The MuseFlow Blog

Figuring out what the best piano tutorial app is for you isn’t that hard. You just need to answer a few key questions for yourself and you’ll be golden.

1. Can you teach yourself how to play with the app?
2. Is it a full curriculum?
3. Are there any unique benefits to the app that you’d like to utilize?

Today, let’s talk about MuseFlow and what boxes it checks in regards to the three questions above. After that, you can judge for yourself and see if it’s the best piano tutorial app for you. Our guess is that it is 😊

Is MuseFlow Good for Autodidacts?

For those who don’t know, autodidacts are people who teach themselves new things without taking formal classes. They use their own resources, like books or online materials like apps, and are usually intrinsically motivated to learn on their own.

There are a lot of famous musicians who are autodidacts, and many talk about the need for flow state in their practice. If you’re not enjoying your practice, what’s motivating you to continue?

Traditional methods of teaching are restrictive to the teacher and student relationship. That may work for some, but for people who are interested in learning on their own and at their own speed, we need to make room for newer ways of learning that support the musicianship of some individuals that never had a chance with traditional lessons.

Enter MuseFlow: the piano education app that teaches how to play piano through sight reading - the act of reading music at first sight. No music educator has been able to do this because they’ve been restricted to written sheet music that’s inherently immutable. But with generative AI, MuseFlow is able to give you music you’ve never seen before, that’s at your level, and never repeats. You learn the new skill you want to learn in isolation first, then in the broader context of what you already know. After you play 95% accuracy over the course of 4 phrases, you beat the level! It’s like Duolingo but for piano education; bite sized skills you learn in flow, then you can apply it to actual songs that get unlocked and are put into your repertoire library.

MuseFlow is perfect for autodidacts that want to learn on their own. It enhances flow state, while allowing you to learn at your own pace. This new piece of technology makes room for new ways of learning and allows out-of-the-box thinkers to flourish.

Does MuseFlow Have A Full Curriculum?

A lot of piano education apps are one-offs that offer a specific thing and nothing else. Yes, there are a few that offer a full curriculum, but they are of the old ways of teaching. The classic “here’s a new skill, now go apply it to a song, then come back and we’ll check it off if it’s perfect, or make you go home and practice it again!”

This method of teaching is highly restrictive… you only learn that new skill in the specific context of that one piece of music!

With MuseFlow, you get to learn a new skill through interactive piano tutorials in the app, then apply it to music that is always changing. You learn the skill inside a myriad of musical contexts BEFORE you apply it to songs. That’s the key to MuseFlow’s success. And why it builds better musicians in the long run. Not to mention it’s just more fun this way!

MuseFlow currently has two sections in the app - the sight reading curriculum that teaches you  new skills, and the repertoire library where you can apply the new skills to repertoire and songs. The founding team is currently working on the third section of the app - the exercise library. In that section you’ll be able to do deeper dives into the skills you’d like more practice on.

This three-pronged approach to music education has been seen in previous iterations of music ed, but not in this form because no one has thought or technology to use sight reading, flow state, and generative AI in this way to enhance the learning process for their students.

Are There Any Unique Benefits to MuseFlow’s Piano Tutorial App?

From what we’ve found, almost all other piano tutorial apps don’t have the benefits in the way MuseFlow does. They’re stuck in the old ways of teaching. MuseFlow revolutionizes the music ed process by putting the learning and practicing of a new skill inside more music than you’d every get from just one song. You’re playing 1,000+ notes each level! Where with just one song, you’re only playing about 50. And they’re the same notes and rhythms! Not every note and rhythm you already know as is the case with this piano tutorial app.

Along with this foundation comes a gamification aspect of MuseFlow that most music ed apps do not have. MuseFlow makes learning a true game. Not with artificial scores and stars, but with the feeling of actually learning something new. MuseFlow places you where your skill matches the challenge; the goldilocks zone of learning where you’re in the flow and being challenged just enough so that you’re engaged, but not so much that you’re frustrated.

This type of gamification is what video games do. They put you in a trance-like state where you forget what time it is and you just want to keep playing. This scratches that itch of the perfect challenge for the skill you currently have. This type of gamification isn’t prevalent in most music ed apps, but it is in MuseFlow. It’s not extrinsic motivation MuseFlow uses, but intrinsic motivation. The actual feeling that you’re acquiring a new skill and beating the game. The “oh my gosh I’m actually learning it! I’m really learning it!” feeling. And MuseFlow gives that to you over and over each level you beat.

Conclusion

With the advent of generative AI, MuseFlow capitalized on the ability to generate infinite music at the level you need to put you in a flow state: that perfect goldilocks zone where the challenge meets your skill level. With this core principle, this piano tutorial app helps autodidacts self-teach themselves how to play piano, is a full curriculum with repertoire that you can apply the new skills you learn to actual songs, and has many added benefits like flow state and sight reading that other apps don’t have. MuseFlow is the next generation of music education! Try it out for free for 7 days 😊

There are many piano education apps that are okay for beginners. But one rises to the top and takes them to the next level. MuseFlow, with two key factors, changes the game. Below, we’ll discuss the two factors that have revolutionized music education apps and makes MuseFlow the answer to the question “which piano app is best for beginners?”

MuseFlow Optimizes for Flow State

All of the other piano apps have real-time feedback, most have error recognition, some have audio recognition, and even less have an in-app curriculum, but MuseFlow stands out for beginners because it optimizes for flow state. Along with checking off all the boxes for the above qualifications, MuseFlow teaches through gamified sight reading - the act of reading music at first sight. No other apps do this, and that’s because they’re stuck in the old ways of teaching. MuseFlow teaches you a new skill (a new note or rhythm), then gives you music you’ve never seen before and that never repeats. You play that music until you get 95% accuracy over the course of 4 phrases, and by doing so, you’ve successfully mastered that new skill!

This type of learning encourages flow state in music performance and practice, and is especially crucial in early education. It’s that groove you feel when you lose track of time and want to continue doing that activity ad infinitum. No other music education app does this. Partially because they were created before the advent of generative AI, but also because they didn’t know it was possible to learn this way!

Katherine from Toronto, one of MuseFlow’s users, says it’s the “most fun [she’s] every had learning to play the piano”! This is because flow state promotes enjoyment of the beginner’s learning process. Who wants to practice piano and have it be boring!? With MuseFlow, it won’t ever be.

MuseFlow Uses Integrated AI

Some apps use AI as a catch phrase to get you to use it. But MuseFlow uses it as the bedrock of its curriculum.

It uses generative AI to create sheet music that suits your current skill level. There are 26 levels in the first unit ranging from 1 note, 2 hands, 3 rhythms, and one note at a time, to 14 notes, 2 hands, 4 rhythms, 2 notes at a time, and a myriad of skills needed to be able to play those notes together and in proper succession. MuseFlow, the piano app that’s built to teach beginners, is able to build your skills from the ground up this way. By giving you music that never repeats, you are able to apply those micro skills to the myriad of musical contexts you already know (even if it’s just one note!), so you’re not locked into learning that new skill in song form. Then, once you’ve mastered that new skill, you can apply it to songs that get unlocked in the repertoire section of the app.

This method is exactly what beginners need in their learning journey because it allows you to build your skills in succession with much more fluency. MuseFlow’s cofounders talk about the floor of ones ability vs the ceiling of ones ability. The floor is what you’re fluent in - what you can play without any practice. And the ceiling is what you can play with an indefinite amount of practice. When the gap between the two widens, the enjoyment of what you’re playing decreases. This is because it takes you longer to learn to play songs that are at a lower level, thus, making it less fun to learn because you’re simply focused on the technique of playing each note, where you should be focused on how you’re playing each note.

MuseFlow raises the floor so that your enjoyment of playing increases. Ultimately leading to a stronger foundation for beginner piano students.

Conclusion

Given that MuseFlow optimizes for flow state and uses integrated AI so imbedded within its curriculum, it’s a clear winner for the best piano apps that teach piano to beginners. Music is a language. We use it to express ourselves. MuseFlow raises the floor of your ability so that your fluency is closer to your reading level of any language. When you become fluent, you can then start to express yourself. And that’s where the fun begins 🙂

Try it out for free for 7 days!

There are so many reasons why a piano app could fail or why it could be worth it. Today, let’s hear some feedback and insights from MuseFlow’s users and see why they’re saying that it is 100% worth it and what they’re getting from using the piano app!

Try MuseFlow out for free!

Learning the “Look Ahead” Habit

If there’s one thing that needs to be learned by musicians, it’s the ability to prepare and look ahead of what you’re currently playing so that you can play the next thing correctly.

Megan (19-35yrs old/beginner), says:

“My main goal is to learn to play a'vista. I have observed progress since I started using MuseFlow. The app works very smoothly and has helped me learn to read notation. I believe it can gradually improve my a'vista playing, as I've found the 'looking ahead' habit easier to develop with the MuseFlow app. The level of difficulty adapts very well.”

With the ability to turn on and off the cursor that’s guiding you through the music, MuseFlow allows you to look ahead of the music and not be stuck looking at exactly what you’re playing in that very moment. It’s a crucial skill one needs to excel in any form of music playing, especially in sight reading.

Achievements Are the Rewards Themselves

Most apps out there use the typical type of gamification that’s considered extrinsically motivating. Badges, stars, etc… these are external motivators that make you want to earn more. MuseFlow, on the other hand, uses gamification that’s intrinsically motivating. You can literally feel yourself getting it! Learning the new skill becomes the reward, not the collection of stars or in-app money or purchases.

Dennis (56-above/beginner) says:

“Any success I achieve is its own reward. Just having moved to the next higher level, I feel good and surprised that it went so quickly. That's a plus!”

The cofounders of MuseFlow believe that the Montessori method of encouragement is best for building intrinsic motivation. Instead of saying “good job beating that level!” you say “wow, you worked so hard on that level! Well done!” This helps foster the love of progress over the need for perfection.

MuseFlow is Like a Gym Partner

Just like Tonal is an AI-driven gym partner, MuseFlow is an AI-driven piano teacher! It’s your coach, your tutor, your teacher, but without any judgement. It celebrates your wins, tells you your faults and allows you to correct them, but never gets mad or frustrated. It guides you through exercise after exercise, and takes the burden off of people that are self-learners to figure out what to learn next.

Take a look at Kyle (19-25/Intermediate) says about MuseFlow:

“MuseFlow is like having a gym partner who guides you through a workout they’ve already planned out. I don’t have to spend time or energy coming up with exercises to train and wondering if it’s optimal, I can just follow along and focus solely on execution. There’s such an overload of information when it comes to learning piano that it’s so taxing (especially if you struggle with perfectionism) to come up with a routine alone. MF takes away a little bit of that decision making and it’s honestly so refreshing.”

MuseFlow is Like a Game!

This is rare in music education. Most people think of words like dedication, diligence, persistence, when they think of music ed. Instead, MuseFlow makes it like a game, with levels to beat, and by capturing that “aha” moment and giving it back to you on repeat. That moment when you realize you’re actually learning something, where you feel the neurons connecting in your brain when you actually grok a new idea! MuseFlow gives these moments back to you inn repeat, making the process feel more like play than like work.

See what Kalan (0-12/beginner) says about MuseFlow:

“I want to beat every level so that all the dots [on the roadmap] turn green.”

And what Daniel (19-35/beginner) says:

“The gamified approach to learning is brilliant, I'm addicted! The app provides instant feedback.”

Conclusion

With a price tag of just $7.99/mo or $79.89/yr MuseFlow beats any private teacher and undercuts the music ed market by a landslide. With its new and sophisticated approach to piano education, MuseFlow answers the question “are piano apps worth it?” with a unilateral YES! Take a shot at it yourself. Enjoy the love of playing music, and let MuseFlow’s cofounders think when you do!

Try MuseFlow for 7 days free!

Finding and using the right piano practice app will make a world of difference in your musical journey. With so much information out there, it can be challenging to determine which exact app will really help you improve and also stay motivated. In 2024 MuseFlow is the number #1 piano practice app you will find! It's designed to cater to all your learning needs. Lets quickly find out why the AI Piano teacher stands out from the rest - making it the best piano practice app available today.

Start using MuseFlow Today - It's Free!

1. Personalized Learning Experience Through AI

MuseFlow uses AI and machine learning to create a personalized learning experience. Traditional methods from decades ago follow a rigid curriculum, this new piano app adapts to your unique needs & progress. The software uses advanced AI technology to assess your unique skill level, it then customizes lessons accordingly..

By tailoring each practice session to your abilities and goals, the technology makes sure that you’re always working on material that is both challenging but also achievable. The best part about this personalized approach is, that it keeps you engaged and motivated. It really helps you progress faster and also more efficiently. Piano teachers often don't pay close attention to your level, which makes lessons inefficient.

2. Real-Time Feedback and Progress Tracking

When learning any instrument immediate feedback is really important for effective learning and the California based tech-startup excels in this area. As you practice, the app carefully listens to your playing and provides real-time feedback on your piano playing performance. This instant response allows you to correct mistakes right on the spot, making sure that you develop the correct techniques from the start. Once you play with the wrong technique it takes time to relearn it again.

Additionally, the best piano learning app tracks your progress over time. This gives you detailed insights into your improvements. You can see how much you’ve advanced every day! It also identifies areas that need more work, and celebrate your achievements! This continuous feedback loop is what will always keep you motivated and focused on your learning journey.

3. Gamified Learning Experience - The Best Way to Learn!

How does piano practice app turns piano practice into a really fun and engaging experience? Through gamification! The app incorporates elements like progress bars, achievement badges, and interactive challenges. All these elements make practicing feel like a FUN game. This new gamified approach keeps you motivated and eager to practice regularly. The best apps that you are currently using all take advantage of gamification. It's best to get gamified to learn an instrument than to just scroll on social media.

The great feeling of accomplishment you get from earning badges & completing challenges boosts your confidence. It then encourages you to keep going and going! By now making the learning process enjoyable, MuseFlow helps you maintain a consistent practice routine. If you have ever tried to learn an instrument especially the piano, you know how important a routine is. For more on the benefits of gamification in learning, check out this article by Learnlight.

