Learn Piano with a MIDI Keyboard: A Beginner's Guide

Embarking on a musical journey can be incredibly rewarding, and learning to play the piano is a fantastic way to express your creativity. In this comprehensive guide, we'll explore how you can effectively learn piano using a MIDI keyboard, even if you're starting with a smaller model.

Introduction

The piano is an instrument that combines the satisfaction of working with your hands and the creative expression of playing something beautiful. A MIDI keyboard is a great way to start learning piano, and the wonderful thing about piano is that it is something anyone can learn at any point in their life.

Why Choose a MIDI Keyboard?

A MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface) keyboard offers several advantages for beginners:

Affordability: MIDI keyboards are often more affordable than acoustic pianos or digital pianos.
Versatility: They can be connected to computers, tablets, and smartphones, allowing you to use various piano learning software and apps.
Portability: Many MIDI keyboards are lightweight and compact, making them easy to transport.
Quiet Practice: You can use headphones to practice without disturbing others.
Variety: There is so much variety, as you have options in terms of how many keys you want.

While a digital piano has built-in sounds and speakers, a MIDI keyboard doesn't produce sound on its own; it sends signals to a device or app to generate piano tones.

Setting Up Your MIDI Keyboard

Connect to a Device: Plug your MIDI or USB cable from your keyboard into your computer.
Choose a DAW: It’s not uncommon for MIDI keyboards to come with their own DAW. The most popular DAWs are GarageBand, Logic Pro, Ableton, FL Studio, Reason, Pro Tools, Reaper, and Cubase.
Select a Sound: When using your MIDI keyboard to learn piano, use the most basic piano sound provided on your DAW and avoid adding effects for now.
Navigate the DAW: At this point, pull up a tutorial on navigating the DAW of your choice.

If you have a Mac, then you can easily download GarageBand and plug your USB cord from your device into the computer. After you’ve connected to the DAW of your choice, you’ll be able to trigger all kinds of sounds, and not just use the piano. By the way, a standard electric piano will work fine too. You don’t necessarily need a MIDI keyboard.

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Choosing the Right MIDI Keyboard

Choosing the right MIDI keyboard really depends on your requirements. Here are some factors to consider:

Number of Keys: MIDI Keyboards come in four different action classes and typically you will find MIDI keyboards that come with either 25, 49, 61, 76, or 88 keys. While you can learn a lot on a standard 25-key keyboard, 88-key models are way better. With 88 keys you’ll immediately be able to cover all of the needed tonal range from low to high notes. Most of your lessons will focus on the middle of the keyboard, so you won't need to branch out just yet. If you have the space and budget for an 88 key MIDI keyboard then this would be the best option as you will be able to play songs using the full range of octaves. I found 61 keys to be the perfect size for my little studio.
Key Action: This describes the feeling of the keys. Are they light, bouncy and plasticy feeling? Synth-action keyboards use springs to return the key back to its original position after it gets pressed. Semi-weighted keys use a spring as well as a weight on each key. Lastly - we have hammer action keyboards. These are built to feel exactly like a real piano. They use a hammer action mechanism as well as weights. This is the best option to go for as it will develop your muscles in the same way a real piano would. Most 88-key keyboards will have weighted or at least semi-weighted keys which simulate the feel of a real acoustic piano.
Additional Features: Aftertouch allows for you to apply some extra pressure to a key once it’s pressed down which will send additional MIDI data to trigger additional parameters like vibrato for example. This is really neat for laying down synth solos as you won’t have to reach for the mod wheel or pitch bend to control vibrato.

Here are some popular MIDI keyboard models:

M-Audio Hammer 88: M-Audio’s premium MIDI controller, built for professional through to beginner players. If what you’re after is a simple piano like keyboard to learn and play on and don’t want to fork $500+ then this is a great option. It feels really solid and well-built.
Arturia KeyLab 88: Arturia are known for their impressive analog synths and plugins like the jaw dropping Matrix Brute. But if you don’t have $2000+ to spend then the KeyLab 88 is a great option. It comes with over 5000 synth and piano sounds from Artutia’s Analog Lab, Pianoteq 5 stage, and UVI Grand Piano model D, all of which are easily accessible directly from the built in LCD panel. The Arturia Keylab 88 is a bit more on the expensive side, but it’s well worth it. It looks great and feels great.
NI Komplete Kontrol S88 Mk2: The S88 is the most expensive keyboard on this list. But when you dive into the features it’s easy to see why. For starters it comes bundled with a massive 33GB of software, including Komplete 12 Select - 14 instruments and effects, MASSIVE, Monark and The Gentleman. It has a stylish light guide - RGB lights above each key to highlight drum cells, key switches, chords and scales. Two beautiful high res screens for browsing through libraries, tweaking mixes and more. In terms of feel and learning to play piano, this keyboard has a neat little feature that makes it stand out. The light guide - RGB lights above each key will highlight all the correct notes in a scale and help you to stay in key. Simply learning to play aside - this is so much more than just a MIDI keyboard. It feels more like a workflow optimizer, allowing you to easily navigate through projects and browse through presets without having to move your hands away from the keyboard.
Akai Professional MPK Mini MK3: Probably one of the most popular models is the AKAI Mini MPK 25. Because it’s so easy to use and inexpensive, it’s not surprising that it’s popular.
M-Audio VI61: The VI61 was the third keyboard I owned and have never felt the need to replace it. It’s a great budget option for anyone wanting to learn piano and have a few extra features like drums pads and assignable buttons and knobs. The keys are semi-weighted. The attractive price point, great aesthetics and simple but useful features is what led me to buy this keyboard in the first place.
NI Komplete Kontrol A61: The NI Komplete Kontrol A61 is like the slimmed down, stripped back version of the S88. It still has attractive features like smart play. You can control your DAW and even browse through presets with the tiny OLED screen and 4 directional push controller.
M-Audio Keystation 61 MK3: The Keystation 61 MK3 is the cheapest MIDI keyboard on this list. It has all the basic functionalities you would require to play and learn piano. As a bonus it comes with a Skoove subscription so you can learn piano online.

Learning Resources

There are numerous resources available to help you learn piano with a MIDI keyboard:

ROLI Learn (Piano M): LUMI has unified with ROLI, and we will no longer be using the LUMI name for our products. By bringing all creators together under the ROLI brand, we hope to open up new possibilities for creativity and inspiration, and provide an all-encompassing music-making experience. LUMI Keys and LUMI Keys Studio Edition are now Piano M. LUMI Keys and Piano M are the same product. Your existing instrument will continue to work as before, and will continue to receive any firmware updates. ROLI Piano M Snapcases are compatible with LUMI Keys. Snapcases are available in various colors, so you can protect your Piano M in your own style. Piano M and LUMI Keys are designed with DNA connectors that click together and expand the octave range of your instrument - so you can learn with two hands. ROLI Learn supports connecting up to two keyboards for 48 keys in total. If you want to use Piano M as a MIDI controller for other software, up to four keyboards can be connected. Yes. Piano M can transmit MIDI over either USB or Bluetooth, and is compatible with all major DAWs and soft synthesizers. It’s also MPE capable, giving you four dimensions of expression with compatible synthesizers like Equator2. You’ll get access to all 1,000+ songs, 300+ lessons, 450+ exercises, and two arcade games (with more than 150 levels in total). When you sign up, you can choose to be billed monthly, or subscribe annually and save on your first year. You can also choose between a Solo Membership and a Family Membership for up to five people. Whichever option you choose, you’ll save money compared to traditional piano lessons. ROLI Learn supports Apple and Android phones and tablets. Content in the ROLI Learn app (songs, lessons, games, and exercises) is only available to subscribers. We are focusing tests on recent, much-used models from Apple, Samsung, and Google. You’ll need to update your device to at least iOS.iPadOS 14+ or Android 11+ for ROLI Learn to work. Memberships auto renew at the end of the billing period and can be cancelled any time by visiting your account on playlumi.com. Membership is activated via a code that is sent after purchase. One Year Membership subscribers will benefit from a discounted first year, after which the Membership will renew at full price ($119.99, £99.99, €119.99 for Solo Membership and $179.99, £149.99, €179.99 for Family Memberships). ROLI Learn moves at a pace that’s right for you, and so do the notes. Tackling a tricky passage? Feel free to slow things down or hit pause and take it note by note.
flowkey: Learning with flowkey is easy and fun. Practice notes and chords interactively and receive instant feedback. All you need is the flowkey app and your piano or keyboard. Discover thousands of songs from every genre and skill level. Watch an expert pianist play and follow sheet music on the same screen. Play at reduced speed to get comfortable with a piece and replay a specific section until you perfect it. Practice right and left hands separately. Learn to play piano with the songs you know and love. Discover beautiful arrangements for all abilities, created by professional pianists. Easy-to-understand lessons that cover everything from music theory, mastering chords, and how to read sheet music. Over 5 million people have enjoyed learning piano with us, from beginners to advanced players. Try flowkey now for free, with no obligations.
Piano Marvel: When you use your MIDI keyboard with our piano learning software, you will find learning is simpler than you thought. All you have to do is plug your MIDI or USB cable from your keyboard into your computer, and you can start learning the Piano Marvel way. While you can use an acoustic piano with our app using "Book Mode," it doesn't completely ensure note accuracy, which is something you really need as you learn.
PianoForAll: If you want to learn how to play the piano in the cheapest and most convenient way possible, I recommend PianoForAll. What I like best about PianoForAll though are the video tutorials alongside the diagrams, pictograms, charts, and graphs. I like the way PianoForAll explores inversions as it’s pretty straightforward.

