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Can I Learn to Play Piano with a Mini Key Keyboard?

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Estimated reading time 2 minutes

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Can I Learn to Play Piano with a Mini Key Keyboard #1: What is a Mini Key Keyboard?

“Can I learn to play piano with a mini key keyboard?” Electronic keyboards come in all sizes, including keyboards that have different sized keys. If your keyboard has keys that are smaller than an adult finger, it has mini keys. Will mini key keyboards be a good choice for practicing for your piano lessons? Read more to find out.

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Can I Learn to Play Piano with a Mini Key Keyboard #2: Will it be Good for Practicing?

“Can I learn to play piano with a mini key keyboard?” Synths, electronic keyboards, and digital pianos that have full sized keys will be good for practicing piano.

  • However, the mini key keyboards won’t do your technique any favors.
  • Why? When you practice finger crosses and stretches, they’ll be optimized for the wrong size keys.
  • This fact remains true even for young children.

Does this mean that they’re useless?

  • No. In fact, I own a mini key keyboard myself.
  • I use it when I want to go to a coffee shop to do some songwriting.
  • I just plug in my earbuds so I can work on songs while sipping a cup of coffee.

Plus, I find that my mini key keyboard is useful when I teach online lessons.

  • It’s a small keyboard that has about a 2 1/2 octave range.
  • When I teach online, I can hold it up to the camera with one hand while playing with the other.
  • That way my student can better see the keyboard fingering.
  • However, if I need to play with two hands, I’ll usually just use the piano.
  • Or I’ll put the mini key keyboard on a music stand and play it so the student can see both hands.
  • Which instrument I use depends on the student and the situation.
  • So yes, mini key keyboards can be useful.

Having said that, would I use it for practicing piano? No, nor would I recommend you use it for practicing either.

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Can I Learn to Play Piano with a Mini Key Keyboard #3: Summary

Here’s some final thoughts on Can I Learn to Play Piano with a Mini Key Keyboard?

  1. If you’re a parent, and you’ve hoped a cheap mini key keyboard will be appropriate for your child for practicing piano, just don’t do it. It won’t be a good substitute for a keyboard with full-sized keys for use in your child’s practice time.
  2. Likewise, never buy your child’s keyboard in a toy store. Go to a music store (or buy it online) and get a good quality student keyboard (which can still be reasonably priced). For a guide of what to look for when buying a keyboard, click here. Then, read the first section: What should I look for when buying an electronic keyboard?
  3. However, mini key keyboards can still be useful. Kids have fun playing with the sounds, and the compact size makes them easy to transport on vacations.

Have fun playing!

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