Simply Piano, an educational app available for iPhone, iPad or Android devices, has 10 million downloads. But is Simply Piano legit? Can you really learn how to play the piano? We’ll dig into some commonly asked questions below.
Is Simply Piano a Scam?
No, Simply Piano by JoyTunes is not a scam. You will learn how to read notes, play some pop songs and classical pieces, read chords, understand lead sheets, and more. While you won’t become an advanced pianist with Simply Piano, it’s an excellent supplement to piano lessons and method books, and it may be a cost-effective alternative to online piano lessons for some students.
Our Recommended Alternative: Skoove
To play actual pieces and songs right away look into Skoove. They have a free trial. Of course, if you like the program and sign up, you’ll be helping us earn a small commission.
Remember that you only get out of piano what you put into it. If you download the app and never practice, of course it’s a waste of money - but if you use the app for a few minutes every day, you will learn certain aspects of playing the piano over time.
That said, an app will never take you as far (and in as little time) as working with an expert instructor. We are currently offering a 10% discount when online students sign up for a 4-pack of live online lessons - please mention this blog when you contact us.
Is Simply Piano Really Free?
Simply Piano does have one free course (“Piano Basics”), and after you’ve completed it, you will be prompted to pay for a subscription before you can access more advanced material. Furthermore, before you purchase the paid version of the app, you can experiment with a free seven day trial.
What Does The Free Version Of Simply Piano Include?
Lesson 1: You learn Middle C, D, and E, and finger numbers
Lesson 2: You learn F and G
Lesson 3: You drill the five notes you have learned in your right hand, and you finish by learning “Ode To Joy”. with your newly-learned five finger pattern.
And that’s it for the free version! It’s an interesting introduction to the piano, and you’ll know whether or not you like the learning style presented in the app.
How Much Does the Paid Version of Simply Piano Cost Per Month?
While the app does present the pricing amounts as month-by-month averages, please note that you actually pay subscription fees three, six, or 12 months at a time.
You can purchase a 3-month package for $74.99 (avg. $24.99/month)
You can purchase 6 months for $99.99 (avg.$16.66/month)
You can purchase 12 months for $149.99 (avg. $12.49/month)
If you choose the 12 month option, you are eligible for the free seven day trial. Just don’t forget to unsubscribe if you don’t like it!
Is Simply Piano Worth The Money?
Yes, from a teacher-to-student perspective, Simply Piano is worth the money. Consider that piano lessons, at a minimum, would cost around $125 per month. This app is much cheaper, and while you won’t learn nearly as much as you would in lessons, it’s a great introduction or supplement to in-person instruction. Simply Piano might be worth it for you if:
You are unable to work with your teacher for a period of time (summer break etc.)
You’d like to use it as supplemental practice material at home
You’d like to gift it to someone who isn’t sure if they’d like the piano
Parents may find that their children enjoy practicing with Simply Piano
(Video) Simply Piano vs Yousician - Honest and Non Sponsored
How Does Simply Piano Work?
In short, Simply Piano works as interactive sheet music on a mobile app or tablet. The notes or chords you are learning are shown on the staff on your screen, and it will show you where on the keyboard the notes are played. The main point of Simply Piano is to teach you notes and chords on the piano, the corresponding keys and finger numbers, and how to play them in tempo.
So is it just Guitar Hero for piano? No! Because when you play a wrong note, the music stops, highlights the incorrect note, and makes you play it correctly before continuing.
The app also lets you learn pop songs, so you’ll have fun music to share with your friends before long.
The big picture goal of Simply Piano is to allow you to see a piece of sheet music or a lead sheet, read the notes, and play them in tempo on the piano.
What Concepts Does Simply Piano Cover?:
The Basics & Fundamentals of Piano
You’ll learn the notes on the piano and finger numbers. From there, you’ll learn to play hands together, fill out a whole octave of notes (8 notes), learn flats and sharps, and learn scales. You will then progress to playing a melody over top of a chord accompaniment (arranged by genre).
