Finding a good musical keyboard that has all of the features that you want is easier said than done. There are many different things to look out for when purchasing a keyboard. You want it to have lots of voices, backing tracks, and preferably an educational system as well.
Of course, you also want a keyboard that isn’t going to empty your bank account. Well, this is exactly what we are here for today. We have one great keyboard from the Yamaha brand name that meets all of these requirements.
It’s portable, functional, affordable, and durable too. When it comes to learning how to play the piano, we think that the following Yamaha keyboard is one of the best models out there.
YAMAHA YPT260 61-Key Portable Keyboard
We want to take a much closer look at the Yamaha YPT260 keyboard. As you can probably tell by the name of it, it is designed to be portable. This is one of the things that makes it so convenient. However, it is also a fully functional 61 full-size key keyboard.
It’s a rather perfect option for beginners to practice their skills on, as well as for basic keyboard playing purposes. It even comes complete with a fully functional educational system that can teach you exactly how to play the piano.
What’s also really nice is that it comes in at a really reasonable price. Yamaha is of course well known for producing relatively high-quality products that come in at reasonable prices.
Who is this Product for?
As you can probably guess, this particular keyboard is designed primarily for beginners who want to learn to play the piano.
This is of course thanks to that educational suite that is included. It comes complete with a variety of features that tell you exactly how to play the piano.
Moreover, it is ideal for both children and beginners alike. It might not be the number one choice for professional playing purposes, although you could certainly use it for such if you wanted to.
There is of course also the fact that it is designed to be lightweight and portable. It is therefore ideal for people who go back and forth between various venues.
What’s Included?
When you purchase the Yamaha YPT260 keyboard, there are a few things that come included with it. First and foremost, you do get the power adapter.
We do feel the need to mention this, because there are a few other Yamaha keyboards that don’t come with the power adapter included. You do then also get the sheet music holder as well.
Overview of Features
Let’s now take a closer look at the various features that this particular Yamaha keyboard comes with. First of all, this is quite a small and portable keyboard. It comes in at just 42 inches wide. Moreover, it’s also fairly lightweight. This is convenient for people who need something that is ideal for being on the go.
Now, just because it is fairly small does not mean that it’s not fully functional. In fact, it does come complete with 61 full size keys. This means that it is ideal for adults to learn on, because it is suitable for larger fingers.
To help provide you with a whole lot of variety, it comes complete with 400 different voices. This includes a variety of piano sounds, keyboard sounds, stringed instruments, percussion instruments, horns, and more.
It does then also come with real-time backing tracks, well over 110 of them. This backing track features a full band, and they will play whatever is the most suitable based on the chords that you are playing.
Perhaps the best part about this particular keyboard is perhaps the educational or lesson system. This is a three-step lesson system that involves three different modes. This includes listening, timing, and waiting. These three functions are available for each hand, or you can use both hands at the same time.
We of course recommend starting with one hand, and then moving to two. This lesson system will tell you exactly which notes to play, and will wait for you until you do play the right ones. These lessons are displayed on the little LCD display that is integrated into this keyboard. It’s not the biggest display in the world, but it does get the job done.
There is also a record and playback function included. What is also really cool is that there is an AUX input that allows you to connect a music-playing device or computer. You can then play the songs through the integrated speakers, and play along with them. The integrated speakers aren’t the best in the world, but they do get the job done as well.
Tutorial
This particular keyboard does of course come with that educational feature. However, this does take some getting used to. Here, we have included a tutorial video on exactly how to use this educational feature.
Here we have also included a tutorial video on how to get started with playing piano in general.
Pros
- Many voices
- Tons of band backing tracks
- Great lesson system
- Compact and portable
- Affordable
- Fully functional
- Fairly durable
Cons
- Display could be better
- Speakers could be better
Alternatives
If you are looking for a full-size keyboard that has 88 keys, there are some options out there. One of the best alternatives in our opinion is the Yamaha P45 88-Key Weighted Digital Piano.
Conclusion
All in all, we think that the Yamaha YPT260 keyboard is an ideal option to go with. While it might not be the number one choice for professional piano players, it’s certainly ideal for beginners and children.
This is especially the case if you need a keyboard that will actually teach you how to play. Let’s not forget that it’s also portable, durable, and comes in at a rather reasonable price.