4. Expertly Designed by Professional Musicians and Educators

One of the reasons this innovative app is so effective is the expertise behind its development. Some of the founders of MuseFlow are professional musicians and educators who started as self-taught pianists themselves. This is really important to the success of the app. The team understands the challenges and frustrations that come with learning on your own. That's why they have specifically designed the app to address these common issues.

Their firsthand experience and passion for music education is unmatched. You will find out through the app’s thoughtful smart features and user-friendly design. The California based developers have created an app that not only helps you learn effectively but also keeps you highly motivated throughout your musical journey.

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Conclusion

Customer often find us by asking the question what is best piano practice app? They are always referred to MuseFlow by other musicians for the following reasons: The app's personalized learning experience, real-time feedback, gamified approach, and expert design make it easy to learn the piano. Just a year ago, it would not have been possible to learn piano this fast, while having fun. Anyone that is looking to learn or improve their piano skills, really needs to try this app. Make sure you take advantage of the free trial.

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Learning to play the piano is one of the greatest feelings in the world, but takes a lot of work and time to perfect it. Many aspiring pianists face many different obstacles that make the journey frustrating & difficult. Thankfully, MuseFlow is here to help you! This innovative app is specifically designed to address common piano learning challenges, making your practice sessions more effective, fun and enjoyable. Here are the 5 most common challenges and how MuseFlow solves them!

1. Staying Motivated to Play the Piano

Challenge: Staying motivated throughout the learning process can be tough. Progress might feel slow, and it’s easy to become discouraged. A lot of people give up early.

Solution: The best piano apps like MuseFlow keeps you highly motivated by making practice session fun and more engaging. The app uses modern elements of gamification, unlike most other piano apps out there. It captures that "aha" moment and gives that back to you on repeat. The learning is the game itself. Every new skill you learn is a level you have to beat. These features are guaranteed to make practicing feel like a really fun game.. providing a strong sense of accomplishment. This will automatically boosts your confidence and encourages you to keep going! You will LOVE it because each practice session is an exciting personal adventure that keeps you coming back for more. Gamification is knows to boost motivation if done correctly.

2. Lack of Personalized Guidance

Challenge: Traditional piano lessons follow a one-size-fits-all approach. This is an old-school way of learning, because it can be frustrating for learners who actually need personalized guidance.

Solution: The best piano learning app uses machine learning and AI technology to provide a personalized learning experience. The software carefully assesses your skill level and then adapts the lessons to match your own personal needs. How amazing is that?? This means you’re always working on material that is both challenging and achievable! By tailoring each practice session to your abilities & goals, MuseFlow always makes sure that you’re progressing at your own pace. It also makes sure you're getting the most out of your practice time. There is no other solution out there that makes practicing so effective yet fun!

3. Real-Time Feedback & Error Correction

Challenge: Without immediate feedback, people often develop really bad habits. These habits can be hard to break later on..

Solution: The learning app will provide you with real-time feedback on your playing. This helps you correct mistakes right as they happen. That's by far the best way to learn. As you keep practicing, the app listens to your performance and offers instant corrections on notes, timing, and technique! This immediate, smart feedback makes sure that you develop better habits from the start. This of course will make your learning process more efficient. The innovative real-time feedback feature is like having a personal tutor available 24/7 - guiding you through each practice session. The only difference is that the tutor is friendly and never gets mad at you.

4. Big Piano Learning Challenge - Keeping Practice Sessions Interesting

Challenge: We all know that practice can become monotonous and boring.. which often leads to frustration and quitting. Not anymore!

Solution: The California based tech startup designed the practice sessions to be more interesting. This is done by offering a large variety of exercises & challenges. MuseFlow midi piano lesson's interactive features and huge music library provide so many different opportunities for exploration and growth. The app regularly updates its content, so there’s always something new to learn. Customers are loving this, because they never get bored. By keeping your practice sessions amusing, the software helps you stay interested and excited about your musical journey.

5. How to Overcome Piano Learning Challenges? Building a Strong Foundation

Challenge: Many piano learners struggle to build a strong foundation - in piano techniques and music theory.

Solution: MuseFlow’s complete course structure is build so that you develop a strong foundation, in both technique and theory. The app provides step-by-step interactive tutorials and exercises designed to improve your piano playing. That means that whether you’re focusing on sight-reading, finger movements, or understanding musical notation, the AI software's structured approach helps you master your fundamentals. This strong foundation is important for progressing to more advanced playing in the future and becoming a confident, skilled pianist.

Conclusion

The piano is the most popular instrument, so it's definitely worth the challenges to learn how to play. As discussed above, learning to play the piano comes with its fair share of challenges... but MuseFlow is designed to make the journey so much smoother and more enjoyable like never before. By addressing common obstacles such as staying motivated, needing personalized guidance, receiving real-time feedback, always keeping practice sessions interesting, and building a strong foundation, the software really makes sure that you have the all the support and resources you need to succeed!

Respect to anyone who is learning piano by themselves. It requires a lot of discipline and patience. It's an exciting, but definitely also a challenging, journey. As a self-taught pianist, it’s important to find the right resources and tools to guide you. It will make all the difference. So, what is the best app for self-taught pianists? It’s a new innovative app called MuseFlow. This app has been designed to make piano learning accessible, engaging, and more effective for everyone! Below are 5 quick reasons why this AI software is the best app for self-taught pianists.

Use MuseFlow today! It's Free.

1. Personalized Learning with AI

It’s 2024 so MuseFlow is using the best Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools to personalize your learning experience. Traditional old methods often follow a one-size-fits-all approach. These can be frustrating for self-taught learners who progress at their own pace. The California tech company strategically uses AI to assess your unique skill level. It then adapts lessons to suit your needs. That means you are always challenged but never overwhelmed.

The AI tracks your progress and provides feedback in real-time. This helps you correct mistakes immediately and develop better techniques from the start. The earlier bad habits are caught, the better for you. This personalized approach not only makes learning more efficient but also more enjoyable for you... You can learn at your own pace & focus on areas that need improvement. Who doesn’t want a fun but productive learning session?

2. App for Self-Taught Piano Players Offers Real-Time Feedback 

One of the biggest challenges for self-taught pianists is the lack of immediate feedback. You may have already gotten so far, but you can hit a wall when you don’t know where you should improve. Without a teacher or coach to guide you, it’s easy to develop bad habits as mentioned earlier. That can be hard to break later on. MuseFlow solves this problem by providing real-time feedback on your playing. As you practice, the app listens to your performance and then offers instant corrections on notes, timing, and technique. 

Feedback is crucial for self-learners, it really helps you identify and fix mistakes right away. It’s like having a personal (friendly) tutor available 24/7. One that is guiding you through each practice session without getting annoyed or annoying... and by receiving feedback as you play, you can make adjustments in real-time. It’s genius, you have to try it to really see and experience it. 

‍3. Engaging & Very Fun Learning Experience

Learning piano should be fun, not a chore you don’t look forward to... The learning app for self taught pianists has many gamification elements that are added to the learning process to keep you highly motivated. With progress bars, achievement badges and screens, and interactive tutorials and challenges, each practice session feels like a game. This provides a modern and better learning experience. Gamified approaches make learning enjoyable and keeps you and others coming back for more fun, which means more learning. 

Many self-taught pianists using MuseFlow have found that the app’s engaging features make it easier to stick with their practice routines; and we all know how hard it is to stick to routines! The feeling of achievement you get from earning badges & completing challenges can be so incredibly motivating… MuseFlow turns piano practice into an exciting adventure, which helps you stay committed to your learning goals.

4. Entering the Flow State with MuseFlow

One of the most powerful aspects of MuseFlow is its ability to help you enter a state of "flow," where you are fully immersed and focused on your practice! This flow state is often described as a feeling of being "in the zone," where time seems to fly by in the best way possible. You are completely engaged in the task at hand and super focused. The software’s adaptive learning paths, real-time feedback, and interactive elements are all designed to facilitate this state.

Through the way the piano lessons app works, you will be challenged with tasks that are just at the right level of difficulty. The lessons keep your brain engaged and focused in the perfect state of learning. This deep concentration not only makes learning more enjoyable but also significantly enhances your ability to retain new information and develop skills more quickly. We have all been in those situations where we have been super focused and time just flies by. The flow state is a key factor in making your practice sessions more productive and rewarding.

5. Founders' Expertise & Community Support

One of the reasons MuseFlow is so popular is the expertise behind its development. Some of the founders started as self-taught pianists themselves. They understand the challenges and frustrations that come with learning on your own. This is why they’ve designed the app to address these challenging issues. Their firsthand experience and passion for music education are very evident in the app’s thoughtful features and user-friendly design!

Additionally, this midi piano lessons app has built a supportive community of learners. Many self-taught pianists are using the app and are increasing their learning curve at an unbelievable pace. This sense of community can be incredibly motivating and helpful, especially when you’re learning on your own. You can connect with other learners and share your progress with the team.

Conclusion

In conclusion, as you can see from the points above, MuseFlow is the best learning app for self-taught pianists. Its AI-driven personalized learning, real-time feedback, engaging new-school gamification features, flow state learning experience and the founders’ expertise make it an an incredible tool for learning piano on your own. You will love this way of learning. Whether you’re just starting your musical journey or looking to improve your existing skills, the technology provides the support and resources you need to succeed!

Join the many other happy self-taught pianists who are discovering the joy of learning piano with MuseFlow.

Learning to play the piano can be incredibly rewarding, but it also comes with a fair share of challenges. When learning any instrument it’s not always easy to stay motivated, especially when progress seems slow or when life gets busy... thankfully, MuseFlow is here to help you stay motivated while learning piano and make learning a lot more enjoyable. Read below to see how to stay engaged, have fun, and stay highly motivated.

Start using MuseFlow today!

MuseFlow: Your Personal Motivation Partner

MuseFlow is more than just a piano learning app –  it’s your personal partner in staying highly-motivated and achieving your musical goals. Here are a few ways the AI piano teacher excels in keeping learners engaged in the most fun way possible:

1. Personalized Learning Paths

The software uses advanced AI technology. It tailors your learning experience to your unique needs & progress. The app adapts to your skill level and learning pace, making sure that you are always working on material that is both challenging yet achievable... This personalized approach helps prevent frustration and boredom, two motivation killers. You will stay inspired to continue practicing.

2. Real-Time Feedback & Progress Tracking

Fast feedback is crucial for motivation. MuseFlow provides real-time feedback on your playing, allowing you to correct mistakes instantly! This is the best way to see fast progress. The app also strategically tracks your performance over time. This gives you detailed personal insights into your improvements. All users say they prefer this over a real person teaching them. Seeing tangible progress can be incredibly motivating! 

3. Gamified Learning Experience to Stay Motivated to Play the Piano

The piano teaching app turns learning into a game. This means you will see glowing progress bars, level complete screens, and fun interactive tutorials. This gamification makes practicing so much more fun than before, and it also helps you stay committed to your learning routine! The great sense of accomplishment from seeing that level complete screen after beating each level boosts your confidence and will encourage you to keep going...

4. Entering the Flow State - You’ll Love This!

One of the technologies most LOVED features is its incredible ability to help you enter a state of “flow.” This state is the best state to learn. This is a mental state where you are fully immersed and focused on your practice. The experience becomes more enjoyable and productive. If you think back on your best learning experiences, they were very likely in a flow state. MuseFlow (the name already says it) is adaptive, and has a guided learning paths and real-time feedback that keeps your brain engaged, facilitating a state of flow, which helps you retain new information and develop skills a lot quicker. 

Additional Tips to Stay Motivated While Learning Piano

1. Set Clear & Achievable Goals

It’s obvious but important. Setting clear, achievable goals is essential for staying motivated. Break down your larger goals into smaller and also manageable tasks. For example, aim to learn a specific song within a month, or master a particular technique over a couple of weeks. When achieving these smaller goals you get a better sense of accomplishment – this keeps you motivated to tackle bigger challenges. It will be easier to feel the progress you’re making!.

2. Create a Consistent Practice Schedule

You've heard it many times “consistency is key” especially when learning an instrument.. Get into a regular practice schedule that fits into your daily routine. Really even 15-30 minutes of focused practice each day will lead to very strong improvements over time. You can use free tools like Google Calendar to set reminders and block out dedicated practice time. If you miss a day, don’t be too hard on yourself. An amazing book to create habits is Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones by James Clear. 

3. Find Inspiration in Music

Listening to a wide variety of different music can inspire & motivate you to practice. Check out new genres, artists, and pieces that excite you. Those will make you eager to play. Also make sure to attend live performances or watch videos of talented pianists to see what’s possible with dedication and practice… for inspiration, also check out the list of must-watch piano performances from Classic FM.

4. Join a Community

Connecting with other piano learners can provide support and encouragement, and also motivation. You can join online forums, social media groups and accounts, or local music clubs to share your progress, ask for advice, and celebrate achievements together! Everyone loves a sense of community. It can be incredibly motivating and help you stay committed to your learning journey.

Reddit’s r/piano is a great community for connecting with fellow piano enthusiasts.

5. Reward Yourself

Rewarding yourself for reaching milestones can really really boost motivation. Treat yourself to something special when you achieve a goal, whether it’s a new sheet music book, a relaxing break, or a favorite snack (or whatever motivates you). Continuous positive reinforcement can make the learning process more enjoyable, and encourage you to keep progressing. This is much better than always punishing yourself, thus, associating a bad feeling to learning to play piano.

Conclusion on How to Stay Motivated to Play the Piano

Staying motivated while learning piano is challenging for most. As mentioned above, with the right tools and strategies, it’s entirely possible. MuseFlow provides an amazing solution with its personalized learning paths, real-time feedback, gamified experience, and ability to facilitate flow state. These features make learning piano enjoyable and engaging, helping you stay committed to your musical journey. It’s the best music education technology out there in 2024. 

In addition to using MuseFlow, remembering to set clear goals, maintaining a consistent practice schedule, finding inspiration in music, joining a community, rewarding yourself, and embracing challenges can all contribute to sustained motivation. We hope this helps you stay motivated and happy! 

