Korg Tiny Piano or 61 keys-keyboard for 2 years old?

[Phoebe2203]

Hi everyone,

Could you please let me know what is your experience about Korg Tiny Piano?

I am looking for a small piano for my 2 years old boy, not as a toy, but something more serious that hopefully will inspire him, motivate him to accept professional piano lesson at later stage.

Would you categorise Korg as something for learner, or just a toy?

I am wondering should I get Korg Tiny Piano or a 61 keys keyboard such as JDP-1 Junior Digital Piano. They both come at similar price, shy of £200. Although the bigger one is a proper learning tool, I worry my little one does not fancy bigger size piano, he may not want to play with it as much as the mini one. That's why the cute little Korg attracts me more. But I just don't want to get a toy, I need a musical inspiration thing.

It would be great to hear from your own experience with Korg Tiny, or from piano teachers' view please.

Thank you
Phoebe

Gear 4 music pianos *the JDP one) of any kind are crap. I would not pay £200 for one for a 10 year old ever mind a 2 year old. They are full sized keys too, far too big for a 2 year old's fingers.

The Korg is so cute but it is a toy. If you want to spend £200 on a child's toy then fine. I reckon your son will have a lovely time with it but he will probably only get 2-3 years play out of it. (be warned, my son's current Korg cost over £2,000 and that was 2nd hand, it's a slippery slope!!)

touch-sensitive keys are the most important thing to look for if you want a child to really feel like this is a piano, not a thing to bash at.

Casio were strongly recommended to us by a friend who is a piano teacher and DD has an older version of this which is still good now she is 12 and grade 5 level.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Casio-CT-S300AD-Touch-Sensitive-Pitch-Bend-Electronic/dp/B07YZNH9SC?ref_=ast_sto_dp&th=1&psc=1

Touch sensitive feels nothing like a real piano though. For that you would need weighted hammer action (which is probably too heavy for a 2 year old anyway). The Korg is touch sensitive (or rather velocity sensitive which is more or less the same thing)

At this age just get a decent toy. Get him interested in making sounds and rhythms. Don't concentrate just on keyboard type toys - bells, shakers etc are all great. Sing and dance with him too.

I'd agree with that. You wouldn't buy a full sized violin or flute for a very young child you'd get a 3/4 size one or curved head etc.

A 2 year old has neither the strength or co-ordination. A toy keyboard with sounds that are bearable for you to listen to will get a child used to the idea of pitch and anything that develops rhythm is great.

I'd have probably fallen for the Korg to be honest but me and dh have music degrees and dh is a professional musician.

Oddly enough the child who we bought toy pianos etc for ended up being a dancer. the one who didn't touch a piano until much much older is now studying keyboard at conservatoire.

Thanks for very good advices, everyone.

We already have different kinds of music toys, this time I want to move away from toy to prepare for something a little more serious. But as he is still very small, that's why I think of something looks like a toy but performs professional.

@parietal that sensitive keyboard is exactly what I was looking for, just didn't know the term, thank you. My son's fingers' strength is definitely not yet for weighted keyboard, but I don't want the non-weighted one either.
I just wonder if this Casio is too big and not attractive for his age (reaching 2 years old), but I will definitely put it in the list for the 2nd piano when he is a bit bigger.

@Comefromaway you mentioned you would choose Korg, does it pass your professional view? I'm happy with the short life - 2 to 3 years of usage is fine, as long as it inspires him to move on with the real weighted full size keyboard in future. I remember I learnt non-weighted keyboard for couple of months when I was kid, and then hate touching the acoustic piano as it was so heavy. That's why I don't want to give my son a toy that blocking his way to the real piano lessons at around 4-5 years old.

I know this post is a few months old, but I’m wondering what you decided on in the end? Our Korg mini piano was, and is, one of the most loved ‘toys’ in the house. I’m gutted to see that they aren’t available anymore as my sister wanted to get one for Christmas for her toddler and we can’t find anything as cute that sounds well too.

By the way, we are a house of professional musicians and even our 19-year-old, who studies piano and composition in London, loves playing around with the tiny Korg!

I decided to take Korg but it was not available. I bought another in the meantime to wait for Korg. But it looks like it is discontinued now. :(