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Plug in a MIDI keyboard and play.

A Windows app for the USB piano you already own. Nothing is locked.

Download for Windows Read the source

What it is

A workspace for the piano you own.

Keys
The Keys Play view: a shelf of presets, an instrument browser, a sound panel showing a 3 millisecond buffer in WASAPI exclusive mode, and an 88 key keyboard along the bottom.
Keys
The Keys Play view: a shelf of presets, an instrument browser, a sound panel showing a 3 millisecond buffer in WASAPI exclusive mode, and an 88 key keyboard along the bottom.
Version
v0.8.3
Releases
15 tagged releases
Platform
Windows
Stack
Python · MIDI · Windows
License
MIT
Built with
Python 3.11, FluidSynth, a browser interface
Bundled
FluidSynth (LGPL 2.1), Verovio (LGPL 3.0) and the GeneralUser GS SoundFont, each under its own terms

About the 3 ms

3 milliseconds is the audio buffer in WASAPI exclusive mode, at 144 samples, checked on real hardware. That mode is off by default. Shared mode runs at about 10 milliseconds. Software cannot measure the full path from key press to ear.

What it does

Built for practice at your own pace.

  • Splits and layers

    Bass under one hand, piano under the other.

  • A loop station

    Five layers, locked to the bar line.

  • A note roll and sheet music

    Import MusicXML or a MIDI file.

  • Follow a song at your own pace

    It waits at each chord.

  • Chords and scales

    13 modes and 24 chord qualities.

  • Exercises and sight reading

    Weighted toward notes you miss.

  • A metronome on the audio clock

    It cannot drift against the sound.

  • A practice clock that counts playing

    Streaks, a calendar and a key heatmap.

  • Local first

    No account, no telemetry. Only a backing track uses the network.

  • Eleven themes

    One is a daylight theme.

Get it

Download, extract, run.

  1. Download

    Get the zip

    Keys-0.8.3-win-x64.zip, from the latest release. Nothing else to install.

  2. Extract

    Give it a folder of its own

    A new, empty one. Updates rewrite it.

  3. Run

    Start Keys.exe

    Plug in a class compliant USB MIDI keyboard.

Unsigned build

The build is not code signed, so SmartScreen warns on first run. Choose More info, then Run anyway.

Updates run only when you ask, and leave %LOCALAPPDATA%\Keys untouched. Running from source needs Python 3.11 or 3.12, FluidSynth 2.x and a SoundFont.

Download for Windows View on GitHub

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