The app then gets into various rhythms, like syncopation and others. The app will basically layer these fundamental concepts on top of each other as you progress through the courses.
Popular Music
You’ll be taught pop songs organized by difficulty, and within this course, you will tackle increasingly advanced chords, syncopated rhythms, popular modes and scales common in blues, jazz, and other popular genres, and more.
Classical Music
The classical music course follows the advanced fundamentals material. It will put your reading ability and technique to the test - as opposed to the popular music courses, which focus on chords. You’ll learn pieces like Minuet in G and Arioso.
Lead Sheets
Simply Piano has an entire course devoted to playing off lead sheets - if you’ve ever wanted to play along with a band or worship group, you’ll find this course helpful. You’ll learn advanced concepts like hash chords, and you’ll be able to download a new rock tune lead sheet and sight read it.
Do You Need a Piano To Use Simply Piano?
The app actually has a playable “keyboard” that you can use while learning the notes, but that will only help you work through the Piano Basics course. If you want to progress through the more advanced material, you will need to have at least a 61 key digital keyboard at home. Whether you have an electric keyboard or grand piano at home, you’ll be able to use this app.
Is Simply Piano Good For Both Kids and Adults?
Yes - many teachers recommend Simply Piano as a supplementary method for children, and adult piano students will love how they can accumulate some piano knowledge from their phone.
To be fair, young children will get more out of the app if it’s used with guidance from a parent or caregiver at home. All told, it has an easy-to-use interface, well-structured learning progression, and cross-generation appeal. It may get your child to practice piano at home.
Can Piano Teachers Assign Simply Piano To Students?
While you can’t force your students to pay for a relatively expensive app, it can be very useful:
Use it as a reward system for young kids - If they have a great lesson, pull the app out for the last five minutes.
It’s a great tool for introducing sight reading to a more experienced student.
Adults in particular enjoy having a degree of autonomy in their learning process.
In sum, piano teachers can benefit from buying their own subscription to Simply Piano. Educators can use it as an in-lesson aid with young students, try the sight reading material with intermediate students, and introduce it to adult students who would like some autonomy at home.
If you would like to learn more about our presence in Philadelphia, piano teachers in Nashville, curriculum, or piano moving services in Philadelphia, please get in touch.
FAQs
How do I get rid of Simply Piano? ›
...
For App Store Purchases:
- Launch the Settings app on your iPhone or iPad.
- Tap your name.
- Tap on Subscriptions and choose Simply Guitar.
- Tap on "Cancel Subscription"
Open the Settings app. Tap your name. Tap Subscriptions. Tap the subscription that you want to manage.
Does Simply Piano give certificate? ›I did it! Here's a certificate I got for learning my first 3 notes with Simply Piano! 🎉🎶🌟 | Learning, Piano, Notes.
What is better than Simply Piano? ›Flowkey is the overall better option if you are a beginner looking for comprehensive online piano lessons. They have a large selection of songs to choose from and the learning pace is much quicker and more structured than Simply Piano.
Does Simply Piano automatically charge you? ›All of our subscriptions are paid in full at the beginning of the subscription period and are set to automatically renew at the end of the period so your learning isn't interrupted, but you can cancel this at anytime. Have more questions? You can talk to us through the app.
Who owns Simply Piano app? ›Andrea Biedermann - Owner and CEO - Simply Piano Studio | LinkedIn.
How long does it take to complete Simply Piano? ›The pacing of the curriculum is very slow, which would be good and bad, but a lot of fundamental theory and basic knowledge that you should learn are found at the final stages of the curriculum, which they say would take up to 2 years to complete.
Can you cancel Simply Piano subscription anytime? ›REFUND POLICY
If you are not satisfied with any of our programs for any reason, you can cancel your membership.
- 2.1 1) Pianote – Best App For Learning Piano.
- 2.2 2) Simply Piano (iOS +Android)
- 2.3 3) Online Pianist – Best App For Learning New Songs.