Start your musical journey with MuseFlow today and discover the joy of learning piano with an amazing and friendly partner that keeps you motivated every step of the way.

MIDI stands for Musical Instrument Digital Interface. It's a standard communication protocol that allows electronic musical instruments, computers, and other devices to communicate and control each other. MIDI doesn't transmit audio signals like a microphone or speaker; instead, it sends information about musical notes: their pitch, duration, volume (velocity), and other relevant parameters.

A MIDI keyboard is a type of electronic musical keyboard that is designed to interface with computers, synthesizers, and other MIDI-capable devices. Instead of making sounds on its own, when you press its keys, it sends information (called MIDI data) to other devices.

Think of it like a remote control for music – pressing keys on the MIDI keyboard sends signals to make music happen on other devices!

Benefits of MIDI Keyboards

Using a MIDI keyboard instead of a normal acoustic piano offers several advantages, particularly in the context of modern music production, composition, and live performances. Here are some common reasons:

1. Digital Sound Variety: When hooked up with music production software (such as GarageBand, Logic Pro, Ableton Live, FL Studio, etc.), MIDI keyboards can make an extensive palette of sounds beyond what a traditional piano can produce, from classic piano tones to electronic, orchestral, and experimental sounds.
2. Music Production and Composition: MIDI keyboards allow musicians and producers to compose, arrange, and produce music with various virtual instruments and software synths, providing a more versatile and creative environment.
3. Portability and Size: MIDI keyboards are generally more compact and portable than acoustic pianos, making them easier to transport and suitable for musicians on the go or those with limited space in home studios.
4. Connectivity: MIDI keyboards can easily connect to computers and other MIDI-compatible devices, expanding the possibilities for collaboration and integration with different music production tools.
5. Expressive Control: MIDI keyboards often come with features like velocity sensitivity, aftertouch, and modulation wheels, allowing musicians to add expressive nuances to their performances. These features enhance the dynamic range and emotional expressiveness of the music.
6. Cost: Acoustic pianos, especially high-quality grand pianos, can be expensive and require regular maintenance. MIDI keyboards are generally more cost-effective and offer a wide range of features for a lower price.
7. Recording and Editing Capabilities: MIDI data recorded from a MIDI keyboard can be easily edited in music production software after recording. This provides flexibility in adjusting the timing, pitch, and other aspects of the performance, offering a level of precision and control that is not possible with acoustic recordings.

While traditional acoustic pianos have their unique charm and are irreplaceable in certain contexts, MIDI keyboards cater to the demands of contemporary music production, technology integration, and the diverse creative needs of musicians. The choice between a MIDI keyboard and an acoustic piano depends on the specific goals and preferences of the musician.

MIDI Keyboards vs. Electronic Keyboards vs. Digital Pianos

The terms "MIDI keyboard," "electronic keyboard," and "digital piano" are often used interchangeably. They all refer to very similar products, but with slightly different characteristics. Let's clarify the distinctions:

Electronic Keyboard:

The term “electronic keyboard” is the broadest category, which includes both digital pianos and MIDI keyboards. It simply describes any keyboard that does not produce its sound naturally like an acoustic piano does, but rather by digital means (either through built-in speakers or by sending MIDI data to another device, which in turn produces sound).

Electronic keyboards often come with different built-in sounds, such as piano, organ, strings, and more, but they don’t have to. They may or may not have MIDI capabilities.

MIDI Keyboard:

A MIDI keyboard is a type of electronic keyboard designed specifically for sending MIDI data to other devices. It does not produce sound on its own. They generate MIDI data when keys are pressed, and this data is sent to external MIDI-compatible devices (usually a computer or tablet) to produce sound.

Digital Piano:

A digital piano is a type of electronic keyboard that aims to replicate the sound and feel of an acoustic piano. It is designed to closely mimic the acoustic piano experience, and as such they often look and feel like “standalone” instruments that don’t require any additional equipment. They usually have built-in speakers to reproduce the sound digitally, and will often be designed to look like an upright piano.

Like electronic keyboards, digital pianos often come with a small selection of built-in sounds, and may or may not have MIDI capabilities.

Most electronic keyboards nowadays are built with MIDI capabilities, and thus could be considered “MIDI keyboards.” If a keyboard has a USB port on it, then it is MIDI-compatible. If it’s an older keyboard, it may have the original MIDI five-pin connections instead.

Thanks for reading our article! We at MuseFlow are committed to making music education better and more accessible for everyone. If you’d like to learn more about our mission, click here. And if you’d like to try out our product for free, click below.

MuseFlow is the best way to learn to play a MIDI keyboard. Here’s why:

• It allows you to drop into flow state from the first note.
• The gamification aspects of MuseFlow makes it much more fun to learn.
• The founding team is made up of experts in the fields of music and software development, ensuring that every decision made while building the app benefits either the seamlessness of the experience, or optimizes the learning process.

Got any more questions? Check out the rest of our FAQs or email us at info@museflow.ai, we’re happy to help!

Digital music education keeps getting better and finding the right software to learn piano, especially with a MIDI keyboard, will make a huge difference in your musical journey. As you might know, MIDI keyboards offer flexibility and a range of features that can enhance your learning experience... So, what is the best piano learning software for MIDI? The answer is MuseFlow. Find 5 quick reasons why the California-based startup is the best option:

Try MuseFlow right now!

1. Personalized Learning with AI

MuseFlow uses of advanced Artificial Intelligence (AI) to personalize your learning experience. Unlike traditional old-school learning methods that follow a rigid curriculum, the software adapts to your unique needs and your progress. It's 2024, that means the app is able to assess your current skill level & learning style, while continuously analyzing your performance. It then adjusts the difficulty of the exercises accordingly. How amazing is that? This really makes sure that you are always working on tasks that promote personal growth without being overwhelming. The goal is to get you into your flow state so that you can stay engaged and motivated. We live in a fortunate time where technology is to take learning to unbelievable heights. AI is really revolutionizing education and it should be embraced for that.

2. Real-Time Feedback & Personalized Error Correction

Real-time feedback is super important when learning an instrument! This innovative new software provides real-time feedback on your playing. This helps you correct mistakes instantly. As you learn to play your MIDI keyboard, MuseFlow listens to your performance and provides instant feedback on your accuracy, your timing, and your unique technique. This feedback is displayed in an easy-to-understand format, so that you can easily and exactly see where you need to improve. A human piano teacher cannot do it as efficiently. Now if you are a beginner, this can be even more beneficial. To understand more about the benefits of real-time feedback in learning and how it's the best way to excel your personal journey, you can read this insightful piece from EduMe.

3. Engaging & Fun Learning Experience

Learning piano should be fun and enjoyable! Nobody wants to learn the Midi keyboard and be frustrated along the way. The learning software for Midi keyboards makes sure of that by adding gamification levels, your learning becomes a more fun process...This means your practice sessions feel more like playing a game than studying. If you know the App Duolingo then you know how much users want to continue learning a language. And music is a language in and of itself! MuseFlow includes fun features such as progress bars, achievement badges, and interactive challenges. With each completed lesson you improve your skills and you also earn rewards and move up levels. This new-school gamified approach keeps you motivated and makes piano practicing fun.

4. Extensive Library of Music & Exercises

This innovative piano learning software for Midi keyboards offers a great personalized library of songs and exercises. The goal is to cater to all skill levels and musical tastes. This huge collection of music makes sure that you always have something new and exciting to learn! Don't get stuck on the same old songs and star hating them.. this software provides access to hundreds of music pieces, from classical to contemporary, and many different fun exercises made to improve different aspects of your playing. The library is of course regularly updated, so there’s always fresh content for you to explore. The piano learning app lets you choose from your favorite genres and styles, so that you develop a well-rounded skill set.

5. Flexibility & Convenience

One of the biggest advantages of learning to play the piano with MuseFlow is its flexibility. Why? Because you can practice whenever it fits into your schedule. Whether you have 15 minutes during your lunch break or some quiet time late at night, you decide when to learn. Sometimes you have a session with a piano teacher but are just really not in the mood or don't have time so you have to cancel the appointment. With this Midi piano learning software you’re not tied to a fixed schedule. You can fit piano practice into your busy life, making it easier to stay consistent. The app’s structure also allows you to pick up right where you left off, so every minute of practice is effective. This will help you stick to your practice routine consistently, which is really really important for steady progress.

Conclusion

Customers love MuseFlow, and it really stands out as the best piano learning software for MIDI keyboards. Its AI-driven personalized learning paths make sure that your lessons are tailored to your own specific and personalized needs. The real-time feedback feature helps you correct mistakes instantly, and it promotes proper technique and faster improvement. The modern gamified learning experience makes practicing fun and engaging, so you will always stay motivated. Last but not least, the extensive library of music and exercises offers the best opportunities for growth and exploration. Try MuseFlow today and experience the best way to learn piano with your MIDI keyboard. Happy playing!

Learning to play the piano will always be a journey filled with excitement and challenges. With advancements in technology, MIDI keyboards have become a popular tool for beginners as well as experienced musicians. You might wonder, can you really learn piano on a MIDI keyboard? Yes you absolutely can! With the right software like MuseFlow, you can effectively learn piano using a MIDI keyboard. We've listed 5 reasons why MuseFlow is the best choice for this musical adventure!

Try MuseFlow right now for FREE

1. Founders' Expertise in Music and Technology

The California based startup's development is spearheaded by founders who have extensive backgrounds in both music and technology. This unique combination of expertise gives the app a deep understanding of what it takes to learn piano effectively. You have the best of both worlds working on the AI powered app.

The founders include professional musicians and educators who have spent years on their craft and they all understand the intricacies of music education. Their unique insights have shaped MuseFlow into an intuitive and user-friendly app. It addresses the specific needs of piano learners. This aforementioned strong foundation in music theory and practice, combined with engineering skills, makes it the best app for learning piano on a MIDI keyboard.

2. Comprehensive and Adaptive Learning Paths

The piano app provides a smart learning path that adapts to your progress. MuseFlow’s adaptive learning paths is built in a way that each lesson builds on your existing skills, introducing new concepts at the right time.

The software has machine learning capabilities that take your learning, challenges, and successes into account. It adjusts the difficulty of exercises and pieces accordingly. This means you are neither bored with material that’s too easy nor overwhelmed by too difficult tasks. The adaptive technology makes sure that there is always a steady and manageable progression. This makes it easier to stay motivated and see consistent improvement! This adaptive learning is something we couldn't have imagined only a few years ago, especially when it comes to learning music instruments.

3. Rich Interactive Features

Learning piano on a MIDI keyboard with MuseFlow comes with many benefits. The rich interactive features make the process engaging & fun. The app includes interactive tutorials, practice exercises, and even games that help reinforce musical concepts in a FUN way.

These features are also designed to make learning more dynamic and less monotonous, to help you stay inspired. Nobody likes boring piano lessons. The software allows you to master each part before moving on. This interactive and gamified approach keeps you engaged and eager to practice more, which is important for sustained learning.

4. Personalized Music Library and Practice Tools

The music learning app offers an extensive library of music and practice tools. These cater to all different kind of skill levels and musical tastes. Whether you’re interested in classical, jazz, pop, or any other genre, the AI piano teacher has a wide range of pieces to choose from. So you will definitely find something that you like, even if your music taste is different from the mainstream.

The app’s practice tools are designed to help you develop the most important aspects of your piano playing. From sight-reading to technique. These tools are customizable, and allow you to focus on specific areas where you need improvement. The variety and depth of resources in the music library ensure that you always have something new and exciting to learn. The goal of this is to keep your practice sessions fresh, fun and always motivating!

5. Real-Time Feedback to Better Learn Piano on a Midi Keyboard

When learning a new instrument and even when perfecting an instrument, you really need real-time feedback and performance tracking. This new learning app works so that when you play your MIDI keyboard, it provides instant feedback on your performance! It really highlights areas where you hit the right notes and timing, as well as areas that need some improvement. All this feedback is done in the nicest most motivating way, so that you want to keep improving.

This immediate feedback loop is invaluable for self-learners. This is because it helps you to correct mistakes in real-time. It then reinforces proper techniques & habits. Additionally, the software tracks your performance over time. This provides detailed reports on your progress. This tracking also helps you see how far you’ve come and identify specific areas to focus on. With these features, you are positively forced to get better fast!

Conclusion

Learning piano on a MIDI keyboard is not only possible but also super effective with the right modern software. MuseFlow is currently the best piano learning software for MIDI keyboards due to its founders' expertise, adaptive learning paths, rich interactive features, extensive music library, and real-time feedback capabilities!

Whether you are a beginner starting your musical journey or an experienced player looking to refine and improve your skills, the AI software provides the resources, support, and motivation you need to succeed.

The short answer is an undeniable yes, the lifelong learning of music can absolutely increase your longevity. In fact, lifelong learning in and of itself is linked to a number of health benefits, including better brain health and memory. Many studies also suggest music can boost your health by reducing stress and lifting your mood, as anyone who’s ever danced to their favorite song in the kitchen can attest.

In this post, we’ll take a brief look at how incorporating music into your lifelong learning journey can help you live a longer, better life and how to get started.

Music & Brain Plasticity

While your brain is not a muscle, it is an intricate network of neurons that, similar to a muscle, need to be constantly challenged in order to grow and stay strong. In the brain’s case, this means forming connections with other brain cells.

These connections keep the brain cells healthy by increasing brain plasticity, which is your brain’s ability to adapt and rewire itself. Better brain plasticity has even been linked to higher resistance against the symptoms of Alzheimers and dementia, further reinforcing the age old saying, when it come to maintaining a healthy brain, use it or lose it!

Learning to play a musical instrument is a highly challenging activity akin to a full body workout. The harmonizing (pun intended) of your senses—vision, hearing, touch, and fine motor skills—creates lasting changes in your brain. In fact, music has been shown to be instrumental (yes, another pun) in forging increased connections between your left and right brain hemispheres.

