Why Does My Piano Keep Turning Off? Reasons And Fixes

If you’re reading this article, you probably have a piano that won’t turn on or stay on which can be quite frustrating, especially if you are in the middle of practicing or writing music. Technical difficulties are definitely a buzzkill when you are trying to be creative, so it is important that you find solutions as quickly as possible.

This article will provide some quick fixes that may be helpful if you have a Yamaha or Casio keyboard, as well as provide tips for troubleshooting any keyboard in general.

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Why Does My Yamaha Piano Keyboard Keep Turning Off?

Many Yamaha keyboard models have an auto power-off feature that turns the keyboard off automatically after a certain amount of time to save power. If your keyboard has been on for an extended period of time and shuts off randomly, this may be why.

If you would like to turn this feature off, you can do so by pressing and holding the lowest note while turning on the keyboard.

How Do You Reset Your Piano?

If you want to reset your piano keyboard to its factory settings, this is easy to do and is the same for most keyboards (some Casio keyboards have a different method). But keep in mind that if there is any data stored in the keyboard such as MIDI settings or recordings, they will be deleted, so be sure to export and backup any data that you wish to keep before performing the reset.

To reset your piano, hold down the highest white note on the keyboard for a few seconds while turning it on. Once the keyboard turns on, it will be reset.

How Do you Fix a Piano Keyboard That Won’t Turn On?

If your piano keyboard isn’t turning on, here are 5 quick things to check before contacting the store or manufacturer.

Check The Power Source

This may have been the first thing you tried, but it wouldn’t hurt to double-check this obviously vital detail. The socket you have plugged the cord in may be defective, or the plug isn’t making contact with the socket correctly. Make sure that the power source is functional and that the adapter is plugged in correctly. Also, make sure that the voltage from the power source isn’t too high for your keyboard, as this could damage it.

Check The Cord

A faulty cord is often the culprit of an unresponsive keyboard. First, make sure it is plugged in correctly to the power outlet and into the keyboard.
If it still doesn’t work, the cord may have been twisted or squished, causing the internal wire to be damaged. Try finding a different cord to use with your piano to determine if this is the problem. Also, ensure that the adapter voltage is the same as that of your keyboard. If it is too high, it could cause damage and fry the internal circuit board, either immediately or over time (using a different cord will allow you to see if it has caused damage to the keyboard yet). If the voltage is too low, it might not be transferring power effectively and cause the keyboard to function sporadically. If the transformer (the block part) is warm after newly plugging in the adapter, it may have something to do with the problem.

Check the Batteries

Again, it may seem painfully simple. But if your piano requires batteries and you’ve already checked that they are in the piano, they may also be dead or inserted incorrectly. Try inserting fresh batteries and ensure that the ends are lined up correctly. The user manual may have prescribed a specific type of battery to use, so check that as well.

Check Volume and Speaker Settings.

If the keyboard light is on but there is no sound coming from the keyboard when you play keys, make sure that the volume is on (not turned way down). Also check that nothing is in the headphone jack such as headphones or an adapter.

Sometimes a device such as a sustain pedal can be incorrectly plugged into the headphone jack. This will reroute the audio so that it does not play out of the speakers. If there is a ‘Local Control’ setting make sure it is on. To check if it is a speaker issue or not, try playing preset
samples or saved recordings on your keyboard if available to see if it is a problem with the keys.

Perform a factory reset. If the keyboard briefly turns on when you push the power button but then shuts off, a factory reset may solve the problem and allow the keyboard to turn on fully. You can also try unplugging and re-plugging the adapter into the power source to reset the keyboard.

Why Is My Casio Keyboard Not Working? Casio Keyboard Power Problems

If you have a Casio keyboard that isn’t working and you have tried all of the solutions above, it may need a firmware update, as updates are occasionally available for certain models. You can try searching for your keyboard model and add ‘firmware update.’ If that still doesn’t help, you may have a faulty internal connection requiring more professional repair. If it seems like the sound isn’t working, you can try changing the ‘Mode’ to ‘Normal Mode’ and enable ‘Local Control.’

Some Casio keyboards reset using the method mentioned above, but the AP Celviano series has a slightly different method. To reset these piano keyboards, turn off the unit. Then turn it back on while holding down both the ‘Function’ and ‘Electric Piano 1’ buttons. Lights on the piano panel will flash, and once they stop the piano has been reset.

If the standard method does not work and you have a different Casio model, you may have to research the factory reset procedure for your specific model.

Final Thoughts

These are some of the most common solutions to some problems that you may have with your keyboard. If you have tried everything that you are able to do on your own, it may be time to contact the store you bought the instrument from or the original manufacturer. While you may be able to learn more information about a keyboard problem by taking apart external components to examine the inside, this may void the warranty if the product came with one, so it is not recommended. In a worst-case scenario, you may have to replace the keyboard.