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"The Yamaha P-S500 feels like a piano that belongs in 2023. It offers industry-leading hardware with its graded hammer keyboard and is augmented by software in the form of a dedicated companion app."
There’s an app for everything now, isn’t there? Well, in a very modern turnaround there’s now a piano designed specifically for an app! Here’s my Yamaha P-S500 review.
The Yamaha P-S500 sits comfortably on flat surfaces like table tops
Before I get too carried away, for the benefit of those people who are new to digital pianos, I want to explain a few basic facts about this piano:
The Yamaha P-S500 has weighted keys which means it feels like a traditional piano to play (your teacher will like this).
The Yamaha P-S500 has 88-keys (this is the same amount as traditional pianos)
The Yamaha P-S500 will never go out of tune. (you won’t need a piano tuner)
The Yamaha P-S500 allows you to wear headphones while playing (this cuts the onboard speakers so only you can hear it).
The Yamaha P-S500 has a very realistic piano sound and is velocity sensitive (meaning when you play softly, you get a quieter sound and vice versa).
So, what’s special about it exactly? | Yamaha P-S500 review
Smart devices such as iPads sit comfortably on the music rest of the Yamaha P-S500
To best explain this, I need to talk about smartphones & tablets. Let’s face it, they’ve become like additional limbs to us now, haven’t they? I was surprised to learn that even my new dishwasher has a companion app!
The Yamaha P-S500 (the S stands for Smart by the way) gives you all of the basic functionality that I described above.
However, it really comes into its own when used with Yamaha’s excellent dedicated app called SmartPianist.
Let me explain.
When you have the SmartPianist app opened and connected to the Yamaha P-S500 your device will sit comfortably on the music rest – this is where a traditional music book would sit.
Then, you’ll be able to control many functions of the piano via the gorgeously designed user interface. For example:
Changing the sounds. (There are 660 to choose from)
Adding an auto-accompaniment – like a band or orchestra. (There are 370)
Recording your playing
Control your vocal effects (for when you’ve got a microphone plugged in)
Something else really cool that I won’t reveal until the end of this blog (ooh mysterious…)
The Yamaha Smart Pianist app is beautifully designed, intuitive, and genuinely useful when used with the P-S500. See our demo video below.
Watch Isaac explain what the Yamaha Smart Pianist app adds to your playing experience (Model featured is a Yamaha P-125)
This is where it gets really fun | Yamaha P-S500 review
Look at the picture above. Do you see the shiny plastic area between the keys and the iPad? This is where the magic of this piano happens.
I’m talking about Yamaha’s brilliant Stream Lights learning system which is a very practical, visual way to learn how to play the piano.
With your device connected and the Smart Pianist app open, you’ll have access to over 400 pre-loaded songs (more on this later).
When you select one to learn, the Stream Light system will display little square lights above the appropriate keys.
As the music progresses, they ‘fall’ down the panel towards the keyboard showing you which notes to play but crucially allowing you to anticipate which notes need to be played next.
It’s a very clever and highly effective way to learn the piano, in particular, if you are frustrated with traditional ways of learning (sheet music, repetitive scales, getting rapped on the knuckles with a wooden ruler, etc).
Here, you can see the Stream Lights learning system in action.
A smart device will transform your experience | Yamaha P-S500 review
You are able to use the Yamaha P-S500 as a stand-alone piano (without a smart device connected) and it will be a really nice instrument and fulfill most of your playing needs.
However, no Yamaha P-S500 review wouldn’t be complete without saying that this piano has been designed for use with its dedicated companion app, Smart Pianist.
The sleek, minimalist design of the P-S500 could almost be an iPhone or iPad that has somehow morphed into a piano.
Your smart device, when connected and with Smart Pianist open, acts as a portal to the real magic within the instrument allowing you to unlock its real potential.
It looks pretty cool in white, doesn’t it?
Here’s the thing I said I’d reveal at the end of this blog.
Well done if you resisted scrolling down here before reading the rest of the review. To the rest of you, you may not have the self-discipline required to learn the piano… only kidding.
The thing that really impresses me about the Yamaha Smart Pianist app is the feature that allows you to load your own music collection (e.g. iTunes) onto the app.
It’s not simply a case of being able to play your own personal music library through the piano’s speakers (although you can do that).
It’s the capability the app has to process your songs and then display the chord progressions. This is as cool as it sounds.
For example, I could load my favourite song from my iTunes collection (The Android equivalent is catered for too) into the Smart Pianist app and instruct it to show me notation on the screen.
The app takes a moment to ‘listen’ to the selected song and then presents me with a very clear display of the chords.
It makes learning the songs from your own device’s collection easy and very nicely personalises your experience of playing the P-S500.
A chord progression display on the Yamaha Smart Pianist app.
What comes in the box?
Inside the Yamaha P-S500 box, you’ll find the power adaptor, music rest, a footswitch (usually used as a sustain pedal), and the required USB cables to connect most iOs or Android devices to the piano.
