The piano world is full of people who will tell you that you need a better instrument, a better method, or a better teacher before you can really start. Ignore them.

Here's what you actually need.

An instrument

You need something with keys. That's the baseline.

Do you need a real piano?

No. A decent digital keyboard is perfectly fine for a beginner, and for many intermediate players too. You're not going to be able to hear the difference in your playing at this stage, and a keyboard has significant practical advantages: it's smaller, cheaper, quieter (headphone jack), and doesn't need tuning.

What to look for in a keyboard

One thing matters above everything else: weighted keys. A keyboard with weighted (or "hammer action") keys behaves like a real piano — the keys have resistance and respond to how hard you press them. An unweighted keyboard feels like a toy and will build bad habits.

You do not need:

  • 88 keys (61 is fine for a long time)
  • A well-known brand
  • To spend more than £200–300 for a learning instrument

Brands like Roland, Yamaha, and Casio all make good entry-level weighted keyboards in this price range.

What about a second-hand acoustic?

If you have the space and the budget, a second-hand upright piano is a wonderful thing. But have it tuned before you start, and ideally have someone who knows pianos check it over first. A neglected piano can be expensive to bring back into playable condition.

Learning resources

There is genuinely excellent free and low-cost content available for beginner piano players. You do not need to commit to expensive lessons immediately.

Apps

  • Simply Piano and Playground Sessions use your microphone to hear you play and give real-time feedback. Good for absolute beginners.
  • Flowkey is popular and has a large song library.

YouTube

  • PianoTV (Allysia) — calm, thorough, well-structured for beginners
  • Paul Barton — excellent for classical beginners
  • Signals Music Studio — great for music theory alongside piano

Should you get a teacher?

Eventually, yes. A good teacher will spot habits you've developed that are hard to self-diagnose — tension in your hands and wrists being the most common. But you can get surprisingly far on your own first, and it makes lessons more productive when you do start.

A practice routine

The last thing you need isn't a thing at all: it's 20–30 minutes of consistent daily practice. This outweighs every other factor. An average instrument played daily will get you further than a beautiful instrument played occasionally.

Start simple. Keep it consistent. The rest will follow.