Sound
Now playing
— Press a key, or tap one
Computer keys
C3–G5
Pedal
View
Metronome
Record
Show on the keys
Play with the Z–M and Q–U rows · ← → change octave · hold Space for sustain

Name the black keys as

Computer keyboard layout

The bottom row of letters (Z X C V…) plays the white keys from the lower C, with the black keys on the row above (S D G H J). The top row (Q W E R…) carries on an octave higher, with its black keys on the number row. ← and → move the computer keys down or up an octave, and holding Space works like a sustain pedal. The keys you can reach are marked with a green line along the top of the piano.

🔒 Runs entirely in your browser and keeps working offline once it has loaded. No account, no plug-ins, no sound files: every note is generated on the spot.

How to use it

Click or tap the keys, drag across them for a glissando, or play with your computer keyboard. Pressing further down a key, towards you, plays it a little louder, much like playing nearer the edge of a real key. On a tablet or touch screen you can play with several fingers at once. The panel at the top shows the note, interval or chord you’re holding (with its inversion), so you can check a chord shape without a teacher beside you.

The 61 keys run from C2 to C7, the same range as most 61-key home keyboards, with middle C (C4) in the middle. If the keys are too small on your phone, the strip above them shows the whole keyboard: drag it to slide along. Turn the phone sideways or press Full screen for more room, and use the arrow button next to it to hide the extra controls and give the keys more height.

Ways to practise away from your piano

  • Scales and key signatures. Choose a key and a scale under Show on the keys. Each note gets a dot and the root gets a diamond, and the notes are spelled properly for the key (F major has a B♭, not an A♯).
  • Chord shapes. Show a chord, play it in each inversion, then hide it and see if you can find it again. The display names whatever you play, so you’ll know when you’ve got it.
  • Timing. Start the metronome, set the tempo (or tap it in), and play your scale or piece along with the click. The first beat of each bar is accented.
  • Listening back. Press Record, play, press it again to stop, then Play back to hear yourself. Download the take as a .mid file to open in GarageBand, Logic, MuseScore, FL Studio or any other music app.
  • Learning the note names. Turn on Every key while you learn, then switch to Just the Cs or None to test yourself.

A computer keyboard can’t teach finger strength or the feel of weighted keys, so treat it as practice for your head and ears: note names, shapes, theory and rhythm. Those are the parts that carry straight back to a real piano.

Which computer keys play which notes?
With the standard two rows layout, Z is C, and the bottom row of letters plays the white keys (Z X C V B N M), with the black keys on the row above (S D, G H J). The top letter row starts an octave higher at Q, with its black keys on the number row (2 3, 5 6 7). That reaches two and a half octaves at once. The one row layout matches GarageBand’s Musical Typing: A is C, the middle row plays white keys and W E T Y U the black keys, and Z / X change octave. Turn on Show the computer keys on the piano to see the letters on the keys themselves. They match your own keyboard layout (QWERTZ, AZERTY and so on) in browsers that can tell us what it is.
Some chords won’t play from my computer keyboard
Most computer keyboards can only report a few keys held at once, and some combinations don’t register at all (it’s called ghosting). It’s a limit of the keyboard, not the page, and gaming keyboards with “n-key rollover” don’t have it. For bigger chords, click or tap the keys, or plug in a MIDI keyboard.
Can I plug in a real MIDI keyboard?
Yes, in Chrome, Edge and Opera (on a computer or Android) and in Firefox on a computer. Plug the keyboard in over USB, press Connect a MIDI keyboard and allow access when the browser asks. The keys light up as you play, the sustain pedal works, and you get the chord display, metronome and recorder. Safari and iPhone/iPad browsers don’t support MIDI on web pages yet.
There’s a delay between pressing a key and hearing it
Bluetooth headphones and speakers add a noticeable delay (often a fifth of a second), which is too much for playing. Wired headphones or your device’s own speakers are much quicker. On Windows, a laptop’s built-in speakers are usually faster than a USB or HDMI audio device.
Why is there no sound?
Browsers only allow sound after you’ve clicked, tapped or pressed a key on the page, so the very first note wakes the sound up. If you still hear nothing, check the volume slider and your device’s volume. On an iPhone with an older version of iOS, the side ring/silent switch also mutes web pages.
Does it work without the internet?
Yes. The first time you open the page, your browser saves a copy (the chip above the settings says Saved for offline use when it’s done). After that it opens and plays with no connection: on a plane, on holiday or wherever your piano isn’t. Only this page and the files it needs are saved, and you can remove them by clearing this site’s data in your browser.
Can I send a student a scale to practise?
Choose the key and scale (or chord) under Show on the keys, then press Copy a link to this scale or chord. Whoever opens the link gets the keyboard with those notes already marked.
Is anything I play recorded or sent anywhere?
No. The sounds are generated in your browser, recordings stay in the page until you download or close it, and your settings are only stored on your own device. Like the rest of our site, the page itself uses Google Fonts and counts visits with Google Analytics (see our privacy policy).

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