Best electric keyboard for a beginner?

[Gadge]

Looking at starting to learn the keyboard, not piano. Whats best for a beginner? Any recommendations?

 

[melchy]

What sort of budget are we looking at. You can get some pretty decent proper synths for not a lot of money second hand.

I'd personally look at something like the Roland XP50 or XP60 for around the £400 mark second hand.

http://www.sonicstate.com/synth/roland_xp50.cfm

http://www.sonicstate.com/synth/roland_xp-60.cfm

or you could go a bit old school and get a Roland D-20 for under £100

http://www.sonicstate.com/synth/rolandd20.cfm

I have a real soft spot for the D-20 as its what got me into playing Keyboards after finding one hidden in a music cupboard at school circa 1989

If you are willing to spend a bit more money on a new synth, circa £600 you could get an Alesis Fusion 6HD which is a lot of synth for not very much money. Its quite astounding in my opinion. Great at both retro and modern sounds and has a built in Hard Disk recorder (so you can actually connect other instruments, mic's etc up to it). Very good at doing retro sounds and is especially good at DX7, Fairlight and Emulator II sounds.

http://www.alesis.com/product.php?id=19

http://www.sonicstate.com/synth/alesis_fusion.cfm

 

[Gadge]

thanks, budget would be around 300.

someone else where suggested a casio LK series? because the keys light up, to teach you basically.

 

[melchy]

thanks, budget would be around 300.

You may just be able to stretch a Roland XP50 for that. Personally i'd much rather buy something like that second hand than a little Yamaha or Casio home keyboard.

 

[melchy]

thanks, budget would be around 300.

someone else where suggested a casio LK series? because the keys light up, to teach you basically.

I suppose it really depends. I taught myself from a book called "Play Rock Keyboards" which basically had a chapter that listed chords and which fingers were used to play them. I just concentrated on learning the chords and everything else sort of fell into place after that. I never really bothered with scales or anything (probably why im still not all that a proficient player).

I sort of discovered that it was the sounds on the keyboard and what i could do with them that drove me on to get better. I dont think i'd have tried as hard with a home keyboard of the time as i did with the D-20 which was fairly cutting edge at the time.

So while having the keys light up may make things easier initially to teach you, you may find that its not that great a keyboard when you actually get a little better and want to try to throw together some tunes. Thats where something like the XP50 would suit better (if you can get to grips with its sequencer).

My first keyboard was a Roland D-5 as i couldn't stretch to the D-20, but for the most part the sounds were similar and looking back it was a much better buy than a Casio or Yamaha home keyboard of the time. I still have it as well

 

[Gadge]

hard to find these xp50's!

 

[melchy]

hard to find these xp50's!

I checked a certain auction site before i posted for both the XP50's and 60's and there were none. Fairly unusual as there are usually one or two for sale.

You do quite often see them for sale in music stores, i almost bought one a few years back. I didn't in the end, saved a few more pennies and bought something bigger

 

[timbob]

Don't get some cheesy keyboard with a self teaching, key lighting mode - you'll be embarassed about it before long. I'd get a decent synth, with some good knobs to twiddle, and then set about finding a teacher. Please find a teacher, one who plays the style of music you want to play. Don't use a classical piano teacher - as you'll get frustrated, and most likely will give up. Check out the cards on the board in the local music shop and find a decent teacher who you get on with, and who inspires you. Then you'll go far.

And learn your scales. Most important thing ever. If you can play all your scales, you can play anything.