What Simply Piano Actually Offers
Simply Piano is a smartphone and tablet app that teaches piano using your device’s microphone (or a MIDI connection) to listen to what you play on a real keyboard or piano. It’s aimed at total beginners as well as people who already read music but want structured practice, and it works through short step-by-step lessons mixed with a large library of recognizable songs, from Imagine and All of Me to classical pieces by Bach and Beethoven. Up to five family members can share one subscription, and there’s a touch-keyboard mode for anyone without an actual piano nearby.
Where the App Genuinely Shines
The core idea works. One long-time user with existing music background said they felt like they were learning very quickly, and multiple reviewers praised how the app tracks whether you’ve played the correct notes and rewards you with stars for songs, which keeps practice feeling like a game rather than a chore. The sheer amount of content is also a real strength – one reviewer called out the huge variety of songs at different levels alongside the structured lessons, which gives you a reason to keep opening the app instead of just grinding scales.
The Note Detection Problem
Not everyone gets a smooth experience with the listening feature that’s central to the whole app. One user said the app ‘just does not register the notes that are being played, even when directly next to the keyboard speaker,’ making even basic lessons frustrating. Another separately mentioned ongoing ‘sound recognition’ trouble in later lessons. When the core mechanic of hearing your playing doesn’t work reliably, it undercuts the entire premise of instant feedback that the app is built around.
An Aggressive Paywall Right After Lesson One
The most consistent complaint isn’t about music teaching at all – it’s about how fast the free version runs out. Several reviewers describe finishing only a small first section before being blocked from anything else unless they subscribe. One reviewer specifically noted that even the final part of lesson #1 was locked behind an upgrade to a Family plan, even for someone who only wanted an individual subscription. Another said that after roughly 10 minutes of lessons, and right after being prompted to leave a review, all free content disappeared. There’s also a minor but annoying detail: one user disliked that during lessons, hesitating for even a moment causes the app to immediately highlight the next note, which can undercut learning to read music at your own pace.
Pricing Confusion Adds to the Frustration
Pricing came up as its own sore point. One reviewer said they were quoted a yearly subscription for ‘$6.00’ only to find that wasn’t accurate, while another compared the cost to hiring a piano tutor and considered it worthwhile at around $45 for three months. That gap in reported pricing suggests inconsistent or unclear presentation of subscription terms, which is worth going in aware of.
Who Should Actually Download This
Simply Piano is worth trying if you want a structured, gamified way to learn piano and don’t mind paying for a subscription almost immediately after the free taste ends. It’s less appealing if you’re hoping for a mostly-free experience, are on a device or acoustic setup where the microphone might struggle to pick up notes accurately, or you’re put off by lesson pacing that rushes ahead when you pause to think.
