If you’re looking to learn to play the piano on the Internet, this article is ideal for you! I’m going to introduce you to the five best interactive piano learning apps. Of course, there are many similar apps out there, but these are, in my opinion, the most appropriate of them all. These apps are well designed and have an easy-to-navigate interface, with step-by-step lessons that help you learn music theory and piano techniques in an enjoyable way, and have a vast collection of songs from different styles of music.
They are interactive, which means that when you play the piano, you can check on your digital piano or on the sheet music whether your performance is correct or not. This method of learning offers many advantages, not least the ability to practice where you want, when you want. If you decide to upgrade to the paid version of these applications, it’s much cheaper than taking private lessons.
However, you should bear in mind that this is not necessarily the best way to learn to play the piano, especially for beginners. No one will be there to observe your progress, stop you or correct you if you perform badly (particularly with regard to hand position, finger placement and articulation).
If you know someone who can play the piano, don’t be afraid to ask him or her about these aspects, as they are essential to the success of the other stages of your learning process. If you unfortunately don’t have anyone to talk to for a while, a few hours with a private teacher can teach you the right posture and fundamentals to help you progress to the highest level.
If you’re looking to explore new things, or don’t have time for private lessons, or are looking for an affordable option, learning piano apps could be a good alternative. In this article, we’ll give you a brief overview of these five apps so you can understand how they work and which one best suits your needs.
Playground Session: The BEST for English speakers
Playground Sessions is a free downloadable app, available only for PC, Mac and iPad. The app was co-created by Quincy Jones, who contributed to the learning system, just as jazz icon Harry Connick Jr. contributed to the lessons.
Both the learning experience and the interpretation of the songs in this app are excellent. Playground Sessions provides step-by-step instructions that combine video tutorials and interactive lessons. In the library, you have access to hundreds of songs, which you can filter according to skill level and musical style. This application offers great flexibility for practicing, thanks to a number of functions such as activation/deactivation of the right or left hand part, metronome and loop functions, recording your playing or changing the tempo, for example.
The library includes hundreds of songs in a variety of styles, but above all popular tunes with superb arrangements and high-quality sound. In addition to interactive step-by-step instructions and music for beginners, the library includes a variety of songs for advanced and intermediate pianists.
Playground Sessions is the most challenging learning tool for teenagers as well as adults who are familiar with English. There’s a seven-day trial offer that lets you test all the features and decide whether to upgrade to an annual or monthly subscription, which is affordable compared to private lessons.
Flowkey: The best song library
If you’re looking for an app that works with all operating systems and devices, Flowkey,extremely well designed and user-friendly, will certainly interest you. It has slightly fewer features than Playground Sessions, but the learning experience is just as enjoyable and easy, and includes all the resources you need to make good progress within the application.
Flowkey comes with a vast library of songs that you can filter according to your skill level and musical style, or according to your mood. With the exception of the desktop version, which is integrated directly into the browser, it works as an app for iOS as well as Android devices.
The premium version doesn’t include a trial, but you can access it for life in the free version, which is an exclusive catalog. Note that thanks to their collaboration, if you buy or have bought a Yamaha piano after October 1, 2015, then you can access flowkey Premium for three months.
Skoove: The best choice for the inexperienced
Skoove is actually a direct competitor to flowkey, but there are a few differences in its design, arrangements and available library. Some people might like the way Skoove’s game works better, however, flowkey has a larger music collection.
Skoove’s online lessons are specifically designed for beginners, which means that advanced and intermediate pianists won’t find much learning material. The price is similar to that of the other apps mentioned in this article, but Skoove also offers the option of signing up in three-month increments.
If you’re a novice looking for an easy-to-follow educational program, you can take advantage of the 7-day trial period to test how the program works and find out if it’s up to your expectations.
