Piano learning apps
Yousician alternatives for piano: 5 apps to compare
Yousician turns practice into a game, with real-time scores on your notes and timing, and it teaches several instruments. Piano learners look for an alternative when the timed exercises feel rushed, when they want an app dedicated to piano, or when they prefer songs or theory to scores. Here are five alternatives. We make Piano One, so it comes first.
· 6 min read
Why look for a Yousician alternative?
Yousician’s exercises move at a set tempo and timing counts toward your score. Many learners love that, but beginners who need time to find each key can feel pushed. Others simply want an app built only for piano, or one that waits for them.
1. Piano One: an app that waits for you
Piano One is the opposite of a timed game: it shows you a note, listens to your piano through your phone’s microphone and waits until you play the right one. New ideas arrive one at a time, from finding C to playing a first full song, in lessons of about five minutes.
It is built only for piano beginners, with a smaller song catalog than Yousician and no MIDI connection.
2. Flowkey: for learning specific songs
Flowkey shows a pianist’s hands on video above the sheet music, and its Wait Mode only moves forward when you play the right notes. You can loop a passage, practice one hand at a time or slow down. It suits learners motivated by particular songs.
3. Simply Piano: for popular songs
Simply Piano keeps a playful feel with backing tracks and quick wins, but focuses on piano only, with arrangements by level and a very large library of popular songs. It listens through the microphone or MIDI.
4. Skoove: for a structured course
Skoove pairs each piece with the skill behind it, so reading, rhythm and theory come in as you go. It waits when you slow down and highlights mistakes, which makes it calmer than a score-based app.
5. Playground Sessions: for video lessons with a MIDI keyboard
Playground Sessions combines video lessons with a structured Bootcamp and real-time feedback. It needs a MIDI keyboard or digital piano connected to your device.
How to choose
If the clock was the problem, pick an app that waits for you. If variety was the problem, pick one with a large song library. Then try it on your own instrument for a few days before subscribing.
- An app that waits, one note at a time: Piano One
- Specific songs with video: Flowkey
- Popular songs and quick wins: Simply Piano
- A structured course with theory: Skoove
- Video lessons with a MIDI keyboard: Playground Sessions