Comparisons
Piano One vs Playground Sessions: which suits your piano?
Playground Sessions and Piano One both guide beginners through lessons with feedback on what they play. The biggest difference is your instrument: Playground Sessions is built around a connected MIDI keyboard, while Piano One listens to any piano through your phone’s microphone. Here is how they compare.
· 5 min read
| Dimension | Piano One | Playground Sessions |
|---|---|---|
| Your instrument | Any acoustic piano, digital piano or keyboard, heard through the microphone | A MIDI keyboard or digital piano connected to your device |
| Approach | One idea at a time, in lessons of about five minutes, then found again in a song | Video lessons and a Bootcamp curriculum in three levels |
| Content | Foundations, reading notes and first songs | Lessons, technique, theory and a library of popular songs |
| Try it if… | You have an acoustic piano, or want the simplest setup | You own a MIDI keyboard and like learning from video |
Playground Sessions: video lessons for a connected keyboard
Playground Sessions, co-founded by Quincy Jones, combines video lessons with a Bootcamp curriculum from beginner to advanced levels, and practice on popular songs with real-time feedback. It reads your playing through a MIDI, USB or Bluetooth connection, so you need a digital piano or MIDI keyboard; an acoustic piano is not supported for feedback.
It suits learners who already own a connected keyboard and enjoy watching a teacher explain each step. It offers subscriptions and has offered a lifetime membership: check the current offers on its site.
Piano One: any piano, no cable
Piano One listens through your phone’s microphone, so it works with an upright, a grand, a digital piano or a simple keyboard, without a cable. Each lesson shows one note, waits until you play it, and builds toward your first full song. The first lessons are free with no account.
It has no MIDI connection, so a digital piano plays through its speakers rather than headphones, and its catalog is smaller.
How to decide
Start from your instrument. With an acoustic piano, Piano One works and Playground Sessions’ feedback does not. With a MIDI keyboard, both work: choose video lessons and a large song library with Playground Sessions, or short guided lessons on your phone with Piano One.
Features and prices change. Check each app’s official page before subscribing.