Chris Looks at what comes in the box when you buy a Yamaha P-S500
You can connect your device wirelessly but this requires an additional network adaptor that you can see here.Personally, I find connecting my iPad via the supplied cable the quickest and easiest way to operate it with a piano like this.
The stand and 3-pedal unit pictured below are additional items called the Yamaha L300 & Yamaha LP-1. Note, the L300 is required if you want to attach the LP-1 pedal unit as it attaches via screws onto the back panel.
The Yamaha P-S500 can be attached to a wooden stand (Yamaha L300).
Summary | Yamaha P-S500 review
If you’re a beginner or even a returning player, you’ll find the Yamaha P-S500 an ideal instrument to learn on.
The cabinet design is stylish and straddles the traditional and modern with panache. So, it’ll fit nicely into most homes whatever your decor.
But it’s the elegant integration of the modern and the traditional that is most impressive. With the exception of the (considerably less portable) Yamaha CSP range, we’ve not seen anything like this from Yamaha to date.
The Yamaha P-S500 feels like a piano that belongs in 2023.
It offers industry-leading hardware with its graded hammer keyboard and is augmented by software in the form of a dedicated companion app.
If you’re learning to play the piano in 2023, you should seriously consider the Yamaha P-S500.
I hope that reading my Yamaha P-S500 review has helped you make the right decision.
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Chris Hammond
Manager at ePianos
Chris handles all of our ePianos marketing, and is responsible for the creation and production of the majority of our product videos.
Chris is also one of our top blog writers, having extensive knowledge of keyboard instruments, years of experience in musical instrument retail, and a background in live performance and composition.
I go along with everything that is written, here. Fantastic piano and I love the way the onboard band takes up the rhythm and tempo, just as a band would.
My only criticism, is that, yes it’s possible to download from your library, but it only shows the chords used in the songs and not the melody lines, as the already downloaded pieces show. Shame really, which means to play from sheet music is not viable.
Does anyone know why the flowkey app the lights seem to malfunction too many light up more notes than are in the song. Seeing someone play the piece helps with getting the fingering right. Do you plan to add suggested fingerings to the sheet music?
For more detailed information regarding delivery and returns, including our 14-day returns policy,
please click here.
Please note: UK mainland DOES NOT include the Channel Islands, or the Scottish
Highlands. Surcharges may apply, so please contact us for more information before purchase.
Additionally, our in-house team, courier delivery, and postal services neither deliver nor collect on Bank
Holidays, so there will be a delay during these periods.
Special Order items
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.
Brand new products over 30kg
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.
Used or display products over 30kg
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.
All products under 30kg
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.
Downloadable Content
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.
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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.
We offer interest-free and interest-bearing finance options on selected products.
Finance options for new products
2–5 years interest-bearing finance at 19.9% APR (minimum 10% deposit).
A minimum loan amount of £500 after deposit is required.
Finance options for used products
Used items can also be purchased using either of the following options
(minimum loan amount of £250 after deposit):
10 months at 0% APR (minimum 50% deposit)
6 months at 0% APR (minimum 10% deposit)
Representative Example
Cash price: £700
Deposit: £70
Loan amount: £630
APR representative: 19.9%
Interest rate: 19.9% p.a. fixed
36 monthly repayments of: £22.87
Total loan term: 36 months
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
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We are closed on all bank holidays, therefore the processing of sales and deliveries will be delayed.
Tyros Tipsters Bonus Content for Tyros 5
Here's what we offer when you select the option to include our Bonus Content...
We update the firmware so that your Yamaha Tyros 5 is running on the latest version
We load in 600 registrations into the Tyros 5 which give you sound set-ups in your
registration bank buttons for different genres of music
We add 1825 songs into the Tyros 5 Music Finder
Contact Us
We are pleased to be able to offer interest-free finance on selected products through Novuna Personal Finance, for a limited period only.
This offer is available on purchases of:
Brand New Yamaha Genos 2
Brand New & Used Yamaha SX920 (if purchased with bonus content & guide)
Used Yamaha SX900 (if purchased with bonus content & guide)
Used Yamaha Genos 1 (if purchased with bonus content & guide)
Get in touch to request a remote 0% finance application with or without a part-exchange using the form below:
Here's what we offer when you select the option to include our Bonus Content...
Latest Firmware
27 Expansion packs which include 557 voices and 381 backing styles
234 extra styles from Tyros 5
600 registrations
2673 song setups
Video showing where all the key features are
...and when you select the option to include our GenosTipsters Guide
We include our GenosTipsters guide (digital version) worth £99,
featuring over 3 hours of video and 200 pages of written accompaniment.
Disclaimer – a proportion of this content is made available freely by Yamaha,
for those fully competent and confident with using the required software to install it via computer.
Information about this item
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.
Information about this item
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.
Information about this item
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.
