What’s the difference between Yamaha's digital pianos? In this guide, we’ll explore the main features of each range to help you find the perfect piano for you – whether you’re a beginner, a professional or anything in between.
Guide to Yamaha Digital Pianos
Introduction
Yamaha has been a world leading musical instrument maker for over a century, blending acoustic piano heritage with digital innovation. Their digital pianos, designed for beginners, home learners, and performing professionals, consistently deliver authentic touch, expressive tone, and advanced usability. Yamaha combines industry leading sound sampling (including their flagship CFX and Bösendorfer Imperial piano voices), realistic key action, and seamless app integration to ensure musicians of every level can fully express themselves.
P Series
The Yamaha P Series offers portable, versatile digital pianos tailored for practice, performance, and teaching. Designed with simplicity and quality in mind, models like the P-45, P-125, P-225, and flagship P-525 provide graded-key action, crisp piano voices, and compact designs perfect for apartments, stages, or studio workflows.
These instruments deliver genuine piano feel via graded hammer action keyboards (from GHS to GrandTouch S on the P-525) combined with Yamaha’s AWM or premium piano sampling. Despite their portability, they offer robust sound with onboard amplification, realistic resonance modelling, and a suite of instrument tones like electric piano and organ.
Smart Pianist app compatibility and Bluetooth on models such as the P-145BT add modern convenience, enabling tone editing, playback of external tracks, and connectivity for learners and performers alike.
Key Features:
- Graded hammer-action keyboards (GHS to GrandTouch S) for authentic touch
- Yamaha CFX and Bösendorfer Imperial piano voices on higher models (e.g. P-525)
- Slim, lightweight design with Bluetooth/app support for modern practice and performance
Yamaha P Range
YDP Series
The Arius YDP-Series provides elegant home digital pianos offering realistic grand piano tone and feel in streamlined upright cabinets. Models like YDP-145, YDP-165, and YDP-S35 combine Yamaha’s Pure CF or CFX sampling with graded hammer action (GHS or GH3) for expressive and reliable touch.
These pianos support natural resonance through Virtual Resonance Modelling (VRM), high polyphony counts (128–256 notes), multi-track recording, and dual headphone jacks, making them suitable for practice, lessons, and silent scenarios. Many models include built-in classical songs and learning aids, paired with intuitive displays or app connectivity to guide progress.
Stylish and accessible, YDP pianos offer refined tone, dependable performance, and ease-of-use, all in compact furniture-style enclosures that suit everyday homes and student players.
Key Features:
- Piano voices (CFX or Pure CF) sampled from Yamaha concert grands
- Graded Hammer Standard (GHS) or GH3 key action for realistic dynamics
- Built-in learning tools, VRM, high polyphony, and dual headphone outputs
Yamaha YDP Range
CLP Series
Yamaha’s Clavinova CLP Series sets the standard for premium digital piano realism. The latest CLP-700 and CLP-800/800GP models replicate the nuance and expression of grand pianos through advanced tone engines, binaural sampling for headphone play, and high-resolution VRM for resonance and timbral variation.
These pianos feature GrandTouch or GrandTouch S keyboards with wooden or synthetic ebony/ivory keytops and escapement, combined with powerful multi-speaker systems (e.g. spruce-cone drivers), delivering rich, immersive sound and touch comparable to concert-grade instruments.
Clavinova pianos also blend elegance and tech: polished grand-style cabinets, Smart Pianist app integration, multiple sound presets (CFX/Bösendorfer plus electric and orchestral tones), and performance/resonance settings for tailored expression and immersive learning/play experiences.
Key Features:
- GrandTouch keyboard with escapement and high-fidelity touch response
- Yamaha CFX & Bösendorfer Imperial voices with binaural sampling & VRM
- Elegant grand-style cabinetry, Smart Pianist app, and premium sound systems
Yamaha CLP Range
GP Series
The Yamaha CLP-865GP is a standout digital grand piano from the Clavinova range, designed to bring the elegance of a baby grand into your home or studio with a compact, polished cabinet and powerful, expressive features. This model combines the luxurious aesthetics of a traditional acoustic grand with the advanced digital performance expected from Yamaha’s Clavinova series.
At its core, the CLP-865GP features Yamaha’s acclaimed CFX and Bösendorfer Imperial grand piano samples, paired with Virtual Resonance Modeling (VRM) to replicate the complex resonance and tonal interaction of strings, dampers, and the cabinet. The GrandTouch S keyboard offers precise response and escapement, delivering dynamic and expressive play for both classical and modern styles.
Built for players who want the presence of a grand piano without the maintenance, the CLP-865GP also includes Bluetooth audio/MIDI, dual headphone outputs, and compatibility with Yamaha’s Smart Pianist app. Its multi-speaker system projects rich, room-filling sound, making it an excellent choice for living rooms, teaching spaces, and elegant performance settings.
Key Features:
• Baby grand cabinet with a polished finish and compact footprint for luxury aesthetics
• Premium CFX and Bösendorfer Imperial piano voices with VRM and binaural sampling
• GrandTouch S keyboard action, multi-speaker output, Bluetooth connectivity, and Smart Pianist app integration