In this post we’ll look at online piano teaching solutions catering to both of these learning styles. Below is a brief summary of each piano learning app or resource included in this post.
- Playground Sessions – A modern, interactive piano learning app with lessons taught by world-class piano instructors
- Pianoforall – The best keyboard method for sounding impressive within days
- Flowkey – Play your favorite songs from day one
- Skoove – A beginner-friendly piano learning app with one-on-one support from real teachers
- Piano Marvel – Gamified online piano lessons for kids of all ages
- Pianu – An introductory-level online piano course that looks and feels like playing a video game
- Herbie Hancock Teaches Jazz (MasterClass) – An intermediate- to advanced-level jazz piano course taught by a jazz icon
- ArtistWorks – Affordable one-to-one video exchange lessons with world-renowned music artists
- Udemy – A wide selection of free and premium online piano and keyboard courses for kids and adults
- Skillshare – An affordable subscription-based online learning platform with a selection of piano and keyboard courses
- Wyzant – Private online piano lessons for kids and adults
- LinkedIn Learning – A subscription-based learning platform with a large selection of high-quality video courses
How much do online piano lessons cost?
Most online piano learning apps charge a subscription fee, with typical rates ranging from $14-$20 per month.
Typical rates for virtual piano lessons via Zoom or Skype are $30-$60 per lesson.
Benefits of virtual piano lessons for kids and teenagers
Apart from being the most affordable and convenient way to learn piano, online piano learning software has several other advantages:
- The “gamification” and progress-tracking elements in many modern piano learning apps make online piano lessons feel like a video game. This motivates students – especially kids and teenagers – to practice more often.
- Unlike free platforms like YouTube, piano learning apps present lessons in a logical order, teaching students proper piano technique and moving them from Point A to Point B as efficiently as possible. They also include interactive elements to aid memorization and make learning more fun.
- Virtual piano lessons can be used in combination with in-person private lessons to encourage rapid advancement of skills, or to aid busy music teachers in creating an effective lesson plan.
Beginner keyboards and digital pianos with a USB connection
Many types of online piano lessons require a USB-MIDI connection. If you need a digital piano or keyboard, see the list below for affordable, high-quality choices for new piano players.
- Alesis Recital Pro digital piano – includes three months of Skoove premium subscription (see Skoove review below)
- Playground Sessions PG-150 keyboard with headphones and a Playground Sessions learning subscription – starting from $129.99 (save $288)
- Yamaha P-45 digital piano
- Casio PX-S1000 digital piano
- Yamaha YDP-103 digital piano
The list: The best online piano lessons for kids and adults
Playground Sessions
A modern, interactive piano learning app with lessons taught by world-class piano instructors
- Suitable for kids ages 7 and up, teenagers, and adults
- Skill level: Beginner to advanced
- Compatible systems: PC, Mac, iPad
- Price: $17.99 per month, $9.99 per month for an annual membership, or $289.99 for a lifetime membership
- Free plan available: No; however, there is a free seven-day trial
- Refund policy: 30 days
Co-created by the legendary Quincy Jones, all-time most-nominated Grammy artist and “Thriller” producer, Playground Sessions is a piano learning app designed to take students from beginner to advanced skill level using fully interactive step-by-step lessons: When you play the right note, it turns green, and when you play the wrong note, it turns red.
Playground Sessions boasts a roster of several world-class piano instructors, including Harry Connick, Jr., who teach you how to play the piano through a series of fun and engaging videos – from fundamentals like reading music, through more advanced topics like jazz and improvisation.
The app works a lot like a video game: You level up as you make progress and learn to play full songs by your favorite artists along with backing tracks. The app contains plenty of gamification elements to help you stay motivated, including mini games, scores, badges, and progress charts.
To use the app, all you need to do is download the software, connect a USB or MIDI keyboard, and start playing.
Bottom line: Playground Sessions is one of the most comprehensive and modern piano teaching tools available for children and adult learners of all skill levels. Mike Garson, who played keyboard with David Bowie, calls Playground Sessions the “best learning tool I’ve ever seen.” If you need a keyboard, Playground Sessions also offers a selection of keyboard and subscription bundles, optimized for use with the software, at introductory prices.
Pianoforall
The best keyboard method for sounding impressive within days
- Suitable for teenagers and adults
- Skill level: Beginner to intermediate
- Compatible systems: Any device (no MIDI connection required)
- Price: One-time payment of $79 for instant download, or $89 for instant download plus DVD
- Free plan available: No
- Refund policy: Yes
This keyboard course is designed to make you sound like you know what you’re doing – faster than any other teaching method. With the course’s emphasis on rapid advancement, you can sound good within days, with just 20 to 30 minutes of practice each day.