Tips for Beginners

Start with the Basics: If you’re learning through a course like PianoForAll mentioned before, one of the first lessons will be learning major and minor triads. Take a small bite of music theory and chew on it for a long time. The reason this is so helpful is that western music theory revolves around the C Major scale. It is the backbone and the entire foundation of the structure. It’s a pillar and standard by which everything else is compared. Once you know the C Major scale and all of its triads all over the piano, including their inversions (it’s also super important to know where the root is), you’ll have a much better handle on your instrument.
Memorize the Keys: Totally, utterly, and completely memorize the keys of the piano. In other words, if you learn all the triads on the keyboard while paying attention to where the root is, you’ll also know the names of the keys. If you’re having trouble memorizing, cut sticky notes into small squares that will fit on each key with corresponding notes. This is what’s so nice about the piano - the notes repeat themselves, unlike the guitar which is more of a labyrinth. Master the keys and major/minor triads on a small keyboard and then it’ll be simple on a large one.
Practice with a Metronome: A metronome is a tool that counts, typically with clicks, to a tempo (a certain speed called BPMs beats per measure). For example, when you’re practicing using triads that you’ve learned, play along to a click to learn how to play in time. Set your metronome BPM to 92 (this also happens to be the same BPM as Dr. Dre’s “Still D.R.E”). Using the C major triad shape and the D min triad shape, change chords every four beats.
Set Goals: In tip 4 of getting organized with an approach, you are setting yourself up to achieve some goals. Take it a step further and define them. Write a few of your main goals to get started. Psychology professor Dr. Gail Matthews was able to prove through a case study that you are 42 percent more likely to achieve your goals if you simply write them down.
Learn Simple Songs: The way I look at it, learning songs that only use an octave or two is a great way to grasp the fundamentals of the piano/keyboard. I started out with simple riffs and melodies. If you’re only using a 25-key model, there’s a limit on what type of song you can learn. You won’t be able to play a Bach piece because his songs usually included more range. Unless you’ve found a version of the song that someone has arranged specifically for beginners. The fact of the matter is that if you don’t like the songs you’re learning, you won’t play the piano. Use the same approach when learning on a 25-key keyboard. Learn your favorite songs on piano, no matter your level.
Practice Regularly: Learning piano isn't just about hitting the right keys it's about forming habits, rhythm, and memory.

Overcoming Limitations of Small Keyboards

If you're using a smaller MIDI keyboard (25-32 keys), here's how to overcome its limitations:

Octave Shift: Even with 25-32 keys, you can play full songs by using octave shift, looping small sections, and focusing on melody + basic chords first.
Focus on Melodies and Basic Chords: Start with simple melodies or three-chord progressions.
Practice Hands Separately: Start by practicing hands separately. Then combine simple left-hand root notes with right-hand melodies.