Recommended gear

61 full-size, touch-sensitive keys and onboard lessons, light enough for a bedroom. A good first step before a full piano.

Weighted GHC keys and Yamaha’s piano sound in a simple instrument that does the important things well, with a headphone jack for quiet practice.

Roland’s PHA-4 Standard action gives it one of the most piano-like touches at this level, and Twin Piano mode lets teacher and student play side by side.

Remarkably slim and under 25 pounds, with weighted keys, two headphone jacks and optional battery power. A fine fit for apartments and small rooms.

Looks like furniture, with three pedals built in and a matching bench, so it is always set up and ready to play.

Feels far more like a real piano pedal than the small square switch most keyboards come with, and it stays where you put it.

Sturdy, with an adjustable seat height, so the bench can grow with a child and sit an adult at the right level.

Soft nylon strings that are kind to small fingertips, on a properly made guitar sized for young children.

Gentle on fingertips, with a warm sound and good build quality for the price.

The bright sound of the songs kids already know, in a size they can hold comfortably.

A small Taylor that plays like a grown-up guitar. A good choice for adults who prefer a smaller instrument, too.

A solid spruce top and dependable Yamaha build. A first acoustic that sounds and plays far better than its level suggests.

A solid spruce top, a comfortable neck and rolled fingerboard edges that are easy on a beginner’s hand.

Light and comfortable. The HT version has a fixed bridge with no tremolo bar, so it stays in tune better between lessons.

Versatile pickups and solid build quality: an electric a student will not outgrow quickly.

A real Fender for the student who is practicing every day and ready for a better instrument.

A small amp with plenty of built-in sounds and a headphone output for silent practice.

Tiny and rechargeable, with a built-in tuner and a headphone output. Practice anywhere in the house.

The standard vocal microphone on stages everywhere. Nearly indestructible, and the one to practice with if you perform.

Plugs straight into a computer. A big step up from a laptop’s built-in microphone for online lessons and recording your practice.

Connects an SM58 or another microphone to your computer, with a headphone output so you can hear yourself clearly.

A steady, adjustable boom stand that keeps the microphone exactly where you set it.

The classic first ukulele: light, easy to play and a real step up from toy-store ukuleles.

A little larger than a soprano, with more room on the fretboard for older children and adult hands.

Works on ukulele, guitar and more. New ukulele strings stretch for the first weeks, so a tuner is a must.

Clips onto the headstock with a bright display that is easy to read. Every guitar student should have one.

Changes the key of a song in seconds, and moves with one hand.

A mix of thicknesses, so a new player can find the pick that feels right.

Holds the guitar securely, so it can live out of its case where it gets picked up and played.

The sturdy stand found in school band rooms everywhere. Holds books open at the right height and lasts for years.

Comfortable headphones for quiet keyboard practice, recording and online lessons.

A friendly, well-paced first piano book for young children.

Lessons, theory and pieces in one book, written for adults starting from scratch.

A long-standing standard first guitar book that starts from the very first notes.

Clear first steps on ukulele, from tuning to chords and simple songs.

Short, clear lessons on reading music and the basics of theory, for any instrument.