Digital Piano Checklist
If you’re in the market for a digital piano, but you’re not familiar with them, it can feel overwhelming. It’s safest and easiest to go to a retailer. We recommend Long & McQuade, or St. John’s Yamaha who both have knowledgeable and friendly staff to help you find the right instrument for your family. They carry a wide variety of new and used instruments and they guarantee them for a certain period of time.
If you’re hoping to save a few dollars and buy used, that is also a great option. It’s possible to find a lot of excellent digital pianos for sale by seller on facebook marketplace and kijiji. If you’re checking out the piano yourself, here is a checklist to make sure you’re getting something appropriate, in good working order and for a fair price.
Used Digital Piano Checklist
Our favourite brands are Yamaha, Roland, or Casio.
Digital pianos have very good resale value, because if they are taken care of, they last a long time.
You want full size - 88 keys.
When you go to examine the instrument, you need to play EVERY key. Listen as you play that they all sound similar (though it will be a different pitch on every key, the general sound, or tone, should be consistent)
You need weighted keys. Test this by touching the keys and sensing some resistance. Non-weighted keys feel like nothing and you could press them down with almost no pressure. Weighted keys should have the ability to press harder and make a louder sound, or softer and make a quieter sound.Try this out. You can probably hear the sound of the key moving back into place after you release it quickly.
You will need a damper or sustain pedal.
Pianos have anywhere from zero to three pedals.
You can buy a separate sustain pedal if the piano you buy does not come with one. Check the back of the piano for an input hole marked “sustain.”
If the piano has 1 pedal, this is the sustain pedal.
If the piano has 2 or 3 pedals, the sustain pedal is the one furthest to the right
To test the sustain pedal, play and release any key and listen to how it sounds. The sound should stop pretty much right away when you let go. Now, press the sustain pedal down and hold it down. While holding the pedal down, play and release a key. Listen: the sound should continue as long as you hold the pedal down with your foot. Sometimes the polarity is reversed and the action produces the opposite effect. You may be able to correct this by unplugging the pedal, and turning the piano off, plugging the pedal in, and turning the piano back on again. If the piano stand contains the pedals, however, the fix may be more complex and require a technician. This could add anywhere from $100-$300 to your cost down the road.
Ask if there is a headphone, or auxiliary input. You can peek around the control panel on the piano, and look at the back of the piano for an input marked with a little headphone icon🎧, or “AUX”. If this is not important to you, it is not necessary.
Do not buy a piano that you have not tested in these ways and always look up the brand and model number first, to check the price of a new instrument. We are happy to read the listing and help with your decision, if you have your sights on one.