Piano Accessories – Fun, Helpful and Useful Accessories for Piano and Keyboard

Piano accessories. You might be the kind of person who wants every accessory or gadget that can help with playing the piano. Alternatively, you might be a bit more “old-fashioned” and think that just the piano itself is enough!

Some of the piano accessories on this list are a little bit out there and unusual. Some of them are pretty mainstream. We’re not saying that all of them are required, and we’re not saying that you should go out and buy every accessory, but you might not have even known that some of them existed, and it can help to have a full overview list.

Digital Piano vs Acoustic Piano Accessories

You will find that digital pianos have a lot more accessories. This is simply because there is a lot more that you can do with a digital audio signal than with an acoustic signal. For example, you can use headphones with a digital piano and you would not be able to do so if you were using an acoustic piano.

If you are looking to buy a digital piano you will find that a lot of the products are sold as bundles. This means that some accessories come with them. You will need to make a wise choice regarding which accessories you are looking to buy and which you are likely to need.

Another reason for there being more digital piano accessories is the fact that they have a “keyboard” design rather than looking like a grand piano or an upright piano, so different stands can work. You might need certain accessories to help with a portable setup.

While some accessories will work whether you have a digital setup or an acoustic, users of a digital model will definitely find more on our list!

Stands

A digital piano will often need a stand. You can buy models that will sit upon a tabletop, and this is how some people get started, but it isn’t the optimal way of playing the piano.

If you buy a console digital piano, you will find that it comes with a stand that it slots into, this gives it the look of an upright acoustic piano. This is a good choice for use within the home, and people who want the function of a digital piano but the look of an acoustic.

Other stands are more portable. For example, an X-style stand folds up and allows you to take it to gigs and practice sessions easily. Though there are other types of stand out there (more on stands can be read here), an X-type stand might be preferable if you are more of a keyboard-style player than a classical pianist.

Portability is the number one consideration if you are looking to choose a stand. Do you need something that can come out and about with you?

Stools and Benches

This is one of the accessories that can be just as useful for digital piano players and acoustic piano players. The stool is a piano accessory that too many people just ignore, but it can be useful and even improve your playing.

A stool or bench can actually have a surprising number of different features. It might be adjustable, it might be lightweight and portable, or it might be a larger, duet-style design for two people to sit on. Some duet stools even have two adjustable sections for people of different heights!

Even if you don’t have a console or an acoustic piano, a good stool can make all the difference and keep you comfy through those long hours of playing. As well as comfort, they can help you to keep the correct posture and not be stretching to play certain melodies. This means that your playing can be better as a result!

A lot of stools also have a cool little storage area within the seat. This means you can store sheet music and, well…other piano accessories!

Check out this guide to see the benefits of a good stool or bench.

Pedals

If you are an acoustic piano player then you won’t be worrying about the pedals as your piano probably already has them. In this respect, they aren’t an accessory at all. However, for digital pianos and keyboards, the pedals are added as an extra accessory.

Sustain pedal

This is a way to make notes ring for longer after they have been hit. It is actually removing a damper from the string that is hit to generate the tone. For this reason, you might hear piano players call it a “damper” pedal. This is the most crucial and most often-used piano pedal. If you are looking for digital piano accessories, some will only have the input for one pedal, and this will be the sustain pedal.

You will notice that there are two other pedals on an acoustic piano, so what do these do? Can they be bought as additional piano accessories for a keyboard or digital piano?

Soft pedal

This is the pedal you will find on the left of the three in an acoustic piano. Most of the time, acoustic pianos group the strings (on the inside) in threes. The hammer normally hits all three of these to make a bigger and more pronounced sound, but if you use the soft pedal, it ignores one of the strings.

This means a softer note which can be good for playing more gentle passages. “Una Corda” is another term you might hear this described as. This translates to “one-string”.

Sostenuto Pedal

This is the pedal that sits in the middle of the three. It only holds notes already played when you press it down, so you will be pressing this up and down to provide sustain at some points in a melody or song, rather than constant.

It’s not the most popular of the pedals, but some modern compositions make use of it in order to provide more dynamics within their playing.

