Synthesia

Interactive piano practice for beginners and returning players

Synthesia is a piano-learning app that shows notes as they move toward an on-screen keyboard, helping you see when and where to play. It suits beginners who find standard sheet music difficult, as well as players who want guided practice with visual timing cues. The app can also display traditional notation, making it possible to move from falling notes toward more familiar piano scores.

Works with touchscreens and MIDI keyboards

You can practise using the device’s touchscreen or connect a compatible keyboard through MIDI. With a physical keyboard attached, Synthesia can follow the notes you play and provide immediate feedback. This makes it more useful for structured practice than a simple playback app. Finger-number hints can also help learners build more consistent hand positions.

Flexible practice tools and song support

Practice modes can slow down difficult passages and separate the hands, while melody-focused practice can wait for the correct notes before continuing. The app supports MIDI files, so your learning material is not limited to a single built-in selection. Depending on the song and your setup, you can work with visual note paths, sheet music, or both.

What users should know

Synthesia is listed in Music & Audio and is developed by Synthesia LLC. It has more than 10,000,000 installs and a rating of about 3.8 from 91,099 reviews. The range of controls may take some time to learn, particularly when managing MIDI tracks and settings, but that depth is useful for players who want more than a basic beginner lesson. It is best viewed as an interactive practice tool rather than a replacement for a teacher.