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How to Use Piano Apps to Supplement Your Piano Lessons | 7 Ideas

June 20, 2023

How to Use Piano Apps to Supplement Your Piano Lessons | 7 Ideas

Want to really improve your piano skills? Making the most of your practice time is key! Learn how to use piano apps as you practice in this guest post by Aravind Abraham from OnlinePianist

As a beginner piano player, you may feel overwhelmed by the sheer amount of information to learn. From scales and chords to sight-reading and composition, there’s a lot to take in. 

But don’t worry! You can use apps to supplement your piano lessons and help you master the instrument faster than ever before. Here are 7 ideas for how you can use apps to become a pro pianist – and a few suggestions on the best app to learn piano to try!

What is the Best Piano Learning App?

Picking the right apps for learning piano is important if you want to play your favorite pieces of music. With so many apps out there, it can be tough to decide which one is best for you. Fortunately, there are certain features that make an app truly stand out:

  • A great piano learning app should offer highly customizable lessons, with the ability to select different skill levels and genres of music.
  • It should also have intuitive technology such as adjustable tempo and performance tracking capabilities so that users can see their progress over time. 
  • Also, a good piano learning app will include interactive tools like digital sheet music viewers or recordings of well-known tunes for practice purposes. 

All of these features working together create a truly unique experience for aspiring pianists to use in honing their musical skills!

While technology can be helpful when it comes to learning an instrument, there is no learn piano app that can replace quality instruction. If you want to get the best possible training, consider signing up for piano lessons. You’ll learn everything you need to know, including helpful exercises like what you see in the video below:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ah-fdExgBrY 

What is the Best Piano Learning App for Adults?

Are you an adult looking to brush up on your piano skills, or learn how to play the piano from scratch? If so, you’re not alone. Thanks to a surge in mobile technology, there are now a variety of piano learning apps available to help adults of all levels master their favorite tunes. 

Whether you’re just starting out or want to take your skills to the next level, there’s an app out there that can help! Let’s take a closer look at some of the best piano learning apps for adults. 

Simply Piano 

Simply Piano is one of the most popular piano learning apps available today. It’s designed to help adults learn how to play their favorite songs quickly and easily with step-by-step lessons and guided tutorials. 

The app also has over 1,000 different songs from beginner to advanced levels, as well as progress tracking and daily challenges for additional motivation. Plus, Simply Piano allows users to record themselves playing and compare their progress with others in the Simply Piano community. 

Flowkey 

Flowkey offers interactive lessons for adults of all skill levels—from complete beginners through advanced players. The app comes preloaded with over 500 songs from classical standards like Chopin and Beethoven all the way up through current pop hits like Ed Sheeran and Taylor Swift. 

Flowkey also allows users to slow down songs while they practice as well as loop sections they find difficult until they get them right. Additionally, it provides feedback on every note you play so that you can continue working on your weak spots until you become a master pianist! 

Piano Maestro 

Piano Maestro is another excellent choice when it comes to learning how to play the piano as an adult. 

This app focuses on teaching users basic music theory concepts such as rhythm recognition and note reading while allowing them access to thousands of classic pieces—all tailored specifically for adult learners who are new at this instrument or returning after years away from it. 

It features real-time feedback which will allow users to know if they’re playing correctly or if they need more practice in certain areas in order to perfect their skills even further! 

Piano Maestro offers both paid subscription plans and free courses so everyone can get started practicing today! It’s one of the best apps to learn piano.

What Are Some Free Piano Apps?

Whether you’re a beginner looking to learn the basics of piano or an experienced player looking for new ways to practice, free piano apps are a great way to get started. With so many options available, it can be hard to know where to start. Here’s a quick guide to some of the best free piano apps out there! 

Simply Piano by JoyTunes 

Simply Piano is one of the most popular free piano apps out there (which is why it is included twice on our list).

It boasts over 20 million users worldwide and offers lessons for beginners as well as more advanced players. The app comes with over 1000 songs, from classic pieces like Beethoven’s “Für Elise” to modern pop hits like Justin Bieber’s “Love Yourself.” Simply Piano also has a feature that allows you to play along with your favorite songs using your own instrument. 

Yousician 

Yousician is another great option for aspiring pianists. This app was designed by music teachers and provides step-by-step instruction for playing both acoustic and digital pianos. It includes interactive exercises and games that make learning fun, and offers lessons on topics such as chords, improvisation, and theory. The app also has a wide range of songs available, from classical pieces like Bach’s “Prelude in C Major” to contemporary hits like Adele’s “Someone Like You.” 

Piano Dust Buster 

If you’re looking for something a bit different, then Piano Dust Buster is worth checking out. This unique app uses gamification techniques to help you learn how to play piano quickly and efficiently. 

As you progress through the levels, you’ll be rewarded with points and badges based on your performance—so it’s fun as well as educational! The game also comes with over 2000 songs, ranging from classical pieces like Mozart’s “Rondo Alla Turca” to modern favorites like Taylor Swift’s “Shake It Off.” 

How to Use a Piano Learning App to Help You Improve

Piano students, you probably know by now that regular practice is essential to your progress and overall success. And luckily, practicing doesn’t have to be boring! Music apps provide a fun way to spice up your practice routine, and are a great way to supplement your piano lessons

Let’s take a look at seven ways you can use piano apps to improve your skills, sharpen your technique, and make the most of your time in between lessons.

1. Use Apps to Practice Scales

Scales are fundamental to every pianist regardless of level. From beginner to virtuoso, pianists need to constantly tickle the ivories to stay sharp. A great app to use for this is Musiclock. If you’re interested in making scale practice fun, try this one. It has the grooviest set of backing tracks that you can use for scales and general improvising.

2. Use Apps to Practice Reading Sheet Music

Reading sheet music is an important part of being a good pianist. The age-old language has been passed from generation to generation and withstood the test of time. While not specifically an app, the best new software for sight reading has to be Sight Reading Academy, a website that you can access from any device. You’ll get daily sight reading exercises and training to help you improve your skills. 

MTA SightReadPlus is another good option — this piano app shows you a note to play on the staff and then listens as you play it on your piano. It can be tuned to your instrument, so it works even if your piano is older and down-tuned.

3. Use Apps to Master Chords and Notes

The ability to quickly recognize chords and notes is an important skill for any musician, but especially pianists. Piano Notes Pro is an awesome app to master this skill. You can choose the clef, range, accidentals, number of notes to quiz, etc. and then you play the notes on the piano on the screen. It’s extremely customizable and easy to use. It can also be used with MIDI input so that you can play the notes that come up on the screen. 

4. Use Apps for Aural Training On-The-Go

How often do you work on ear training? Tenuto is a good aural training app for recognizing chords, intervals, and so on. It also shows you how everything looks on the keyboard.

Another good option for ear training practice is Right Note, a great app to learn about intervals, pitch, and melody. Or you can try some free online piano classes at TakeLessons Live!

5. Use Apps to Practice Performing 

Ready for your debut on stage? You can practice playing concertos with Play Mozart, which features high-quality orchestral recordings with an on-screen score. You set the tempo and the music (and orchestra) scrolls and plays. It’s a great option if you want to get a feel for working with a real orchestra, and the sound quality is excellent.

Also in this category is Home Concert Xtreme, which lets you load in any MIDI score. 

6. Use Apps to Review Musical Notation

While there are a few options for hand-written notation on the iPad, one of the best is Touch Notation by Kawai. If you want to play your piece into the iPad with MIDI, then check out Notion.

7. Use Apps to Play Your Favorite Songs

If you want to practice playing songs with a piano app, try OnlinePianist. This online piano app contains an interactive library of songs, chords, and animated notes. It has over a dozen features, including a metronome, tempo adjustment, a sustain indicator, and built-in lessons. 

Try These Piano Apps Today

Supplementing your piano lessons with apps is a great way to become a better musician faster than ever before–so why not give it a try? Whether it’s improving ear training skills, recording yourself playing or learning new pieces–there’s something out there for everyone looking to make their practice sessions more effective (and fun!) So go ahead–download those apps today and start mastering those keys! 

Outside of the recommendations above, there are plenty of other helpful apps for musicians. Ultimately, the goal is the same whether you use one app or another — to maximize your piano potential. Have fun exploring, practicing, and playing! 

Post Author: Aravind Abraham lives in Tel Aviv, Israel and has been involved with the piano since he was a kid. Having first taken piano lessons in school, he then spent a few years performing as a keyboardist for bands in Auckland, New Zealand. He now manages OnlinePianist’s marketing, emphasizing their vision of helping today’s technologically savvy society learn the piano online.

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Suzy S.