As a former classical piano student, I remember feeling completely out of my element when I sat down at a piano without any sheet music. I couldn’t play anything unless I had spent many hours memorizing it. I had no idea how to improvise tunes or even play a simple accompaniment. After all the time I had spent practicing, it was a bit demoralizing. I know many classical pianists share this experience.
The Pianoforall training method is designed to fix that problem. It teaches you the secrets of pro keyboard players who can play by ear and improvise great-sounding songs on the fly across a broad range of musical styles. The course focuses heavily on chords, the building blocks of improvisation. Check out the video above for an inspiring demonstration.
Pianoforall covers a wide range of musical genres, including pop, jazz, blues, ragtime, ballads, and classical. You’ll start by learning rhythm-style piano in the vein of iconic artists like Lennon–McCartney and Elton John. As you progress step-by-step through the training, you’ll learn how to play by ear as well as read music. Most importantly, you’ll learn how to improvise and create your own melodies.
The Pianoforall training is delivered differently than some of the more “techie” options in this list. You won’t need to plug in a MIDI keyboard. Instead, you simply download the training on your device and watch it offline. The course material includes 200 video lessons, nine interactive e-books, and 500 embedded audios.
Unlike many online piano lessons, Pianoforall doesn’t charge a monthly fee – you get lifetime access with a one-time payment. The course also comes with support: You can contact the course creator with any questions you have, or to receive a critique on your progress.
Bottom line: Pianoforall is the best piano training system for teenagers and adults who have a short attention span or less time to practice, or who want to reach an intermediate skill level quickly and impress all their friends. It’s also a great option for teenagers who want to play keyboard in a band. I’d also recommend it to fellow classical pianists who learned everything by rote and have no idea how to improvise.
Flowkey
Play your favorite songs from day one
- Suitable for younger kids, teenagers, and adults
- Skill level: Beginner to advanced
- Compatible systems: PC, Mac, iOS, Android, Windows tablets (MIDI device optional)
- Price: $19.99 USD/EUR per month, $119.88 USD/EUR per year, $329.99 USD/EUR for a lifetime membership
- Free plan available: Yes; plus free seven-day trial of premium membership on mobile app
This piano teaching app, developed in cooperation with Yamaha, motivates children to practice by giving them a way to easily teach themselves their favorite songs, starting from day one. Students can choose form a catalog of over 1,500 songs across every genre and skill level.
Flowkey uses a combination of step-by-step video tutorials and interactive sheet music: You watch an expert play a real piano, while following along with the sheet music on screen. You can loop specific sections of the videos or play them back at reduced speed.
Unlike several of the other options here, Flowkey doesn’t require a MIDI connection to work, so you can use it with any keyboard or piano. The app picks up sound via your device’s microphone and waits for you to hit the right notes, providing instant visual feedback and tracking your progress.
In addition to its library of songs, Flowkey includes easy tutorials on music theory, chords, accompaniments, and proper piano technique. You’ll learn both how to read music and play by ear.
Flowkey offers a free basic version of its online piano training that you can use for as long as you want, which gives you access to eight free songs and most of the first exercises of the courses. You can get set up in just two minutes, no credit card required, and give it a try.
Bottom line: Flowkey is a fun online piano teaching tool that motivates children to practice by teaching them to play their favorite songs from day one. It’s also an excellent choice for students who own a piano without a MIDI connection. Setup is quick and you can get started for free, making Flowkey one of the easiest piano teaching tools to get started with.
Skoove
A beginner-friendly piano learning app with one-on-one support from real teachers
- Suitable for younger kids, teenagers, and adults
- Skill level: Beginner to advanced
- Compatible systems: PC, Mac, iOS (MIDI device optional)
- Price: $19.99 per month, $13.99 per month for a three-month plan, or $9.99 per month for an annual plan
- Free plan available: Yes; plus free seven-day trial of premium membership
- Refund policy: 14 days
Skoove bills itself as a more beginner-friendly alternative to Flowkey. The app matches its online piano lessons to your skill level. Its catalog includes a range of musical genres, from classical music to hits from top artists like the Beatles, John Legend, Coldplay, and Adele. You can play songs solo or with a backing track that simulates a full band.
Along with its song catalog, Skoove includes online interactive piano tutorials and in-depth courses. You’ll learn both how to read music and play by ear, as well as how to compose your own melodies and improvise.
Using your device’s microphone or an optional USB/MIDI connection, Skoove listens to the notes you’re playing, indicating when you play the right or wrong notes. Its artificial intelligence gives you real-time suggestions for improvement.
In addition to its cutting-edge piano training technology, Skoove offers one-on-one support with real piano instructors who are on hand to answer any questions you have.
The premium version of the software includes 400 online piano lessons, one-on-one support from music instructors, and special courses. Sign up here for a free seven-day trial of the premium plan.
Skoove also has a free plan (no credit card required) that you can use for an unlimited amount of time, which includes 25 piano lessons.
Bottom line: Skoove is a beginner-friendly piano learning app suitable for students with no former musical experience, who will benefit from Skoove’s one-on-one support with real piano instructors. Also, because it doesn’t require a MIDI connection, Skoove is a good choice for students practicing on an acoustic piano.
Piano Marvel
Gamified online piano lessons for kids of all ages
- Suitable for kids ages 5 and up, teenagers, and adults
- Skill level: Beginner to advanced
- Compatible systems: PC, Mac, iPad (MIDI device optional but recommended)
- Price: $15.99 per month, or $9.25 per month billed annually
- Free plan available: Yes
Piano Marvel is online piano education software designed by professional piano teachers and used by music schools and universities around the world. It can be used with or without guidance from a piano teacher.
The software gamifies the learning experience by awarding you trophies, which are bronze, silver, or gold based on your performance. Notes turn green when you play them right, and red when you play them wrong. The app then assesses your performance based on your keystrokes and timing and gives you instant feedback. The goal is to get the highest score you can before you move on to the next piece.
As you progress through the lessons, you fill up a virtual trophy case. The app is integrated with Facebook and Twitter, so you can share your trophies online to celebrate your progress.
Piano Marvel includes a song library with thousands of songs, from classical music to pop hits, that you can play along with accompaniment. You can also print scores and upload your own music. In addition to the songs, there are plenty of video tutorials, interactive exercises, and hundreds of other features. You’ll learn the fundamentals of proper piano technique, such as scales, chords, arpeggios, and cadences, as well as sight reading and ear training.
The app tracks your practice streaks to motivate you to practice more often. It also includes a time tracking feature for teachers and parents who want to monitor their children’s progress.
To use all of Piano Marvel’s features, you’ll need a MIDI-enabled piano or keyboard. If you have an acoustic piano, you can use Piano Marvel in Book Mode.
A free Piano Marvel account gives you access to over 25,000 songs and exercises, sight reading tests, reports, progress tracking, and more. With a premium plan, you’ll unlock thousands of additional songs and exercises.
Bottom line: With its heavy emphasis on gamification, Piano Marvel offers the perfect online piano lessons for kids and adults who enjoy a video game-like learning environment. Some music teachers report that their students learn 8 to 10 times faster using Piano Marvel.
Pianu
An introductory-level online piano course that looks and feels like playing a video game
- Suitable for kids of all ages, teenagers, and adults
- Skill level: Beginner
- Compatible systems: PC, Mac
- Price: $14 per month, $35 for a three-month plan, $56 for a six-month plan, $100 for an annual plan, or $275 for a lifetime subscription
- Free plan available: Yes
Pianu is an online piano course that motivates you to learn piano faster because it feels like playing a video game. Their Academy includes 20 interactive online piano lessons that are designed to be the equivalent of a year of introductory piano lessons. You’ll learn how to read music, construct chords, and play your favorite songs.
On completion of each lesson, you’re awarded a badge with a fun name like Major Chord Conqueror, Bass Clef Boss, Scale Superstar, and Meter Marvel. Your goal is to collect all 20 badges as you progress to the Piano Master badge.
Pianu includes an impressive song catalog spanning a wide range classical and contemporary music, with plenty of material that will appeal to kids and teenagers – for example, electronic, rap, hip-hop, pop, jazz, rock, and folk. There’s a good selection of movie and TV theme music as well video game classics from games like Final Fantasy X, The Legend of Zelda, and Super Mario Bros. They also include a song category especially for younger kids. New songs are added to the library every week. You can even upload your own MIDI files and play along.
It’s completely free to play all the songs on Pianu, and the app works with any MIDI keyboard. With the Pro plan, you’ll get access to 20 interactive lessons, the ability to earn badges, and guided technique training. Discounted plans are available for educational institutions.
Bottom line: Pianu is a fun introductory-level piano course that will appeal to kids and teenagers because of its game-like design and wide selection of popular musical styles. With its free plan that includes access to the entire song library, it’s also a good choice for students who have a basic foundation in piano.
Herbie Hancock Teaches Jazz (MasterClass)
An intermediate- to advanced-level jazz piano course taught by a jazz icon
- Suitable for teenagers and adults
- Skill level: Intermediate to advanced
- Compatible systems: Any device (no MIDI connection required)
- Price: $180 per year
- Free plan available: No
- Refund policy: 30 days
MasterClass offers over 100 online classes taught by the some of the best minds in the world. You can learn cooking, filmmaking, singing, writing, investigative journalism – even space exploration (from Chris Hadfield, no less!).
The site also has an impressive offering of music-related courses taught by artists like Hans Zimmer, deadmau5, Danny Elfman, and Christina Aguilera.
Herbie Hancock Teaches Jazz is a masterclass on the fundamentals of piano playing by piano and keyboard icon Herbie Hancock, writer of the jazz standard “Watermelon Man.” The class includes 25 video lessons with a total runtime of four hours and 23 minutes. You’ll learn tips for improvising, composing, and developing your own sound. The course also includes 10+ original piano transcriptions.
An annual membership to MasterClass gives you access to the entire catalog of 100+ classes on the site, plus any classes that launch during your subscription.
Each masterclass has an average of 20 video lessons, with an average of 10 minutes per lesson. There’s a downloadable workbook included with each class. With your subscription, you also get access to the community of other MasterClass members.
Bottom line: With a total runtime of four hours and 23 minutes, this course is ideal for intermediate- to advanced-level jazz enthusiasts who want to add some new skills to their repertoire without making a huge time commitment.
ArtistWorks
Affordable one-to-one video exchange lessons with world-renowned music artists
- Suitable for kids, teenagers, and adults
- Skill level: Beginner to advanced
- Compatible systems: Any device (no MIDI connection required)
- Price: $105 for a three-month plan, $179 for a six-month plan, or $279 for an annual plan
- Free plan available: No; however, there are free sample lessons
- Refund policy: No
ArtistWorks is an online music education platform with 35+ self-paced online music courses that teach a variety of instruments, including piano, guitar, voice, ukulele, world percussion, saxophone, and many others. Each instrument has its own massive library of video lessons covering the fundamentals of playing that instrument, as well as advanced techniques. The lessons are created by masters of their craft, including Grammy award winners and other top talent.
Currently, the available piano courses on ArtistWorks include Classical Piano (a piano course targeted to kids) with renowned pianist Christie Peery, Popular Piano with sought-after accompanist and soloist Hugh Sung, and Jazz Piano with Grammy-winning jazz player George Whitty. Each course contains hundreds of video lessons that are accessible via any device.
ArtistWorks takes a different approach to training than the other online piano lessons in this list, called the Video Exchange Learning® system. Lessons are delivered in video format, and you can slow them down or loop them to help you practice difficult passages. When you have a question, you can upload a video of yourself practicing and submit it directly to your world-renowned instructor. Then, within a day or two, you’ll receive a video recording with their feedback. These recordings are also added to the site archive so other students in your “school” can view and learn from them.
As an ArtistWorks student, you’ll also get access to an online community of peers where you can share your music for critique, collaborate with other musicians, and make new friends.
Bottom line: ArtistWorks is a good choice for kids and adults who want the option of interacting directly with a music teacher and receiving feedback on their progress. Additionally, its online community and collaboration opportunities with other musicians makes ArtistWorks the right fit for students who prefer a more social learning experience.
Udemy
A wide selection of free and premium online piano and keyboard courses for kids and adults
- Suitable for kids, teenagers, and adults
- Skill level: Beginner
- Compatible systems: Any device (no MIDI connection required)
- Price: Free to $200 per course
- Free plan available: Yes (the site has many free courses)
- Refund policy: 30 days
Udemy is one of my absolute favorite sources of affordable online courses, as I recently wrote about in my list of the best online music production courses. They have over 130,000 free and premium video courses that teach almost everything you can imagine.
At the time of this writing, they have almost 5,000 music-related courses – on subjects as varied as EDM music production, djembe, and traditional sean nós singing.
Udemy’s main demographic is adult learners; however, some of the instructors on the site have created their courses specifically for kids. The website has a robust search feature to help you find exactly what you’re looking for.
Anyone can sign up and teach a course on Udemy, so this site could be a good source of passive income if you’re a skilled teacher. Students on Udemy are prompted to leave reviews for courses, making it easy to filter for the highest-quality content.
In every course, there’s a Q&A section where you can discuss the course material with your instructor and classmates. You can also send a private message to your instructor. In my experience, most instructors are good about answering questions in a timely manner.
