The Piano Aura Blog
Guides on learning, recording, and sharing your music.
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
Most free piano apps are free to download, then lock the good parts behind a subscription. How to find one that is actually free, and what to check.
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
An honest comparison of the three big piano lesson apps, what each is best at, and when a free play-and-record app is the better call.
Free alternatives to Simply Piano
Want to learn piano without Simply Piano's subscription? 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.