If you're eager to learn how to play piano, you probably already know that there are almost endless online piano lessons out there. Traditional piano lessons certainly have their place, but if you're a busy person with an unpredictable schedule, learning online at your own pace can be a pathway to success.
And if you're ready to start your piano journey, it's vitally important to pick the right piano learning app or website before you begin. To help you make up your mind, we've assembled our picks for the 12 best online piano lessons.
At A Glance: Our Top 5 Picks For Piano Courses
- Most Engaging: Playground Sessions
- Most Versatile: Flowkey
- Best For Serious Players: Piano Marvel
- Best Simple Option: Skoove
- Best Book-Based Lessons: Pianoforall
The Top 12 Best Online Piano Lessons
Model | Rating | Price |
|---|---|---|
Playground Sessions | ||
Flowkey | ||
Piano Marvel | ||
Skoove | ||
Herbie Hancock Masterclass | ||
Pianoforall | ||
Yousician | ||
Pianote | ||
Simply Piano | ||
Pianu | ||
Rocket Piano | ||
Pianokeyz |
Review of our Top Picks
Playground Sessions -- Most Engaging
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Brief Review & Star Rating
Review
Playground Sessions is one of the most talked-about online piano lesson site options out there. It's also a reliable way to learn piano -- especially if your primary goal is playing songs you love. These piano lessons are geared toward new players, as song arrangements are somewhat simple.
It's worth noting that this site has fewer video lessons than most online piano lessons do -- it tends to rely more on instant feedback and song tutorials. It's also worth noting that, while it's relatively affordable, Playground Sessions does not offer a free trial membership option.
Playground Sessions requires you to have a compatible MIDI keyboard or electric piano, so it isn't a site where you can learn with an acoustic piano. But if you like working with an engaging, modern interface and do well when learning feels like a game, Playground Sessions just might be right for you.
Please read our very in-depth Playground Sessions Review and its one to one comparison with other big piano learning apps - Flowkey and Piano Marvel.
Our Star Rating
We think that Playground Sessions is the most engaging site for piano lessons on the list, and we give it five out of five stars.
Flowkey -- Most Versatile
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Flowkey is another online piano lessons site that appears on almost every roundup review. And it's for good reason -- the site has a massive song library and offers focused piano learning programs tailored to a range of learning goals.
One of Flowkey's most useful features is its use of practice modes -- you can start learning in "wait" mode, where the software waits for you to play each note before moving on. You can also learn more complex pieces one hand at a time before putting them together.
While it does somewhat emphasize classical piano, Flowkey is a well-thought-out lesson program with a good balance of learning basic piano skills, learning music theory, and learning songs.
If you want to dig deeper into the features of Flowkey, please read detailed review or its head to head comparison with Playground Sessions, Simply Piano and Skoove.
Our Star Rating
We think Flowkey is the most versatile option for online piano lessons on the list, and we give it five out of five stars.
Piano Marvel -- Best for Serious Players
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If you've done any digging into Piano Marvel, you've probably read about the site's use of the Standard Assessment of Sight Reading test. This is a great tool for serious pianists, but that isn't the only aspect of Piano Marvel that's great for motivated players.
This site has the most rigorous means of assessing players -- rather than just marking each lesson "complete," this site will award you a gold, silver, or bronze virtual trophy based on how well you played the required piece. Though it does place a considerable emphasis on classical music, this site's song library also includes plenty of pop hits.
Please read our detailed review of the Piano Marvel site here along with a full comparison with Playground Sessions.
Our Star Rating
We think that Piano Marvel is the best for serious learners, and we give it five out of five stars.
Skoove -- Best Simple Option
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Skoove is another of the best online piano lesson sites that emphasize popular music while going somewhat light on classical music or on piano music theory. These online piano lessons also seem to take the boldest approach when it comes to learning piano for the first time.
Many programs ease slowly into piano basics, but Skoove effectively takes you through a sampler platter of piano playing -- the beginner course asks you to both improvise and play with both hands. Skoove says it abides by a philosophy of listening, then learning, and then playing, and that philosophy will get you far when you're learning at your own pace without in-person lessons.
Get more details about the features of Skoove and its full comparison with Flowkey in our detailed reviews.
Our Star Rating
Though it may not have all the bells and whistles of some of the best piano lessons, Skoove is nonetheless the best straightforward online piano site. We give it four out of five stars.
Herbie Hancock Masterclass -- Best Non-Traditional Course
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Most of the online piano lessons we've focused on are more traditional learning sites -- that is, they help you develop a learning plan that you then follow at your own pace. But learning to play the piano on your own while at home is sometimes an isolating experience.