Here are just a few of the beginner piano and keyboard courses currently on Udemy:
- Easy Piano for Kids – Complete Beginner Piano Course
- The Complete Piano & Music Theory Beginners Course
- Jazz Piano – Ultimate Beginners Course for Piano & Keyboard
- Ultimate Piano Chords Course – for Piano & Keyboard
- An Accelerated Piano Course for Beginners – Piano Lessons
- Blues Piano Lessons! A Course in Blues Piano & Improvisation
Bottom line: Udemy is the biggest and best online course marketplace, and when it comes to the variety of music courses, they’ve really stepped up their game in the past couple of years. With their wide selection of free and premium piano and keyboard courses, Udemy is a great place to check first if you’re looking for something very specific, such as a jazz or blues piano course. (It’s also a great place to look if you want to learn anything else – no matter how obscure you think it might be!)
Skillshare
An affordable subscription-based online learning platform with a selection of piano and keyboard courses
- Suitable for kids, teenagers, and adults
- Skill level: Beginner to advanced
- Compatible systems: Any device (no MIDI connection required)
- Price: $19 per month, or $99 per year
- Free plan available: Yes (the site includes some free courses); plus free seven-day trial of premium membership
- Refund policy: Seven days
Skillshare is a popular online learning marketplace that gives you access to thousands of video courses across a wide range of subject areas. It works similar to Udemy in that students are encouraged to leave reviews on courses.
Although Skillshare is generally targeted to an adult demographic, you can also find courses on the platform that are created specifically for children. Additionally, many of the beginner-level courses are suitable for younger learners.
Here are a few of the piano and keyboard courses currently available on Skillshare:
- Intro to Improvisation – Fundamentals for Creating Music on the Spot
- Music Composition With the Piano
- Baffled by Piano Chords? Use My ‘Shapes Shortcut’ to Easily Learn 100’s in 1 Day and Get Playing
- Piano Lessons for Beatmakers and Music Producers
- Learn Piano in 30 Days with 8+ Hours Piano Video Instruction
Bottom line: With its affordable subscription-based pricing and decent selection of online piano and keyboard courses, Skillshare will appeal to online course junkies. Skillshare offers a free seven-day trial that gives you unlimited access to all their classes.
Wyzant
Private online piano lessons for kids and adults
- Suitable for elementary-age kids, teenagers, and adults
- Skill level: Beginner to advanced
- Compatible systems: Any device (no MIDI connection required)
- Price: Tutors set their own prices – typical rates are $30-$50 an hour
- Free plan available: No
Wyzant is a tutoring website that connects students with tutors in a huge range of subject areas. You can either take lessons online, or in person, if there are available tutors in your area. I found Wyzant when I was looking for a flute instructor, and I was impressed with the number of qualified tutors on the site. Students can leave a review about their experience with a tutor, making it easy to find a good fit.
When you arrive on the site, you’ll be prompted to select your age range (elementary, middle school, high school, college, or adult). Then you’ll select your preferred time for lessons and the amount of tutoring sessions you need.
Many of the tutors on Wyzant have plenty of experience teaching children. When I did a quick search, I found a whopping 436 piano tutors for elementary-aged kids.
Bottom line: Wyzant is the best choice for students of all ages who want to work one-on-one with an accomplished piano instructor. Many tutors on the site have experience teaching young children, making Wyzant a great choice for online piano lessons for kids.
LinkedIn Learning
A subscription-based learning platform with a large selection of high-quality video courses
- Suitable for teenagers and adults
- Skill level: Beginner to intermediate
- Compatible systems: Any device (no MIDI connection required)
- Price: $29.99 per month, or $299.88 per year
- Free plan available: One-month free trial
- Refund policy: No
Formerly Lynda.com, LinkedIn Learning is an online course library with a focus on professional development and technical skills. With your monthly subscription, you get access to the entire library of courses. You can take courses one-off, or follow a “learning path,” which is a bundle of related courses designed to teach a specific skill.
A few of the piano courses on LinkedIn Learning include:
- Jazz Piano Lessons: 1 Fundamentals
- Piano Lessons: Teach Yourself to Play
- Beginning Blues Keyboard
LinkedIn Learning currently has one learning path available for piano, called Play Piano and Keyboards.
In addition to its piano and keyboard courses, LinkedIn Learning has a good selection of high-quality music production courses.
Bottom line: LinkedIn Learning is a high-quality online course library that will appeal to teenage and adult learners, especially those who are also interested in music production.
Thanks so much for visiting my online learning blog! If you liked this article, you might also like:
If you have a recommendation for the best online piano lessons for kids, or if you’d like to share your experience with one of the above apps or courses, leave a comment!