Our Yamaha EZ 220 Review: Simply The Best Portable Keyboard Under $200 in 2023

The Yamaha EZ 220 Review At A Glance#

Ease of Use

Very beginner friendly

Price

Affordable at less than $200

Rating

Highly recommended!

We like:

*The light up keys

*Hundreds of sounds, preset songs

*Wireless connectivity

*Built in USB port

*Weighs only 10 pounds

We don't like:

*Non-weighted keys

*Loud background accompaniment

*No built-in recorder

Quick Navigation The Yamaha EZ 220 Review At A Glance A Short Introduction An Overview of Yamaha EZ-220 Features Advantages of Yamaha EZ-220 Disadvantages of Yamaha EZ-220 A Few Yamaha EZ-220 User Reviews Frequently Asked Questions Should you buy the Yamaha EZ-220? Looking for the Yamaha EZ 220 manual?

A Short Introduction#

Learning how to play the piano is now made EZ with Yamaha's EZ-220 portable piano keyboard, making your introduction to the world of music unbelievably EZ-ier (cheesy, I know, but it's true)!

Many people have a dream of playing the piano, but thinks that getting piano lessons are just not worth the hassle of looking for a suitable teacher, especially with busy schedules and the everyday demands of various commitments.

But now that Yamaha EZ-220 is here, you can finally take that first step and work those fingers, since it is truly one of the best electronic keyboard for beginners with a touch-sensitive keyboard containing 61-lighted keys, built-in wireless connection to the free Page Turner application, 100 free sets of songs and so much more!

You know that you are guaranteed a quality product at a reasonable price for the portable piano keyboard itself (standalone) or the bundle which includes the keyboard piano stand, headphones, and power supply.

An Overview of Yamaha EZ-220 Features#

• 61-key touch-sensitive portable piano keyboard ideal for beginners learning to play piano
• Keys that light up to guide your fingers as you play along
• 392 instrument sounds of strings, guitars, brass, drums, piano and more
• 100 built-in styles and songs with digital scores from various musical genres to help you with your piano lessons
• Wireless connectivity to Yamaha's free Page Turner iPad app
• Includes the exclusive Yamaha Education Suite (Y.E.S) interactive music learning system and chord dictionary
• USB port lets you connect directly to your computer or Apple iPad
• Portable, lightweight, and needs only 6 AA batteries for when you are away from an electrical outlet

Click here if you would like to read the complete Technical Specifications of the Yamaha EZ-220

S ource: Yamaha.com

Advantages of Yamaha EZ-220#

Here's a great video on YouTube highlighting the features of the EZ 220:

1) Lighting Up Keys

You think learning how to play the piano is difficult? Think again, because with Yamaha EZ-220's lighted keys, it is easy to follow a song for your practice. Just choose a song from among the 100-built in songs and learn at your own pace. The touch-sensitivity of this keyboard piano makes it even more fun to play with.

2) 392 Instrument Sounds

Playing piano can be frustrating when you're just starting, so why don't you spice things up with 392 'voices' of strings, guitars, brass, drums, piano and more. So the next time you try to learn, you have other stimulations around to keep you entertained and would definitely keep the boredom away and maybe you can bust a move with this portable piano keyboard!

3) 100 Preset Songs

This is the built-in song bank referred to in point 1 above as it works side-by-side with the lighted keys of the keyboard piano. Even better is all of these songs are a mix of different genres so you can gain fundamental knowledge for each field until you are ready to play a song on your own. Additionally, the LCD includes a fingering guide that shows you which of your fingers to use in pressing the lighted keys and this is an excellent feature since it teaches you the correct technique in playing the piano.

4) Wireless Connectivity to Various Ipad Applications

This is probably one of the most innovative features of Yamaha EZ-220 portable piano keyboard since it is up to date with current technology, providing convenience for many people. Just open the applications on your iPad and place it on the music sheet holder and let the music take you away.

a. Page Turner App

An iPad digital songbook for the 100 built-in songs which turns the pages automatically; this allows you to focus on playing the music.

b. Visual Performer

A new app used for graphically visualizing your musical performance using a MIDI device. It includes different animations that responds to the pitch and velocity of the piano. It adds cool imagery to your lessons!

c. Note Star

It takes into account the dynamic display of iPad together with its sensitive touch response and audio integration which offers a whole new music sheet experience!

d. Piano Diary

With this free iPhone/iPad app, it is now possible to share your best performances and "wow" moments with friends and loved ones, as it allows you to easily record and store your performances in the cloud server and playback whenever and wherever you are.

5) Yamaha Education Suite

A special feature which enables you to learn on your own and perform different sets of music. Y.E.S is a visual guide towards your piano mastery with its easy lesson steps. You can either perform using both hands, or an isolation of either hand, with the use of the 100 built-in songs and the lighting up keys of the Yamaha EZ-220 keyboard piano.

6) Built-in USB Port

This is needed in the modern world of constant connection. It allows you to immediately connect to your computer so you could use a variety of music applications or to get songs that are not in the pre-set list.

7) Portability

Lastly, portability! This portable keyboard piano provides convenience as it takes little floor space especially if you purchase the bundle package which includes a piano stand. With a weight of 10 pounds, it is easy to carry it from one place to another, and to whatever place you are comfortable playing in.