And if you're looking for some inspiration, this unique masterclass taught by legendary jazz pianist Herbie Hancock will have you deep in thought about the philosophy of music and your own reasons for playing.
It's worth noting that while this masterclass is full of musical knowledge and philosophy, it likely isn't too suitable for brand new pianists. If you're a beginner, you'll probably get a lot more out of this course after you've taken a few piano lessons already. For more details read our full review on the course here.
Our Star Rating
We think that this unique masterclass provides the best food for musical thought on the list, and we give it four out of five stars.
Pianoforall -- Best Book-Based Piano Lessons
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It may sound odd to describe online piano lessons as being "book-based." But that's probably the best way to describe Pianoforall, an interesting learning site that combines the simplicity of learning from a book with the benefits of online piano courses. This site's learning program uses interactive ebooks. With these books, you can print pages to place on a music stand.
Aside from its somewhat unusual learning format, Pianoforall is a little different from traditional lessons in its emphasis on learning and using chord shapes. And from the first e-book, it encourages improvisation, too. This approach makes it a great choice for players who want to put together their own compositions. Please read our complete Pianoforall review here.
Our Star Rating
We think that Pianoforall has the best online piano courses based around e-books. We give it four out of five stars.
Yousician -- Best Gamified Learning
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If you've started playing guitar, you may already have heard about Yousician's instrumental lessons. This app offers some of the best piano lessons out there if you do well with gamified learning. Most interactive lessons give you practice exercises that offer instant feedback.
A diverse song library lets you learn classical and pop songs (as well as songs from other genres). And when you want to further your learning, you can practice lesson concepts and skills with "missions" and "workouts." Most of these have both practice modes and performance modes. Overall, Yousician is great if you are self-motivated and prefer a game-like approach to learning.
Our Star Rating
We think Yousician offers the best gamified learning experience, and we give it four out of five stars.
Pianote -- Best for More Traditional Learners
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Lots of people love the gamified learning approach that many modern music learning platforms take. But if you'd prefer something more traditional, Pianote might be right for you. This site relies on instructor-led video lessons that get close to the feel of in-person lessons. After watching a video introduction, you then can practice playing along with the instructor. Play-along videos include a metronome, looping, and slow-down features so you can get comfortable with even difficult pieces.
This site also includes live lessons -- you can view an upcoming release schedule and choose lessons you really want to see. Pianote has a small but growing library of song tutorials, and new tutorials are typically added weekly. We like that the site includes a Foundations learning path to give you the skills you need before moving on.
Our Star Rating
We think this is the best program for those who prefer traditional lessons, and we give it four out of five stars.
Simply Piano -- Best App-Only Site
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Right from the start, it's important to note something about Simply Piano -- it is only available in-app format and does not work on computers. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, but if you have trouble navigating smaller screens, it may not be the best for you.
But this learning site might be the best for players who learn the best in game-like situations. Simply Piano does a good job guiding you through practice, and its colorful interface looks a lot like a video game. You can choose from a variety of five-minute workouts if you don't have time for a full practice session.
Simply Piano has a fairly solid curriculum as well. Before you choose to follow the path for solo pianists or the one for more chord-focused players, you'll need to complete a series of lessons introducing you to piano basics. You need to pass a playing assessment on each lesson before moving on to the next, so you'll ensure you build a solid skill set as you progress.
Our Star Rating
We think Simply Piano is the best app-only piano site on the list, and we give it 3.5 out of five stars.
Pianu -- Best for the Casual Learner
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Whether you visit the Pianu site itself or read about it on a professional review website, you'll immediately read that the focus of Pianu is having fun. Pianu is perfect for casual learners -- you can even get started with an onscreen keyboard if you have a device with a touchscreen! Pianu is an affordable site, and even non-members can access their song library (but not the guided tutorials).
Please read our comprehensive review of Painu here.
Our Star Rating
We think Pianu is the best online piano lesson site for casual learners who mostly want to have fun. We give it three out of five stars.
Rocket Piano -- Best Bonuses
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Rocket Piano is another piano site that is based around e-books. It's a great option if you tend to be overwhelmed by sites that offer a huge variety of courses. Rocket Piano has three books -- one for beginner players, one for intermediate players, and one for advanced players.
It also has a relatively manageable amount of content, as it includes less than 60 video lessons and roughly 130 audio files. Plus, when you sign up and pay the relatively low one-time signup cost, you get instant access to learning tools like a metronome, a guide to advanced piano techniques, and more. To find out more details, please go through detailed review of Rocket Piano the Music Ambition team has put up for you.