Of the three, the sustain pedal is definitely the one you will be using most (if you play a lot of traditional pieces of music, at least). This is why a lot of the time, people buying piano accessories will buy an individual sustain pedal rather than a console of all three.

Headphones

Naturally, these aren’t a specific accessory for keyboards or digital pianos, but you will probably have some headphones laying around that you can use. If not, you might be able to buy specific headphones which are good for use with a piano and which can give you the option to practice with nobody else hearing.

You should probably opt for headphones that have an over-ear design. Small earbuds are popular for use on the go, or listening to your phone, but they won’t give the same privacy as over-ear headphones. Plus, if you get the right pair of over-ear cans, they can stop ear fatigue and help you to practice for far longer, and at louder volumes without risking damage to your ears.

Be warned that you will need to check the output of your digital piano if you are going to use headphones. Most will have a 1/4 inch output rather than the traditional 1/8th output that other devices might have. This is the size of an audio jack.

If you already have headphones and they aren’t equipped for a 1/4 inch output then you might need an adapter. Luckily, these can be bought easily enough and are readily available at most music stores. They act as a bridge between your headphones and the input.

If you buy a digital piano bundle then headphones are one of the things that a lot of them will have as an added extra, and they should have the right type of connection for your piano.

Dust Covers

Another one of the piano accessories that can be used with either a digital piano or an acoustic piano. A dust cover is a small and simple product that just gives an extra layer of protection (and can also save you some cleaning).

A dust cover can stop dust and debris from getting into the mechanism of the piano. While you might think that a dust cover is just for keeping dust off, it can also do a very good job of preventing discoloration over time from sunlight. They give all-round protection for your piano, either acoustic or digital.

The key is ensuring you get the right size, and most will be designed for 88-key models, however, if you play a 61-key keyboard then you may also be able to find a dust cover that is suitable. A lot of them attach with four simple elastic sections on each corner so there is a bit of flexibility.

Music Stand or Rest

These can be bought as piano accessories but they often also come with your piano when you purchase it. Traditionally, the music rest might fold out of your acoustic piano, but this isn’t always the case. In digital pianos and keyboards there may be a specific slot for you to place a rest for your sheet music.

Once again, this is a popular product if you are buying a piano bundle. Many of them include a rest or a music stand to ensure that you have somewhere to put your music. You can buy a stand separately, but this is a major inconvenience and another big and bulky product to carry around with you. Even if the stand itself is a simple plastic design it can do a good job.

There is a surprising number of different designs for stands and rests and they have changed a lot. Did you know that in recent years a lot of people are replacing their sheet music with iPads or other tablets? Stands and rests have had to adapt to this and to be able to handle a bit more weight.

Lamps

You can buy specific lamps to go on your digital or acoustic piano and give you a better overview of the keys while you are playing. These can also help you to see sheet music and more.

If you buy a lamp for your acoustic piano you will probably want a permanent fixture, a specific strip design is popular among both grand and upright pianos as this can allow you a clear overview of your keyboard.

There are a surprising number of features with these sorts of products. Most are adjustable and most have some type of dimmable aspect or the option to change the strength of the light in Lumens.

If you have a keyboard or a digital piano then you can even buy clip-on lamps and lights, which are a bit like reading lights but for your piano. Small, lightweight, and simple to take from place to place.

Case or Gig Bag

This is something you would probably associate more with other types of musical instrument, but cases and gig bags are something that keyboard players and pianists with digital pianos will get used to.

As digital piano accessories go, this is arguably one of the most useful. If you are a touring musician or you are constantly going to and from practice sessions then you will need a way to keep your instrument protected. A gig bag can also help with portability as some of them have wheels and other additions to make it easier to go from one place to another.

Think of it this way; you wouldn’t spend $1,000 on a guitar and not keep it in a quality case, so why do the same with a digital piano? We always recommend a high-quality case if you are going from place to place. If you have a particularly high-quality and expensive digital piano then you should think about a hard case as this is a better way to ensure that the elements won’t get to your instrument and cause damage.

A Metronome

This is a music accessory rather than specifically belonging on a list of piano accessories. All musicians should at least have access to a metronome. They’re simple, inexpensive and can make a big difference to your playing.

