Everything you need to get going.
Wire up your keyboard, learn the score view, and find your practice rhythm. Five minutes here saves an hour later.
Three steps to your first run.
Connect
Plug in a MIDI keyboard via USB, or use the built-in virtual piano with your laptop keyboard.
Pick a piece
Browse the library and choose something at your level — or start a graded course.
Play along
Notes light up green or red as you play. The score advances automatically when you play the right notes.
Plugging in a keyboard.
What you need
Any MIDI keyboard or digital piano with a USB output. Most keyboards under £50 work perfectly — you don’t need anything fancy. If your keyboard has a USB-B port, you’ll need a USB-B to USB-A (or USB-C) cable.
USB connection
- Connect your MIDI keyboard to your computer with a USB cable.
- Open a piece in the library and select MIDI as your input method.
- Your device should appear in the dropdown. Select it and click Connect.
- If the browser asks for permission to use MIDI devices, click Allow.
Bluetooth MIDI
If your keyboard supports Bluetooth MIDI, pair it in your operating system’s Bluetooth settings first. Once paired, it will appear in the MIDI device dropdown in the app.
Browser support
The Web MIDI API is supported in Chrome, Edge, and Opera. Safari and Firefox do not currently support it. If you’re on an unsupported browser, use the virtual piano instead.
Troubleshooting
- No devices showing up? Refresh the page after plugging in your keyboard.
- Try a different USB port or cable.
- Make sure no other application (e.g. a DAW) is using the MIDI device.
- On macOS, check Audio MIDI Setupto verify your device is recognised.
- On Windows, check Device Managerunder "Sound, video and game controllers".
Or just use the laptop keyboard.
No MIDI keyboard? You can play using your laptop keyboard. Select Virtual Piano on the practice page to see the key mapping.
The virtual piano covers two octaves (C3–B4) — enough for beginner pieces. For intermediate and advanced repertoire, a MIDI keyboard is recommended.
What the colours mean.
When you start a session, a cursor highlights the current position in the score. Play the note(s) shown at the cursor to advance.
- Green — you played the correct note.
- Red — you played the wrong note. The score still advances so you can keep going.
- Yellow — you played the right note, but late. Try subdividing the beat.
Chords need every note pressed within a tight window before the cursor moves on. Your accuracy ticks up in the right rail as you go; the post-play screen breaks down where you went wrong.
Every session counts.
Every time you finish a piece, your session is saved. Visit the Progress page to review your history — last six attempts per piece, total stars and streak days.
- Sessions are colour-coded by accuracy — green for strong, red for areas to improve.
- The post-play "To work on" card surfaces the bars worth revisiting.
- Streak data lives on your profile so it follows you across devices.
Habits that compound.
Start easy
Begin with Grade 1 or pre-grade pieces. Build confidence before moving up.
Read ahead
While playing the current note, glance at the next one. This is the core skill of sight reading.
Don’t look at your hands
Keep your eyes on the score. Develop a feel for the keyboard by touch.
Little and often
Even ten minutes a day builds muscle memory. Consistency beats marathon sessions.
Use Restart
Hit Restart after finishing a piece to immediately practise it again and lift your accuracy.
Built by a player, for players.
Sight Reader is built by Bret Cameron, a software engineer who’s also learning piano on the side. After struggling to find an app that focused purely on sight-reading practice, he decided to build one. This is that app.
Got feedback, found a bug, or just want to say hello? Drop a line at [email protected].
Preparing for a grade exam?
We publish a grade-by-grade guide to piano sight reading covering Initial through Grade 8. What examiners expect at each level, how to prepare, and which pieces in Sight Reader sit at the right level for practice. ABRSM, Trinity, LCM, RCM, MTAC and AMEB all covered.
Open the grade-by-grade guide