Disadvantages of Yamaha EZ-220#

1) Non-weighted keys

This is a starter piano and so mostly has basic functions, but if you are a beginner, this is not an issue and you can surely enjoy learning using this keyboard piano.

2) Loud background accompaniment

The 392 instrument songs is listed as an advantage above so why is it listed here? It's because for some beginners, it can be annoying to hear loud background accompaniments which hinders you from listening to your acoustic play, and no, it cannot be turned off. However, for some, this is not an issue and even find it a better addition.

3) No built-in recorder

This feature is pretty handy if you want to listen to the music you just played. With one touch of a button you can do this quite easily on other beginner keyboards, however, for the EZ 220, the workaround (for iPad owners at least) is to open the free Page Turner app and use the recorder on the app itself.

A Few Yamaha EZ-220 User Reviews#

Don't just take our word about how great the Yamaha EZ-220 is. We have summarized below what other buyers say about this wonderful keyboard:

One parent who owned a music store for years bought this keyboard for his daughter. He said his daughter loves it as the lighted keyboard helps with the learning and even his son who doesn't play keyboard also just follows the lights and learned a few songs that way. While he gave the keyboard 5 out of 5 stars, he said the non-lit screen was a bit difficult to see so the kids sometimes had a hard time seeing which hands and fingers needed to be used for playing a particular song. But overall, he said it's the perfect keyboard for beginners and he will not recommend another keyboard for children! He also personally recommends this to his customers.

Another buyer said it was the best keyboard she had ever purchased. The 100 pre-programmed songs are perfect for beginners and the Yamaha Education Suite even teaches her how to play these songs. She finds the cord for the power adapter a bit short but that's fine because she doesn't need to buy batteries to use the keyboard and she can just place the keyboard near a wall socket or get a power cord extension. She was a bit surprised with the keyboard size as she thought 61 keys would be on the small side but she was mistaken and found it to be bigger than expected. She further recommends that at less than $200 this keyboard was a fantastic option and would beat a much more expensive keyboard.

An adult male buyer said he has no musical talent whatsoever but had always wanted to play piano. When he had the opportunity to buy a keyboard, he bought the Yamaha EZ-220 and after having had the keyboard for a mere 2 days, he can already play 2 songs by memory! All he does is listen to a song, learn the words, then follow the lights on the keyboard! He said the keyboard is extremely easy to play and the many playing options are a wonderful addition.

One buyer said this keyboard is one of the best investments she has ever made. Her two boys, and their friends, all love learning the pre-programmed songs. She said the fact that they can select any song and then hear themselves playing a familiar tune has really motivated them to want to learn more songs and play music themselves. They have the option to play with both hands, or just one hand at a time. The boys love the keyboard and find the lighted keys to be very bright no matter the time of day so even with the all the bright lights on or without lights, they can still play their music. An older woman said she does not know how to play a musical instrument but after getting her hands on this Yamaha, all she has to do is turn on the instructional feature and press what the keyboard tells her to press, and she can then play the music she wants to hear! She finds it very relaxing as she can play music without even knowing what she's doing.

Frequently Asked Questions#

1. Do you still need to enrol in piano lessons (online or offline) if you have the Yamaha EZ-220?

The EZ-220 offers a built-in Yamaha Education Suite with 100 programmed songs which allows learners to learn how to play even without piano lessons. When you play a programmed song, all you need to do is press on the lighted key(s) and you can then figure out how the piece is supposed to sound like. The best thing is you can practice anytime, at your own pace and time!

Of course, one on one piano lessons, whether online or offline, are the best option if you want to take your piano playing skills to the next level. You will not be limited to the 100 songs pre-programmed in your keyboard; the sky's the limit and you can play any song you wish to play. Perhaps even compose your own music in the future!

If the lighting keys annoy you or make you look like a total beginner, then, yes, there is an option for you to turn off the lighting keys. However, when you restart the keyboard, the lights will get switched on again until you manually press the lights off button.

3. What size are the keys?

It's standard piano key size so it's perfect if you plan on playing the piano at a later date. The keys also look and feel like ivory which is a wonderful bonus as it feels nice to touch!

4. Does this support a MIDI connection?

While the EZ-220 does offer USB support, this keyboard does not come with a MIDI port. However, there is a workaround for this: you can connect your MIDI device to your computer and then connect your computer to your keyboard via USB connection.​

5. Does it work on batteries?

​Yes, you can insert 6 AA batteries into the back panel and you will be able to play the keyboard wherever you like without getting hampered by an electric wire!

6. Is there an Android version for the app?​

No, the iPad page turner app only works on iPads except for the first generation iPad.​

Should you buy the Yamaha EZ-220?#

Absolutely yes!

After all, Yamaha EZ-220 would not be part of the Top 10 Best 61-key Music Keyboard for Beginners and would not receive the best 61-key keyboard reviews if it is not of high quality which makes it a serious contender for one of the best keyboard piano for beginners.

Also, don't forget that its price range is really affordable considering all of its innovative features. Overall, this keyboard comes highly recommended for beginners and more advanced players alike.

There you have it - our in-depth review of the Yamaha EZ-220. Should you wish to purchase the keyboard or know more about it, please do click on the red button below.

Looking for the Yamaha EZ 220 manual?#

Download it here.

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