Effectively, a metronome is like having another musician in the room helping you keep time. Like a drummer ticking away in time so that you can count the tempo and get used to the different time signatures of music.

You can get an old-fashioned, mechanical metronome. This might need to be wound up rather than being powered by a battery. Alternatively, you can opt for a digital model which is cheap and ticks away on top of your digital or acoustic piano. Some digital pianos have an aux input so you can connect it directly to the speakers.

If you don’t want to buy a specific separate model then you can get apps for your devices that will stay in time, but this is not great for use during practices or at any time when you are expecting a phone call!

Tuning Kits

This is an acoustic piano accessory and one that comes with a big warning. Beware. Don’t damage your piano by making errors when tuning and if you are in any way unsure, it is a good idea to get the professionals in to help you to tune your instrument properly.

A tuning kit is relatively cheap, and if your piano isn’t worth much anyway then you might take to tuning it yourself. It is certainly a positive if you don’t have to wait for someone to come and tune your piano for you, and you might just become the best friend of your piano playing friends.

Naturally, tuning kits are not required for keyboards or digital pianos.

Stickers

This is one of the piano accessories that divides opinion. Should you use stickers? If you are in the early stages of learning how to play then they can be helpful and allow you to get to grips with where certain keys are with more ease. However, eventually, you are going to have to learn how to play without them, especially if you are going to be a pro.

There are simple stickers that can allow you to color code or mark out the notes within a melody, but this isn’t going to teach you anything.

The type of piano stickers that we can give our recommendation are those which are transparent and show the notes of the piano. Some great examples can be found here.

If you do go down the route of using these sorts of products then you should be sure to make a conscious effort not to get lazy and rely on them. Instead, try to absorb the information rather than just treat it as a shortcut.

Cleaning Kits and Tools

Cleaning your piano should be done with great care. We’ve created full guides on our site regarding how to use specific tools to clean your piano.

Cleaning piano kits is always recommended after use, but if you have a piano that multiple people play, such as within a classroom environment, it becomes even more important as the keys can become a hotbed for germs.

Certain cleaning kits are perfect for different types of materials that are used to make keys. Ebony and ivory aren’t the done thing anymore, so most are made from treated wood. However, this means that caring for the keys can become more tricky.

Always take great care when cleaning your instrument to ensure that you do not end up doing damage.

Piano Amplifier

If you play a digital piano or a keyboard then you have a number of options for how you are actually going to listen to what you are playing. The inbuilt speakers are an option, as are headphones (as we already covered) but it is a good idea to get an amplifier if you want a louder, clearer sound.

Most digital pianos have an output that can allow you to connect to an amplifier and boost the volume of your sound, and some amps even have different features and effects that can add to your experience, such as inbuilt reverbs.

If you are plugging directly into a PA system, this might not be required, but a lot of digital pianos are a little lacking when it comes to the inbuilt speakers and you may wish for a little more power.

Learning Accessories – Books and Charts

Whether these count as piano accessories is maybe up for some debate, but your learning materials are so vital that it is very important to include them within the list.

You should arm yourself with the right equipment to learn, including piano books, music theory books and for a lot of beginners, charts that can help you to learn chord positions and the notes of a piano as well as songbooks for songs that you can work towards.

It is good to utilize books and courses from the same teachers, or at least teaching similar methods. This way you can ensure consistency. There are some other really clever music theory charts that you might want to buy or print off and stick around the area where you are learning, including the circle of fifths.

Summary

We couldn’t possibly list every single accessory here, as there are more and more being invented and introduced all the time. You can buy clips to keep sheet music open, protective screens for the LCD interface of some digital pianos, and even memory cards to expand the number of sounds. If you want, you can even use effects pedals on a digital piano or keyboard, so the accessories are almost endless.

The best piano accessories will vary depending upon which piano you play, and definitely differ between acoustic and digital pianos! Our list is designed to provide you with a simple overview of some of the basics, and things you should ensure you don’t forget if you are an aspiring pianist.

Most accessories are optional, but it could be that a simple and inexpensive addition like a chord chart or metronome can revolutionize your piano experience, so you should make a point of looking at which accessories are available and suited to your instrument.

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