The future of music

Flowkey Review – Best App To Learn Piano?

May 10, 2023
Flowkey Review

Key takeaways:

  • Is Flowkey any good? Yes, I highly recommend Flowkey as a course to learn how to play piano online. It’s suitable for beginner and intermediate levels as it offers and teaches a wide variety of piano fundamentals and skills.
  • How much does Flowkey cost? A monthly plan with Flowkey will cost you $19.99 per month. The annual membership is $119.88. They also offer a 7-day free trial.
  • Access to over 1,500 songs.
  • Flowkey listens to you play.
  • Overall personal rating is 5/5.

If you’re looking for a quick answer, I strongly recommend Flowkey to beginner piano players. It’s the perfect platform for easing into learning the piano. Give their free trial a go below.

Ok, let’s get into the review!

If you’re searching for online piano lessons, you’ve probably heard of Flowkey.

It’s an online learning app that will help you to gain piano skills by yourself. According to Flowkey, it will do so by teaching you the songs you love.

But is it really the best way to learn piano?

As with any online piano course, it’s important that the app is the best one for you. Everyone has their own way of learning, and online apps have their own specific way of delivering content.

Although there’s a great advantage of learning from a piano instructor, piano apps also have their unique benefits, including Flowkey.

Freedom to make your own practice schedule is just one of them. You’ll also be able to adjust lessons to your needs and abilities.

Moreover, you’ll have plenty of songs to choose from, and which one to start with depends completely on you.

In this Flowkey review article, I will show you Flowkey’s features and content, to help you make your own decision.

Disclosure: We are a professional review website that may receive compensation for the products we reviewAll recommendations are genuine and/or verified by myself!

Flowkey Overview

Flowkey is a music learning app that teaches how to play the piano in an easy and effective way.

It doesn’t have many game-like features like some other piano apps, but it offers simple, concrete lessons without any unnecessary distractions.

In fact, Flowkey mostly focuses on showing you how to play songs on the piano, and whether that’s good or bad depends entirely on your goals.

There are some music theory lessons as well, but I will get back to them later in the review.

The most important thing is that Flowkey is a well-structured, neat piano app that provides useful features for quicker learning.

It also listens to you play, so you’ll know if you’re playing correct notes.

With Flowkey, you can learn a variety of songs on the piano, regardless of your level of experience.

How Does Flowkey Work?

Flowkey delivers its content through video lessons that focus mostly on learning songs. There are many customization options, so you can adjust the video to suit your abilities and needs.

Of course, videos are created for various levels of experience. You can search songs and lessons by the level of difficulty.

You can also head to the courses section where you will find a more structured curriculum such as the Beginners Courses.

Overall, it’s easy to get around Flowkey. It has a very simple and logical interface.

To get Flowkey, you’ll need to download it on your device – it can be any device including Mac, Windows, Android, and Apple.

The app works with both acoustic and digital pianos. When you connect it with a MIDI/USB cable, you’re ready to go.

How to Sign Up With Flowkey

You can try Flowkey for free, you just need to create an account on their website.

With a free version, you’ll have access to eight songs and the first exercises of the courses. All the app functions will also be available.

So, it’s clear that this is great but not even close to what you’ll receive with a paid subscription. The free version is good to try out the platform though.

With a Flowkey membership, you’ll have access to more than 1,500 songs in the library and all the lessons.

You can choose between a monthly plan (19.99 USD/EUR per month), and an annual plan (119.88 USD/EUR) and there’s also an option of a lifetime membership for 329.99 USD/EUR.

Flowkey price and membership options.

Flowkey Features

Let’s find out about Flowkey’s unique features and how it actually works.

Video Lessons

Before starting the learning process, you’ll be asked several questions to determine your goals and previous experience with the piano.

After that, you can browse through the song library or type a particular song’s name in the search bar. I’ll show you the wonders of the Flowkey song library in a minute.

After you pick a song, you’ll see a split-screen video that will show you both a bird’s eye view of the player’s hands and sheet music.

Flowkey song learning interface.

The video will also highlight the keys you need to play. It’s an easy way of learning which notes to play, but if you’re not familiar with sheet music it will take you a while to get a grasp of it only by watching.

But, that’s why Flowkey offers music theory lessons as well.

Music Theory

As I’ve mentioned before, when you start the app, you’ll be asked a few questions. One of them is whether you want to learn how to play songs or delve into some music theory.

Flowkey courses section.

If you’re an absolute beginner, I encourage you to start with theory lessons. They will introduce you to notation, rhythm, chords, and scales.

This is not a must if you just want to learn how to play songs on the piano for fun. But if you want to gain core piano skills, learning music theory basics is inevitable.

Even if you don’t find learning notes exciting at the moment, that knowledge will undeniably be useful for you in the future. You’ll be able to learn any song you want and even the ones in the video lessons will seem much easier to handle.

However, Flowkey theory courses are indeed basic. They will not be very beneficial for advanced players.

So, if you want to keep improving your piano skills and developing your overall musicality, you should find additional learning sources offering a more in-depth theoretical part of piano learning.

Flowkey course content. Introduction to piano.

