10 Best Piano Learning Apps You Should Try

When it comes to learning the piano, most people either opt for lessons with a private teacher or turn to online resources such as YouTube tutorials and music books. But did you know you can now learn piano more easily with just your smartphone or tablet?

Thanks to technology, piano learning apps are now a convenient option for self-study. In this article, I’ll be sharing some of the best piano learning apps you can download and use on your own. Let’s dive in!

1. Simply Piano

If you’re looking for a practical and easy-to-use piano learning app, Simply Piano is a great option. The app offers a variety of hit songs by popular artists, ranging from Sia to John Lennon. It also features classical pieces from legendary composers like Bach and Mozart.

With Simply Piano, you can learn to play the piano correctly—from reading sheet music to practicing finger placement. The app’s design makes it easy to use; simply place your phone or tablet on top of your acoustic piano, MIDI, or keyboard. It will automatically detect the instrument you're using and guide you through the lessons.

One feature I particularly like is the virtual piano within the app, which allows you to practice directly on your phone or tablet before moving to your actual piano. This is a great way to familiarize yourself with the notes.

Simply Piano offers lessons that are equivalent to a two-year piano course, making it suitable for anyone, anytime, anywhere!

What I like about Simply Piano:

• Simple and user-friendly interface
• Structured, systematic learning materials
• Ideal for traditional piano lessons
• In-app virtual piano for easy practice

One thing to note:

• Access to certain songs requires a premium subscription.

2. Piano by Yousician

Piano by Yousician provides an engaging learning experience by using popular songs, or ones chosen by the user, to practice piano.

For example, after learning the notes C and D, you’ll immediately apply them by playing a portion of the song Don't Start Now by Dua Lipa, which includes those two notes.

The app is designed to ease any pressure. If you don’t perfect the test on your first try, you can repeat it as many times as needed. You can even adjust the sheet music if you play the wrong note, which makes practicing more forgiving and flexible.

Additionally, Yousician tracks your learning progress and offers statistics that help you monitor your skills over time. Through graphs and reports, you can pinpoint areas that need improvement and celebrate your progress.

What I like about Piano by Yousician:

• Learn through popular songs you enjoy
• Regularly updated song library
• Tracks learning progress with detailed statistics

One thing to note:

• Additional songs outside the curriculum are available only after completing the basic lessons.

3. Piano Academy

Piano Academy helps you track your learning progress through registration via email, Facebook, or Google. Once signed up, you'll have access to a structured curriculum presented in short, less-than-five-minute video lessons.

These videos feature a piano teacher demonstrating simple techniques, and you can follow along using the virtual piano in the app or your own piano at home.

After completing a curriculum, the app unlocks a collection of current pop songs, each with varying levels of difficulty. These songs can only be accessed with a premium subscription, but the app allows you to adjust the difficulty to match your skill level, ensuring you're always challenged appropriately.

For those who already know the basics, Piano Academy also offers a skip option so you can bypass foundational lessons and dive into more advanced material.

What I like about Piano Academy:

• Focuses on both learning and practicing piano
• No account required for basic use
• Includes a variety of popular songs with adjustable difficulty levels
• Skip option for users who are already proficient in basic piano skills

One thing to note:

• Access to the full song collection requires a premium subscription.

4. Simpia

Simpia is a piano learning app, but with some added features that set it apart. One standout feature is its song collection catalog, which allows users to preview a demo video before diving into a song.

In the demo, you’ll see a real pianist perform the song. The selection isn’t limited to classical and pop genres either – you can play children’s songs, movie soundtracks, Asian music, and R&B.

Another cool feature is the Workout function. Think of it as daily challenges in a game, where you complete short tasks to improve your piano skills.

What I like about Simpia:

• It offers not just lessons and a song catalog, but also daily challenges and demo videos for every playable song.
• The sound effects and animations in the app are unique.
• It’s available in several languages.

One thing to note:

• To access the songs in the catalog, you’ll need to subscribe to the pro package.

5. Skoove

Skoove can easily replace a private piano tutor. It takes you through piano techniques from beginner to advanced, with each lesson delivered through interactive videos with narration. You’ll also learn by playing actual songs.

All you need to do is follow the narrator’s instructions and apply the techniques directly on your piano. The app records every sound you play through your microphone.

Skoove’s system then checks if you’re hitting the right notes, providing feedback with red dots for wrong notes and green dots for correct ones.

The app also offers a diverse collection of songs. For each one, you’ll first listen carefully to the piece before learning the key.

Don’t worry about making mistakes! If you hit a wrong note, a red dot appears on the sheet music. Simply rewind to the part with the error and keep practicing until the red dot turns green. You can even adjust the tempo to fit your pace.

What I like about Skoove:

• Step-by-step lessons from beginner to advanced.
• Interactive video lessons with real-time feedback.
• A wide variety of songs.
• Live tutoring via video call.