- 2.4 4) Flowkey – Great All Around App.
- 2.5 5) Piano Maestro – Ages 4+ – Best Piano App For Kids.
Simply Piano is a good app for those who want to learn to play the piano but don't know where to start. The practice is very guided; the app shows you what to practice, forces you to play it slowly if you need to, and doesn't let you move on unless you get it right.
How much does Simply Piano cost per month? ›
Various subscription levels are on offer - you can opt for 3 months for $59.99, 6 months for $89.99 or 12 months for $119.99. There's a 7-day free trial to test the water and you can create up to five profiles on one subscription, giving the whole family the opportunity to learn together if so desired.
Is Simply Piano any good Reddit? ›It's good up to a point. It's like duolingo. It will get you started, teach you some phrases, but you will never master the language just using the app. If you are starting from scratch a method book like Faber or Alfred's along with their digital supplements is the way to go.
How much is Simply Piano for a lifetime? ›Simply Piano: Membership
To save money you could get a six-month subscription for $89.99 or take out a full year for $119.99. There is no 'lifetime' membership as with some apps, but you do get a free 7-day trial if you give your credit card details over for the 12-month subscription.
No previous knowledge is required, and kids as young as 4 years old can use this app. The app also has tons of fun songs and courses for different musical tastes and playing levels.
Are piano learning apps worth it? ›It depends on how much it costs, but mathematically speaking, if the app costs less than lessons would, the answer is yes. For people who want to learn piano but you don't have time to go to class, you can check this guide . I've got great results with it. It is simple, straight forward yet very effective.
How much is JoyTunes worth? ›JoyTunes, which has developed an app for learning musical instruments, is raising $50 million led by Google Ventures (GV) and with the participation of new investors Qualcomm Ventures and Hearst Ventures, a source close to the matter has told "Globes." The financing round, which is set to close, is at a company ...
Where is Simply Piano based? ›Pianists should practice between 30 minutes to 4 hours per day. Beginners will benefit most from shorter practice sessions while advanced pianists will be more accustomed to longer days. Each practice session can be split into segments to help avoid physical and mental fatigue.
Can I master piano in 6 months? ›If you want to be a professional classical performer, you're looking at a minimum of 10 to 15 years of concentrated study with a master teacher, and hours of practice every day. Most people who want to learn piano to play for their own enjoyment can get great results within three to five years of study and practice.
Can I learn piano in 3 months? ›If you can already play songs hands together it'll take you about 4 months to get good at playing piano by ear. If you're a complete beginner and you've never played a song hands together before, it'll take you about 6 months because you'll need to learn some other skills first.
What is the best website to learn piano? ›
- Flowkey – Foundations for All Ages.
- Playground Sessions – The Popular Music Lover's Pick.
- Pianoforall – All About Improvisation.
- Skoove – Quick Piano Foundations.
- Pianote – Most Teacher Interaction.
- Piano Marvel – A Comprehensive Method for Classical Music Lovers.
- Piano in 21 Days – The Anti-Traditional Method.
- Piano Lessons.
- Pianu.
- Skoove.
- flowkey.
- TakeLessons.
- Piano Nanny.
- HearandPlay.
Now to come to the question: Can you teach yourself piano? Of course, you can. The only problem is that most people will only do their own teaching ever so often, and never really develop or finish any piece of music unless they are highly motivated and disciplined!
Can you trust Simply Piano? ›No, Simply Piano by JoyTunes is not a scam. You will learn how to read notes, play some pop songs and classical pieces, read chords, understand lead sheets, and more.
Is Simply Piano free on Apple? ›- All app users can play two free courses. Upgrade to a premium subscription package at any time. - Subscribers will receive full access to ALL courses. New courses and songs added every month!
Which is better Skoove or Simply Piano? ›Simply Piano
It has a more gamified feel to it than flowkey and Skoove, but it is just as educational. Simply Piano teaches you to play music along with backing tracks and gives you instant feedback on how accurately you played it. It has 2 paths you can follow as you learn: piano solo music or chords.
