• 64-note Polyphony
• 10 Voices, 10 Demo Songs, 10 Piano Preset Songs
• 4 Reverb Effects
• 2 x 4.72" Speakers, 2.5W Amp per side
• Sustain Pedal (Sold Separately)
• AC Adaptor Supply (Sold Separately) / 6 x AA batteries
• Weight: 9.9375 lbs.

Demo