Settings

Set The Ultimate Piano up the way you practice, once — and it stays that way. How much of the keyboard you want in front of you, whether note names sit on the keys while you still need them, which colour each hand gets, which MIDI keyboard you play. Settings is where a foot pedal takes over page turns, so your hands never leave the keys.

On this page

Settings Overview — What Each Tab Does Quick Paths General Settings Display — Keyboard Display Options MIDI Configuration Foot Pedal Progress Capture Branding License Credits Related Frequently Asked Questions

Settings Overview — What Each Tab Does

Settings are organized into eight tabs: General, Display, MIDI, Foot Pedal, Progress, Capture, Branding, and License. General covers the keyboard range, language and the Practice Coach, Display controls the visual layout, MIDI connects hardware keyboards, Foot Pedal assigns pedal keys to player actions, Progress lets you start a module's progress from zero, Capture handles image export, Branding replaces the logo, and License manages your plan.

MIDI settings require a browser that supports the Web MIDI API — currently available in Chrome, Edge, and Opera. Safari does not support Web MIDI on macOS or iOS/iPadOS; on iPad and Mac, the free MIDIWeb Browser passes your keyboard through to the web instead. Every setting you change is saved automatically. Reset to Defaults sits at the bottom of the General tab and applies to the whole panel, not just one tab: it asks for confirmation first, then restores every option and reloads the app. Your practice progress is not affected — that has its own tab, Progress.

Quick Paths

Common tasks and where to find them in the Settings panel:

What you want to do	Where to find it
Show all 88 piano keys	Settings → General → Start Octave: 0, Octaves: 8
Adjust the visible keyboard range	Settings → General → Start Octave and Octaves
Show note names on the keys	Settings → Display → Keys → Show note names on keys
Switch interface language	Settings → General → Language
Enable Toggle Mode (sticky keys)	Settings → General → Toggle mode (or press T)
Connect a MIDI keyboard	Settings → MIDI → MIDI on/off + select your device
Change the colour of the falling notes	Settings → Display → Player → Falling Notes
Turn pages with a foot pedal	Settings → Foot Pedal
Start a module's progress from zero	Settings → Progress → Reset
Hide the Practice Coach	Settings → General → Practice Coach
Show the musical staff (score)	Settings → Display → Score & Chords → Show score
Make the background transparent (for streaming)	Settings → Display → Background → Transparent background
Replace the logo with your own	Settings → Branding → Header Branding
Manage subscription or cancel	Settings → License → Manage License
Reset all settings to defaults	Settings → General → Reset settings → Reset to Defaults

General Settings

Tab path: Settings → General

Basic keyboard and interface options.

Language

Select the interface language. Available languages:

English
Deutsch (German)
Español (Spanish)
Français (French)

The language setting affects all labels, buttons, and messages in the app.

Toggle Mode

When enabled, keys stay highlighted after you click or tap them. Click the same key again to release it.

Use cases:

Build chords note by note
Display scales visually
Create diagrams for teaching materials

Keyboard shortcut: Press T to quickly toggle this mode on or off.

Keyboard shortcuts in Toggle Mode:

1–5 – Assign finger numbers to the hovered key (displayed in Info Bar below keyboard)
0 or Backspace – Remove finger number from the hovered key
F – Clear all finger numbers at once
P – Clear all highlights and finger numbers (purge all)
# – Toggle note spelling between Sharp and Flat (e.g., C# ↔ Db)
S – Switch the hovered key between primary and secondary highlight color

Start Octave

Path: Settings → General → Start octave (C)

Sets the lowest octave displayed on the keyboard. Range: 0–8.

Lower values show bass notes, higher values focus on treble.

Octaves

Path: Settings → General → Octaves (1–8)

Sets how many octaves are visible. Range: 1–8 (up to 88 keys).

Fewer octaves make keys larger; more octaves expand your playable range.

To display the full 88-key piano range, set Start Octave to 0 and Octaves to 8.

Practice Coach

Path: Settings → General → Practice Coach

Show Practice Coach controls whether the coach button and window appear. The coach is shown by default.

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Display — Keyboard Display Options

Tab path: Settings → Display

The Display tab controls every visual aspect of the keyboard display: note names, highlight colors, the score, the pedal indicator, and the background. Options are organized into five collapsible cards: Keys, Score & Chords, Player, Pedal, and Background.

