A closer look at the piano.
Guide updated
Play a free 88-key online piano in 3D, with sampled sound, touch dynamics, sustain and recording. Choose Classic for a compact two-octave keyboard.
Every key of the 3D piano plays its own pitch, from A0 to C8. Play close-up enlarges a section of the keyboard, with lower/higher range controls. Classic view keeps 24 notes from C4 to B5 and its two phone octave choices.
Play your next noteHow do I play the online piano?
In 3D view, choose Play to tap, strum, or glide across a playing surface. Hold keys or wind surfaces to sustain a note. Choose Rotate to inspect the model; scroll or pinch to zoom. Use the labeled note controls or computer keys for chords and the full range. Classic view provides the original illustrated playing surface. Click or touch a key, or glide across several keys. Multiple touches and computer keys can sound together. Every note is also available in the labeled keyboard controls below the instrument.
What sounds does the virtual piano use?
Play a Yamaha C5 grand piano recorded at three strike strengths. Soft, Natural and Bold choose genuinely different recordings, with natural stereo decay and overlapping voices. Thirty recorded pitches cover A0–C8; the 88 keys use their nearest recording, at most one semitone away. Salamander Grand Piano v3 recordings by Alexander Holm, used under CC BY 3.0.
Audio & tune creditsTurn a broken chord into a block chord
Play C, E and G as a rising sequence with a higher C, then bring the lower three notes together. Compare melodic movement with a chord.
Starting tempo: 60 BPM. Use Keep the beat for a steady pulse.
- 1C4 (Z)
- 2E4 (C)
- 3G4 (B)
- 4C5 (Q)
- 5Release and rest
- 6C4 + E4 + G4
- 7Keep holding the chord
- 8Release and rest
- Start with clear releases
Set Sustain to Off. Locate Z, C, B and Q in the labeled keyboard controls, then start Keep the beat at 60 BPM with four beats per bar.
- Play the sequence and chord
Play Z, C, B and Q separately on beats 1 to 4. Rest on beat 5. Press Z, C and B together on beat 6, hold through beat 7, then release.
- Compare the sustain control
Repeat with Sustain On, releasing your fingers at the same places. Turn Sustain Off at the end to hear how it changes the tails of released notes.
Try next: Return Sustain to Off and repeat with Soft, then Bold touch. Keep the rhythm fixed while comparing the piano recordings used for the two strike strengths.
How do I record the piano in Resonant?
- Choose your playing controls
Choose Play in 3D view or switch to Classic. Tap a playing surface, use the labeled note controls, or press a computer-key shortcut to enable sound.
- Record your idea
Press Record above the instrument, then play your phrase. This records studio audio without using your microphone. Each take can last up to five minutes.
- Listen and keep a copy
Press Stop, open Recordings, and listen to the take. Choose Download WAV or Original audio to keep a file. Saved takes stay on this device; clearing browser storage removes them.
A few useful notes about the piano
How do I play a piano chord with my computer keyboard?
Hold Z, C, and B together to play C4, E4, and G4, a C major chord. On a touch screen, press separate keys in 3D Play mode or Classic view, or use the labeled note controls. In 3D Rotate mode, two fingers control zoom instead.
Why does Classic piano show one octave on my phone?
Classic view on phones shows one octave at a time to keep keys easy to touch. Use the octave selector to switch between C4–B4 and C5–B5. Both octaves remain available in the labeled keyboard controls below the instrument.