Play music with your computer keyboard
On 19 of the instruments on HarmonyHub, the keys of your computer keyboard play the notes. Rows of letters become piano keys, guitar strings, tabla strokes or drum pads, so you can play with both hands at typing speed.
Any laptop or desktop keyboard works, with no extra hardware. The theremin and the chord progression generator are played with the mouse or by touch instead, and every instrument also works with a mouse or touchscreen.
Tips for playing on a laptop keyboard
- Click or tap the instrument once first, so the browser is allowed to start audio.
- Turn on note labels where the instrument has them, to see which key plays which note.
- Many keyboards cannot register lots of keys pressed at the same time, so very large chords may drop a note. Play chords with fewer keys, or use Chord Assist on the guitar.
- Use headphones to hear timing and tone clearly while you learn a key layout.
Keyboard layout for every instrument
- Piano: A S D F G H J K L ; play the white keys from C4 up to E5.
- Guitar: Q W E R T Y pluck the six strings, from the high E string to the low E string.
- Drums: X = kick, S = snare, H = hi-hat, C = hi-hat pedal.
- Violin: Z X C V play the open G, D, A and E strings.
- Flute: On the silver, alto and bass flutes and the piccolo, number keys 1–6 play the six finger holes (C5 to A5).
- Saxophone: A S D F G H J K play eight notes of the scale.
- Trumpet: A S D F G H J K play eight notes.
- Harmonica: Number keys 1–8 play holes 1 to 8.
- Sitar: Number keys 1–7 play the main strings: Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Dha Ni.
- Veena: Q W E R T Y U play Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Dha Ni.
- Tabla: A, S and D play the dayan (right drum): main stroke, edge and centre.
- Banjo: Q W E R T pluck the banjo strings (the 4-string banjos use Q to R).
- Bass Guitar: 1 to 0 play the G string, frets 0–9.
- Harp: A S D F G H J K pluck the eight strings from C4 to C5.
- Xylophone: 1-7 play C3 to B3.
- Kalimba: Number keys 1–8 play the tines of the standard, electric, bass, chromatic and African kalimbas.
- Marimba: Number keys 1–8 play the bars of the rosewood, padauk, bass and soprano marimbas.
- Synthesizer: Z to M (with S D G H J) play the lower octave, C3 to B3.
- Drum Machine: Click steps on the 16-step grid to add or remove hits.
Frequently asked questions
Which instruments can I play with my computer keyboard?
Piano, guitar, drums, violin, flute, saxophone, trumpet, harmonica, sitar, veena, tabla, banjo, bass, harp, xylophone, kalimba, marimba, synthesizer and the drum machine. The theremin and chord progression generator use the mouse or touch.
Do I need a MIDI keyboard or other hardware?
No. HarmonyHub works with the ordinary keyboard on your laptop or desktop, a mouse, or a touchscreen. It does not take input from MIDI controllers.
Why is there no sound when I press the keys?
Click or tap the instrument once so the browser can start audio, then check your device and browser volume. If it is still silent, reload the page or try a current browser with Web Audio support.
Where can I see the key layout for an instrument?
Each instrument page has a "How to play with your computer keyboard" section, and the key maps for every instrument are listed on this page.