u/be-someone713

Hey everyone,

I’m looking to start learning piano and was hoping to get some recommendations for a beginner keyboard.
I’m an artist and spend a lot of time around music, mainly on the recording/songwriting side, but I’ve never actually learned an instrument properly. Recently I’ve been wanting to learn piano both for fun and to better understand music theory, chords, melodies, and songwriting.

I don’t really have a strict budget, but I’d ideally like to stay somewhere around the $150-$200 range if possible. That said, if there’s a keyboard that’s a little more expensive and you think it would be significantly better for someone in my situation, I’m definitely open to hearing why. I’d rather buy something once and enjoy it than save a little money and end up wanting to upgrade right away.

A few questions:
Are there any specific keyboards you’d recommend for a complete beginner?
Is it worth buying used instead of new?
Should I prioritize 61 keys or try to get an 88-key keyboard?
Are folding keyboards worth considering, or should I stick with traditional models?

For context, I’m a complete beginner and mainly want something that’ll help me learn properly and keep me motivated to practice.

Thanks!

I’ve been writing songs for a few years now, mostly rap, and I’m curious what other people’s songwriting process looks like.

Most of my songs start from freestyling over a beat because I like the cadences and flows that come out when I’m not overthinking. Usually that’s the easy part.

The challenge comes afterward when I try to build the song into something more complete. Sometimes I’ll have a hook, a verse, or a handful of lines that sound good, but then I get stuck trying to strengthen the concept, find new ideas, or figure out what the song is really about.

I’m not sure if that’s just a normal part of songwriting or if I’m getting in my own way.

What’s your process like from the first idea to the finished song?

Do you start with a concept, a melody, a title, a beat, a phrase, or something else entirely?

Have you found any exercises, habits, or mindsets that help you stay creative and approach lyrics from different angles?

I also notice that I tend to gravitate toward certain words, themes, and ways of saying things. Sometimes I’ll like what I wrote initially, then later start questioning whether the lyrics are creative enough or if I’ve said something similar before.

Do you ever deal with that? How do you know when you’re genuinely repeating yourself versus just developing your own style?

I’m not trying to force creativity—just curious how other writers think and keep their songwriting fresh.

I’ve been writing songs for a few years now, mostly rap, and I’m curious what other people’s songwriting process looks like.

Most of my songs start from freestyling over a beat because I like the cadences and flows that come out when I’m not overthinking. Usually that’s the easy part.

The challenge comes afterward when I try to build the song into something more complete. Sometimes I’ll have a hook, a verse, or a handful of lines that sound good, but then I get stuck trying to strengthen the concept, find new ideas, or figure out what the song is really about.

I’m not sure if that’s just a normal part of songwriting or if I’m getting in my own way.

What’s your process like from the first idea to the finished song?

Do you start with a concept, a melody, a title, a beat, a phrase, or something else entirely?

Have you found any exercises, habits, or mindsets that help you stay creative and approach lyrics from different angles?

I also notice that I tend to gravitate toward certain words, themes, and ways of saying things. Sometimes I’ll like what I wrote initially, then later start questioning whether the lyrics are creative enough or if I’ve said something similar before.

Do you ever deal with that? How do you know when you’re genuinely repeating yourself versus just developing your own style?

I’m not trying to force creativity—just curious how other writers think and keep their songwriting fresh.