We are digital piano & keyboard specialists, based in Banbury, Oxfordshire. Stay up to date with the latest news, reviews, tips, and offers by joining our FREE newsletter (unsubscribe at any time).
There’s something very funny about shopping for a piano when you live in a normal house.
In your head, you’re thinking beautiful music, elegant playing, expressive touch, maybe a little bit of Elton if no one’s listening. Then you look around the room and realise the only available space is between a radiator, a bookshelf and a pile of things everyone keeps pretending they’ll sort out next weekend.
That’s where the new slimline Yamaha ARIUS models come in.
Yamaha has announced its new ARIUS range, including the traditional cabinet models, the YDP-146 and YDP-166, and the slimmer space-saving models, the YDP-S36 and YDP-S56.
For this blog, I want to focus on those slimline ones, because for a lot of people, they might be the cleverest choice in the range.
The Yamaha YDP-S36 and YDP-S56 are designed for people who want a proper home piano experience, but don’t necessarily want a big traditional cabinet taking over the room.
That could be a flat, a bedroom, a smaller living room, a student setup, or just a home where space is already being fought over by sofas, plants, toys and that one chair no one sits on but everyone refuses to move.
The important thing is this: slimline doesn’t mean “not serious”.
Both models give you a full 88-note weighted keyboard, a three-pedal setup, Yamaha’s piano sound, built-in speakers, Bluetooth audio and wireless connection to Yamaha’s Smart Pianist app. So although the cabinet is slimmer, the experience is still very much centred around proper piano playing.
The Yamaha YDP-S36 is the slimline alternative to the YDP-146.
It uses Yamaha’s improved GHS keyboard action, which gives the keys a heavier feel in the lower register and a lighter feel higher up the keyboard, just like you’d expect from an acoustic piano. That’s important for beginners, because you don’t just want something that makes a piano sound, you want something that helps your hands develop properly.
You also get Yamaha’s CFX concert grand piano voice, which is taken from Yamaha’s flagship concert grand. That gives the YDP-S36 a proper Yamaha piano tone rather than a thin keyboard sound.
The newly developed speaker system is designed to spread the sound more naturally into the room, which matters more than people realise. A piano isn’t just about what you hear directly in front of you. It’s about how the sound fills the space around you.
[IMAGE: Yamaha YDP-S36 product image or detail shot of slimline cabinet]
The YDP-S36 also includes Bluetooth audio, so you can stream music through the piano’s speakers and play along with songs, backing tracks or lesson videos. Add wireless Smart Pianist app connection into the mix, and you’ve got a piano that feels much more modern and practical for home practice.
If someone says to me, “I want a proper digital piano, but I don’t have loads of space,” the YDP-S36 is going to make a lot of sense.
The Yamaha YDP-S56 is the slimline alternative to the YDP-166, and this is where things get more interesting.
The big upgrade is Yamaha’s new GrandTouch-E keyboard action. Compared with GHS, this is designed to feel more responsive and grand-piano-inspired, giving you a better sense of control under the fingers.
That matters because the keyboard action is one of the biggest things that affects how connected you feel to a piano. Sound is obviously important, but the bit your hands actually live on is the keyboard. If that feels more responsive, more expressive and more piano-like, you notice it.
Like the YDP-S36, the YDP-S56 also gives you Yamaha’s CFX grand piano sound, the new speaker system, Bluetooth audio and Smart Pianist app compatibility. So the main reason to step up to the S56 is really the feel of the keyboard.
If you’re progressing, taking lessons seriously, playing more expressive music, or you’re the sort of person who notices the difference in how keys respond under your fingers, the YDP-S56 is probably the one I’d be nudging you towards.
It’s the one for players who want the compact cabinet, but don’t want to feel like they’ve compromised on touch.
The easiest way to look at it is this:
| Feature | Yamaha YDP-S36 | Yamaha YDP-S56 |
|---|---|---|
| Cabinet style | Slimline | Slimline |
| Keyboard action | Improved GHS | GrandTouch-E |
| Piano voice | Yamaha CFX grand piano | Yamaha CFX grand piano |
| Pedals | Three pedals | Three pedals |
| Bluetooth audio | Yes | Yes |
| Smart Pianist app | Wireless connection | Wireless connection |
| Best for | Beginners, families, smaller homes | Progressing players, more expressive touch |
So, if you just want the most accessible slimline ARIUS piano, the YDP-S36 is the natural starting point.
If you want the better key action and a more expressive playing feel, the YDP-S56 is the model to look at.
All four of the new ARIUS models include Bluetooth functionality, which is a really useful addition.
You can stream audio through the piano’s speakers, so if you want to play along with songs, lessons or backing tracks, it becomes a much more natural part of the instrument rather than having everything coming out of a phone speaker that sounds like it’s trapped in a biscuit tin.
You can also connect wirelessly to Yamaha’s Smart Pianist app, which gives you a more visual way to control the piano and use practice features.
The new Guide function waits until the correct note is played before moving on, which is brilliant for learners. There’s also a Medal Challenge feature, designed to keep practice a bit more motivating.
And honestly, anything that makes practice feel less like homework and more like progress is a win.
If you’ve already got a digital piano or keyboard at home and you’re thinking of upgrading, we may be able to help with part exchange.
