If you are thinking of buying an electronic keyboard for a Christmas, then you can pick up a good quality keyboard for less than £100.00 and they are the real thing, they are not toys.

You can buy these keyboards new or if you like auctions sites you can buy used or slightly damaged for less than fifty quid, and even at these prices you will still get a guarantee.

Many beginners don’t know where to start when they need to buy a keyboard for the first time and probably the most common buyer is a parent buying for their children. They will nip in to Argos or Woolworths and buy what they think is an adequate keyboard. So here is my guide to help you choose the right keyboard for you or your kids and my top three recommended top buys for Christmas 2008.

The first thing to look for is keyboard size. This is measured in how many keys the keyboard has. The most common sizes at this price range are 49 keys and 61 keys.The most common keyboard size for keyboards of all prices is 61. So I recommend buying a 61-note keyboard.

The next thing to look for is the biggest LCD display you can find, it might seem a minor point but when you are changing sounds and rhythms on the keyboard, this information is displayed on an LCD screen, so bigger is better.

If you are buying for a beginner, which at these prices is most likely, then you need your keyboard to have speakers (normally built in) and a feature called auto chord.

The auto chord feature is important when learning to play the keyboard because when you play a chord with your left hand, the auto chord activates the drums, bass and orchestral parts which all adds realism to your playing. Don’t think that this is a gimmick though, because you still have to play the correct chord.

Most of the keyboards at this price use batteries. Do yourself a favour and buy a power supply. Sometimes they come with the keyboard but these days they are an optional extra but well worth the money, they cost about a tenner.

It's useful to have an adjustable keyboard stand so the keyboard can remain in the same place and also to prevent your dinning room table from being scratched, these are about twenty pounds.

In addition, an adjustable keyboard stool to go with the stand. These are extremely useful if you have kids of different ages.

Now you have the basic requirements for a good keyboard, here are my top three recommended keyboards, available this Christmas 2008.

RRP £99.99

The Casio CTK2000 musical keyboard is ideal for beginners, children, adults, everyone! This compact keyboard features a 61-key full-size keyboard with a 3-level, interactive learning system that offers a simple way to achieve your learning goals.

The Casio CTK2000 allows you to select 400 AHL tones that include orchestral sounds, synthesised sound and more. There are 150 versatile rhythms to help add plenty of life to all your keyboard performances and an Auto Accompaniment that will allow you to simply play a chord and the corresponding rhythm, bass and chord parts play automatically.

The CTK2000 electronic keyboard has 110 built-in songs with a large LCD screen that graphically shows you fingerings, keyboard keys to be pressed, and notes, making keyboard play more informative and enjoyable than ever before.

This digital keyboard also includes the 3-Step Lesson System that lets you practice at your own pace, and automatically grades your performances, so you can trace your progress as you improve.

Features Include

* 61 piano-style keys

* 48-note polyphony

* 375 tones

* 10 reverb effects

* 150 rhythms

* One touch presets – 150 sets

* 110 built in tones

* 20 brain boost phrases

* Sampling function (via audio-in)

* Phase-by-phase lesson function

* USB port for easy connection to PC

* Includes songbook and score stand

* Dimensions: 945 x 340 x 120 mm

* Requires AD5 power supply - optional extra

RRP £99.99

* Portable keyboard featuring Yamaha's sophisticated GM / XGvoices.

* 375 instrument sounds digitally recorded using Yamaha's AWM technology.

* Sound Effect Kit produces a variety of unique sound effects and DJ sounds.

The E213 boasts elegant looks along with an intuitive control panel, which makes operation quick and easy. It is GM / XG compatible so can work in conjunction with a wide range of software if using a computer. It also features more built-in quality sound, enhanced by the upgraded speakers. The interactive features of Yamaha Education Suite, which includes 102 built-in songs, makes learning fun. A good choice for schools and individuals.

Product Information

* 61 full size keys.

* 375 high quality AWM voices - digitally recorded instruments, using Yamaha's AWM technology.

* Portable Grand - specially selected Yamaha grand piano sample, recorded in stereo for exceptional realism.

* 32-note polyphony allows you to play 32 notes simultaneously.

* 100 preset accompaniments with 2 variations - adds exciting instrumental backings to accompany any melody, with intros, fills, endings and variations for verse and chords.

* 100 One-Touch Settings - will select a suitable voice for every accompaniment style.

* LCD Display - clearly displays all keyboard settings and notation for the Yamaha Education Suite

* Yamaha Education Suite 5 (YES) - a fun learning suite with Listen and Learn, Timing and Waiting Lessons

* Metronome button - gives a steady beat, essential for learning

* 102 Preset Songs - The songs cover a wide range of musical genres and styles

* Reverb effect - adds an extra dimension to any performance.

* MIDI connection

* Stereo speakers

* Foot switch socket

* Headphone socket - for private practice

Can be run on batteries or Yamaha KPA3 power adaptor -available separately.

RRP £150.00

The EZ150 lighted keyboard will have you up and playing in no time. It's simple. Call up a song from the 100 songs built in to the keyboard, select if you would like to play the left or right hand part and hit "Start". The keyboard will light up the key that you are supposed to play.

And to make it even less stressful, the song will actually stop and wait for you to find the correct key! All of the tools you need are found in the keyboard, including how to play chords. So read on and find out what the EZ-150 keyboard can do for you.

The EZ150 features 61 piano-sized keys and a selection of some of the best voices available today-including 100 realistic instrument voices, 100 accompaniment styles and 4 multipads for sound effects and fills

The Yamaha Education Suite (YES II) is a wonderful set of music training functions, makes learning music incredibly easy. Seven types of lessons are available as well as a convenient chord dictionary. Three keyboard lessons for each hand Timing mode: You can play the melody or chord by pressing any key using the correct timing. Waiting mode: Playback pauses until you find and play the correct chord or melody note. Keys illuminate to guide you to the correct notes. Minus One mode: Mute the left-hand, right-hand, or both parts of a song and play along non-stop. Lesson Grading - monitors your progress as you practice each lesson.

Chord Dictionary - shows you how to play chords by lighting the keys.

Just above the keyboard on the right side are 4 Multi pad buttons that trigger musical phrases. There is a wide selection of musical phrases to choose from to embellish your music, including Pianist, Organ, Guitar, Percussion, Drums, DJ Drums, DJ, Techno and others.

Play a chord on the keyboard, and the musical phrase will automatically match it. Once you try them, you will see why Yamaha keyboards can make playing music fun!

Using the MIDI IN/OUT connections, users can take lessons on a computer or the Internet. In addition, the EZ150 may be enjoyed through headphones or through the stereo speaker system with bass ports.

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