The health benefits of lifelong learning manifest not only in an increased lifespan but in an increased healthspan, which is the measure of how many years during a person’s life they are considered to be in generally good health. Aging comes for us all, but by incorporating the lifelong project that is learning to play a musical instrument, you can both increase your years and your enjoyment of them.

Music & Mental Health

Speaking of enjoyment, it probably wouldn’t shock you to hear that music can have a big affect on your overall mood. Whether it’s the boost you get from your favorite song coming on the radio or the catharsis of scream-singing along to the saddest song you’ve ever heard, music plays a big part in increasing feelings of happiness and reducing stress.

This isn’t just limited to listening to music though. Playing an instrument can actually affect the natural healing processes in your body and your brain. Some studies even suggest that music reduces pain perception, in part because it interacts with the pathways used to process pain.

So, music not only increases dopamine and endorphins, but quite literally blocks mental and physical pain from affecting you with the same level of intensity.

The benefits of reducing cortisol, the stress hormone, in your body cannot be understated. Increased levels of cortisol, especially when chronic, is responsible for higher blood pressure, worse sleep, inflammation, and a slew of other physical ailments that can decrease your lifespan when not dealt with properly.

Additionally, through the lifelong pursuit of learning to play an instrument, you have the power to  shape your own brain development, and better regulate your emotions and behavior helping you build better habits in all aspects of your life.

Music & Purpose

One of the most profound ways learning music can have a lifelong impact is by contributing to a strong sense of purpose in your life, something Dr. Paige Baker-Braxton, a clinical psychologist, says can have a huge impact on your longevity.

Admittedly, learning to play an instrument can, at times, feel frustrating, especially as so many methods of teaching it rely heavily on repetition of the same song over and over until muscle memory prevails. This method unfortunately tends to increase the “ceiling” of songs one knows without increasing the “floor” of one’s skills.

However, music also offers you the chance to gain small wins. These small but mighty steps of progress contribute greatly to feelings of accomplishment, boosting your self-confidence and leading to greater overall satisfaction about your life.

At MuseFlow, we embrace the challenges that come with learning music while taking a unique approach to teaching. Instead of relying on repetition, our AI-driven piano learning app uses personalization to break down new skills into bite-size chunks that challenge you without being so frustrating that you want to throw in the towel.

So if you’re looking to increase brain plasticity, boost your mood, feel fueled by purpose, and actually live longer, why not give MuseFlow a try?

Sign up for your 7-day free trial and start your lifelong music-learning today!

Learning to play the piano can be a really hard task and reasons for this can be time constraints, maintaining motivation, and mastering complex skills. However, with the right tools in 2024, these obstacles can be managed easily. MuseFlow is a new revolutionary app designed to make piano learning accessible, enjoyable, and successful for everyone. Read below to find out how the California based tech company will help you with your piano learning challenges, turning potential frustrations into victories!

Try MuseFlow now for free!

1. Tailored Learning Experiences

The challenge? Every learner has a different pace and style of learning. This can be very difficult to accommodate with traditional piano lessons and teaching methods.

The solution: MuseFlow uses advanced AI & machine learning models to personalize your learning experience. The app learns your specific skill level and preferences to tailor lessons specifically for you. This customization makes sure that you're not overwhelmed by overly difficult tasks. You also don't get bored by lessons that are too easy! By providing just the RIGHT level of challenge, the technology keeps you engaged and helps you progress in your learning journey.

2. Tackle Challenges by Flexible Scheduling

The challenge?  Finding time to practice is one of the biggest hurdles to learn the piano, especially for adults; there are always other priorities. That's why users are saying it's the easiest way to learn to play piano for adults.

The solution: The piano software offers flexibility. It really allows you to practice whenever it fits into your schedule. Whether you have 15 minutes during your short lunch break or some quiet time late at night - MuseFlow is ready when you are! The app’s structure allows you to pick up exactly right where you left off.. really making sure that every minute of practice is effective (and fun!)

3. Motivation Through Gamification

The challenge? You know that keeping motivation high can be tough and it often fades, especially when progress feels slow.

The solution: MuseFlow uses gamification elements in your learning process! Just how you continue to play video games that are hard, you will do the same here. Progress bars, achievement milestones, and interactive challenges make learning feel more like playing a game. Fun right? This approach not only makes practice sessions more enjoyable but also increases your motivation to stick with your learning goals. You’ll look forward to logging in & leveling up your skill. As mentioned before this is just like in your favorite games! It's really the best app to teach yourself to play piano with AI.

4. Instant Feedback & Correction

The challenge? Without immediate and personalized feedback, it’s hard to realize and correct mistakes during practice.

The solution: The piano app provides real-time feedback. On every note you play. This immediate correction helps you adjust your technique on the spot. This reinforces good habits by quickly addressing errors. Such instant feedback is important for effective learning and FAST improvement. You will get more out of every practice session, even if it's super short.

5. Resources and Support

The challenge? Access to up to date learning materials can be expensive & hard to find.

The solution: The app that helps you overcome piano learning challenges offers a wide range of resources within the app. Step-by-step guides to a library of music tailored to your specific skill levels... These resources are there to support your learning journey from beginner to advanced levels. They provide you with all the tools you need to succeed without the need for expensive books or private lessons. Private lessons are also usually expensive.

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6. Personalized Progress Tracking & Analysis

The challenge? Tracking your own progress can be annoying and inaccurate, especially without professional tools.

The solution: The AI piano app simplifies progress tracking. You will receive detailed analytics and visual progress reports. This means you can easily see how much you’ve improved over time. It helps you identify areas that need more work, and set smarter personal goals for future practice. This data-driven approach helps you celebrate your achievements and plan your next steps effectively. As you might heard the saying by Peter Drucker "You can't manage what you can't measure."

Conclusion

The California based tech-start-up is transforming the way to learn piano. The team of experts and professional musicians are making it easier to start and continue your musical piano learning journey- minus the common challenges. With personalized lessons, flexible scheduling, motivational tools, and personal support, MuseFlow really makes sure that every learner has the resources they need. It really has everything you need to succeed. That means whether you’re a complete beginner or returning to the piano after a break, the AI app is designed to help you overcome obstacles & achieve your musical goals! You'll enjoy the challenge with MuseFlow, discover the joy of playing piano today!

Learning to play the piano on your own is the best when you figure out how. It can be a super fulfilling yet challenging adventure. There are many success stories of people teaching themselves instruments, but most of the time it's very challenging. Especially as traditional methods can often feel overwhelming and sometimes don't mesh with your personal learning style & pace. If you’re searching for the easiest way to teach yourself piano, then congrats, you've found it. MuseFlow, an innovative app built by engineers and professional musicians, is there to simplify piano learning. Read below to quickly find out why the app that helps you teach yourself piano is your best friend when it comes to mastering the piano independently...with ease and confidence!

Try MuseFlow's 7-Day-Trial right now!

1. Personalized Learning Path

As you might know, one of the first challenges of self-taught piano learning is knowing where to start and how to progress? MuseFlow eliminates this confusion. This is done by offering a personalized learning path that constantly adapts to your individual skill level & goals.

How it helps: When you start using the smart piano software, you current skill level and your musical preferences is taken into account. The app then tailors your learning plan to suit your exact needs. This is done to make sure you're not wasting time on lessons that are too easy or too difficult... This makes it more fun and saves you a lot of time. Also this adaptive learning approach helps you stay engaged & progress at your own pace. Therefore making self-teaching straightforward and more FUN!

2. Real-Time Feedback Helps You Teach Yourself Piano

Another big challenge when teaching yourself piano is that there is no immediate and fast feedback. This of course is important for correcting mistakes and developing the right technique. The AI piano teacher provides real-time feedback on every note you play. This works like the responsive guidance you would receive from a live piano teacher. The only difference is the app won't get mad at you and is always paying attention.

‍How it helps: As you play, the machine learning & AI listens and instantly tells you if you hit the right notes.. with the correct timing! Now how great is that? This feedback is essential for learning and correcting your playing in real-time. You always want to make sure you're not creating bad habits, especially in the beginning. This is how it’s like having a teacher by your side, confirming when you’re doing things correctly and guiding you in the right direction when you're making mistakes.

3. Teach Yourself To Play Piano in an Engaging & Fun Way

No matter what you are trying to learn, maintaining motivation is one of the biggest challenges. When you’re teaching yourself an instrument, you can easily lose motivation when you're getting stuck. MuseFlow tackles this by making learning very engaging and enjoyable at the same time. This is being done through gamification and interactive features, just like it should be in 2024.

How it helps: MuseFlow strategically incorporates elements of gaming. Just like social media app do, but here, gamification is done for the best cause. It has features like like achievements, levels, and rewards to keep you highly motivated. Each lesson feels like a mini fun game, where you can earn points and unlock new content by mastering skills. This approach keeps the learning process fun and super exciting. It helps you stay committed to practicing regularly without feeling like a chore, because the more something feels like a chore the less you want to do it.

4. Comprehensive Resource Library

For many self-learners, finding the right resources can be time-consuming and often costly. You don't know where to start and what to trust. MuseFlow offers an extensive library of songs, exercises, and tutorials, all included within the app. The AI is even able to create new songs for you so that it never gets boring. Overcoming piano learning challenges is easy when you have an app that supports you from all angles.

How it helps: Whether you are looking to master classical pieces, explore jazz, or play contemporary hits, MuseFlow provides a diverse range of music to choose from. That means there is something for everyone. Alongside musical pieces, the AI piano app includes detailed tutorials that break down techniques and theories in an easy-to-understand manner. There is no more need for external books or courses, making the piano software a one-stop-shop for all your learning needs!

5. Best Way to Teach Yourself Piano - Through Progress Tracking & Insights

Remember that when teaching yourself, it’s important to track your progress. Do this to stay motivated and to stay aware of your improvements. The app offers detailed analytics for you. It also show you your progress through reports. This will help you understand your learning journey better.

How it helps: Through the tracking, you can see detailed insights into your playing habits, your strengths, and the areas for improvement. This information is important for self-reflection. It helps you plan your future learning strategies. It also allows you to celebrate your successes and set realistic goals, keeping your learning journey on track.

Conclusion

MuseFlow the best piano teaching app offers the easiest way to teach yourself piano. What's great is that in 2024 we have the best technology available to help you. With its personalized learning paths, real-time feedback, engaging content, flexible accessibility, and detailed progress tracking, it makes sure that self-taught pianists have all the tools they need for success! Try it today, there is 7-day free trial, so no risk involved.

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Do you have a MIDI compatible keyboard at home or in a studio and you want to learn to play the piano with it? MuseFlow has your back, and answers this question with a big “come on in everyone! Every type of keyboard is welcome!” Let’s first discuss the differences and similarities between a MIDI keyboard and a piano. Then we’ll dive into what MuseFlow is and why it’s the best platform for you to learn how to play your MIDI keyboard.

Interested in MuseFlow? Try it for free for 7 days!

What Is a MIDI Keyboard?

We’ll keep this short. A MIDI keyboard is a keyboard that sends musical information through its digital interface to your computer or laptop (See MIDI - Musical Instrument Digital Interface. Music can be broken down into rhythm, pitch, velocity, volume, sustain, and a bunch of other information categories. When you play a note, the information associated with that note and how you played it gets converted into ones and zeroes and is sent to your computer or laptop via your MIDI device. It’s the most reliable way to make sure the information of what you’re playing gets to your laptop or computer exactly the way you played it.

Usually a MIDI keyboard is hooked up to your computer via a USB cable or through Bluetooth. See MuseFlow’s FAQ “Where can I buy a ‘plug and play’ MIDI keyboard and cable, and which one is right for me?” for more information on MIDI keyboards and the cables we recommend.

A piano, on the other hand, is an acoustic instrument that doesn’t require electricity to play. It has hammers attached to the keys on a keyboard, which hit strings of certain lengths that ring out to create sounds at certain pitches. When you press down on a key, those strings for that pitch ring out. The vibration of those strings create the sound waves you hear!

The keyboard on a piano is laid out the same as a MIDI keyboard, and the pitches are the same. It’s just that a MIDI keyboard is a digital version of a piano, and relies on electricity to run. A piano is an analog version of the MIDI keyboard, which is solely a digital instrument.

Why MuseFlow is the Best for learning MIDI keyboards

MuseFlow is a piano education application that teaches you how to play the MIDI keyboard through sight reading (the act of reading music at first sight).

For the best connection possible, you’ll want a MIDI keyboard connected to your laptop or tablet. That is the most reliable form of connecting any MIDI keyboard to MuseFlow. It will know if you held the note long enough, played the note correctly, or missed it all together. It can even tell if you grazed a wrong note just slightly!

With the precision offered by MIDI keyboards and MuseFlow's ability to connect to them, it stands as the #1 piano learning app for this reason alone! Not to mention the fun you’ll have with its gamified approach to learning music. Each level is a new skill you need to learn (a new note, or new rhythm). And once you play four phrases of music in a row at or above 95% accuracy, you are moved onto the next level.

Conclusion

If your goal is to learn how to play the MIDI keyboard, MuseFlow is the best piano learning app out there to get you to where you want to be. With the level of accuracy and accountability a MIDI keyboard offers you in your learning journey, it is the #1 tool you can use to better yourself and improve your piano skills with MuseFlow.

Try MuseFlow today! Sign up for your 7-day free trial and learn how to play your MIDI keyboard with ease.

Learning to play the piano is a very rewarding journey - but as you might know it often comes with its fair share of challenges. All the traditional methods can be boring and repetitive. This leads to many new pianists feeling frustrated and unmotivated. That's were MuseFlow comes in, really the best piano teaching app that is currently transforming the way people learn piano. MuseFlow is built with the newest technology to provide a fun, efficient, and super personalized learning experience. Read on to find out why exactly MuseFlow is the best piano teaching app available today!

Try Museflow right now for free!

1. AI-Driven Personalization Designed by Experts

The AI startup with its headquarters in Los Angeles, stands out with their piano teaching application with their advanced AI that personalizes the learning experience. The app uniquely tailors each lesson to your personal skill level. So that the content is neither too easy but also not too difficult. As you keep getting better, the AI continually adapts to your improvements. This presents you with new challenges that are just right for your current level. This personalized new approach to learning keeps you engaged & motivated, making learning more efficient and enjoyable... that's why so many users keep saying that it's the best piano lessons app they have ever experienced. It's important to add that the founders of the technology all come from the music industry, so their input makes the app so great.

