Playing a song in the next five minutes
Its sheets are written in letters that match the keys of a QWERTY keyboard, so you can play a recognisable tune without reading a note of music. Nothing on this site is faster for that.
Virtual Piano · honest comparison
A Virtual Piano alternative
A Virtual Piano alternative
With real sheet music
Virtual Piano has been the default online piano since 2006, and for good reason: you read letters, you press the same letters on your keyboard, and a song comes out. This page says what it does better first, then shows the other way to play piano in a browser: real notation, a piano that plays the score for you, and one that waits for your next note.
100 SONGS WITH SHEET MUSIC
13 PIANO LESSONS
120 CHORDS
108 SCALES
0 ADS
0 ACCOUNT NEEDED
Playable · no account
Play your first five notes on a real staff
The green key is the next note, and the staff above shows it the way sheet music writes it. Press Listen to hear the line first, then Start and play it with the mouse or your keyboard.
The concessions, first
Three things Virtual Piano does better
If what you want is any of these, Virtual Piano is the right tool and you can stop reading here.
A big library of current songs
More than 1,600 community sheets, chart songs included. GOONS only publishes public domain pieces and original material, so you will not find this week's hits here.
A community and a rating
Profiles, ratings, medals and performance stats come with its Plus membership. GOONS has no public profiles or leaderboards.
Free, no account
The piano pages this comparison is about
100 songs
Free piano sheet music
Easy songs, carols and classical pieces with a piano that plays the score and waits for you.
Pick a song → 13 lessonsLearn piano
From the names of the keys to both hands and the sustain pedal, an exercise in every lesson.
Start lesson 1 → 120 chordsPiano chords
Play notes to get the chord name, or pick a chord to see its keys.
Find a chord → 4 gamesPiano games
Note reading against the clock, intervals and chords by ear, melody memory.
Play a game →
Side by side
Two ways to play piano in a browser
Facts checked on each site in November 2026. Prices change: check them with the vendor before you pay.
| Virtual Piano | GOONS free piano pages | |
|---|---|---|
| How songs are written | Letters mapped to a QWERTY computer keyboard | Standard staff notation, with note names on the keys if you want them |
| Reading music | Not required, and not taught | A 13-lesson course, from the names of the keys to both hands |
| Song library | More than 1,600 community sheets, current songs included | 100 public domain songs and classical pieces |
| Help while you practise | Key Assist labels, accuracy rating | The piano plays the score, then a practice mode waits for your note |
| Keyboard | 61 keys, 88 with transpose | 25 to 49 keys on the free pages, 88 in the studio |
| Recording | MP3, 30 seconds free, 5 minutes with Plus | Takes exported as MIDI or WAV in the studio piano |
| Ads | Yes on the free version | None |
| Price model | Free with ads; paid Plus membership | Free pages with no account; studio from €9.90 a month |
How to choose
Three questions
Do you want to play a song tonight, or read music next month?
Tonight: letter sheets are the shortest path. Next month: start with notation now, because letters are a habit you will have to unlearn.
Which songs do you want to play?
Current hits are on Virtual Piano. Classical pieces, carols and traditional songs are on both; here they come with real scores.
Do you want the piano to help you practise?
If you want it to play the part first and then wait for you on each note, that is the practice mode of the sheet music pages here.
Deep links
Where to go next
The free piano first, then two studio apps for when you want to write your own music.
Letters or notes: the real difference
Letter notation is a shortcut, and a clever one: it turns a computer keyboard into an instrument anyone can play in minutes. The price of the shortcut is that it stops there. A letter sheet does not tell you rhythm the way a staff does, it does not transfer to a real piano, and it does not teach you to read a single score. Staff notation is slower on day one and faster every day after.
What the free GOONS piano pages add
Each song in the sheet music library is shown as a real score with a piano under it. Press play and the piano plays the score at the tempo you choose; switch to practice and it waits for the right note before moving on. The piano course takes you from the names of the keys to both hands, so the score stops being a picture.
When you outgrow the browser piano
The free pages use a sampled piano you play with the computer keyboard, the mouse or touch. The studio piano adds 88 keys, a MIDI keyboard with velocity and sustain, chord pads, a sequencer and recording. That part is a subscription, after a 7-day trial.
Questions
Frequently asked
What is a good free alternative to Virtual Piano?
If you want to learn to read music rather than letters, the free GOONS piano pages: 100 songs with real sheet music, a piano that plays the score and waits for you, and a 13-lesson course. No account and no ads.
Can I play with my computer keyboard?
Yes. The free piano maps the keys of your computer keyboard to the piano, and you can also use the mouse or touch. The studio piano adds MIDI keyboards.
Does GOONS have letter notes like Virtual Piano?
No. It shows standard sheet music, with an option to display note names on the keys while you learn to read.
Can I find pop songs?
No. GOONS only publishes public domain pieces and original music. For current songs in letter notation, Virtual Piano has a much larger library.
Is it really free?
The piano, the sheet music, the course, the chords, the scales and the games are free with no account. Only the studio apps need a subscription, after a 7-day trial.
Does it work on a phone or a Chromebook?
Yes. It runs in any current browser, with touch on phones and tablets.
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Ready when you are
Pick a song and press play
The piano plays the score first, then waits for you. No account, no ads.
Already subscribed? Open the sheet music library →