Beginner pianists are often looking for a digital piano to complement their upright or grand piano. In this guide, we will look at the Yamaha P-125, a great option for beginner pianists! (and not only).
A Yamaha Digital Piano For Beginners
A digital piano like the Yamaha P-125 is perfect to start learning how to play the piano as it provides an acoustic-like experience.
Let’s find out why the Yamaha P-125 is one of the most common digital pianos for beginners!
What Is the Yamaha P-125 Digital Piano?
Inspired by the Yamaha CFX grand piano, the Yamaha P-125 is one of the most popular 88-key weighted digital pianos with hammer action offered by Yamaha. It is a common choice amongst beginner pianists who are looking for an alternative to their acoustic piano.
Using the USB to HOST port you can also connect this piano to your computer or mobile device.
One feature of this digital piano is its simplicity. It doesn’t have too many buttons and it allows you to focus on the piano-playing experience. It’s also quite light and easy to carry with you, it only weighs twenty-six pounds (11.8 kg).
What Does the Yamaha P-125 Come With?
The Yamaha P-125 digital piano comes with a power adapter, a music rest, and a very simple sustain pedal.
There is also a very interesting bundle called Home Bundle, which also includes a furniture stand and bench.
If you are planning to keep this piano at home then the Home Bundle is the right option for you.
Product Specs
Sound Quality
The Yamaha P-125 digital piano allows you to play using 24 different voices including sounds sampled from real acoustic grand pianos (e.g. the Yamaha CFX grand piano).
The sound of the P-125 is based on a high-quality engine: Yamaha’s Pure CF Sound Engine. This digital piano includes the sound of the famous Yamaha CFIIIS 9′ concert grand piano.
Modes
Additionally to the standard way of playing, the Yamaha P-125 makes available three playing modes:
- Dual mode: allows you to play two different sounds simultaneously. This can let you practice and compose creatively with mixed sounds such as the piano and string instruments together.
- Split mode: when you enable this mode you can play the bass with one hand and the piano with the other hand.
- Duo mode: allows you to split the keyboard into two identical zones that have the same sounds. This can help students learn by following and copying their teachers during piano lessons.
Great Specs of the P-125 Digital Piano
The first spec of the Yamaha P-125 worth mentioning is the Graded Hammer Standard (GHS) by Yamaha, this creates a weighted action of the keys. The lower-end keys (lower register) are heavier than the higher-end keys (higher register).
This is the same feeling you would experience with a real acoustic grand piano. This a very important point for those who look for a complementary piano to their upright piano or grand piano.
Another great feature of the Yamaha P-125 is the Pure CF Sound Engine system that provides a high-quality sound with its 192-notes polyphony.
YAMAHA P-125 88-Key Weighted Digital Piano Home Bundle
With Wooden Furniture Stand And Bench
- Yamaha P-125 digital piano
- L125 furniture stand
- BB1 wooden bench
- Sustain pedal
Ease of Use
The simple design of the Yamaha P-125 makes it great for piano students who want to focus mainly on playing the piano instead of being interested in complex special effects. This digital piano is a great alternative to an acoustic piano.
Sound & Connectivity
The Pure CF Sound Engine is able to reproduce the tone of the popular Yamaha 9′ CFIIIS Concert Grand piano.
The USB to HOST port makes it very easy to connect the Yamaha P-125 to a computer or a mobile device.
Design Quality
The Yamaha P125 has an elegant and minimalistic design that achieves minimal light reflection.
Pros
- Weighted keyboard based on Yamaha’s Graded Hammer Standard (GHS)
- Light and easily portable
- The USB port enables connectivity to computers and mobile devices
- Great sound quality based on popular Yamaha grand pianos (192-notes polyphony)
Cons
- The sustain pedal provided by default is not very good. You will likely need to buy a better sustain pedal (e.g. the FC3A sustain pedal or a 3-pedal unit).
Is Yamaha P-125 Fully-Weighted?
The Yamaha P-125 has a fully weighted 88-key keyboard based on the Graded Hammer Standard (GHS).
Graded means that the weight of the keys gets lighter while moving to higher notes similar to the feel and action of an acoustic piano.
What sounds does the Yamaha P-125 have?