Kawai ES920 – Best Professional Digital Piano (Under $2,000) Casio PX-870 – Best Home Digital Piano (Under $1,000) Kawai KDP110 – Best Home Digital Piano (Under $1,500) Yamaha CLP-735 – Best Premium Home Digital Piano (Under $3,000)
What is the best piano app to download? ›- Simply Piano. The Simply Piano app has millions of users and is available for Android and Apple devices. ...
- Perfect Piano. Perfect Piano is an 88-key piano simulator for Android systems. ...
- Real Piano Teacher 2. ...
- Flowkey. ...
- Perfect Ear.
Overall, Flowkey is a great introduction to the piano. It is easy to setup so you can start playing piano right away. The user interface is simple and intuitive with a sleek design. Flowkey helps beginners improve reading notation and increases their piano repertoire in a fun and modern way.
Is 40 too old to learn piano? ›“Learning piano has no age limit. In fact, activities like learning piano can stimulate the brain, increasing the ability to recall information. There are physical benefits to learning piano as well. By practicing fine motor skills in your fingers, piano students are keeping the muscles in their hands flexible.
Can a 70 year old learn to play the piano? ›
Learning to play the piano as an adult can be intimidating. Many people limit themselves because they think they are too old or that it's too late to start something new. The good news is, it's never too late to start.
How do I cancel my subscription to piano Academy? ›If you wish to terminate your account, you may do so by deleting the Application from your device and removing the Application from “Your Apps” in the App Center of your Facebook account.
Does Simply Piano have a lifetime membership? ›Simply Piano: Membership
There is no 'lifetime' membership as with some apps, but you do get a free 7-day trial if you give your credit card details over for the 12-month subscription. Just cancel more than 24 hours before the 7 days is up and you can enjoy the rest of the trial without spending anything.
- 2.1 1) Pianote – Best App For Learning Piano.
- 2.2 2) Simply Piano (iOS +Android)
- 2.3 3) Online Pianist – Best App For Learning New Songs.
- 2.4 4) Flowkey – Great All Around App.
- 2.5 5) Piano Maestro – Ages 4+ – Best Piano App For Kids.
Simply Piano is a good app for those who want to learn to play the piano but don't know where to start. The practice is very guided; the app shows you what to practice, forces you to play it slowly if you need to, and doesn't let you move on unless you get it right.
Do you have to pay for Piano Academy? ›- You can subscribe for unlimited access to all features and content offered within Piano Academy. - Watch all premium tutorials, play all premium games, and practice any of the songs, including premium songs, as much as you like from any Apple device and enjoy an ad-free experience.
How do I stop paying for my membership? ›Cancel the subscriptions by emailing the service providers. If this proves elusive then go through your bank statements going back for 12 months. Look out for regular subscriptions that you forgot or are fraudulent. Cancel them via corresponding websites or by emailing the respective companies.
Can a piano be too old to tune? ›Yes, any piano can be tuned after years of no use, as long as it is working condition. Keep in mind, however, that a severely out-of-tune piano will have gotten used to the lowered string tension, and the strings not stay at the correct tension for a longer period of time until it has had several tunings.
How much is a 50 year old upright piano worth? ›...
| Upright Pianos | |
|---|---|
| Years old | Retail |
| Over 50 30-50 20-30 10-20 | $0-$2500 $500-$2000 $3000-$6000 $4000-$8000 |
| Value greatly depends on condition and the make of the piano. | |
The truth is that almost all pianos that are given away for free are not worth the cost of having it moved into your home. If the piano has experienced some of the neglect that has been mentioned above, you may be in for a costly transition to get your 'free' piano to a point where it can operate sufficiently.
How much does JoyTunes cost? ›
| Plan | Price |
|---|---|
| Simply Piano by JoyTunes - Learn & play piano | Free |
| 3 Month Subscription | $59.99/three months |
| 6 Month Subscription | $89.99/six months |
| Yearly Subscription | $119.99/year |