That can be a really useful way to move into one of the new Yamaha ARIUS slimline models without having to deal with the hassle of selling your current instrument privately.
Fill in our part exchange form below and we’ll let you know what your current instrument could be worth against a new Yamaha YDP-S36 or YDP-S56.
I think slimline digital pianos sometimes get wrongly treated like the “lesser” option.
But in the real world, they’re often exactly what people need.
Not everyone has a spare music room. Not everyone wants a large cabinet in the lounge. Not everyone wants the piano to become the dominant piece of furniture in the house, sitting there like it’s paying half the mortgage.
A slimline ARIUS gives you the feel and function of a proper Yamaha home piano, but in a way that fits more naturally into modern homes.
And that’s the key bit. The best piano isn’t always the biggest piano. It’s the one you’ll actually keep in the room, actually sit at, and actually play.
If you’re looking at the new Yamaha ARIUS range and you’re short on space, the YDP-S36 and YDP-S56 are absolutely worth paying attention to.
The YDP-S36 is the straightforward, compact, accessible choice. The YDP-S56 is the more expressive slimline option with the upgraded GrandTouch-E keyboard action.
Both are designed to give you a proper Yamaha piano experience without demanding half your living room in return.
And if that means you finally get a piano into the house without rearranging your entire life around it, that sounds like a pretty good result to me.
You can browse our Yamaha ARIUS digital pianos here:
And if you’d like help choosing between the new models, get in touch with us. We’re always happy to talk through what will actually suit your home, your playing and your budget.
Sign up to our newsletter for the latest Yamaha piano news, offers, videos and buying advice:
Enter your email address below to receive our free weekly newsletter containing the latest piano, keyboard and organ demonstration videos, breaking news, special offers, invitations to our live video events, technical support articles and much more.
These items are sold on behalf of Yamaha, and are sent to us on a per-order basis, typically within 5-7 working days, unless an ETA is otherwise stated.
We'll contact you the moment your purchase arrives with us to organise delivery, based on your selected option.
Example products: Yamaha DGX670, Yamaha P-525, Yamaha YDP-S55, Yamaha Clavinova.
These items must be sent with a heavy-goods courier (typically APC or FedEx). On occasion, depending on which is fastest, we will drop-ship directly from Yamaha to your address via Dachser.
Tracking will be provided by the haulier, with a typical arrival time of 1-2 working days.
*If you have included the optional £180 "Yamaha Premium Service" home delivery & setup option offered on selected products, we will contact you regarding arrangements after purchase.
**The Yamaha CSP Series, Yamaha CVP905 & CVP909, Yamaha CLP875, 885 & 895GP, and Yamaha NU1Xa are all sold on behalf of Yamaha and arrive with us on a per-order basis. As soon as your piano has arrived, we will contact you to organise the appropriate dispatch method. ETA for stock is shown on the product page for those items.
***If you have included the optional £99 home delivery & setup option offered on selected products, we will send your details direct to the installation team, who will contact you within 48 hours to make arrangements.
Depending on which option is most appropriate, we will either contact you to discuss a bespoke ePianos delivery surcharge for goods we can’t package for a 3rd party courier, or otherwise dispatch goods via FedEx or APC.
If a courier is used, tracking will be provided by them directly, with a typical arrival time of 1-2 working days.
Example products: Yamaha PSR-SX920, Yamaha P-225, Yamaha NP-15.
These items will be sent via courier (typically APC or FedEx). On occasion, depending on which is fastest, we will drop-ship directly from Yamaha to your address via UPS or Parcelforce.
Tracking will be provided by the courier, with a typical arrival time of 1-2 working days.
Smaller items, such as books, discs, etc, will be dispatched via Royal Mail second class.
After purchase, you can download the file either from the order confirmation page or the "Downloads" tab in "My Account".
If you have selected the option to receive a pre-loaded USB stick, then this will be dispatched via Royal Mail.
We will contact you regarding any pre-ordered items, and let you know when they arrive so as to arrange delivery with you at a convenient time.
Used items can also be purchased using either of the following options (minimum loan amount of £250 after deposit):
Total amount payable: £893.32
Available finance options are displayed at checkout. Alternatively, please get in touch and we’ll be happy to discuss the options, or email a finance application to you. Find out more by clicking here
Our seasonal opening hours are as follows:
We are closed on all bank holidays, therefore the processing of sales and deliveries will be delayed.
For orders of any stock displaying a 7-10 day lead time, we will contact you as soon as the item arrives with us to schedule a delivery with you.
Occasionally, there may be availability issues with our suppliers, in which case we'll get in touch with you to see if you're happy to wait, or if you'd like to cancel the order and receive a full refund.
This is a special order "agency" item, and comes to us directly from Yamaha on a per-order basis.
It typically takes 7-10 days for this item to arrive with us, whereupon we'll contact you to discuss the arrangement of delivery.
For any pre-orders, we will contact you as soon as the item arrives with us to schedule a delivery with you, and update you with an ETA.
Occasionally, there may be availability issues with our suppliers, in which case we'll get in touch with you to see if you're happy to wait, or if you'd like to cancel the order and receive a full refund.
*Cashback amount varies product to product, as indicated.
Comments: