You've seen the ads. A bright, colorful interface, a catchy pop song, and a person magically playing complex chords within thirty seconds. It looks effortless. It looks like a video game. But if you’re sitting there with a dusty keyboard or a brand-new digital piano, wondering if is Simply Piano worth it, you’re likely looking for more than just a marketing pitch. You want to know if this app actually builds musicianship or if it's just Guitar Hero for people who own a Yamaha.
Learning an instrument is hard. Period. There is no magical app that bypasses the physical reality of building muscle memory in your fingers. However, the way we digest information has changed. Most people quit piano because the first six months are a boring slog of scales and "Mary Had a Little Lamb." Joy Tunes, the creators of Simply Piano, bet everything on the idea that if you make the beginning fun, people will actually stick around.
Honestly, they aren't entirely wrong. But there are some massive caveats that most "influencer" reviews conveniently leave out.
The Gamification Trap: Is it Real Learning?
The core of Simply Piano is its "Acoustic Check" or MIDI connection. It listens to you play. If you hit the right note, it turns green. If you miss, it turns red. It’s addictive. You find yourself chasing the green notes like a dopamine-starved lab rat. This is great for initial engagement. You'll learn where Middle C is faster than you would with a dusty 1950s pedagogy book.
But here is the catch.
Music isn't just about hitting the right key at the right time. It's about how you hit the key. Simply Piano, for all its technological wizardry, cannot tell if your wrists are as stiff as a board. It doesn't know if you're using "sticky fingers" or if your posture is going to give you carpal tunnel in three weeks. This is the primary reason many traditional teachers loathe these apps. They see students who can "play" the notes but have zero technique, dynamics, or soul.
Does that make it worthless? No. It just means you have to be smarter than the app.
Why the MIDI Connection Changes Everything
If you are using the app’s microphone to pick up the sound of your piano, you are going to get frustrated. It's glitchy. Background noise, a barking dog, or even the resonance of the piano itself can trick the app. If you really want to see if is Simply Piano worth it, you need to plug in via a MIDI cable.
When you use a USB-MIDI connection, the communication is instant. No lag. No missed notes because the mic didn't "hear" your F-sharp. It transforms the experience from a frustrating toy into a legitimate practice tool. If you're serious, buy the $15 adapter. It's the difference between progress and a headache.
The Curriculum: From "Do Re Mi" to Adele
The app is structured into "journeys." You’ve got the Soloist path and the Chords path. This is actually a very clever bit of instructional design. Most traditional methods force you down one road: reading sheet music. But let’s be real—a lot of people just want to play "Someone Like You" at a party.
The Chord path teaches you how to read lead sheets. You learn the shapes of C Major, G Major, and F Major. Within a few days, you can actually play along with real songs. This is a massive psychological win. It keeps you coming back.
On the other hand, the Soloist path focuses on sight-reading. It gradually introduces notes on the staff. It’s methodical. It’s effective for what it is. But—and this is a big "but"—it moves fast. Sometimes too fast. You might find yourself "passing" a level because you memorized the rhythm of the bouncing ball, not because you actually learned to read the music.
The Cost Factor: A Business Perspective
Is it cheap? Relative to a private teacher, yes. A private instructor will run you anywhere from $30 to $100 per hour. Simply Piano costs about the price of two or three private lessons for an entire year of access.
From a "return on investment" standpoint, the value is objectively high. You get a massive library of licensed music. You get structured lessons that you can do at 2 AM in your pajamas. For a busy adult or a parent with a kid who has a short attention span, that flexibility is worth its weight in gold.
However, "cheap" doesn't always mean "good value" if you don't use it. The subscription model relies on you forgetting you're paying for it. If you aren't putting in at least twenty minutes a day, you're just donating money to Joy Tunes.
What's Missing? The "Hidden" Flaws
Let’s talk about the things Simply Piano isn't telling you.
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First, there is the lack of theory. You’ll learn what to play, but rarely why you are playing it. You won't learn much about the circle of fifths, counterpoint, or why a Minor 7th chord feels "sad." It's a very "paint-by-numbers" approach.
Second, the feedback is binary. Right or wrong. Piano playing is a spectrum. A teacher will tell you, "Hey, that phrase should be more delicate," or "You're rushing the bridge." Simply Piano just wants the note. This can lead to a very mechanical, robotic playing style.
Third, the song library is great, but the arrangements are simplified. That's fine for beginners, but eventually, you'll want the "real" version of a Chopin Nocturne. Simply Piano's versions are often stripped-down skeletons.
Is Simply Piano Worth It for Kids?
This is where the app shines. For a seven-year-old, a traditional piano lesson can feel like a chore. Simply Piano feels like an iPad game. If the choice is "The child plays zero piano" or "The child plays Simply Piano for 20 minutes," the app wins every time.
It builds a positive association with the instrument. It gets them through the initial "hump" of finger coordination. But, a word of caution: if they show real talent, get them a teacher. An app cannot mentor a child. It cannot inspire them with stories of the great composers or adjust their hand position to prevent long-term injury.
The Verdict for Adults
If you're an adult beginner, is Simply Piano worth it?
Yes, if you use it as a supplement.
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Think of it like Duolingo for piano. Duolingo won't make you a poetic master of the French language, but it will help you order a croissant without embarrassing yourself. Simply Piano will get you playing songs. It will get your fingers moving. It will teach you the basics of the staff.
But if you want to be a "pianist," you eventually have to leave the app behind. You have to look at real sheet music that doesn't have a bouncing ball guiding you. You have to listen to your own tone without a backing track hiding your mistakes.
How to actually succeed with the app:
- Get a MIDI cable. Don't rely on the microphone. Just don't.
- Turn off the "scrolling" mode occasionally. Try to read the static sheet music so your brain doesn't become dependent on the movement.
- Supplement with YouTube. Watch videos on "Piano Technique" and "Posture" to make up for the app's lack of physical feedback. Graham Fitch or Josh Wright are excellent resources for this.
- Practice without the app. Once you "learn" a song in the app, close the iPad. Try to play it from memory or from the printed sheet. If you can't, you didn't actually learn the song; you just learned to react to the screen.
- Set a timer. Don't play until you're tired; play for a consistent 20 minutes. Consistency beats intensity every single time in music.
The reality is that Simply Piano is a tool, not a teacher. It is an exceptionally well-built tool that makes the hardest part of music—the beginning—accessible to everyone. If you go into it with the understanding that it’s a starting point and not a finish line, it’s one of the best investments you can make in your musical journey. Just remember to keep your wrists loose and actually listen to the sound you're making, not just the "ding" of a correct note.