Vivace: The ideal choice for music theory
It’s not exactly pleasant, but knowing how to read sheet music is essential for anyone who wants to become a competent musician. Vivace helps you achieve this goal, providing a range of illustrations and individualized instructions to help you understand music theory. The application not only teaches you how to recognize note values and pitches, but also how to master the various musical clefs and staves.
The app is only available for Android. However, an excellent alternative on iOS is Notes! – Learn to read music.
Perfect Ear: The best for the MUSICAL EAR
As a musician, ear training is just as important as finger training.
This popular app takes a totally different approach to learning the piano. It includes lessons that teach you to identify different chords and rhythms, and lets you experience music in a different way.
Perfect Ear uses the solfeggio method. This is one of the most popular methods for teaching students solfeggio by educating the ear to recognize different notes and understand how they work together.
Piano – Learn the piano
In addition to the classic virtual keyboard, the Learn the Piano app features videos that teach you how to play. The instructor gives instructions on how to play specific chords and explains the basics of music theory.
If you play on the app, it can provide feedback to help you improve your performance. Some scores can help you better understand piano technique.
Notes De Musique: Learn to read notes
You may be starting to learn the piano… but you can’t quite master the basics of music theory, such as how to take notes on a score. The application Notes De Musique – Apprendre à lire les notes can help you do just that (its name leaves little doubt).
Numerous fun exercises and different play modes enable you to gradually master the decoding of notes in the manner of an alphabet. A simple, straightforward and very user-friendly application.
MuseScore: view and play sheet music
We often play an instrument to recreate our favorite tunes or classics. In such cases, it can be useful to find sheet music so as to know how to interpret them correctly. MuseScore can be a useful partner in this respect, as it has a database of over a million scores.
So find the piece you’re looking for, or a new piece for the piano. What’s more, you can download the scores to your phone, so they’re always at hand, even without Internet access.
Chordify: Paid with a very limited free version
Chordify is a smart platform that lets you select a video from Youtube and convert it into tablatures for learning piano or guitar chords. The technology used for transcription is extremely robust and requires years of development, but the downside is that you won’t really master the music, just the chords on which it’s based.
However, the piano lessons available on the site can be very useful for learning to play the best-known chords of the songs you love.
If you’re looking for a simple way of tuning your voice to these chords so you can practice singing, jump at the chance!
Online Pianist
Online Pianist is my favorite piano app when it comes to learning new songs. With an absolutely massive library and a Youtube channel with over 805,000 subscribers, Online Pianist has it all.
You can play along with your favorite songs via the app or via the Youtube channel.
One big drawback is that you can’t use the online platform offered by the app. You can’t connect your instrument and study at your own pace.
The second disadvantage is that the application limits playtime to 30 seconds per tune.
In short, I highly recommend this application to anyone who wants to play their favorite songs.
Synthesia
Synthesia is one of the most popular players, but that doesn’t stop it from being regularly updated! Synthesia is unique in that it can import its own music in midi format. This gives you an almost unlimited repertoire that you can create yourself.
What’s more, you can connect your piano to communicate with the platform.
Please note: there is a clear distinction between Synthesia’s piano tutorials on Youtube and the program itself. Indeed, the integration of the piano into the software, such as La Touche Musicale, can really make a difference. It increases learning speed.
The only drawback is that Synthesia is a downloadable program, so it can’t be accessed directly via the Internet (unlike the other programs mentioned in this article). It is also difficult to connect to the same account from a cell phone.
Simply piano
Simply Piano is one of the best-known piano applications. It’s packed with excellent knowledge and works very well for beginners of all ages. Like many of these tools, it comes with a good selection of songs to learn and play.
When the app was released in 2016, it was by far the best on the market and was heavily used by teachers and students alike.
Overall, I’d recommend Simply Piano to students and beginners keen to learn. It will really help you improve your technique and performance. The only thing I don’t like about this app is the in-app purchases. I totally understand, but I think the creators of these apps could make it so that there aren’t so many in-app purchases to fully enjoy the app.
Pianu
Pianu is a web-based platform that lets you learn music theory through an assortment of lessons and an online music catalog.
