Just Playing

Just playing means using The Ultimate Piano without an exercise — and the app still names what you play. Hold a chord and its name appears — Fmaj7, or F6 with Dm7/F as a second reading — with the notes on the staff beside it, over a real grand piano sound. Because the keyboard and the chord names are on screen, this is also the view you show live or record — in OBS or any other capture software.

Whether you have a digital piano, a MIDI controller, or just a mouse — The Ultimate Piano turns your browser into a playable instrument. It runs in every current desktop browser — Chrome, Edge, Opera, Firefox and Safari — and displays up to 8 octaves of keys at once. Connecting a MIDI keyboard needs Chrome, Edge, or Opera; on iPad and Mac, the free MIDIWeb Browser passes your keyboard through to the web instead.

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Grand Piano Samples: Just Playing in the Browser

The built-in grand piano samples give you an acoustic sound with no download or install. The Ultimate Piano plays recordings of an acoustic grand piano covering all 88 keys (MIDI notes 21–108). The sound engine loads a fast first layer (about 5 MB) so you can start playing right away, then upgrades in the background to 8 velocity layers (about 40 MB) on a computer, so soft and hard key presses sound different — the way an acoustic grand responds to your touch. On an iPad the upgrade stops at 3 velocity layers to stay within the tablet's memory.

Click any key to hear it play. The key lights up and you hear the sampled grand piano sound. This is a great way to explore the keyboard, find melodies by ear, or get familiar with the layout of notes.

Adjust the keyboard to your needs:

• Set the keyboard range — choose your start octave and how many octaves (1–8) to display
• Enable note names on keys to learn where each note sits on the keyboard

Toggle Mode (shortcut: T) lets you build chords step by step. Click a key once to keep it highlighted, click again to release. This is useful for exploring chord shapes, comparing voicings, or building scale patterns visually. You can also capture diagrams of your highlighted keys.

See Play for all input options and visual feedback settings.

Just Playing with a MIDI Keyboard

A MIDI keyboard gives you the full playing experience with instant visual feedback. MIDI is off by default, so connect and enable it once:

1. Connect your MIDI keyboard to your computer
2. Open Settings → MIDI and turn on MIDI on/off
3. Check the box next to your device in the list — it takes effect when you close Settings
4. Start playing – notes appear on screen as you play

What you see while playing:

• Keys light up in real-time as you press them
• Note names appear on each active key
• Interval detection – Play two notes and the interval is named, including compound intervals like 9ths and 11ths (e.g., "A Minor 3rd", "C Major 9th")
• Chord recognition – Play three or more notes and the app names the chord (e.g., "Cmaj9"), with up to two alternative names beside it — turn on Show intervals in Settings to also see the interval structure (e.g., "Cmaj9 (3, 5, 7, 9)")
• Notes appear on the musical staff in real-time – useful for connecting what you hear with standard notation
• Train your ear to recognize intervals and chords by sound with Ear Training

The sustain pedal (CC64) is supported – press the pedal and notes sustain naturally, just like on an acoustic piano, and a pedal indicator shows when it is down.

See Score for notation display options and Settings for MIDI connection details.

Using with External Sound Sources (DAW / VST)

You can mute The Ultimate Piano's built-in audio and use the app purely as a visual display for your playing. This is useful when you're generating sound through other software:

• DAW setups – Route your MIDI keyboard through a DAW (Ableton, Logic, FL Studio, etc.) for custom piano sounds or other instruments, while The Ultimate Piano shows what you're playing on screen
• VST plugins – Use high-end virtual instruments for sound while keeping the visual keyboard, staff notation, and chord recognition
• Teaching and streaming – Show your audience what you're playing visually, independent of your audio setup

To set this up, click the speaker icon in the header to open the Audio Mixer and mute the Piano row (or Master to silence everything), then connect your MIDI keyboard. The Ultimate Piano displays all visual feedback (key highlights, note names, chord names, staff notation) without producing any sound of its own.

Tip: Take a screenshot of your keyboard setup using the Piano Diagram Maker.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need a MIDI keyboard for just playing?

No. Click keys with your mouse or tap on touchscreen devices. You hear sampled grand piano sound from all 88 keys and see visual feedback on every key press.

What grand piano samples does The Ultimate Piano use?

88 keys recorded from an acoustic grand piano (MIDI notes 21–108). A fast first layer (about 5 MB) loads instantly, then up to 8 velocity layers (about 40 MB on a computer) load in the background so soft and hard presses sound different.

Can I use The Ultimate Piano with a DAW or VST plugin?

Yes. Mute the Piano in the Audio Mixer (speaker icon in the header), connect your MIDI keyboard, and route MIDI through your DAW. The Ultimate Piano then shows visual feedback (key highlights, chord names, staff notation) while your DAW produces the sound.

What visual feedback do I get while playing?

Keys light up in real-time, note names appear on active keys, intervals between two notes are detected (including 9ths and 11ths), chords of three or more notes are named (with their interval structure if you turn it on), and notes appear on the musical staff in real-time.

Ready to try it?

Open The Ultimate Piano in your browser — no download needed.