The Yamaha P-125 has the following 24 sounds (also called voices):
PIANO GROUP
- Grand Piano
- Live Grand
- Ballad Grand
- Bright Grand
E. PIANO GROUP
- Stage E.Piano
- DX E.Piano
- Vintage E.Piano
- Synth Piano
ORGAN GROUP
- Jazz Organ
- Rock Organ
- Organ Principal
- Organ Tutti
CLV./VIB. GROUP
- Harpsichord 8’
- Harpsi.8’+4’
- E.Clavichord
- Vibraphone
STRINGS GROUP
- Strings
- Slow Strings
- Choir
- Synth Pad
+BASS GROUP
- Acoustic Bass
- Electric Bass
- Bass & Cymbal
- Fretless Bass
One button for each of the groups above is available on the P-125. That button allows selecting one of the four voices in that specific group.
Does the Yamaha P-125 Have a Metronome?
The Yamaha P-125 has a built-in metronome. You can use the [METRONOME] button on the piano to start and stop the metronome.
To decrease and increase the tempo of the metronome you can use two buttons, labeled – and +.
How Old is the Yamaha P-125?
In April 2018 Yamaha introduced the P-125 model as an ideal solution for a wide range of beginner pianists. The P-125 was introduced as a replacement for the P-115.
Is Yamaha P-125 Portable?
The Yamaha P-125 is a compact digital piano that is easy to carry around considering that its weight is only 11.8kg (26 pounds).
Is Yamaha P-125 Touch Sensitive?
The Yamaha P-125 provides Touch Sensitivity as one of its many features. This means that the volume of the notes produced by the piano depends on how soft or hard you play the keys.
Touch Sensitivity on the P-125 can be set to one of the followings:
- Hard: Allows to play using a wider range of dynamics (from pianissimo to fortissimo).
- Medium: Set standard piano touch response.
- Soft: A soft touch produces a loud sound. This tends to provide a consistent volume level.
- Fixed: This disables touch sensitivity. The volume is the same regardless of how hard you play the keys.
Can You Transpose on Yamaha P-125?
Transpose is one of the built-in functions of the Yamaha P-125 digital piano. This function allows to raise or lower the tuning of the piano by semitone steps.
You can transpose by a maximum of 6 semitones up or 6 semitones down. On the technical specifications, this is expressed as -6 to 0,0 to +6.
Does the Yamaha P-125 Support Batteries?
No, the Yamaha P-125 does not support batteries. To use the P-125 you have to connect the power supply provided with the digital piano.
Does the Yamaha P-125 Have a Pedal?
The sustain pedal provided with the Yamaha P-125 is a low-quality one and it doesn’t work like a standard acoustic piano sustain pedal (they call it half pedal in Yamaha’s specs).
It works like a switch that you press to turn it on and then press again to turn it off. It could be misleading for beginner pianists because it doesn’t work like a real sustain pedal.
Depending on the type of stand you would like for your Yamaha piano, you can find a suitable FC3A sustain pedal or a 3-pedal unit to use. You will have to purchase them separately.
How Can You Connect the Yamaha P-125 To Your Phone or Tablet?
The Yamaha P-125 provides a USB to HOST port located at the back of the digital piano. The USB to HOST port is the leftmost one.
You will need a USB cable that you will connect to the P-125 on one side and to your phone or tablet on the other side using an adapter.
The adapter depends on the type of mobile device you are connecting the USB cable.
Does the Yamaha P-125 Have Bluetooth Connectivity?
No, the Yamaha P-125 does not support Bluetooth connectivity but you can get the Yamaha UD-BT01 adapter to enable Bluetooth connectivity for your digital piano.
You would connect the USB to HOST port of the Yamaha P-125 to one side of the adapter using a USB cable and then you would connect the other side of the adapter to a socket using a USB AC adapter.
It sounds complex but it’s actually straightforward!
Does the Yamaha P-125 Come with Music Rest?
Yes, a music rest is included with the Yamaha P-125.
Conclusion
The Yamaha P-125 overall gets 4.5 stars. It is a fantastic option for a digital piano with 88 weighted keys that provides an acoustic-like experience.
The standard sustain pedal could be better so get an alternative one as suggested above.
If you are looking for a reliable beginner (or intermediate) digital piano, the Yamaha P-125 is a great option for you.