Our Star Rating
We think that Rocket Piano gives you the best bonus learning tools of any piano learning site on the list. We give it three out of five stars.
PianoKeyz -- Closest to In-Person Lessons
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If the name "PianoKeyz" looks familiar, it might be because you've seen the site's YouTube lessons. Piano teacher Ryan Jones started posting video lessons to YouTube before developing his own PianoKeyz site. The site's online piano lessons are somewhat lacking when it comes to tech features.
However, Ryan is a thorough and effective piano teacher, and his video lessons will show you the score of each song he teaches you to play. The free trial is generous, but be careful -- the only way to get full access is to pay the annual rate, and you will be billed for a year-long membership if you don't cancel the trial in time!
Read our detailed review of the Pianokeyz course review here.
Our Star Rating
We think PianoKeyz gets closest to the feel of taking lessons from an in-person instructor, and we give it 2.5 out of five stars.
Value Guide: What Should You Look For in a Piano Course?
With the seemingly endless online piano lessons out there, it can be tough to pick the right course for you. When choosing your piano lessons, you might want to keep these things in mind.
What Feedback Do You Get?
With most programs -- including Flowkey, Playground Sessions, and Pianu -- you will see the keys on the screen give you instant feedback on the accuracy of your playing. Just about every site lets you track progress in some way, but Playground Sessions and Pianu are two that go the extra mile by letting you earn badges as you make progress.
Sometimes, a piano lesson site does offer the opportunity for additional feedback. Piano Marvel is one of them. In addition to the standard on-screen feedback, Piano Marvel also lets you test your sight reading skills using the Standard Assessment of Sight Reading (SASR) test. If you're very serious about playing piano and want to get better at reading sheet music quickly and accurately, this is a great tool to make use of.
Some courses are more philosophical in nature -- the Herbie Hancock Masterclass is a great example. This course is more designed to provoke thought about playing piano, and it isn't meant to be a standalone lesson program.
Is Your Preferred Genre Covered?
Many people start playing piano because they want to play songs they like. So it makes sense that a lot of piano sites primarily incorporate popular songs. There's nothing wrong with that, but if you have specific genre interests, you might want to try to select piano courses that let you practice them. And in most piano courses, the included song lessons are where you get to develop your genre skills.
Of the sites we've covered, Flowkey probably has the widest collection of genres in its song library. But Pianoforall also gives you the opportunity to take a deep dive into a few less-common genres. One of its e-books focuses on ballads, and there are multiple books focused on playing the blues.How Is Music Theory Taught?
Many piano lessons like to emphasize the fact that they include little theory. And while it's true that many casual piano players probably don't need to really get into much theory, having some sense of the musical concepts behind compositions will make you a better player.
Playground Sessions is especially good at using snippets of popular songs to teach important theoretical concepts. Piano Marvel tends to get a little more into music theory -- that and its optional sight-reading assessments make it a great tool if you want to play at a higher level.
Is Your Piano Compatible?
When learning piano online, you can get valuable feedback by connecting a MIDI or USB keyboard to your computer. Most piano learning sites will also let you follow their lessons with an acoustic piano -- you just don't get the benefit of on-screen feedback.
Skoove and Flowkey are exceptions to this rule -- both have the uncommon feature of letting you use your device microphone to "listen" as you play acoustically. This way, you can get feedback on your playing just as you would with a plugged-in keyboard.
How Extensive Is the Song Library?
One of the most exciting things about using a piano learning app is learning your favorite songs (and some new ones) in the song library. Playground Sessions lets you unlock more song tutorials as you go, but you can also purchase more if you'd like to learn specific songs. Other sites like PianoKeyz have smaller or developing song libraries made primarily of popular songs. Flowkey has a song library that covers an impressive range of genres, but many of its included songs are classical pieces.
Final Thoughts
After diving into all of the online programs above, we can confidently say that we don't think you can go wrong with any one of them. Which one you choose will depend on the music genres you want to focus on, your aspirations as a pianist, and the features you value. That being said, we think the best all-around choice is Flowkey. It has some of the best practice tools, including the ability to practice the left and right-hand parts separately before bringing them together.
We think Playground Sessions is a worthy runner-up -- though you can't use it with an acoustic piano, its gamified approach to learning is a lot of fun, and it's also a considerable advantage if you're easily distracted. And lastly, we think Piano Marvel is a great piano app for those who want to play seriously -- its sight-reading test alone makes it worthy of a look.