Simply Piano is one of the best-known piano learning apps, and the question most beginners ask is simple: can an app actually teach you piano? This simply piano review is an editorial overview rather than a hands-on diary. We look at how the app works according to its developer, Simply (formerly JoyTunes), what kind of learner it suits, where it genuinely helps, where it falls short compared with a teacher, and which alternatives to consider. Our perspective is that of musicians and producers who teach, so we judge it on whether it builds real playing, not just streaks.
How Simply Piano works
Simply Piano is an interactive app for phones, tablets and Chromebooks. You place your device on the music stand, the app shows you what to play, and it checks your notes as you go. The core idea is immediate feedback: instead of practising mistakes for a week before your next lesson, you find out straight away when a note is wrong or late.
Note detection: microphone or MIDI
The app can listen through your device’s microphone, which means it works with an acoustic piano or any keyboard. If your keyboard has MIDI, you can also connect it with a USB or MIDI cable and the appropriate adapter, and Simply’s help pages describe Bluetooth MIDI support on iPhone and iPad for keyboards with built-in Bluetooth MIDI. A wired or Bluetooth MIDI connection is generally more reliable than the microphone, especially in a noisy room. If you rely on the microphone, the developer recommends using headphones so the app does not pick up its own backing music, and practising somewhere quiet.
Courses, songs and exercises
Lessons are arranged as a guided path that starts at the very beginning: where your hands go, finding notes, and playing simple melodies before combining hands. The developer describes beginner tutorials paced for new players and more advanced courses for experienced ones, plus warm-ups and personalised exercises. The song library mixes classical pieces, pop songs and Disney titles, often arranged in simplified versions at several difficulty levels so you can play recognisable music early. Sheet music is also available as part of the app.
Who the app is designed for
Simply Piano targets complete beginners and returning players of all ages, and there is a dedicated kids section on the official site. The app is subscription-based, and the site offers an option to buy it as a gift. Plans and pricing change, so check the official site rather than relying on any figure you read in a review.
Strengths
- Very low barrier to starting. You need an instrument and a device. There is no scheduling and no commute, which matters for busy adults.
- Instant feedback on notes and timing. For a beginner, knowing immediately that a note was wrong is genuinely useful and saves you from practising errors.
- Motivating song choices. Getting to play a melody you recognise in the first sessions keeps many beginners going through the awkward early weeks.
- Bite-sized structure. Short lessons fit a 15 to 20 minute daily habit, which is the single biggest predictor of progress for most learners.
- Works with what you have. Microphone detection means an older acoustic piano or a basic keyboard is fine to start with.
Limitations
Every learning route has trade-offs, and the honest weaknesses of Simply Piano are the weaknesses of app learning in general.
- It hears notes, but it cannot see your hands. Hand position, wrist tension, finger choice and posture are where a teacher earns their fee, and bad habits here are what eventually cap your speed and cause discomfort. The app can tell you a note was correct while your fingering was not.
- Musical expression gets less attention. Dynamics, phrasing, tone and pedalling are the difference between pressing the right keys and playing music. Apps that score accuracy naturally steer you towards accuracy.
- Simplified arrangements can create a reading gap. Learning lots of songs in easy arrangements is fun, but some learners find that their ability to read unfamiliar sheet music lags behind. If reading matters to you, practise from standard notation outside the app too; our guide on how to read sheet music is a good companion.
- Microphone detection is not perfect. Background noise, room echo and quickly repeated notes can confuse it. A MIDI connection reduces this, but not every instrument has one.
- Gamified progress is not the same as skill. Completing levels feels good, but it is worth checking every few weeks whether you can play a piece away from the app, at a steady tempo, from memory or from a page.
Who Simply Piano suits, and who it does not
| Good fit | Less ideal |
|---|---|
| Adult beginners who want a daily habit in short sessions | Players aiming for classical exams or formal grades |
| Returning players brushing up after years away | Learners with recurring tension or pain, who need eyes on their technique |
| Families who want a low-commitment first step before committing to a teacher | Very young children who need an adult or teacher to keep them on task |
| Learners who are motivated by playing popular songs early | People who mainly want to improvise, play by ear or comp chords in a band |
For a deeper look at the adult experience specifically, including time and motivation, see our guide to piano lessons for adults.
What you need to use it well
An 88-key instrument with weighted or semi-weighted keys builds better finger strength, but a 61-key keyboard is fine for the early stages of an app course. A compact option such as the Casio Casiotone CT-S1 works for a first year, while the Alesis Recital gives you a full 88 keys with semi-weighted action. If you plan to stay with piano, our guide to the best digital pianos for beginners explains why fully weighted keys are worth it. Closed-back headphones such as the Audio-Technica ATH-M20x help microphone detection by keeping the backing track out of the mic, and let you practise late at night on a digital instrument.
Simply Piano alternatives
- flowkey pairs video of a pianist’s hands with sheet music, which some learners find better for connecting what they see with what they read.
- Yousician uses a similar listen-and-score approach and covers several instruments, useful if a household is learning guitar and piano at once.
- Skoove and Playground Sessions are other interactive piano courses with their own lesson styles.
- Pianote is a video lesson membership with structured paths, closer to a course than a game; see our Pianote review.
- A private teacher remains the best route for technique, expression and accountability, and many students combine weekly or fortnightly lessons with an app for daily practice.
Our roundup of the best online piano lessons compares these routes side by side.
Simply Piano review verdict: is it worth it?
For a beginner who needs structure, quick wins and a reason to sit down every day, Simply Piano is a strong starting point. Its real value is habit and immediate note feedback, which is exactly what the first few months of piano need. Its limits are the limits of any app: it cannot watch your hands, and it rewards accuracy more than musicianship. The smartest way to use it is as a daily practice partner, checked periodically by a teacher or by honest self-review on video. If you treat it as the whole education rather than a tool within it, expect a plateau once the songs get harder.
FAQ
Can you really learn piano with Simply Piano?
You can learn to read basic notation, find your way around the keyboard and play simplified songs with both hands. Reaching an intermediate level with good technique usually also needs feedback from a teacher, because the app cannot see posture, hand position or fingering.
Does Simply Piano work with an acoustic piano?
Yes. The app listens through your device’s microphone, so it works with an acoustic piano or any keyboard. A digital piano or keyboard with MIDI can also connect by cable, or by Bluetooth MIDI on supported devices, for more reliable note detection.
Is Simply Piano good for kids?
It can be, and the official site has a section aimed at children. Younger kids usually need a parent nearby to keep sessions on track and to watch for awkward hand positions. Our guide to piano lessons for kids covers readiness and how to choose between an app and a teacher.