Keys

Path: Settings → Display → Keys

Setting	Description
Show note names on keys	Display C, D, E, etc. directly on each key
Always show note names	Keep note names visible on every key, not only while a key is pressed
Show note names above keyboard	Show note names in a header bar above the keys
Octave markers on the C keys	Show a permanent octave marker (C4, C5 …) on every C: at the top of the key, at the bottom of the key, or off
Note name style	Choose Sharps (C#, D#) or Flats (Db, Eb) for free play. In Learning Mode and Practice Hub, the app uses musically correct names based on the chord or scale context. In Toggle Mode, press # while hovering over a black key to manually switch between Sharp and Flat.
Default highlight color	Choose the primary highlight color (purple by default)
Secondary highlight color	Choose a second highlight color for diagrams (orange by default). In Toggle Mode, press S while hovering over a key to switch it to this color. Useful for showing chord structures, scale degrees, or left/right hand parts.
Rainbow Keys	Use a rainbow color scheme (C=red, D=orange, etc.)
Show kids icons	Display educational icons (Cow for C, Dog for D) for young learners

Score & Chords

Path: Settings → Display → Score & Chords

Setting	Description
Position	Dock the info window above, below, left, or right of the keyboard (default: below)
Show score	Display the musical staff showing notes you play
Grand staff	Display both treble and bass clefs together (enabled by default)
Show chord names	Show chord symbols (Cmaj7, Am, etc.) on the staff
Show intervals	Show interval labels within detected chords (requires Show chord names)
Show chord degree	Show the degree relative to the current key — as Roman numerals (I, IV, vi) or in Nashville numbers (1, 4, 6m), or off. The key is set via the Key button in the header (Circle of Fifths).
Chip background color	Customize the background color of the chord name chip
Chip text color	Customize the text color of the chord name chip

Player

Path: Settings → Display → Player

The Falling Notes section sets the colours used by the MIDI Player and the Sheet Music Player. Each hand has its own pair, so left and right stay apart at a glance — on the falling notes and on the keys alike.

Setting	Description
Right hand (and unassigned) — White key note color	Colour for white keys, right hand and any notes without a hand (default: #b4d7ff, light blue)
Right hand (and unassigned) — Black key note color	Colour for black keys, right hand and any notes without a hand (default: #5082c8, darker blue)
Left hand — Note colour, white keys	Colour for white keys of the left hand (default: #ffd0a8, light orange)
Left hand — Note colour, black keys	Colour for black keys of the left hand (default: #d97b32, darker orange)

The default blue/orange pairing is deliberate: the two hands sit nearly opposite each other on the colour wheel, and blue against orange stays distinguishable for colour-blind players — where red against green would be the worst possible choice.

Pedal

Path: Settings → Display → Pedal

Setting	Description
Show Pedal Display	Display the sustain pedal indicator when notes are sustained
Pedal Position	Place the pedal indicator above the keyboard, below the keyboard, or as an overlay at the top of the keyboard (default: overlay-top)
Pedal Alignment	Align the pedal display left, center, or right (default: right)
Display Sustained Notes/Chords	Show sustained notes visually on the keyboard highlights
Floating Pedal Window	Show the pedal display as a large, draggable floating window

Pedal Position Options:

Position	Description
Above keyboard	Pedal appears in a bar above the keyboard
Below keyboard	Pedal appears in a bar below the keyboard
Overlay (top)	Pedal appears as an overlay at the top of the keyboard (default, semi-transparent)

Background

Path: Settings → Display → Background

Setting	Description
Transparent background	Make the background transparent for embedding
Background color	Set a solid background color (when not transparent)

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MIDI Configuration

Tab path: Settings → MIDI

Connect and configure MIDI keyboards.

MIDI on/off

Path: Settings → MIDI → MIDI on/off

Turn MIDI input on or off. When enabled, you can play using any connected MIDI keyboard.

Device Selection

Select which MIDI devices to use. The app supports multiple devices simultaneously – useful for using a piano keyboard and a foot controller together, for example.

How to select devices:

1. Each detected MIDI device appears as a row with a checkbox
2. Check the box next to each device you want to use
3. Multiple devices can be active at the same time
4. Changes take effect immediately

Device status indicators:

Color	Status	Meaning
Green	Connected	Device is plugged in and active
Yellow	Disconnected	Device was selected but is currently unplugged
Gray	Available	Device is detected but not selected

New devices are detected automatically when plugged in (hot-plug).

Latency Display

When MIDI is active, the settings panel shows real-time latency measurements:

Metric	Description
Highlight Latency	Time from MIDI input to visual key highlight on screen
Audio Latency	Time from MIDI input to hearing the sound

Understanding the values:

Values are shown as: average (min – max) in milliseconds
Typical values: 15-35ms for highlights, 25-50ms for audio
Lower values = more responsive playing experience
Values below 30ms feel nearly instantaneous to most players

See Optimizing Audio Latency for tips on reducing latency.

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Foot Pedal

Tab path: Settings → Foot Pedal

Turn pages and start playback with your feet, so your hands never leave the keys. A Bluetooth foot pedal connects as a keyboard: pair it in your operating system, then use Learn to teach the app which key it sends. If your pedal has several modes, switch modes until the key you want arrives.

