Virtual piano: play piano online for free
Updated · By Edulist · 1 source
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How to use it
- Play
Click or tap a key, slide across keys for a glissando, or press several at once on a touchscreen. On a computer, the Z and Q rows of your keyboard play two octaves.
- Learn a song
Pick a song and choose Learn the song. The next note glows green on its key and the notes stack above, sliding down as you play. Press Listen to hear the whole song first.
- Record and play back
Press Record, play something, then Stop recording. Play recording plays it back on the keyboard so you can hear yourself.
- Adjust the keyboard
Show or hide note names and computer keys, switch between 2 and 3 octaves, move up or down an octave, and hold the space bar or tick Sustain to let notes ring.
How to play the virtual piano
The keyboard starts at C3 and runs three octaves to C6 on computers, or two octaves from middle C (C4) to C6 on phones. Middle C is labeled C4 when note names are on.
- Mouse: click a key. Hold the button and drag across the keys to play a glissando.
- Touch: tap with one finger or play chords with several. Each finger is tracked on its own, so you can hold one note and play others.
- Computer keyboard: the bottom letter row plays the first octave, the top row the next. Holding a key holds the note.
- Sustain: hold the space bar, or tick Sustain, to let notes ring after you let go, like the right pedal on a piano.
Octave down and Octave up shift the whole keyboard, so you can reach lower and higher notes on a small screen.
Learning songs with falling notes
Choose a song and Learn the song. The next note to play glows green on the piano, and the notes coming up stack in the lane above the keys, each sitting over its key. Longer notes are taller blocks. Play the green key and everything slides down one note. Press a wrong key and it gives a little shake, and the status line tells you which note you played and which one it wanted.
The lane waits for you, so there's no rush: kids can find each note at their own pace. Press Listen to hear the song at its normal speed first. When you finish, you get a little confetti and the option to play it again.
Songs, from easiest to hardest
| Song | Notes used | Why it's a good step |
|---|---|---|
| Hot Cross Buns | C D E | Three neighboring keys, repeated patterns |
| Mary Had a Little Lamb | C D E G | Adds a small jump |
| Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star | C D E F G A | Uses five fingers plus a stretch |
| Row, Row, Row Your Boat | C D E F G and high C | Longer and shorter notes, a jump up an octave |
| Ode to Joy | C D E F G | Steps up and down; a classic first "real" piece |
| Jingle Bells (chorus) | C D E F G | Repeated notes and a quick rhythm |
| Happy Birthday | G A B C D E F and high G | Bigger jumps and a higher range |
| Old MacDonald | D E G A B | Starts on G, a new hand position |
The included melodies are simplified exercises. The suggested order is an editorial starting point; choose a melody and tempo that suit the learner.
Learning the notes on a piano
Piano keys repeat in a pattern of 12: seven white keys named A to G and five black keys. The black keys come in groups of two and three. C is always the white key just left of a group of two black keys. Once kids can find every C, the rest follows: D sits between the two black keys, E is just right of them, and so on.
Each black key is named after its white neighbors. The black key between C and D is C sharp (C♯) or D flat (D♭); this piano labels them with sharps. The number after a note name tells you the octave, so C4 is middle C and C5 is the C above it.
Recording and playing back
Press Record, play, and press Stop recording. The button shows how many notes it caught. Play recording plays your performance back on the keyboard with the same timing, so you can hear whether you kept a steady beat. Recording again replaces the old one. Recordings stay in the page and aren't uploaded.
For steady rhythm, open the metronome in another tab and play along at a slow tempo.
When to move on to lessons
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Sources
Questions
Can I play the virtual piano with my computer keyboard?
Yes. The bottom letter row, Z to M, plays the first octave, with S, D, G, H and J as the black keys. The top row, Q to ], plays the next octave up, with the number keys as black keys. Turn on Computer keys to see the letters on the piano.
Does it work on an iPad or phone?
Yes. It's built for touch: tap keys, play chords with several fingers, and slide along the keys. Phones start with a two-octave keyboard so the keys stay wide enough to tap. If there's no sound on an iPhone or iPad, check the silent switch.
Which songs are included?
Hot Cross Buns, Mary Had a Little Lamb, Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, Row Row Row Your Boat, Ode to Joy, the chorus of Jingle Bells, Happy Birthday and Old MacDonald Had a Farm. These are simplified arrangements for the on-screen keyboard.
Is this a real piano sound?
It's a synthesized piano-like tone made in your browser, not a recording. Each note blends several pure tones with a quick strike and a natural fade, and low notes ring longer than high ones, as on a real piano. No downloads or samples are needed.
Can a virtual piano replace lessons?
It's great for exploring, learning note names and picking out simple tunes. Reading music, hand position and technique are much easier to learn with a teacher or a structured program, and on a real keyboard with weighted or full-size keys.