The Piano Aura Blog
Guides on learning, recording, and sharing your music.
How to play piano songs by tapping, and what you can actually play
Tap-along piano apps let you play real songs on day one. Here is how the mode works, what it teaches, and which songs you can actually play for free.
Do you need a MIDI keyboard to learn piano?
You do not need MIDI to start learning notes, rhythm, chords, or songwriting. Here is when a MIDI keyboard helps and when real keys matter more.
How long does it take to learn piano?
You can play a simple tune in days, sound comfortable in months, and build real fluency over years. Here is an honest piano progress timeline.
Piano apps for kids: what to try before you pay for lessons
A free tapping app is the cheapest way to find out whether your child actually likes piano. Here is what these apps do well, and where they stop.
How to learn piano by ear
Playing by ear is a search you can do in order: find the key, then the bass note under each chord, then the melody. Here is the method.
How to play major and minor chords on piano
A major chord is three notes. A minor chord moves one of them down a half step. Here is how to build both, the five to learn first, and how to hear them.
The best piano app for iPad
The best piano app for iPad, and why the bigger screen makes playing songs, learning by ear, and recording easier. A free, honest pick.
The best free piano app with no subscription
Free piano apps without a subscription: which stay free to use, which have no ads, and how to check any app in a minute before it asks you to pay.
Easy piano songs for beginners that sound impressive
The easy piano songs that sound harder than they are, why they work for beginners, and how to play recognizable pieces on your first day.
Simply Piano vs flowkey vs Yousician: how to choose
Simply Piano vs flowkey, Simply Piano vs Yousician, flowkey vs Yousician: a straight verdict on each pairing, and when a free app is the better call.
Free alternatives to Simply Piano
Is there a free version of Simply Piano? Only a taste. Here are the honest free alternatives, sorted by whether you want lessons, songs, or to make music.
Learning piano as an adult beginner: a no-pressure plan
You're not too old to learn piano. Here's an honest, low-pressure plan built around the time and patience an adult actually has.
How to write your first song on piano (no theory needed)
Most songs are a few chords and a melody on top. Here's the simplest path from nothing to a finished song on piano, with no theory required.
Grand, electric, or upright: how to choose your piano sound
Grand, upright, electric, organ: what each one is for, how a real grand actually differs from an upright, and how to pick the sound your piece needs.
Piano practice without a real piano: what actually works
You can make real progress on piano without owning one. Here's what a phone is good for, where it falls short, and a ten-minute routine.
What a freestyle piano keyboard is, and how to start making your own music
A freestyle keyboard is just a piano with no song to follow. Here is why that is the fastest way to start writing your own music on your phone.
The best free piano apps for iPhone and iPad, by who's asking
Every piano app is free to download; few stay free. Which one fits a child, a returning adult, an iPad, or someone who will not read sheet music.
How to play piano without reading sheet music
You can play real songs on piano without ever learning to read notation. Here are the two methods that work, and how to start today.
How to record yourself playing piano on an iPhone
Voice Memos, GarageBand, or an app that records as you play. Which one fits your setup, why phone recordings sound bad, and how to judge a take.