Play Modes

While practicing, you can use different methods: Wait Mode and Slow Mode.

In Wait Mode, Flowkey will listen to you play via the microphone of your device. If you play an incorrect note, the app will wait until you press the correct one before moving on.

That’s a great way of learning notes, and you’ll also be sure to master all parts of the song.

If you switch to Slow Mode, you can choose between a 50% speed and a 75% speed. That’s also something that a real teacher in a piano school would suggest.

When you feel comfortable enough, you can continue with the original tempo of the song.

Flowkey doesn’t have a built-in metronome so you’ll have to be ready to follow the cursor. That’s why it’s a good idea to learn about rhythm in theory lessons.

Nevertheless, the fact that the app is customizable is a great benefit.

On top of that, you can choose to play with separate hands. You can use the reduced speed option for only one hand too.

Playing each hand at a time first is also a common practice in piano schools, and there’s a good reason for it. If you’re a beginner, I definitely urge you to do it. You’ll feel more confident and you’ll coordinate your hands better in the end.

Another useful feature is the possibility to loop parts of the song. You can simply mark the section you want to work on, and it will play over and over until you’re ready to go forward (this is pictured below).

Flowkey loop mode.

All these features will help you progress faster, but also learn the songs in a way that a piano teacher would show you.

So, don’t rush with your piano learning, but rather divide songs into sections, one hand at a time, at a slower tempo. That is, in fact, a faster way of mastering the song.

The Song Library

With a collection of over 1,500 songs to learn, Flowkey has one of the most extensive song libraries among online piano apps.

You can choose between 20 genre-based categories. Some of them are Classical, Rock, Jazz, Pop Hits, and Christmas music.

Some of the artists that are included in the Flowkey song collection are Rihanna, Phil Collins, Maroon 5, The Doors, and Yann Tiersen.

There is also a portion of specific niche music like video game songs, TV music (like Game of Thrones), etc. You’ll be sure to find something that you’ve always wanted to play on the piano.

Flowkey song library.

You can also search songs by the level of difficulty, so you can see what’s in the section suitable for your skills. There’s an Easy, Intermediate, Hard, and Expert category.

However, even if you choose a song that is perhaps too challenging for you, the app offers several arrangements for the same song. That way, you can choose the simpler version and move to the advanced one when you’re ready.

When you pick a song, you’ll get a video featuring both a pianist’s hands and sheet music. The keys will light up so you’ll know what and when to play something.

Flowkey song tutorials are created to teach you how to play popular songs on the piano in an effective way. They might not offer a lot of insight into music theory, but they will deliver what the platform promises: you’ll learn piano with the songs you love.

Flowkey Pros and Cons

It’s sometimes hard to come up with pros and cons for a piano app since the program’s effectiveness depends on individual goals and preferences.

However, there are some elements where Flowkey stands out from its competitors, as well as several drawbacks that are, on the other hand, common among similar piano apps.

Nevertheless, I hope it will help you get a better idea if Flowkey is the online piano course for you.

Pros

  • Well-designed display Flowkey’s interface has a simple, clear design that’s not too childish nor too bland. Also, you can navigate through the app’s lessons very easily.
  • Huge song library – A large selection of songs to learn is definitely Flowkey’s big advantage. From various genres to different song arrangements, everyone can find something for their own taste and abilities. After all, teaching how to play songs on the piano is Flowkey’s specialty.
  • Customizable features – Flowkey allows you to customize your online piano lessons so you can learn at your own pace. The possibility to play with separate hands and loop particular chunks of the song enables you to learn songs in a proper way.
  • Choose your own adventure – This app doesn’t have a strict curriculum so you can choose any song or theory lessons you want. Although it’s great to have the freedom to choose, this might also be a disadvantage for people (especially beginners) who need clearer guidance and structure in learning.

Cons

  • Lack of music theory Although Flowkey provides theory courses, they are quite scarce in comparison to song tutorials. Also, even if you go through all of them, you still won’t have an in-depth knowledge of basic musical concepts. 
  • Not enough technique – Video lessons don’t focus much on the piano technique either. You’ll learn the basics, but you’ll not be getting valuable tips and tricks on how to improve your piano skills. This knowledge is important even if you just want to learn how to play a few songs and you’re not interested in the theoretical part.
  • Potential technical problems – The problem with piano apps that give you instant feedback is that sometimes the microphone input can be faulty. When that happens, it’s easy to get distracted or even discouraged. However, if you need technical assistance or have any questions, you can easily contact Flowkey support and get a response.

Factors to Consider When Deciding if Flowkey is Right for You

If you’re still wondering if Flowkey is a good option for you, let’s take a look at some of the factors that might affect your decision.

Lesson quality

First of all, you can rest assured that Flowkey will provide you with high-quality lessons. The app is well-designed, and it guarantees effectiveness and ease of use. A typical Flowkey lesson features a split-screen video including both a bird’s eye view of the player’s hands and sheet music. Plus, the video will show what you need to play.

Structure & curriculum

Besides efficiency and simplicity, Flowkey also provides good structure. Before you start with your lessons, Flowkey will ask you a couple of questions to determine your goals and previous experience. Therefore, you’ll be able to take lessons suitable for your level and goals.

