OpenKeys / Learn free
Learn piano online for free, in your browser
OpenKeys listens while you play and tells you what went well and what to fix. No account, no subscription, nothing to install.
Most piano apps are free to download and then ask for a subscription. OpenKeys is free all the way through: every lesson, drill and practice mode, with no limits on how long you play.
It works with the instrument you already have. Play an acoustic piano or a keyboard into the microphone, connect a MIDI keyboard over USB, or use the computer keys if you have no instrument yet.
How it works
1. Choose how you play
Microphone, MIDI keyboard or computer keys. The setup wizard checks room noise, timing and tuning.
2. Pick a lesson or a piece
Start the 7-lesson course, or open Ode to Joy, Für Elise, Minuet in G and more in graded versions.
3. Play and get feedback
OpenKeys plays the piece first, then follows you, marks each note and shows exactly what to practise next.
Practice modes
- Listen plays the piece with a grand piano sound while the notes light up.
- Wait stops on every note until you play it. The best way to learn a new piece.
- Play along keeps time at 25% to 150% of the tempo, with a metronome if you want one.
- Follow me has no fixed tempo: OpenKeys follows you, pauses and restarts included.
- Loop drill repeats a few bars and raises the tempo 5% after each clean pass.
Practise hands separately or together. OpenKeys can play the other hand for you.
What OpenKeys does
Listens through your microphone
Put a laptop or tablet on the music stand of any piano or keyboard. No cable needed. A setup wizard tunes it to your room in about 2 minutes.
Exact with a MIDI keyboard
Plug a USB MIDI keyboard into Chrome, Edge or Firefox and every note, its timing and how hard you played it are read exactly.
Waits for the right note
Wait mode stops until you play the right keys, then tells you what you played instead: "That was E4; try D4, 2 keys lower".
Falling notes and sheet music
Practise with sheet music, falling notes or both. Notes turn green or red in place, and wrong notes show as ghost noteheads.
Loops the bars you miss
Results show your top trouble spots bar by bar. One click loops them, and Loop drill raises the tempo 5% after each clean pass.
Your own music
Import MusicXML (from MuseScore), MIDI and ABC files by drag and drop, or write exercises in the built-in editor.
A course and drills
A 7-lesson course from finding middle C to playing with both hands, plus scales, arpeggios, chords, sight-reading, rhythm and ear training.
Free, with no account
No sign-up, no subscription, no ads and no trial. MIT licensed and open source on GitHub.
Private and offline
Audio never leaves your device. Your progress is stored in the browser, and OpenKeys installs as an app that works offline.
Questions
Can I learn piano with an app alone?
An app can teach you to read music, find notes, keep time and practise efficiently, and it is a good start. A teacher is still the best way to fix posture and technique, so OpenKeys works well between lessons too.
Which songs are included?
Twinkle Twinkle, Ode to Joy, Für Elise, Gymnopédie No. 1, Bach's Prelude in C, Minuet in G, Canon in D, Greensleeves, Amazing Grace and more, each in easy and fuller versions. You can import any MusicXML, MIDI or ABC file.
Is OpenKeys really free?
Yes. There is no subscription, no trial, no ads and nothing to unlock. The code is MIT licensed on GitHub, so it stays available even if the project stops.
Do I need to download anything or make an account?
No. Open openkeys.live in Chrome, Edge, Firefox or Safari and start playing. You can install it as an app from the browser if you want it offline.
Does it work with an acoustic piano?
Yes. OpenKeys listens through your device microphone. Single notes are detected precisely; for chords it checks the notes it expects. When it is not sure, it shows "?" and never counts that against you.
What do I need to start?
A piano or keyboard and a computer, tablet or phone. A USB MIDI cable is the most accurate. With no instrument at all, you can play with the computer keys.
Try it now
OpenKeys opens in your browser in a few seconds. No account, nothing to install.