Introduction

The Virtual Piano App is a powerful, web-based instrument for musicians, composers, educators, and learners.

You can play piano directly in your browser, record performances with professional accuracy, use a built-in metronome, explore chords and progressions, connect MIDI devices, and choose from a variety of realistic instrument sounds.

Whether you’re practicing, composing, or performing, this guide will help you unlock every feature.

Getting Started

When the app loads, you’ll see:

• The Virtual Piano Keyboard at the top of the screen
• Control Panels below for instruments, metronome, recording, chord assistant, MIDI setup, and display options

The default sound is an Acoustic Grand Piano, so you can start playing immediately.

Basic Piano Playing

Using Your Mouse

1. Click any piano key to play a note.
2. Click and drag across multiple keys for a glissando effect.
3. Release to stop the note.

Using Your Computer Keyboard

The piano is mapped to your computer keys for quick playing:

Bottom row: Z X C V B N M , . /
Next row: A S D F G H J K L ; ‘
Top row: Q W E R T Y U I O P [ ]

Using Touch Devices

On tablets or touchscreens:

1. Tap any key to play it.
2. Play multiple notes simultaneously using multiple fingers.
3. Slide across keys for a smooth glissando.
4. Use the Keyboard Size Slider to scale the piano for more or fewer visible keys.
5. Use the Move left/Move right buttons to pan across the keyboard.

Instrument Selection

You can switch from the default grand piano to many other instruments:

– Acoustic Grand Piano
– Bright Piano
– Electric Piano 1 / Electric Piano 2
– Harpsichord
– Marimba
– Acoustic Guitar (nylon) / Electric Guitar (jazz)
– Violin / Strings Ensemble
– Choir Aahs
– Synth Pads
– Brass & Woodwinds
– More Instruments will be added in the future

To change instruments:

1. Open the Instrument dropdown in the  Piano Controls  panel.
2. Select your instrument — it will load instantly.

Sustain Pedal

The sustain pedal keeps notes ringing after you release them:

1. Click Sustain Pedal in  Piano Controls or press  Spacebar.
2. Sustain stays on until toggled off.
3. The sustain button lights up when active.

Metronome

Helps you maintain timing:

1. In  Piano Controls, adjust BPM (**40–240 BPM**) with the slider.
2. Click Metronome to start/stop.
3. Visual beat indicators sync with your music.

Pro Tip: Use a slow BPM to learn a new piece, then gradually speed up.

Recording & Playback

Recording

The app captures precise musical data — note timing, velocity, and pedal use.

1. Click Record (red circle) to start.
2. The metronome starts automatically.
3. Play your piece.
4. Click Stop to finish.
5. Your performance appears in Recorded Notes.

Playback

1. Click Play to hear your performance exactly as recorded.
2. Click Stop to end playback early.

Managing Recordings

Clear deletes your current recording.
Export to MIDI downloads your performance for editing in DAWs or notation software.

Chord Assistant

The Chord Assistant is a music theory and performance tool for creating harmonies and chord progressions.

Playing Chords

1. Expand the Chord Assistant panel.
2. Select a Key from the dropdown.
3. Choose inversions or add 7ths.
4. Click a chord to hear it.
5. Use the + button to add it to your sequence.

Chord Progressions

1. Choose a Progression Pattern from the dropdown.
2. Click chords to play them or add to your sequence.

Creating & Playing Sequences

1. Build a sequence using the + buttons.
2. Chords appear in the Chord Sequence area.
3. Click Play Chord Loop for continuous playback.
4. The metronome starts automatically with loops.
5. Stop Chord Loop ends playback.
6. Clear Chord Sequence removes all chords.

Transposing & Octave Control

Transpose Up / Down shifts chords by semitones.
+1 Octave / –1 Octave buttons shift the pitch range.

MIDI Device Support

Supports most USB and Bluetooth MIDI keyboards:

1. Click Connect MIDI Device.
2. Allow permissions if prompted.
3. Your device is detected automatically.
4. Play on your MIDI keyboard — notes appear on the virtual keys.
5. Sustain pedal and velocity sensitivity are supported.

Piano Display Options

Scaling

Use Piano Scale slider to resize.
Percentage shown next to the slider.

Panning

– If the keyboard is wider than your screen, use **Move Left/Right** buttons or swipe on touch devices.

Tips & Best Practices

– For best sound quality, use headphones or external speakers.
– Use the metronome for better timing.
– Experiment with instrument sounds to spark new ideas.
– Combine Chord Assistant with MIDI input for advanced composition.
– Try recording multiple takes and comparing them.

Troubleshooting

No Sound

– Check your device volume.
– Ensure browser audio isn’t muted.
– Reload the page.
– Click somewhere on the app to enable sound if required by your browser.

MIDI Not Working

– Check your connection before starting the app.
– Use a compatible browser (Chrome, Edge, Opera).
– Try **Connect MIDI Device** again.

Recording Issues

– Click Record before playing.
– Ensure browser permissions allow MIDI/audio recording.
– Clear and retry if necessary.