2. Real-Time Feedback Based on Your Skill Level

One of the great advantages of using MuseFlow is the real-time feedback system that they have in place. As you play, the app listens to your performance and provides immediate feedback on your accuracy & technique... This instant response helps you correct mistakes on the spot. It then reinforces good habits and prevents bad ones from happening, before it's too late. It’s like having a personal piano tutor available 24/7, that is patience and guiding you every step of the way. How amazing is that?

3. Gamified Learning Experience to Stay Motivated

Learning piano with this innovative app feels more like playing a game than attending a traditional music lesson. Those traditional lessons can be boring and uninspiring. The app has gamified elements such as progress bars, accuracy trackers, and rewarding milestones to keep you going! This new gamified approach transforms practice sessions into fun and exciting challenges... making it easier to stay committed to your personal learning journey! The fun aspect of the app is particularly appealing for younger learners, helping to maintain their interest and enthusiasm. Like anything in life, if it's fun, then you usually like doing it, and the same for the opposite.

4. Adaptive Music Generation

One of the most innovative features of the piano learning software is its AI-powered music generation. Yes you heard that right. The app can generate an endless stream of new music tailored to your skill level. Again, this is to make sure you don't get bored with repetitive same exercises. This adaptive sheet music keeps your practice sessions fresh & exciting, and encourages you to explore different styles. It’s a really amazing way to broaden your musical horizons.

5. Extensive Curriculum

The AI software offers a structured but unique curriculum that guides you through all levels of difficulty. Whether you’re a complete rookie trying to just learn the piano or an intermediate player looking to improve your skills, the app has a clear roadmap for YOU. You can start with basic exercises and then gradually work your way up to more complex pieces... it helps you build a strong base before going into the harder stuff. This step-by-step approach makes learning less more manageable and fun!

6. Progress Tracking & Practice Reminders

MuseFlow helps you stay on track. Your learning goals are tracked by progress reports and practice reminders. You can easily see how much you’ve improved over time. It shows you which areas need more work, and what milestones you’ve achieved... The app’s progress tracking feature is a really great motivator! It lets you celebrate your accomplishments & stay focused on your objectives... Additionally, practice reminders are there to maintain a consistent practice routine, which is really important for you to get great!

Free Piano Teaching App Features

MuseFlow also offers a free trial for anyone to really test if the app is made for them. The app provides access to a wealth of free content, including tutorials, exercises, and music pieces. This means you can really start learning without any upfront cost... making it an accessible option for everyone. The free features are designed to give you a taste of the full experience. This allows you to explore the app’s capabilities and see how it can benefit your piano learning journey.

Why MuseFlow is the Best Piano Teaching App?

As mentioned above, this new piano teaching app is the best piano teaching app because it combines advanced technology with a user-friendly and engaging learning experience. Here a quick recap of all the important things that make it the best in 2024!

• AI-Driven Personalization: Tailors lessons to your personal skill level. For a customized learning experience.
• Real-Time Feedback: Provides friendly guidance to help you improve quickly.
• Gamified Learning: Keeps you really motivated and engaged - it's a rewarding process.
• Adaptive Music Generation: Always new and interesting music to play.
• Comprehensive Curriculum: Helps you go from beginner to very advanced.
• Progress Tracking: Helps you stay on your personal track with detailed reports/reminders.

Lets be honest, learning to play the piano as an adult can be really tough. Between busy schedules, daily responsibilities, and the volume of information available, it’s easy to feel OVERWHELMED.. but don’t worry! We're here to help! MuseFlow, a new AI technology, is here to make your piano learning journey fun, efficient, and enjoyable! Just like it should be. Below are 6 quick reasons how it helps adults play piano without the hassle...

1. Engaging and Fun - Like it Should be!

Learning piano should be fun, not a chore. Unfortunately most of the time it feels like a chore. MuseFlow strategically adds gamified elements into the learning experience to make it enjoyable and engaging for you. This means you have progress bars, accuracy trackers, and rewarding milestones. So that each practice session feels like a game. A fun game! This gamified approach keeps you motivated and excited to learn more.

The app’s interface is very user-friendly and visually appealing as it should be in 2024. This makes it more fun to use. Now whether you’re playing a new piece or mastering a challenging exercise, the software makes sure you have a GREAT time while learning.... After all, music is meant to be enjoyed!

2. Personalized Learning Experience Made for you

Fortunately we live in a time where AI-driven personalization really works. This means the app tailors lessons to your specific skill level - to make sure that each session is made for your unique progress. This means you can progress at your own pace without feeling rushed or held back. This new-school personalized approach helps keep you staying motivated. You will want to go back to your lessons. It's not like a private teacher that can get frustrated with you and take the fun away.

That's why you have to imagine this software like a personal piano tutor who understands exactly where you are in your learning journey. This tutor adjusts the lessons accordingly, and is always in a good mood. That’s exactly what MuseFlow offers. It’s like having a dedicated (nice) teacher who is always there to guide you.

3. Flexible Learning Schedule

One of the biggest challenges adults face when learning piano is finding the time to practice. MuseFlow solves this problem by offering a flexible learning schedule. You can practice whenever you have a few minutes to spare, whether it’s early in the morning, during lunch breaks, or late at night.

MuseFlow’s on-demand lessons mean you’re not tied to a fixed schedule. You can fit piano practice into your busy life, making it easier to stay consistent. The app also provides practice reminders to help you maintain a regular practice routine, which is key to making steady progress.

4. Real-Time Feedback Through Technology

The California based tech startup built the app so that it provides you with real-time feedback on your playing. As you can imagine this is incredibly valuable for adults learning piano. As you play, the app listens to your performance and gives immediate feedback. To be exact, it gives you feedback on your accuracy & technique. This instant response helps you better correct mistakes on the spot, and this helps you develop amazing habits.

Traditional lessons often involve waiting for feedback until the next class, but with MuseFlow, you get it instantly! This feature makes learning fast and more effective and promises improvement... a piano lessons app that gives you instant gratification when deserved, who doesn't love instant gratification?

5. Adaptive & Innovative Music Generation

Luckily we live in a time where a software can create AI-powered music. The app can generate endless hours of new music tailored to your skill level. You must know how boring it is to play the same song over and over again? This adaptive music keeps your practice sessions fresh & exciting, which helps you to explore different styles & techniques.

This feature is particularly beneficial for adults, as it allows you to experience a wide range of musical genres and pieces. You can experiment with different styles, from classical to jazz to pop, keeping your practice sessions diverse and interesting!

6. Personal Progress Tracking & Achievements

Keeping track of your progress is crucial for staying motivated. It's also important to track progress to get better at anything that you do. MuseFlow offers detailed progress tracking & achievements. This helps adults and grown-ups to monitor their improvement. You can see how much you’ve advanced over time, which areas need more work, and what milestones you’ve achieved. Sometimes just looking at these small wins, will make it so much easier to keep going. This makes it such a great online piano lessons for beginners.

The app’s progress reports provide very interesting insights into your own unique practice performance. It really allows you to make informed decisions about your learning journey. Make sure to always celebrate your successes and see how far you’ve come!

Conclusion

Learning piano as an adult doesn’t have to be a frustrating task. It can be really fun & rewarding! With MuseFlow, you have access to a very personalized, engaging, and flexible learning experience! One that fits into your busy life. The app’s real-time feedback, gamified elements, and adaptive music generation make learning so much more fun and effective. Also, the complete curriculum and progress tracking make sure that you’re always moving forward in the right direction.

So, if you’re looking for the best way to learn piano as an adult, give MuseFlow a try today, just click the banner below!

Some people might be skeptical if they could teach themselves how to play piano with AI. MuseFlow makes it easy for you by having artificial intelligence and machine learning serve the process of learning in two unique ways - music generation AI, and pattern recognition machine learning. It does the work for you to make learning a lot more fun, effective, and efficient. It does this by incorporating AI into the core of its pedagogy. The folks over at MuseFlow are making efforts to improve their algorithms every single day. Let’s take a deeper dive into this, and how artificial intelligence and machine learning are improving the way we learn piano.

Try MuseFlow today. It's free for 7 days!

Music Generation AI

There are few music apps out there that have generative AI imbedded within them. MuseFlow’s approach to learning involves giving you music you’ve never seen before, that never repeats, and is at your level of skill. You can choose from a myriad of levels on the level roadmap. Unit one starts with just one note, three rhythms, and two hands, and ends with two octaves (14 notes), four rhythms, and two hands. But how does MuseFlow give you music that never repeats? Surely that would be impossible with the amount of music that would need to be written!

The team over at MuseFlow is constantly improving its music generation artificial intelligence  algorithm so that it gives you the best quality sheet music as a constant stream until you pass the level. By using generative AI for sheet music, MuseFlow’s team sets the parameters for each level, then unleashes the artificial intelligence to start generating music for you to play!

MuseFlow’s team is constantly training the AI with what they call, “Phrase Tinder”. If a phrase of music passes the rigorous tests of it sounding good enough to play and is exercising the new skill of a certain level, they swipe right. If a phrase is not good enough to play or isn’t useful, they swipe left. This method of training allows the computer to understand what is good and what is bad so it can create new and original pieces that fit within the guidelines of the curriculum, and are fun to play!

Pattern Recognition AI & Machine Learning

As you play, MuseFlow can see what you’re playing in relation to the music that’s on the screen. If you’re consistently messing up a note or rhythm, or even a series of notes or series of rhythms, it will gently give you more phrases of music that have those patterns in them. It can even recognize the intersection of rhythms and notes! It does this all in the background so your flow isn’t interrupted. You as the student wont even know it’s going on.

This teaching method enables MuseFlow to monitor each micro-skill you learn, such as individual notes and rhythms, along with their various combinations. MuseFlow adjusts the music and increases exposure if it detects that your proficiency in any specific micro-skill is lower than the others. Once you effortlessly and unconsciously bring that micro-skill up to standard with the rest, MuseFlow reduces its exposure back down to parity with the other micro-skills it is tracking.

Conclusion

Unlike traditional music education environments and methods, the folks at MuseFlow, Inc. are committed to creating a safe, reliable space for you to learn and grow without the outside pressures of  anyone looking over your shoulder. As students, we need to feel like we can fail without any judgment. MuseFlow inspires you to learn, motivates you to learn, all with artificial intelligence and machine learning as assistants in the background, listening and adjusting the sheet music to suit your needs without any judgement. MuseFlow answers the question “can I teach myself how to play piano with AI” with an emphatic YES! With its pattern recognition algorithms and music generation, MuseFlow’s AI is set to revolutionize music education for the better, and become the forerunner in the industry as the best new way to learn piano.

Check out MuseFlow for yourself for FREE!

Do you want to learn piano but you're not sure where to start? That's ok, most people in the beginning feel this way. Finding the right method can be an overwhelming and hard decision. If you're looking for the best and most engaging online piano lessons for beginners, MuseFlow is the perfect solution. We listed 4 quick reasons why the new app stands out as the best software to start your piano journey.

Try the 7-day free trial right now! 

1. Achieving Flow State - More Important Than you Think

MuseFlow’s unique approach to learning is purposely made to help you achieve a flow state—an optimal psychological state for learning. You have probably been there before, where you're fully immersed in an activity - and you even lose track of time... Achieving flow state is crucial for making learning both enjoyable & efficient. MuseFlow, Inc., The software company based out of California, has created an app that tailors each lesson to your skill level. This is to make sure that the material is challenging enough to keep you engaged BUT not so difficult that you become frustrated. This is really important for you to want to keep learning!

This balance is essential for beginners like you, who might otherwise feel overwhelmed. By keeping you in the flow state, MuseFlow makes practicing piano a really delightful experience. This in turn promotes consistency & faster learning. The app’s intelligent design adjusts to your progress, helping you stay in the zone (flow) and making your practice sessions both more productive and more fun.

2. Expert Founders with Music Backgrounds

Another one of the key strengths of the innovative software is its team of founders. They all come from rich musical backgrounds. This is important, because the app is designed with a deep understanding of music education and the challenges beginners face. 

• Steven Gizzi, Chief Executive Officer, is a composer and music educator with credits for clients like LEGO, Cartoon Network, DreamWorks, and Facebook Watch.
• Patrick Boylan, Chief Operating Officer, is a multi-instrumentalist and producer specializing in musical theater and jazz piano.
• Tucker Dean, Chief Data Scientist, is a data scientist with a knack for integrating machine learning with practical applications.
• Steven Staley, Chief Technology Officer, is an infrastructure engineer with experience in building full stack applications.
• Andrew Urbanowicz, Chief Information Officer, is a full stack developer with a background in mathematics and computational physics.

You can easily tell that their collective expertise makes sure that MuseFlow is not just another generic learning app but a comprehensive and well-thought-out tool specifically designed to help beginners learn piano.

3. Free Online Piano Lessons for Beginners

A major advantage of MuseFlow is its accessibility. MuseFlow offers a 7-day free trial. This allows beginners to explore the app and experience its benefits without any financial commitment. This trial period is perfect for those who are just starting and want to test different learning methods. The reason for the free trial is, the team feels so confident you will love it!!

During the free trial, users can access various levels and tutorials. These provide a solid foundation in piano basics. This feature answers the question, "Are there online piano lessons for beginners?" with a definite YES. It's an excellent way for newcomers to get a feel for the app’s unique approach and see tangible progress in a short amount of time. It's really the most fun way to play piano!

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4. Comprehensive Learning Tools to Make it Fun

The piano software for beginners, provides a comprehensive suite of learning tools that go further than traditional methods that you might have tried... Each lesson is accompanied by quick, engaging, interactive tutorials to ensure that beginners understand the necessary concepts & techniques before diving in. Real-time feedback is important. And it's done by advanced pattern recognition algorithms helps users identify and correct mistakes instantly. Of course, this is crucial for effective learning.

