good inexpensive electric keyboard?
  • Geremia
    Posts: 269
    I am trying to teach chant to someone with zero musical training, and I am looking for a good, preferably compact, electric keyboard to teach her pitch.

    Any suggestions?

    Thanks
  • BenBen
    Posts: 3,114
    If you or your student have an iPhone or android (or iPod touch or iPad), you might look for apps there, if you just need to teach pitch. I have a tuner and a pitch "pipe" on my droid phone, and I use them for singing, band (tuning), and other things. Both work great, and both were free.

    If you are nearby a computer, you might even be able to use something like this:
    http://www.bgfl.org/custom/resources_ftp/client_ftp/ks2/music/piano/

    But depending on your purpose, these might not be much help to you.
    Thanked by 2CHGiffen Geremia
  • melofluentmelofluent
    Posts: 4,160
    I would generally say that 49 or 61 key "keyboards" under $100 by Yamaha are superior to Casio, and are virtually available anywhere, stores or online.
    HOWEVER, since I posted the above earlier, it appears that a 61 key Casio WITH STAND and AC adaptor will go on sale for $49! at Target tomorrow (Sunday, Dec.16)
    Sometimes just having such an accessible option, rather than dealing with computer protocols, is simply the easier root to dealing with immediate issues. YMMV.
    Thanked by 2CHGiffen Geremia
  • noel jones, aagonoel jones, aago
    Posts: 6,611
    An option is to use a laptop or desktop with this free program:

    http://www.virtualpiano.net
    Thanked by 1Geremia
  • matthewjmatthewj
    Posts: 2,700
    I always recommend Craigslist for getting a deal. You can find very good keyboards for next to nothing. I just sold a $4000 grand piano on CL for $600... the same amount I bought it for a year ago. Just be cautious: there are weirdos.
    Thanked by 1ryand
  • BenBen
    Posts: 3,114
    Craigslist is great for getting deals! Me and my family use it a lot, and only got burned once (over $5 of all things, it's a weird story). If you use a good sense of judgement, you should be fine. Do be cautious, especially with bigger sales, but don't have a panic attack about it either.
  • matthewjmatthewj
    Posts: 2,700
    Please share the $5 tale.
  • BenBen
    Posts: 3,114
    My mom is constantly going out to garage sales then selling the stuff she finds on craiglist, making a quite a decent profit (it's not uncommon to see 15 baby strollers and 4 play pens in our garage during the summer :D ).

    Once, she picked up an item, I think a cheapo electric keyboard and listed it for $25. The guy contacted her through craigslist, and asked to meet at a time when we were going to be gone, so mom left it on the porch, and told the guy to leave the money under the door mat. At the arranged time, her cell phone rang, and the guy told her he was at our house, and asked if she'd take $20 for the keyboard, to which she replied no. The guy said he was going to take it for $20 anyways, left $20 under the mat, and left. You'd think he would have either left the full value, or left nothing...very odd...
  • Geremia
    Posts: 269
    I ended up getting a new Casio SA-76 keyboard for about $34, and it's very nice!
  • ossian1898ossian1898
    Posts: 142
    I have a 61 key Yamaha Piaggero, which I think cost me around $150 or so. It might be a little pricey for what you want...but its a light weight workhorse with good sounds. I've been using it for over a year in choir and class.
  • Earl_GreyEarl_Grey
    Posts: 904
    Speaking of Electric keyboards...I purchased new a fully weighted 88 key digital piano a few years ago. It retails for about 2K but I acquired it for less since the store was going out of business. It sounds great (for a digital) but now the keys are starting to stick. Is this common for digital pianos with weighted keys? Is it something that can be easily fixed? As far as digital pianos go this one is middle of the road, but I know some retail for 5K or more. I was considering one of the Roland harpsichords, but I can't imagine spending that much on a keyboard that will fail in a few years.
  • Adam WoodAdam Wood
    Posts: 6,482
    I'm a big fan of the Casio Privia.

    I was mostly concerned with realistic weight/touch, secondarily as good a basic piano sound as I could get for short money. I thought for sure I was going to end up with a Yamaha Portable Grand, but after test-driving a bunch, I found the Casio Privia was the best option.

    This was 3.5 years ago. It was right around $1000. 88 keys, with bench, stand, and bag.
  • melofluentmelofluent
    Posts: 4,160
    Yamaha YPG600 or latest inheritor, fully weighted/touch, 699.00 GtrCtr/MusFrnd/Sweetwater. With stand, pedals, transformer. Goes like a Timex.
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