The platform is not yet optimally designed for learning, but it promises great things in the near future! Beware, however, of the budget you’ll need to devote to Pianu: $14 per month!
Imusic school
Imusic School is a website and application that enables users to learn the piano through a series of practical and theoretical lessons. Comprising a variety of thousands of videos and lessons, the site offers you the chance to progress on the piano whatever your level.
For just 24.90 euros a month, you can access all the lessons you need in imusic School’s video lessons. The piano lessons are well organized, allowing you to progress step by step without getting lost. The lessons are composed of practical exercises and conceptual notions to ensure the most complete teaching possible.
Piano hd
Piano HD is extremely popular and a great way to learn songs. It uses a very cool method to teach you the programs, and you learn from real pianists. You won’t learn great technique, but you will learn to play the songs you want to learn.
New songs are uploaded every week to keep the content fresh and keep you coming back for more.
Overall, I think this program is entertaining and will certainly help you learn the songs you want to learn. However, you won’t learn good technique or other skills from this program.
Piano App By Yoke
This application is a bit like a “guitar hero” program. It’s a fun and entertaining program that lets you play your favorite songs. Simply slide your fingers over the notes to play the song of your choice.
Are you new to the piano and looking for a fun way to learn to play? Check out my guide to learning to play the piano by ear here.
This tool is similar to Magic Piano, but I think it’s much better and easier to use. If you’ve already used Magic Piano, I recommend you try this one, as many people seem to prefer it.
All in all, it’s a fun program to use for entertainment with perhaps a pair of headphones on a plane. You can show your kids how to use it and it will certainly entertain and amuse them. It’s very easy to use and lets you listen to all your favorite tunes at your fingertips.
Piano Companion
Piano Companion is personally one of my favorite programs, because it’s not aimed at children. Whether you’re a beginner, intermediate or advanced player, you’ll find something useful in this program. It’s packed with chords and scales that will take your playing to the next level.
You can use it with android or Ios, which is handy, as not everyone has Apple products. If you’re looking to improve your scale playing, they’ve got all es the scales you’d like to learn with a good breakdown of how to play each one.
Overall, this product is ideal for musicians who aren’t looking for a program aimed at children. There are plenty of programs that are really geared in that direction, and this is not one of them. Use it to supplement lessons, or even as the main source of lessons, and it will help you take your playing to the next level.
Piano Maestro: Best piano app for kids
My review of this piano app is that it’s just about perfect. It can be loaded onto your device and looks just like a real piano. I personally think it’s the most thorough learning tool available on the market. This app helps you improve your rhythm, sight-reading and technique while having fun.
Piano Maestro is aimed more at very young beginners. The recommended age is 4 and up, but you can really use it at any age. I think this app is probably the most recommended by teachers, as it allows your teacher to follow your progress without even being in the same room.
I found the sounds in this app to be amazingly realistic, and that’s very important.
You’re graded on every song and every lesson. When you’ve really understood the exercise or song, you can move on to others and continue to get perfect grades. I love apps like this.
Overall, there’s only one thing I don’t like about Piano Maestro, and that’s the spam. I’ve seen a lot of negatig reviews about the fact that every time you try to log in, you get an “upgrade here” message. It would be really nice if it limited the number of times you see the pop-up. If you can get past it, it’s really very good.
Online Pianist: The best app for learning new songs
Online Pianist is my favorite piano app when it comes to learning new songs. With an absolutely massive library and a Youtube channel with over 805,000 subscribers, Online Pianist has it all.
You can play along with your favorite songs via the app or via the Youtube channel.
In short, I highly recommend this app to anyone who wants to play along with their favorite songs.
Pianote: The best app for learning the piano
I had the privilege of trying out Pianote for a month. If you want to learn piano in a more serious way, you’ll love what Pianote has to offer.
You have access to piano lessons 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, as well as teachers when you need help. With everything else on the market, I truly believe this is the best piano app.