Many of you may or may not know this about me, but I was actually an accomplished saxophone player back when I was younger.  I've been playing the saxophone now since I was in 5th grade and have won many awards through the years and even played a few paying gigs after high school.

So, needless to say, I thought picking up another instrument such as the piano would be a piece of cake.  Since I already know how to read sheet music, understand music theory,etc., I could just teach myself how to play, right?  WRONG!  :no no:

I've tried on several accounts to teach myself how to play the piano by using various workbooks, video programs and even putting stickers on the keys, but in the end, I always fell short.  Two things seem to prevent me from tickling those ivories:  I'm not used to playing two lines of music at once and I get confused as to which fingers should be hitting which keys.  Once the music starts, all of those black and white keys seem to blur together and I lose my place on the keyboard.

Apparently, I'm not the only one who isn't quite up to the challenge of teaching themselves the piano, and thankfully Casio has invented a portable keyboard for anyone who wants to play, especially beginners.  Not only does this keyboard sound great and have a ton of amazing features, it has lighted keys and built in piano lessons to get any player started on the right track to musical stardom.  Keep reading to learn more about the absolute neatest keyboard I've ever played!

The Casio LK-280 Portable Lighted Keyboard features 61 light-up keys, up to 600 built-in tones, stereo piano sounds and more. There is a 1/8" (3.5mm) mini input for connecting external portable MP3 players, and a USB port for class compliant MIDI operation. Play along with up to 180 built-in rhythms and accompaniments that follow your chord changes.

In addition to all this, there is a 5 song recorder, capable of layering up to 6 tracks and an SD card slot for storage. The LK-280 is battery operated for complete portability, and the AC power supply is also included.

• 61 note, touch response, piano style keyboard with light-up keys
• 600 Built-in tones including stereo pianos
• 180 Rhythm & accompaniment patterns
• 48 Note polyphony
• SD card storage
• Large backlit display with notation and fingering display
• Integrated step-up lesson system
• 5 Song, 6 track recorder
• Class compliant USB MIDI port
• 1/8" Audio line input
• Headphone output
• Power adapter included

With a keyboard like this, the list of awesome features goes on and on, but two of my personal favorites are the built-in lessons and the karaoke feature.  The built-in lessons coupled with the lighted keys should help me make the most from my practice time and teach me good piano playing habits too.

Learning a musical instrument takes plenty of time and practice, but there's nothing worse than putting in all of that effort yet doing it incorrectly.  Now, with the Casio LK-280, I can make sure that my technique is right and can adjust the speed of the lesson to match my skill level.

One of the reasons I'd like to learn the piano so badly is because I long to have those heartwarming sing-alongs you always see in the movies.  That's where the karaoke feature comes into play.  With this, you can plug in a microphone into the appropriate input and the piano music is automatically lowered so that everyone's voice comes through loud and clear.  Hopefully, once I master the piano, holiday singalongs can be a regular occurrence at my house!

Watch my detailed video below to see the fantastic Casio LK-280 in action!

As you can see, both young and old alike can benefit from the Casio LK-280 Portable Lighted Keyboard!  Being that it runs on either 6 "D" batteries or with the included AC adapter, you can literally have a jam session anywhere.  If you have always wanted to learn to play the piano or you'd like to inspire a family member to acquire this musical ability, then by all means make sure you lay the foundation properly with an amazing keyboard...the Casio LK-280!

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