The app also features a gamified learning experience, turning each lesson into a fun and interactive game. Just like when you play a video game. By earning points and progressing through levels, students always say that they stay motivated & excited about their learning journey. This innovative new approach for beginners to learn piano makes the often tedious process of practicing piano a lot more rewarding.

Additionally, MuseFlow is continuously expanding its features. This is all done based on users feedback, so it keeps getting better and better with your input as the fuel! Future updates will include advanced curriculum options, enhanced practice modes for ear training, chord and scale exercises, and rhythm drills. A new repertoire library & a music theory section with personalized exercises will further make the learning experience the best out there. The goal is for students to develop a well-rounded skill set and be able to play the songs that they want to play. Anyone should be able to go to a piano and play their song of choice, an indescribable amazing feeling. With these amazing tools, it's by far the best piano learning app.

Conclusion

As discussed above, anyone that is searching for the best online piano lessons for beginners, MuseFlow is the top choice. Its unique ability to help learners achieve a flow state and the expertise of its music-savvy founders make it different from any other app. Additionally, the accessibility of free online piano lessons for beginners, and its comprehensive learning tools make it stand out!

MuseFlow’s new innovative approach to piano education really makes sure that beginners not only learn the fundamentals but also enjoy the process, keeping them motivated and eager to progress. The best software for online piano lessons for beginners...

Try it right now for FREE.

If you're looking for the best piano teaching app to elevate your piano playing skills, then you have found it! Look no further than MuseFlow... With so many bad apps available, finding the right one can be tough. This new AI based app stands out as the best new software for pianists. Have a quick look at these 4 great reasons why its the best piano teaching app for you:

Try the 7-day free trial right now.

1. Experience the Power of AI for Personalized Learning

MuseFlow uses advanced AI technology to offer a real personalized learning experience. This is a must for any app in 2024. Unlike traditional piano lessons that follow a rigid complicated curriculum, this new technology adapts to your individual progress & learning style. This AI-driven personalization makes sure that each lesson is tailored to your current skill level... This provides just the right amount of challenge to keep you engaged without feeling overwhelmed. Because feeling overwhelmed will make you feel frustrated very soon after!

The app tracks your performance in real-time. It analyzes your strengths & identifying areas that need improvement. This intelligent feedback system helps you make steady progress. It also makes sure that you're always working on the skills that will most benefit your own unique development. By customizing each lesson to fit your needs, MuseFlow makes learning piano more fun & enjoyable than ever before! 

2. Smart Gamification to Keep You Motivated

MuseFlow turns piano learning into an engaging and interactive game. Just like your favorite video games that you can't stop playing. They do it through the innovative use of gamification. Have you heard of that? The piano app integrates gamification deeply into the learning process... Each new rhythm and note you learn is treated as a level you need to pass. So practice feels like a series of fun challenges. This works better than a frustrated teacher telling you what to do.

The app provides immediate feedback on your accuracy & tempo, with color-coded notes and a scoring system that makes each practice session really exciting. By transforming the learning process into a game, MuseFlow keeps you motivated and happy. The goal of this is to make you stick with your practice routine and it's easier than ever and more fun than ever to learn to play piano with AI. They know how easy it is to fall of your routine. This approach makes the question, "Is there a fun piano teaching app?" easy to answer with MuseFlow.

3. Very User-Friendly Design

One of many standout features of MuseFlow is its smart and user-friendly design. What does that mean? Well, the app is designed to be both visually appealing and functional. This really creates an optimal learning environment. The intuitive layout makes it easy to navigate through your lessons, practice sessions, and progress tracking. The way it should be done.

The design philosophy of the California based app is focuses on making the learning experience as seamless and enjoyable as possible! The new app uses carefully chosen colors and a clean interface to help maintain your focus on playing, without unnecessary distractions. This thoughtful design enhances your ability to learn and enjoy the process, setting MuseFlow apart from other piano teaching apps. You can see it in more detail below and on the product page.

4. Free Piano Teaching App  

MuseFlow offers a generous 7-day free trial. This allows you to explore its features without any financial commitment. Try it first and see if you love it. This trial period is perfect for anyone looking for a free piano teaching app to get started with. During the trial, you can access various lessons and interactive tutorials that provide a strong foundation in piano basics and you can get familiar with how it works.

A really great way to experience the app's unique approach & see real progress.. in a short amount of time. The trial also answers the question, "Are there free online piano lessons for beginners?" with a confident yes. By offering this above mentioned no-cost entry point, MuseFlow makes high-quality piano education accessible to EVERYONE.

Conclusion

For anyone that is seeking the best piano teaching app, we're happy to say that MuseFlow is the best app! Its AI-driven personalized learning, engaging gamification, smart design, and free trial features make it the best choice for you. MuseFlow’s innovative approach to piano education ensures that students not only learn the fundamentals but also enjoy the process, keeping them motivated and excited to progress. It's like a video game that you keep wanting to get better at, the best part is while you advance you learn how to play the piano.

Are you curious about how to learn to play piano with AI? Then you're at the right spot! Technology is revolutionizing education, especially in 2024... and piano learning is no exception. MuseFlow is currently the best, offering a new innovative app that makes learning piano fun, efficient, and personalized. Check out these 4 reasons why this new app is the best to help you learn to play piano with AI!

Try it right now for free

1. AI-Driven Personalization for Optimal Learning

People who are learning how to play piano LOVE MuseFlow. One of the main reasons why is the AI-driven personalization. This is amazing because it makes sure that your learning experience is tailored specifically to your unique needs. As you might know, traditional piano lessons follow a generic (and often boring) approach. The piano AI app uses advanced algorithms to analyze your progress and adjust the difficulty level accordingly. This means that whether you're a beginner struggling with basic notes or an advanced player refining complex pieces, the software adapts to keep you challenged but NOT overwhelmed. This keeps the learning experience fun and not frustrating.

This personalized should answer the question "Is there a way to learn to play piano with AI?" with a strong YES. The AI monitors your playing style, identifies areas for improvement, and provides custom exercises to help you progress faster than with conventional methods. This level of customization makes learning a lot faster and also more enjoyable.

2. A User-Friendly Design - Making it Fun to Learn to Play the Piano

One of the most important aspects of a successful learning app is its design, yes it's that important! MuseFlow excels in this area with its immersive and user-friendly interface... The app's design is both visually appealing & functional. This provides a pleasant learning environment that keeps distractions away. The intuitive layout makes it easy to navigate through lessons, practice sessions, and progress tracking. The goal is to get you into that beautiful flow state where learning becomes very easy.

The great design philosophy really makes sure that the learning experience is seamless & enjoyable. If you pay close attention, you will see that the colors are thoughtfully chosen. The clean user-interface helps maintain your focus on playing, allowing you to fully immerse yourself in the music. This exact attention to detail in the design increases your ability to learn and enjoy the process. No other apps on the market, makes learning piano with AI so easy! Just look at the screenshot below.

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3. Engaging Gamification Keeps You Motivated!

The Los Angeles based engineering team made learning piano into an engaging and interactive game. They integrate gamification deeply into the learning process. Each new rhythm and note is a level you need to pass, and your performance is tracked in real-time with color-coded notes and a scoring system. Just how you want to keep playing a video game is how you want to keep playing the piano.

Another great feature is that the software gives immediate feedback on accuracy and tempo. This turns practice sessions into a fun challenge. This approach also keeps you motivated and eager to improve.. and this makes it easier to stick with your practice routine. By making the learning process feel like a game, the AI tech answers the works better than a traditional piano teacher. That's why so many users call MuseFlow the best piano learning app.

4. Comprehensive Learning Tools & Features

MuseFlow offers a wide range of tools & features to support your piano learning journey. The app provides quick tutorials before each level, ensuring you understand the key concepts and techniques needed to succeed. Real-time feedback with pattern recognition algorithms. This helps you identify and correct mistakes instantly, allowing you to improve quicker that traditional lessons!

Moreover, MuseFlow is continually expanding its features to provide even more value... Planned updates include advanced curriculum options, AI-driven pattern recognition for even deeper personal insights, and new practice modes for ear training. These comprehensive tools support your journey and make sure that you develop a well-rounded skill set - from technical proficiency to musical understanding.

Conclusion

In conclusion, if you're wondering how to learn to play piano with AI, MuseFlow is the best app on the market. As mentioned above, its AI-driven personalization, engaging gamification, immersive design, and comprehensive learning tools create the best possible learning experience in 2024. MuseFlow makes learning piano not just effective but also really really fun and enjoyable. We promise it will keep you motivated and accelerate progress quickly.

Try the Piano App right now for free

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Are you looking to learn piano in a fun, engaging, and effective way? Then you have found the perfect solution! In 2024, the best piano learning app is MuseFlow. This innovative app combines technology with a very deep understanding of musical education like no other. Below are 5 quick reasons why MuseFlow is the best software for learning piano this year.

Try MuseFlow for Free Right Now

1. AI-Driven Personalization

The California based company stands out due to its AI-driven personalization. It tailors each lesson to your specific skill level. Traditional piano lessons often follow a one-size-fits-all approach, which can often leave students feeling frustrated or bored. MuseFlow, on the other hand, uses sophisticated algorithms to continuously adapt to your unique progress. Whether you’re just a beginner or an advanced player, the technology makes sure that each lesson is perfectly suited to your current abilities. This will keep you challenged and engaged, and also won't leave you frustrated.

2. Gamified Learning Experience

One of the most unique aspects of MuseFlow is its gamified learning experience. The piano app transforms the process of learning piano into a fun game! This means each new rhythm and note you learn is a level you need to pass. Unlike other outdated apps that rely on superficial stars and badges, here the gamification is deeply integrated into its teaching method. This could not be done by a human teaching you piano lessons... Every note you play counts towards your overall score - with real-time feedback that shows your accuracy and tempo. This new engaging approach makes practice sessions feel like a lot of fun & like a rewarding challenge rather than an annoying chore!

3. Immersive & Beautiful Design

Learning an instrument should be an enjoyable experience. MuseFlow's design really reflects that. The app has an immersive &visually appealing interface that makes practicing a pleasure and fun. Unlike other apps with outdated and often complex designs, the best piano app on the market has an interface that is both beautiful and user-friendly. The carefully curated colors, icons, and layout are designed to be easy on the eyes. This is actually really important to staying on the app and enjoying to learn to play piano! It allows you to focus on your playing without distractions. This attention to detail in the design enhances the overall learning experience, making it more enjoyable for you..just look at the screenshot below.

4. Focus on Sight Reading

MuseFlow prioritizes sight reading. This is a crucial skill for any pianist. Sight reading is the ability to read & play music at first sight - representing the "floor" of your musical ability. Many traditional teaching methods focus heavily on the "ceiling" of a student's ability—what they can achieve with extensive practice. This AI Piano learning app emphasizes improving your sight reading skills. It really allows you to reach true musical fluency faster. By mastering sight reading, you can quickly progress to playing songs with greater musicality & expression.It makes the learning process more enjoyable and less frustrating...

Another great bonus of the software is that is has an innovative way to generate an infinite amount of new music at YOUR level. This means you will always have fresh material to practice, ensuring that your skills continue to improve without the monotony of repeating the same exercises. This is huge, because all other apps only have the same material you can practice.

5. Comprehensive Learning Tools for Your Musical Education

This new app is not just about playing notes... it offers a comprehensive suite of tools to enhance your musical education. What does that mean? Well, the app includes tutorials before each level to really make sure that you understand the key concepts & techniques. Real-time feedback from pattern recognition algorithms helps you identify and correct mistakes instantly. This helps you learn faster. Moreover, MuseFlow is continuously expanding its features, with plans to introduce advanced curriculum options, AI pattern recognition for deeper insights, and new practice modes for ear training, chord and scale exercises, and rhythm drills.

The software will soon feature a repertoire library where you can apply your sight reading skills to your favorite songs, and a music theory section with personalized exercises to expand your knowledge.

Conclusion

In 2024, MuseFlow is the best piano learning app available for many reasons! It offers you a unique blend of AI-driven personalization, smart gamified learning, immersive design, helps you focus on sight reading, and offers comprehensive learning tools. By combining these unique elements, the app provides you with a fun, engaging, and highly effective way to learn piano. The best part is, whether you’re a beginner looking to start your musical journey or an experienced player trying to refine your skills, MuseFlow is your best friend to help you achieve your musical goals. 

Try MuseFlow's free Trial Right Now.

Let’s explore what it means to find the joy in learning a new instrument, and ask ourselves is there a fun way to learn piano? We’ll talk about what it looks like to have fun while you learn an instrument, and explore some options to enhance the process for any student.

If you’re interested in trying out our piano education app for yourself, please visit beta.museflow.ai and try MuseFlow for free! Otherwise, continue reading to find out what it’s all about.

What is Flow State?

Flow state is a radical idea coined by the Sociologist and Author Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi. It’s that groove you get into where you're doing a task and you lose track of time. The task is usually just a bit of a challenge, but not too challenging that you feel overwhelmed by the task; just hard enough to keep you moving forward and easy enough to know you’re doing well. A lot of professional athletes and musicians find flow in their work, but we at MuseFlow believe we can also tap into it during the learning process. Even for beginners!

What is Gamification?

Gamification is the application of game-like elements to anything from teaching and learning, to motivating yourself to to the dishes. The old world way of adding game-like elements to an activity involves points and score cards, badges and stars. At MuseFlow, we’ve changed it up a bit by making the entire activity of learning how to play piano a game; not with superficial stars and badges, but by making each new rhythm and note you learn a level that you need to pass.

Once you’ve completed 4 phrases at 95% accuracy at the goal tempo of the level, you pass that level! And are moved onto the next.

This creates an entirely new and fun way to learn piano; not with superficial badges and stars, but by having gamification at the core of the entire method.

What is Immersive Design?

Not a lot of people think about this, but design is incredibly important in making the learning process a success. A stark, boring, bright environment, we’ve found, is not the optimal setting to learn music. Because of that, we’ve made our interface beautiful.

