Best Keyboard for the beginers???

Creative Composers,

I am starting to learn keyboard playing. I saw so many keyboard models in stores and used ones in craigslist.

Which one would be good for some what long term purpose and for learning.

Here are my requirements:

1) First comes, the sound quality and easy to learn;

2) should have few pre programmed songs in it to learn fast( I donno if these things works in learning!!)

3) Cost effective, i,.e.. should come in 100-150$, 50-80$ for used ones...

one more question, Is it ok go with used ones?? what are the things I need to look in a keyboard before buying??

plz help me guys..:D

What kind of music would you be playing? Assuming your goal is playing the piano (as opposed to electric pianos, organs or synthesizers) I would definitely recommend getting a keyboard with some sort of hammer action (simulating real piano action)--mere "weighed keys" are very likely to be insufficient for developing good technique. Actually, if I'm to be honest (you did mention "long term" here!) anything short of a good grand piano is insufficient for developing good technique, but you won't get to that level for quite a while.

I'm afraid I'm consciously ignoring your "cost effective" point--I wouldn't be able to whole-heartedly recommend anything less than simulated hammer action for someone who wants a good instrument for learning (though that might be my problem--hopefully other people will have opinions as well here!), and I'm not aware of anything like that in your price range. There's nothing wrong with buying used instruments, though--at least if you can be sure that they're in good shape. It's always better if you can actually go look at it before you buy it--if you can bring along someone who knows more than you, even better.

Anyway. Yamaha instruments are generally very good in terms of both sound and action. A Clavinova or a Portable Grand would probably be good. Yamahas are the only instruments I have more than a little experience playing, so that's really all I can say. The main point of this perhaps unnecessarily long post is that action is important.

(By the way, this thread is in the wrong place. You'll find that this section is under "Upload Your Compositions for Analysis or Feedback". I reckon an admin will move it, but posting stuff in the right place is a very good skill to learn.)

Just get whatever you're most comfortable playing. It's all a matter of opinion.