One thing to note:

• It doesn’t offer a virtual keyboard, so you’ll need a real piano.

6. Flowkey

Flowkey offers a detailed approach to learning piano. While most piano apps focus solely on finger placement and the notes being played, Flowkey takes it a step further by addressing your posture and sitting position when playing.

In fact, the app starts by teaching these foundational concepts before moving on to scales, keys, sheet music, note values, and other essential music theory.

Once you’ve mastered the basic techniques, the app guides you through playing simple songs. You simply activate the microphone or connect your piano via MIDI or USB, then play along with the pre-sampled song.

What’s more, Flowkey allows you to learn hundreds of songs across various genres, including classical, pop, rock, and jazz. Keep in mind, if you’re a beginner, it’s best to choose songs that match your skill level!

What I like about Flowkey:

• A highly detailed piano course, covering everything from posture to advanced techniques.
• Teaches you to play from beginner to advanced levels.
• Offers a vast song library suitable for different proficiency levels.
• Provides real-time feedback during learning.

One thing to note:

• Does not offer a virtual keyboard.

7. Perfect Piano

Perfect Piano isn't specifically designed as a comprehensive piano learning app. If you're looking for in-depth lessons covering various piano techniques, this may not be the right choice for you. However, Perfect Piano is great for refining your piano skills, even if you're just starting out.

In this app, you'll learn by playing songs directly. Each song comes with different difficulty levels, and you can adjust the guide mode for each note, whether it appears as sheet music, colored tiles, or colored note balls.

Additionally, you can choose from three playing modes: listen to the song first, practice it directly, or let the app guide you note by note before you play it yourself.

Perfect Piano also includes a fun game feature, where you can compete with other users. You can create a room to invite others to play, or join another room to compete in playing a song selected by the host.

What I like about Perfect Piano:

• A wide range of instantly playable songs with customizable difficulty and playing options.
• A fully functional virtual keyboard with features resembling a real one.
• A competitive game mode to challenge other users.
• Social media features that allow interaction with others about music and piano.

One thing to note:

• Does not offer basic music theory or in-depth piano learning materials.

8. Piano Yokee

Piano Yokee lets you learn to play the piano by playing songs directly. The app is user-friendly, with a vast library of songs, including a selection of K-pop hits!

You can adjust the difficulty level of each song to match your playing ability. The app also offers two options for playing: the virtual keyboard mode or pressing regular notes on the screen.

If you want to practice the song on a physical piano at home, I recommend using the virtual keyboard mode, as it shows the notes on each key, which can help you memorize them for practice.

One thing to note is that the app uses coins to unlock songs. Each song requires a specific number of coins, which you can earn by completing songs. Plus, there’s one song available for free each day, which you can play as much as you want.

What I love about Piano Yokee:

• A wide selection of songs with varying difficulty levels.
• Diverse song genres, including K-pop.
• The virtual keyboard mode displays notes on each key, making it easier to practice on a real piano or keyboard.

One thing to note:

• Does not provide piano learning materials.

9. Piano+

Piano+ is similar to Piano Yokee but offers more advanced features, making it a great choice for those who are already proficient at playing the piano or have some basic knowledge of music.

With free access, you can enjoy dozens of songs with different themes and difficulty levels. You can play these songs directly within the app or connect an external piano for a more realistic experience. Additionally, you can record your playing and listen back to assess your progress and skills.

Piano+ also provides customization options for the virtual keyboard, including settings for the theme, length, and width of the keys. You can even choose a solo or duet keyboard mode for added flexibility.

What I like about Piano+:

• Dozens of free songs with no subscription required.
• Multiple instrument modes to choose from.
• Detailed keyboard customization for added comfort.
• Includes a brief tutorial on how to use the app.

One thing to note:

• Does not offer piano lessons.

10. To Piano

To Piano is a straightforward piano app with a clean design. While it offers a wide range of songs for practice, you can also preview a demo of each song before playing it yourself.

So, can this app be used for learning piano? Absolutely! It features a practice mode for each song, which you can customize to fit your needs.

There's no need to rush through each song. For beginners, you can slow down the tempo and choose how you want the notes to appear – whether as sheet music, note streams, or a tile game.

However, one downside is that To Piano primarily offers classical music. It doesn’t include modern genres like R&B or pop, which might be a drawback for some users.

What I like about To Piano:

• Simple, user-friendly design.
• A large collection of free songs for piano practice.
• Includes a dark mode for easier reading of sheet music and notes.

What to note about To Piano:

• Most of the available songs are classical.
• Doesn’t provide basic music theory or piano-playing lessons.

That’s a wrap on the recommended piano learning apps you can use to practice anytime, anywhere, without the need for a teacher or tutor.