We care deeply about the experience our users go through while exploring and learning with MuseFlow. Thus, we’ve made it a tenant of ours to make everything in MuseFlow as beautiful as possible.

What Is Sight Reading?

Sight reading is the act of reading music at first sight. There are two thresholds in music education - one is what you can play without any practice, the other is what you can play with an indefinite amount of practice. We call the first one the “floor” of your ability, and the second one the “ceiling” of your ability.

Too many teachers and music education methods focus on the ceiling of a student's ability. We at MuseFlow, instead, think a more fun way to learn piano is by focusing on the floor of a student's ability during lessons. Increasing a student's sight reading skill gets them to perfecting the musicality of songs (the fun part of playing songs) faster, instead of spending hours and hours on the technique of simply being able to play the song. That gets boring quickly. It gets frustrating, and students drop out of music lessons because of it.

About 50% of music students drop out of music activities by the time they turn 17. We aim to make that number much smaller.

There hasn’t ever been a way to generate an infinite amount of music at your level of playing… until now. We at MuseFlow have invented a way to give you music you’ve never seen before, that never repeats, and is at your level. The music continues to generate until you get 4 phrases of music at 95% accuracy. At that point, you’ve successfully mastered that new skill!

Sight reading is the key here. We’re teaching through sight reading, instead of teaching through songs. After you’ve mastered that new skill through sight reading, you then can apply that skill to songs that get unlocked in your repertoire section inside of MuseFlow.

Conclusion: Why MuseFlow?

These are the reasons why MuseFlow is quickly becoming the most fun way to learn piano. Its inventive way of blending sight reading, flow state, gamification, and immersive design allows students to find the joy of learning an instrument better than ever before. With our new approach to music education, we can revolutionize the music education industry for the better.

Try it out for free at beta.museflow.ai. We can’t wait to hear your feedback as we make music education available and engaging to all students!

Greetings to all the passionate music teachers!

As music aficionados, we understand the profound joy of playing an instrument — a pursuit that’s both challenging and immensely rewarding. However, conveying this love to young students can be a different tune altogether.

Today, let’s delve into the art of sight reading and how embracing flow state through sight reading can bring the joy back to the musical journey for beginners.

Sight Reading: The Gateway To Musicianship

Mastering sight reading isn’t just about learning new music faster; it makes learning new music more fun. Fluent sight reading shortens the journey to playing notes correctly, leaving more brain space and time to focus on musicianship and expression.

Yet, traditional teaching methods often don’t teach sight reading. They focus on learning new songs instead. As the songs get harder, students’ skills don’t increase at a relative rate. Because they’re only exercising that new skill in that one specific context of that one specific song. It doesn’t become ingrained in them to the point where they can effortlessly apply the new skill when encountering it in a different piece of music.

As the gap widens, students lose motivation as pieces get harder to practice. They then spend hours repeating the same song over and over to perfection, and get bored with the slow progress, never really feeling what it’s like to be perfectly challenged by something to where it’s fun to practice it! With this way of teaching, it’s either too hard or too easy. Never right in the middle.

Flow State: The Key To Sight Reading

Enter the realm of flow state, coined by psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi. It’s that magical state of total focus and concentration, familiar to musicians during jam sessions and concerts. It’s that Goldilocks zone of “not too hard, not too easy.”

What if we applied the concept of flow to beginning music education by making sight reading the engine of learning and mastering a new skill? And what if we’re were able to start a student right where the challenge meets their skill level so that they’re concentrating and engaged for hours, but still enjoying the practice?

Introducing MuseFlow: Learn Music Through Flow

MuseFlow emerges as a solution that combines sight reading and flow state. It systematically teaches fundamental concepts through sight reading by ensuring that each lesson consists of new, manageable music at a specific skill level. No repetition. Instead, it’s a continuous stream of never before seen music that challenges and exercises the new skill, pushing them just beyond their comfort zone.

As their teacher, place your students in the lesson that challenges them just enough (accuracy is displayed on screen. You want to keep them right around 85% for optimum flow). Once they hit 95% accuracy and sustain that for four phrases, they’ve successfully mastered that new skill!

MuseFlow will send you weekly progress reports so you can see if they’re practicing throughout the week and how long they spend on each lesson. Once a student passes a lesson, they can immediately apply the new skills they’ve learned to fresh pieces you assign.

Reframing The Learning Process

MuseFlow reframes the learning process so students can learn a new skill outside of a prescribed song they’d otherwise have to repeat over and over ad nauseam. They learn the new skill in a flow state, creating a positive connection between the new skill and the process of learning. Then when they apply that new skill to music that’s right at their difficulty level, they’ll be able to learn that song much faster, more thoroughly, and more enjoyably. This will allow you, their teacher, to focus on refining the fun parts like musicianship and expression in the songs you assign at their in-person lesson.

Consider this quote Kyle, one of MuseFlow’s current users:

“MuseFlow is like having a gym partner who guides you through a workout they’ve already planned out. I don’t have to spend time or energy coming up with exercises to train and wondering if it’s optimal, I can just follow along and focus solely on execution. There’s such an overload of information when it comes to learning piano that it’s so taxing (especially if you struggle with perfectionism) to come up with a routine alone. MF takes away a little bit of that decision making and it’s honestly so refreshing.”

In conclusion, combining flow state and sight reading opens a window to a richer and more enjoyable learning experience by inspiring and captivating on a fundamental level. With Museflow, we can shift from a song-first approach to the transformative combination of sight reading and a flow state-first methodology.

MuseFlow is empowering music teachers to revolutionize music education from the ground up. We, as teachers, know the benefits of music education. Now let’s bring it to every student we can.

Curious about whether MuseFlow is right for your students? Visit www.museflow.ai/teachers to schedule a demo. With a MIDI keyboard and a computer, you can try out our current version at beta.museflow.ai. We can’t wait to hear your feedback as we make music education available and engaging to all students!

Is your music practice building true fluency, or is it just training muscle memory?

When we think about how to get better at a musical instrument — or any skill-based activity — the natural strategy that comes to mind is repetition. Repeat, repeat, repeat, until you’ve finally mastered it.

This is the tried-and-true method, and is absolutely correct. As a matter of fact, that’s the whole definition of practice — “performing an activity repeatedly or regularly in order to improve or maintain one’s proficiency.”

But we need to be careful with how we approach our practice sessions. If you spend all of your time practicing specific pieces, you will eventually master those songs but you won’t necessarily have gotten better at playing music in general. Effectively, all you’ve done is train yourself to regurgitate an exact sequence of notes, without any variation. An impressive feat, to be sure, but it hasn’t increased your musical fluency at all.

Learning a musical instrument of course requires maintenance and repetition, but we have to be careful that we don’t practice old things so much that we forget to work on new things. If you only ever practice the same things, you never really grow or improve. It would be like attempting to become fluent in English by memorizing a Shakespeare monologue, and nothing else.

Practice vs. Learning

Brad Harrison, a composer and educator who runs an excellent music education YouTube channel, insightfully describes the difference between practice and learning. Practice is trying to get better at things you already basically know how to do. By contrast, learning is the acquisition of new knowledge or skills, and the process of becoming familiar with new material. For example, playing through a piece of music for the first time would fall under “learning,” but each repetition after that would fall under “practice.” Both steps are important, but they are focused on very different goals. Regardless of where you are in your music learning journey, it’s essential that you maintain a healthy balance between practice time and learning time.

By making a habit of learning new things, you’ll develop the meta-skill of learning how to learn. This will make you a better musician and will even help you play old repertoire better. You’ll realize that every new challenge is just a puzzle to be unlocked and understood, and you’ll have the confidence to tackle that puzzle.

If you only play the same songs over and over again, you won’t grow or improve. You’ll either get bored and quit, or you’ll get stuck when confronted with a new challenge because you only know how to do what you already know how to do. Even when you do finally master a new song, the satisfaction of learning it will eventually fade away and you’ll feel stuck again. True musical fluency is the ability to quickly learn and master whatever you want, without needing to practice it for weeks or months on end.

The Floor and Ceiling of Competency

This brings me to an idea that I’ve been formulating over the past several years of working with music students. I think that the way we normally think about the concept of one’s skill level in a certain field needs to be expanded.

Imagine that a person’s skill level can be visualized as a vertical range, with a floor and a ceiling. The ceiling represents the level of music that a person could play well, given an indefinite (but not infinite) amount of time to practice. This could be represented by the hardest piece you’ve ever performed at a recital or competition, for example.

Alternatively, the floor represents the level of music a person could play well (not necessarily perfect, but certainly passable) on the first time they ever see it. This activity is what we call sight reading — reading on sight without any prior preparation. This could be represented by the average piece that you could find sheet music for and play today, without much practice.

Any piece of music that’s below the floor of your skill level is well within your ability to play without any practice. Any piece of music that falls somewhere between your floor and your ceiling can be reasonably mastered through dedicated practice — the closer it is to your ceiling, the longer it will take. The amount of time it would take to learn a piece in this range roughly equates to the amount of time it would take to work your way from the floor up to the difficulty level of the piece in question.

Most people spend the majority of their practice time endeavoring to raise their ceiling, tackling ever harder and harder songs that take them weeks, months, or even years to learn properly. This seems like a fine endeavor, at first glance. Ideally, by raising the ceiling of one’s ability, the floor would also rise by the same amount.

Unfortunately, this isn’t what actually happens. A person’s “floor level” is much more difficult to raise than their “ceiling level”, and it doesn’t happen automatically just by practicing more ceiling-level material. As a result, most music students don’t spend nearly enough time working on raising their floor.

The result is that a person’s ceiling moves up at a much faster rate than their floor, creating a wider and wider gap between them. This means that as they start working on more challenging material, each new song they attempt to learn will take longer and longer to master. This happens to everyone — it’s perfectly natural!

Pretty soon, practice sessions have transformed from a fun learning opportunity into a constant source of frustration and stress that takes up all of their time. Students very quickly find themselves too far outside their comfort zone, without the necessary skills to learn increasingly advanced material in a natural, stress-free way.

This is because a musician’s floor level is actually a far more accurate barometer of overall musical competency than mastery of a song that has been meticulously practiced over and over again for months. In other words, a person’s floor level represents their degree of true musical fluency.

Music lessons often focus on the ceiling of someone’s playing ability, but all professional standards for working musicians place much greater emphasis on a minimum floor threshold of musicianship. It doesn’t matter how good you are after weeks or months of practice — it matters how good you are right now, at a moment’s notice.

So it’s important that you take some time to work on pushing your floor up, even though it might seem like the musical material you’re practicing is dropping way down in complexity as a result. It doesn’t mean you’ve gotten worse, it just means that you’re focusing on a part of your musicianship that you don’t normally focus on!

Achieving Musical Fluency

So how does one actually raise the floor of their skill level then? Here are some specific areas of focus that are most helpful in improving overall musical fluency.

1. Sight Reading
   Sight reading is the cornerstone of elevating your floor. It’s the ability to play a piece of music on the first try, without prior practice. Dedicate time regularly to sight read different pieces, varying in styles and difficulty. This sharpens your adaptability, reinforcing the fundamental skill of playing music fluently from the very first encounter.
2. Technique Exercises
   Technique exercises might not be as glamorous as performing a complex piece, but they are the building blocks of musical proficiency. Focus on scales, arpeggios, and finger exercises. These not only enhance your technical skills but also contribute significantly to your floor level. A strong technical foundation ensures that you can handle a broader range of musical challenges.
3. Music Theory
   Music theory is often neglected, but it serves as a compass in your musical journey. Understand the relationships between notes, chords, and progressions. It provides a roadmap, allowing you to navigate unfamiliar musical territories effortlessly. The more intimately you understand the language of music, the more confident and fluent you become.
4. Ear Training
   Cultivate your ability to listen critically and reproduce what you hear. Ear training is fundamental to musical fluency as it enhances your capacity to recognize tones, intervals, and harmonies. Start with simple exercises like identifying intervals and progress to more complex tasks. This skill not only raises your floor level but also opens doors to improvisation and playing by ear.
5. Diversity of Repertoire
   Instead of getting stuck in the loop of practicing the same songs repeatedly, diversify your repertoire. Explore different genres, time periods, and difficulty levels. The more varied your musical vocabulary, the more adaptable you become. This approach aligns with the idea that every new challenge is a puzzle to unlock and understand.

These five areas are what I call the fundamental “food groups” of musicianship. I’ll be going into more depth about each of these in future posts.

Building a well-rounded practice routine is important, and methods with which to do so are well-documented. That being said, it is much harder to be intentional about raising one’s floor level than you might expect.

MuseFlow: Raising the Floor

At MuseFlow, we’re building solutions to this very problem. The app guides users through a continuous sequence of sight reading exercises, increasing complexity by one skill at a time. By constantly playing new material that they’ve never seen before, MuseFlow users have a unique opportunity to hone their ability to read and play music fluently.

In this way, our curriculum ensures a balanced approach between practice and learning. It guides you through a variety of musical challenges, preventing you from getting stuck repeating the same pieces over and over again. This diversity cultivates a well-rounded skill set, and raises the overall floor of your musical ability.

While our main focus is currently on sight reading training, we have lots of exciting new features coming later this year, including technique, music theory, and ear training exercises, as well as a repertoire library and practice assistant. Stay tuned for more updates about all that and more, coming soon!

If you’re looking for a practice tool to help you improve your musical skills, and haven’t been able to find a system that truly delivers the results you’re looking for, consider trying out MuseFlow. Just head on over to https://museflow.ai to sign up for our web app and start your 2-week free trial today.

It’s time to break free from the frustrations of repetitive practice and finally achieve the level of musical fluency you’ve been striving for. Happy playing!

Have you ever felt frustrated or bored while learning to play an instrument? This usually happens because students don’t always feel like they’re in flow state when practicing and learning — that mental zone where time seems to vanish and you become utterly absorbed in the activity. Learning to play an instrument isn’t just about mindless practice; it’s a complete brain workout! Sometimes, the mental gymnastics required to master an instrument can be challenging, pushing students to their limits.