Flowkey lessons also include music theory, which is crucial for learners who want to build a strong foundation. Either way, the curriculum covers all the important parts and concepts.

Platforms and devices  

In terms of convenience, Flowkey is very practical. It’s available on all devices including Mac, Windows, Android, and Apple. The app also works with both acoustic and digital pianos. That being said, you can take Flowkey lessons anytime, anywhere.

Songs

The song library is also quite extensive, which is good news for anyone who wants to expand their repertoire. In fact, with a collection of over 1,500 songs to learn, Flowkey has one of the most extensive song libraries. You can browse through classical music, pop hits, TV music, jazz, and so on. You can even search songs by mood.

Price 

You may be wondering, “how much does Flowkey cost?” When it comes to pricing, Flowkey offers a monthly plan ($19.99 per month) and an annual subscription ($119.88). If you consider the fact that you’ll get access to more than 1,500 songs and well-structured quality lessons, that’s actually quite affordable. Flowkey also offers a free 7-day trial – the trial version will allow you to take a look at how everything works.

Extra features 

Nevertheless, Flowkey is definitely worth the money. Besides piano lessons and songs, it offers useful tools and features. The app is also very customizable, so you can learn at your own pace. You can even play with separate hands and loop chunks of the song. All of that will ultimately help you learn the material properly.

With Flowkey, you’ll also have the freedom to choose your learning material. There is no strict curriculum, so you can jump back and forth as you wish. While this might be a drawback for some learners, it’s ideal for people who don’t want to be limited by a strict learning path.

Who is Flowkey For?

Flowkey offers song tutorials and lessons aimed at different levels of experience, so it can be a good learning tool for both beginners and skilled players.

The app is probably the best for learning how to play songs though, so the previous statement applies to people who have a similar goal in mind.

If you aspire to have well-rounded musical knowledge, you may want to consider additional learning resources, although you can certainly pick up a basic level using Flowkey.

Flowkey is suitable for beginners wanting to learn how to play the piano, but I recommend taking their more theory-based courses first. If you want to learn through playing songs, Flowkey is also great for that.

Flowkey introduction to the piano course.

Flowkey is also great for intermediate and more advanced players who want to broaden their song repertoire.

Similar Platforms

There are a few quality piano apps that you should check out if you like Flowkey.

Piano in 21 Days promises to teach you how to play the piano well in less than a month. Video lessons are created and taught by piano coach Jacques Hopkins.

Unlike Flowkey, Piano in 21 Days will completely ignore reading sheet music, so it’s great for beginners who want to learn how to play the piano for fun.

Read our full Piano in 21 Days Review.

Playground Sessions, on the other hand, includes both music theory and song tutorials.

It’s a piano learning app that has more game-like features than Flowkey and covers useful parts of music theory.

With Playground Sessions, you can also learn from famous pianists, so it’s a platform that combines the benefits of piano apps and guided video lessons.

Check out our Playground Sessions Review.

However, Flowkey certainly has a more extensive song library than Piano in 21 Days and Playground Sessions, and it gives you the opportunity to customize the app, learn songs of your choice, and at your own pace.

Read our alternative platform comparisons:

Flowkey Review – Final Thoughts

All things considered, Flowkey is a truly effective app that will teach you how to play the piano through its comprehensible, well-designed videos.

It has a huge song library which is surely beneficial for anyone who wants to add new songs to their repertoire.

Lessons are divided into categories based on difficulty, so you’ll find something for yourself regardless of your level of experience.

Moreover, Flowkey has many customizable features like Slow and Wait Mode, as well as playing with only the right or left hand, which is a great (and perhaps only) way to perfect a song.

Flowkey might not give you the most in-depth knowledge of music theory or teach you rather advanced techniques, but it will help you to gain basic piano skills that are more than enough for any beginner.

It will also teach you how to play your favorite songs so you can enjoy playing them anytime.

FAQs

Is Flowkey worth the money?

Yes, Flowkey is certainly worth the money. The app has one of the most extensive song libraries covering numerous genres. Flowkey is also very practical, customizable, and effective. It will also give you the freedom to learn at your own pace and choose your learning material.

Is there a free version of Flowkey?

Yes, there is a free version of Flowkey, but only in the form of a free trial. Flowkey offers a 7-day free trial so you can see how everything works before purchasing anything and if the platform is right for you.

Can you really learn piano with Flowkey?

Yes, you can learn piano with Flowkey. The Flowkey app is designed to make piano learning easier. It’s packed with useful, customizable features and tools to help you learn the basics in an effective way. The screen shows you what you need to play so you’ll be able to play new songs without hassle.

Is Flowkey a good beginning for music theory?

The Flowkey app has a well-rounded curriculum that includes music theory lessons. As a beginner, you can learn the basics with Flowkey. However, if you want to build a strong foundation, you should also search for extra resources that cover in-depth music theory.

Will Fenton

Will, the founder of MIDDER, is a multifaceted individual with a deep passion for music and personal finance. As a self-proclaimed music and personal finance geek, he has a keen eye for futuristic technologies, especially those that empower creators and the public.

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