Get up to £250 cashback from Yamaha*
Yamaha is offering customers cashback on selected purchases until January 15th 2026 - here's how it works:
Purchase a qualifying Yamaha instrument before 15.01.26.
Complete the claim form
following this link
and have your proof of purchase and serial number ready.
Once your claim has been validated, you will be sent within 35 working days your cashback reward via bank transfer.
*Cashback amount varies product to product, as indicated.
Available Content for Genos 1
Here's what we include when you select the option to add our Bonus Content...
Latest Firmware
23 extra expansion packs which include 877 voices and 577 backing styles
234 extra styles from Tyros 5
600 registrations
4096 song setups
Video showing where all the key features are
...and when you select the option to include our GenosTipsters Guide
We include our GenosTipsters guide (digital version) worth £99,
featuring over 3 hours of video and 200 pages of written accompaniment.
Disclaimer – a proportion of this content is made available freely by Yamaha,
for those fully competent and confident with using the required software to install it via computer.
Part Exchange
Genos Tipsters Bonus Content for SX900
Here's what we offer when you select the option to include our Bonus Content...
Latest Firmware
14 Expansion Packs inc many extra voices and styles
234 T5 styles
600 registrations
T5 Music Finder
15 Playlists with 2287 song set-ups
Video showing where all the key features are
...and when you select the option to include our GenosTipsters Guide
We include our GenosTipsters guide (digital version) worth £99,
featuring over 3 hours of video and 200 pages of written accompaniment.
Disclaimer – a proportion of this content is made available freely by Yamaha,
for those fully competent and confident with using the required software to install it via computer.
Available Bonus Content for SX920
Here's what we offer when you select the option to include our Bonus Content...
Latest Firmware
25 Expansion packs which include 780 voices and 540 backing styles
234 extra styles from Tyros 5
600 registrations
4256 song setups including 136 ‘Decades’ registrations
Video showing where all the key features are
...and when you select the option to include our GenosTipsters Guide
We include our GenosTipsters guide (digital version) worth £99,
featuring over 3 hours of video and 200 pages of written accompaniment.
Disclaimer – a proportion of this content is made available freely by Yamaha,
for those fully competent and confident with using the required software to install it via computer.
Bonus Content for Korg Pa5X
Here's what we include when you select the option to add our Bonus Content...
Korg Bonus Styles (Taken from the Bonusware downloads on Korg UK website) – 450 styles
Korg Pa2x Internal Styles converted to 5x – 419 styles, all complete with 4 x Keyboard Sets
Korg Pa3x Internal Styles converted to 5x – 486 styles, all complete with 4 x Keyboard Sets
Korg Pa4x Internal Styles converted to 5x – 584 styles, all complete with 4 x Keyboard Sets
Korg Pa800 Internal Styles converted to 5x – 409 styles, all complete with 4 x Keyboard Sets
Korg Musikant 4x Internal Styles converted to 5x – 577 styles, all complete with 4 x Keyboard Sets
ePianos Songbook for Pa5x – A collection of over 200 well-known songs with 4 Keyboard Sets per song, giving in
excess of 800 registrations
Latest Osimo Songbook from Korg
3 x User Sound Packs from Korg
6 x Korg Pa5x User Know How videos covering: "Power Up & Panel", "Selecting Styles", "Selecting Sounds", "My
Setting & Favourites", "Mixer Basics", "Songbook", and "Recording"
How to Locate and Load the Various Software Bundle Components (Video)
Available Bonus Content for Genos 2
Here's what we offer when you select the option to include our Bonus Content:
Latest Firmware
52 expansion packs which include 1,721 voices and 1,148 backing styles
234 extra styles from Tyros 5
816 registrations
4256 song setups including 160 ‘Decades’ registrations
Video showing where all the key features are
Some of the best parts of our Bonus Content option are the 1,721 new extra voices and 1,148 new extra styles
included
across 52 expansion packs. These packs are quite complex to upload and, whilst free to obtain, we pride ourselves on
getting them into your keyboard for you — something many dealers shy away from purely because of the time it takes
to get them uploaded.
...and when you select the option to include our GenosTipsters Guide:
We include our GenosTipsters guide (digital version) worth £99,
featuring over 3 hours of video and 200 pages of written accompaniment.
Disclaimer – a proportion of this content is made available freely by Yamaha,
for those fully competent and confident with using the required software to install it via computer.
Comments:
I go along with everything that is written, here. Fantastic piano and I love the way the onboard band takes up the rhythm and tempo, just as a band would.
My only criticism, is that, yes it’s possible to download from your library, but it only shows the chords used in the songs and not the melody lines, as the already downloaded pieces show. Shame really, which means to play from sheet music is not viable.
That’s a feature of the app, not of the piano itself. If it isn’t available now it could be available in a future release of the app.
Does anyone know why the flowkey app the lights seem to malfunction too many light up more notes than are in the song. Seeing someone play the piece helps with getting the fingering right. Do you plan to add suggested fingerings to the sheet music?