Piano! Support & Help Center
Need assistance, have a feature request, or want to report an issue? Find quick troubleshooting guides and direct help below.
Quick Start Guide
Plug in MIDI Keyboard
Plug your controller into any USB port or connect via Bluetooth. Piano! detects it instantly with a green connection light in the toolbar.
Play with Mac Keyboard
No external hardware needed. Use A S D F G H J K L for white keys and W E T Y U O P for black keys.
Switch Sound Banks
Click the sound selector in the toolbar to toggle between the Yamaha Concert Grand, Steinway Model C, or crisp Studio Grand.
Customize Your View
Select 2, 3, 4, or 5 octaves to fit your screen perfectly. Slide octaves smoothly with arrow keys or the mini 88-key strip.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q:Why do I not hear any audio when pressing keys?
First, verify that your Mac's master volume is turned up and not muted. Next, check System Settings → Sound → Output to confirm that audio is directed to your internal speakers or chosen audio interface. If using an external USB interface or headphones, ensure they are recognized by macOS.
Q:How do I connect a Bluetooth MIDI controller?
To connect a wireless Bluetooth MIDI keyboard on macOS: Open Spotlight (Cmd + Space), type 'Audio MIDI Setup', and press Enter. In the menu bar, choose Window → Show MIDI Studio. Click the Bluetooth icon in the toolbar, put your controller into pairing mode, and click 'Connect'. Piano! will immediately detect it with zero restart needed.
Q:How do I play using my Mac's typing keyboard?
Click on the Piano! window to make sure it is focused. Your home row keys (A, S, D, F, G, H, J, K, L) trigger the white keys, while the upper row (W, E, T, Y, U, O, P) trigger the black accidentals (sharps and flats). You can toggle on-screen shortcut labels by clicking the Settings gear or shortcut icon in the toolbar.
Q:How does the sustain pedal work?
You have three convenient ways to sustain notes: 1) Click the Sustain Latch icon in the top toolbar to keep all notes sustained automatically; 2) Hold down the Spacebar on your Mac keyboard while playing for temporary pedal action; or 3) Plug in any standard hardware damper pedal sending standard MIDI CC 64 via your keyboard controller.
Q:Is there latency or audio lag when playing?
Piano! uses native macOS AudioUnit low-latency engines that operate with sub-millisecond audio buffers. If you experience latency, make sure you aren't routing audio through virtual software bridges or airplay devices with large buffers. Directly connected USB controllers and wired speakers/headphones provide the tightest response.
Q:What are the minimum system requirements?
Piano! requires macOS 13.0 (Ventura) or later. It is built as a native Universal Binary, running at peak efficiency on Apple Silicon (M1, M2, M3, M4) as well as Intel Core Macs.
Q:Is Piano! really 100% free?
Yes! Piano! is a free creative utility built by Ryan Drean. There are zero ads, zero subscriptions, zero in-app purchases, and no data tracking. Use it for your own songwriting, practicing, or recording workflows.
Need Direct Assistance or Want to Suggest a Feature?
I read every message and am constantly improving the app. Whether you found a glitch, want another sound bank, or have workflow ideas, don't hesitate to get in touch.
CHANGELOGVersion History
- Three authentic acoustic concert grand sound banks (Yamaha, Steinway, Studio Grand).
- CoreMIDI auto-detection for USB and Bluetooth MIDI keyboards.
- Interactive computer keyboard typing playback mapping.
- Toggleable note pitch labels (C, D, E...) on keys.
- Configurable 2, 3, 4, or 5-octave viewports with smooth 88-key mini navigator.
- 100% Fixed Practice Velocity mode & Dynamic Touch Velocity mode.
- Toolbar sustain pedal latch, Spacebar temporary pedal, and CC 64 damper pedal input.
- 6 peaceful accent color themes: Sunset Orange, Peaceful Blue, Forest Green, Blush Pink, Lavender, and Muted Slate.