Virtual Piano
A playable keyboard with labelled keys, a choice of tone, sustain, and a readout of what you are playing — useful for checking a chord, humming a melody into pitch, or teaching a shape to someone over a call.
Playing
—
Recognised as
—
Keyboard octave
middle
Computer keys: Z–M lower octave, Q–U upper octave Arrow keys shift the mapped octave Drag across the keys to glissando
Synthesis: Web Audio API, no samples
Range: C3–F5
Nothing is recorded or uploaded
This keyboard exists for the moments between practising and working: checking what a chord sounds like in a voicing you are trying to remember, finding the pitch of a melody in your head, showing a shape to someone on a call, or playing a slow line while you think. It is a real instrument in the sense that it makes sound you can play freely, and not a real instrument in the sense that it has no keyboard action, no pedal and one synthesised tone per setting.
What the two rows actually play
The computer keyboard is mapped in two octaves, following the layout that most software instruments use, so the muscle memory transfers:
| Row | Keys | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Lower | Z S X D C V G B H N J M | C upwards, chromatic (the black-key letters are the ones above the white ones) |
| Upper | Q 2 W 3 E R 5 T 6 Y 7 U | the same pattern an octave higher |
The letters are shown on the keys by default, and the arrow keys move the mapped octave up or down without changing the range you see. If you would rather read the notes, switch the labels to note names.
Naming what you play
When you hold two or more notes the readout stops describing single pitches and starts naming the chord it can recognise: a root, a quality and — for seventh chords — an inversion, using the same templates used in the circle of fifths tool. It only names what it can justify. Three notes that do not match a triad are reported as their pitch content rather than as a mislabelled chord, which is more useful than a guess.
Sustaining, and why notes stop
Each note is synthesised with its own envelope, so it decays the way a struck string does even if you keep holding the key. “Hold notes” lengthens that decay so chords ring together while you move to the next shape, and “Silence” releases everything at once when you are finished. Volume is applied before the output limiter, so a dense chord gets slightly compressed rather than clipping.
Practising without a piano
Three uses hold up better than the others. First, sight-singing or inner hearing: play a tonic, hum a scale degree, then check yourself against the key. Second, voicing checks: play a chord in the inversion you are writing and listen to whether the spacing holds. Third, transfer: play a phrase on the on-screen keys with a metronome running, which forces you to think in pitch classes rather than in finger positions.
For the last of those, open the metronome in another tab and set it slow enough that you can play without rushing. If you are working on hearing rather than playing, the ear training studio uses the same engine and the same keyboard component.
A note on latency
Playback is scheduled on the Web Audio clock, which is the clock the sound card runs on, so a note is aligned to within a few milliseconds of the moment you press. What you may still notice is input latency from your own device — Bluetooth headphones add 100–200 ms and make it hard to judge your own timing. For anything rhythmic, use wired output.
Questions
Does the virtual piano need a download or an account?
No. Everything is synthesised in the browser with the Web Audio API, so there is nothing to install and no sign-up. The page works offline once loaded.
Which computer keys play which notes?
The lower row (Z S X D C V G B H N J M) plays C upwards, and the upper row (Q 2 W 3 E R 5 T 6 Y 7 U) continues an octave higher — the same layout as most software instruments. Arrow keys shift the mapped octave.
Can I use it on a phone or tablet?
Yes. Touching the keys plays them, and dragging across the keyboard glissandos. The keyboard is wider than a phone screen, so the tools are designed to scroll horizontally rather than shrink the keys below a usable size.
Why does the first note sometimes arrive late?
Browsers only allow audio after a user gesture, so the audio engine starts on your first click or key press. After that, notes are scheduled on the audio clock and are accurate to a few milliseconds.
Featured releases