Assigning a key:

1. Click Learn next to the action you want
2. Press the pedal — the app captures whatever key it sends (Esc cancels)
3. The key appears next to the action and works immediately

Each action can be cleared with Remove key or put back with Reset to default. If a key is already taken, the app names the action holding it instead of silently overwriting it — and if one key legitimately triggers several actions, it lists them.

What you can put on a pedal:

Group	Actions	Active when
Sheet Music Player	Next page, Previous page	A PDF score is open
MIDI Player	Start / Pause, Stop	The MIDI Player is open
Metronome	Start / Stop	No player is open — while you are just playing

Because each group only listens while its own module is open, the same pedal key can turn pages in the Sheet Music Player and start the metronome when no player is running.

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Progress

Tab path: Settings → Progress

Want a clean start — after a break, or once you have outgrown your first attempts? Here you reset the progress of a single module, or of everything at once. Each row shows how many saved runs the module holds:

Group	Modules
Practice	Notes, Chords, Scales, Arpeggios
Ear Training	Intervals, Chords, Scales

Reset asks for confirmation, then deletes that module's saved runs for good — on this device and, if you are signed in, from your account. Its levels, charts and statistics start again from zero. Reset all progress does the same for every module in the list. Your practice time and the practices you saved stay untouched.

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Capture

Tab path: Settings → Capture (standalone app only)

Configure image export quality and format. See the Piano Diagram Maker for detailed capture instructions.

Presets

Quick presets for common use cases:

Preset	Format	Scale	Best for
Web	PNG	2×	Websites, blogs, online content
Print	PNG	4×	High-resolution print materials
Social	JPG	2×	Social media sharing

Custom Settings

Setting	Options
Format	PNG, JPG, WebP
Scale	1×, 2×, 3×, 4×

Higher scale values produce larger, more detailed images.

Note: When you manually change the Format or Scale, the preset automatically switches to Custom. Select a preset button to restore preset values.

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Branding

Tab path: Settings → Branding (standalone app only)

Replace the Ultimate Piano branding with your own.

Choose between:

Logo – Upload your own logo image (PNG, JPG, SVG, WebP)
Text – Enter custom text to replace "ULTIMATE PIANO"

Logo specifications:

Maximum height: 24px
Appears in the header bar

Splash Logo

Replace the logo shown on the loading screen.

Logo specifications:

Maximum height: 60px
Maximum width: 200px

Capture Branding

Control the branding badge that appears on exported images (Capture).

Setting	Description
Show Branding	Toggle the branding badge on captured images on or off (default: on)
Branding Text	Custom text for the badge (default: "made with the-ultimate-piano.com")

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License

Tab path: Settings → License (standalone app only)

Manage your subscription or license.

Current Plan

Displays your active plan: Premium (License) after a one-time purchase, Premium (Monthly) while a subscription runs.

Manage License

Access the Paddle customer portal to:

View billing history and download invoices
Update payment method
Cancel monthly subscription (if applicable)

Privacy

Two switches you can change at any time, independently of each other:

Setting	Description
Allow analytics cookies and ID	Consent to the analytics cookie and device ID. Turn it off to withdraw the consent you gave when you first opened the app
Receive product updates and tips	Consent to product emails. Turn it off and you stop receiving them

Delete Account

Permanently delete your account and all associated data.

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Credits

Click the Credits link in the settings footer to view the open-source libraries used in The Ultimate Piano.

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Optimizing Audio Latency — Tips for reducing latency
Account — Manage your account
Piano Diagram Maker — Capture instructions
Troubleshooting — Need help?

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I open the settings panel?

7 tabs open when you click the gear icon in the header — General, Display, MIDI, Foot Pedal, Capture, Branding, and License. Every change you make is saved automatically.

How do I connect a MIDI keyboard in the MIDI configuration tab?

Open Settings, switch to the MIDI tab, turn MIDI on, and check the box next to your device. The MIDI configuration supports multiple devices simultaneously. Green means connected, yellow means disconnected, and gray means available but not selected.

Can I customize the keyboard display?

Yes. The keyboard display is fully adjustable. In Settings → General, set the octave range from 1 to 8 octaves (up to 88 keys). In Settings → Display, show note names on or above the keys, choose 2 highlight colors, enable rainbow keys, and dock the score above, below, left, or right of the keyboard.

Does The Ultimate Piano work without a MIDI keyboard?

Yes. MIDI is off by default, so The Ultimate Piano works with a mouse or touch straight away. You only open the MIDI configuration tab when you want to connect a hardware keyboard, which needs Chrome, Edge, or Opera on the desktop, or the free MIDIWeb Browser on iPad and Mac.

How do I reset all settings to their defaults?

1 button handles it: click Reset to Defaults at the bottom of the General tab. It asks for confirmation, then restores every option — keyboard display, MIDI configuration, foot pedal, capture, and branding — to its original value and reloads the app.

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