Today, let’s delve into the fascinating world of flow state. We’ll discover how it’s reshaping the way students approach learning an instrument, and why it’s vital for nurturing young musicians who often find the journey too difficult or anxiety-ridden.

Flow State: A Brain Booster for Young Musicians

Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi’s groundbreaking work in his book Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience uncovered the concept of flow state. While it’s often associated with professional musicians and athletes, it can be a game-changer for budding musicians too.

Getting into flow state during music education is like unlocking a secret door to peak performance and enhanced learning. It is a state of complete concentration, where the outside world fades away and the music becomes the sole focus. It’s an optimal mental state where creativity and skill meld seamlessly, leading to a truly immersive musical experience. Flow typically occurs when the challenge of a task matches a student’s skill level. When the challenge is too low, a student might feel bored, and when it’s too high, they may become anxious.

In the world of music, entering flow state often involves selecting pieces of music that are just challenging enough to stretch a student’s ability, but not so difficult that they become frustrated. This is a lot harder than you might think, given the many variables of musical complexity within a single piece of music.

Bridging the Dropout Gap in Early Music Education

Traditional early music education isn’t all sunshine and harmonies. In fact, dropout rates among young music students are alarmingly high (~50% before they reach the age of 17). The typical grind of discipline and hard work can turn the sweet symphony of learning into a sour note.

So, how do we keep students engaged and passionate about music? The answer lies in integrating flow state into the early stages of learning an instrument. Positive feedback is also crucial. When students feel tangible progress in their education, they’re more likely to enter flow state. And when they receive praise for their efforts (not their achievements), they’re more likely to create positive feedback loops of internal motivation. This combination makes learning something new deeply engaging and gratifying.

The Art of Sight Reading: A Gateway to Flow State

One of the most effective ways of reaching flow state while learning an instrument is through sight reading. Sight reading is the act of reading and playing music at first sight. Sight reading pushes students to train their reading and playing skills without relying on muscle memorization, which often becomes a crutch when practicing a single song repeatedly. If the challenge is in the “Goldilocks zone” of their skill level (not too hard, not too easy), then flow state is engaged.

Sight reading, if personalized to a student’s skill level, allows them to drop into flow, immersing them in the process of learning.

MuseFlow: Your Gateway to Flow State Learning

Enter MuseFlow, a web app set to transform how students learn piano, especially in the early stages. Instead of assigning one piece of music which exercises many skills all at once — thus making it hard to isolate practice on a specific technique — MuseFlow guides students through new rhythms and notes in isolation first, then embeds that new skill into the rest of their musical knowledge later on, all while immersing them in a constant stream of new music.

In the first level, students learn how music is written, basic rhythms, their first note, and how that one note is played in both hands. Then, they simply start playing. The metronome sets the pace, a guiding cursor shows the next note, and they play each note on the spot while sight reading.

Rather than playing a passage of music, stopping, then repeating that same piece of music over and over again until it’s perfect, MuseFlow pushes students to keep playing no matter what. Getting stuck on previous mistakes is one of the most common ways for students to get knocked out of flow state and lose motivation. In MuseFlow, new music will continue to appear and help them hone their skills in ever-changing contexts, instead of stopping the flow to go back and repeat music they’ve already played.

This is the heart of flow state — that groove that students find themselves in, where time seems to fade away and the joy of learning takes center stage. It becomes just about passing each level, mastering each small new concept, one by one. They start to recognize those aha moments: “Oh my gosh, I’m getting it! I’m really getting it!” When they eventually pass the level, they experience a rush of dopamine and feel a sense of achievement that propels them forward on their musical journey.

Why Flow State Learning Matters

Csikszentmihalyi’s research reveals that being in a state of flow can turbocharge the learning process. It’s not only about making learning more enjoyable — it also boosts information retention. By weaving flow state into MuseFlow, we’re tackling the dropout crisis head-on. When students are deeply engaged in the process of learning an instrument, it boosts their motivation, achievement, and enjoyment of learning.

Curious about what MuseFlow has to offer? Visit www.museflow.ai to find out more. If you have a MIDI keyboard and a computer, try out the beta version at www.beta.museflow.ai. We can’t wait to hear what you think and set out on this musical journey with you!

Side note: This pipeline was created for use in a project I’ve been working on with a few friends called Museflow.ai, where we’re trying to combine flow state, gamification, and (eventually) AI to make learning the piano effortless. Feel free to try out the prototype!

If you’re reading this you’re most likely already aware of AWS’s many useful cloud features which make them one of the leading destinations for cloud native applications. AWS’s about page now simply says that they offer “over 200” services, because even they have stopped counting. Today I’ll be focusing on a combination of services which you may or may not have heard of: Pinpoint, Kinesis, Lambda, Eventbridge, Glue, and Athena. That sounds more like a secret pass phrase than a list of technologies, and maybe it is, because together they unlock the ability to analyze your user data as your users interact with your application—or at least I hope.

My goal in writing this will be to put these services together like lego pieces to arrange a data pipeline that pushed events like logins, sign ups, or really any custom event you choose, to a glue table for you to slice and dice with SQL in Athena. From my understanding of how these services interact with one another, it should very well be possible. I’ll be writing this article in 3 parts:

• Architecture Overview
• Pinpoint setup (with Cognito)
• Front end setup (React)
• Data pipeline
• Athena/Glue

I’ll be using a combination of two infrastructure frameworks to accomplish my setup: AWS SAM and Terraform. I prefer SAM for developing serverless applications for how easy it makes development and deployment, and I like Terraform for shared infrastructure. Configuration values can be shared between these two frameworks using Parameter Store. This project will require both as I’ll be developing a serverless data pipeline in addition to some other infrastructure.

Architecture Overview

Here’s a quick flow diagram to illustrate the frankenstein of services I will be putting together to achieve this goal:

To quickly walk through the purpose of each service, pinpoint will be used to collect event data. It offers a convenient way to send events from my user’s application to our backend data lake. It offers a plugin connection to Kinesis that I would otherwise have to manually create. Kinesis similarly plugs directly into Eventbridge. Eventbridge acts as a trigger for my Lambda which will map events to correct S3 buckets. The reason I’ll be using different S3 buckets for different events is to provide a separate schema for each. Glue expects all events in an S3 bucket to hold the same schema in order to partition them into a table, which I will then be able to query with SQL using Athena.

AWS Pinpoint Setup

Our first order of business is setting up Pinpoint. Since the project I’m setting this up for is a React project, I’ll be showing my frontend client examples in React. The Pinpoint infrastructure setup will be in Terraform.

Terraform

1resource "aws_pinpoint_app" "pinpoint_app" {
2    name = var.app_name
3}
4
5data "aws_iam_role" "pinpoint_to_event_stream_role" {
6  name = var.pinpoint_role_name
7}
8
9resource "aws_pinpoint_event_stream" "pinpoint_event_stream" {
10  application_id         = aws_pinpoint_app.pinpoint_app.application_id
11  destination_stream_arn = aws_kinesis_stream.event_stream.arn
12  role_arn               = data.aws_iam_role.pinpoint_to_event_stream_role.arn
13}
14
15resource "aws_ssm_parameter" "client_id" {
16    # checkov:skip=CKV2_AWS_34: Does not need to be encrypted
17    name        = "/${var.org_name}/${var.environment}/pinpoint/application_id"
18    description = "Pintpoint application id"
19    type        = "String"
20    value       = aws_pinpoint_app.pinpoint_app.id
21
22    tags = {
23        environment = var.environment
24    }
25}
26
27resource "aws_kinesis_stream" "event_stream" {
28  name             = "${var.app_name}-app-event-stream-${var.environment}"
29  retention_period = 48
30  encryption_type = "KMS"
31  kms_key_id = "alias/aws/kinesis"
32
33  shard_level_metrics = [
34    "IncomingBytes",
35    "OutgoingBytes",
36    "ReadProvisionedThroughputExceeded",
37    "WriteProvisionedThroughputExceeded",
38    "IncomingRecords",
39    "OutgoingRecords",
40    "IteratorAgeMilliseconds"
41  ]
42
43  stream_mode_details {
44    stream_mode = "ON_DEMAND"
45  }
46
47  tags = {
48    Environment = var.environment
49  }
50}

This creates an AWS Pinpoint application and an event stream I can use to send Pinpoint Events. Not in the above snippet is the role by pinpoint to send events to Kinesis. I create all my IAM roles in a different, global Terraform workspace specific to IAM. I use template files which inherit variables like account id from a global variables file, but here’s the JSON template I use:

The assume-role policy:

1{
2	"Version": "2012-10-17",
3	"Statement": [
4        {
5            "Effect": "Allow",
6            "Action": [
7                "sts:AssumeRole"
8            ],
9            "Principal": {
10                "Service": "pinpoint.amazonaws.com"
11            },
12            "Condition": {
13                "StringEquals": {
14                    "aws:SourceAccount":"${ACCOUNT_ID}"
15                }
16            }
17	    }
18    ]
19}
20

and the policy attachment:

1
2{
3	"Version": "2012-10-17",
4	"Statement": [
5      {
6        "Effect": "Allow",
7        "Action": [
8            "kinesis:PutRecords",
9            "kinesis:DescribeStream"
10        ],
11        "Resource": "arn:aws:kinesis:us-west-2:${ACCOUNT_ID}:stream/org-name-app-event-stream-dev"
12      },
13      {
14        "Effect": "Allow",
15        "Action": [
16          "kms:DescribeKey"
17        ],
18        "Resource": [
19          "arn:aws:kms:us-west-2:${ACCOUNT_ID}:key/<kms kinesis key ID>"
20        ]
21      }
22    ]
23}

Now, once I run the Terraform I can see the following in my AWS console when I navigate to https://us-west-2.console.aws.amazon.com/pinpoint/home?region=us-west-2#/apps.

Once you click on the project, the important part is the event stream in settings, which should be enabled.

Now that my event stream is enabled, I can almost start sending events.

Cognito Identity Pool

Before I can start sending events, my front end needs a way to connect to my AWS resources using AWS credentials. To do that, you need a Cognito Identity Pool. Cognito Identity Pools, not to be confused with User Pools, allow one to provide guests and authenticated users with the credentials needed to access AWS resources. They’re provided permissions like anything else in AWS — with an IAM role. However, the assume role permissions is a bit unique. You’ll be specifying a Cognito identity as a federated identity. Here’s what that looks like:

1{
2  "Version": "2012-10-17",
3  "Statement": [
4    {
5      "Effect": "Allow",
6      "Principal": {
7        "Federated": "cognito-identity.amazonaws.com"
8      },
9      "Action": [
10        "sts:AssumeRoleWithWebIdentity",
11        "sts:TagSession"
12      ],
13      "Condition": {
14        "StringEquals": {
15          "cognito-identity.amazonaws.com:aud": [
16            "us-west-2:<your cognito identity pool id>"
17          ]
18        },
19        "ForAnyValue:StringLike": {
20          "cognito-identity.amazonaws.com:amr": [
21            "authenticated",
22            "unauthenticated"
23          ]
24        }
25      }
26    }
27  ]
28}

As you can see, you’re providing the specific cognito identity with permission to assume the role. This can be with anauthorized access — which would be to send events before a user has logged in — or authorized access, which requires a cognito JWT token.

You then give your role permission to send events to pinpoint, by attaching a policy that looks like this:

1{
2	"Version": "2012-10-17",
3	"Statement": [
4      {
5        "Effect": "Allow",
6        "Action": [
7            "mobiletargeting:UpdateEndpoint",
8            "mobiletargeting:PutEvents"
9        ],
10        "Resource": "arn:aws:mobiletargeting:*:${ACCOUNT_ID}:apps/<your pinpoint app ID>*"
11      }
12    ]
13}

This is the part that had me confused for a while: you have to specify both unathenticated and authenticated if you want to be able to send sign up events (because the user hasn’t signed in yet). Also, You will need to attach the IAM role to the cognito identity pool for both authenticated and unauthenticated access. Here’s the Terraform:

1resource "aws_cognito_identity_pool" "users" {
2  identity_pool_name               = "users_identity_pool"
3  allow_unauthenticated_identities = true
4  allow_classic_flow               = true
5
6  cognito_identity_providers {
7    client_id               = aws_cognito_user_pool_client.users.id
8    provider_name           = "cognito-idp.${var.region}.amazonaws.com/${aws_cognito_user_pool.users.id}"
9    server_side_token_check = false
10  }
11
12  supported_login_providers = {}
13
14  saml_provider_arns           = []
15  openid_connect_provider_arns = []
16}
17
18resource "aws_cognito_identity_pool_roles_attachment" "main" {
19  identity_pool_id = aws_cognito_identity_pool.users.id
20
21  roles = {
22    "unauthenticated" = local.identity_pool_role_arn,
23    "authenticated" = local.identity_pool_role_arn
24  }
25}

Something to note about the above. Once your user logs in they will switch from an unauthenticated session to an authenticated session which will change the session ID.

React Setup

I’ll be using the AWS Amplify project to instrument Pinpoint into my frontend code. They provide several useful Javascript libraries for implementing AWS services. If you haven’t heard of Amplify, it’s a framework for developing applications on AWS, similar to Firebase. It’ll get you up and running quickly with AWS infrastructure using Cloudformation. However, I tend to use Terraform for my infrastructure, so I just use the front end libraries they provide.

However, since they intend people to utilize their libraries with Amplify, they can be a bit cagey in the docs with regard to setting it up without Amplify. All of their docs expect you to import the configuration from a file created by the CLI called “aws-exports”, like so:

1import { Amplify, Analytics, Auth } from 'aws-amplify';
2import awsconfig from './aws-exports';
3Amplify.configure(awsconfig);

But I don’t really want to do that. Luckily, I was able to find the full expected configuration in one of the library tests which lead me to this config:

1import { Amplify, Analytics} from 'aws-amplify';
2
3Amplify.configure({
4  Auth: {
5    region: region,
6    userPoolId: cognitoUserPoolId,
7    userPoolWebClientId: cognitoClientId,
8    identityPoolId: awsIdentityPoolId,
9    identityPoolRegion: region
10  },
11  Analytics: {
12    AWSPinpoint: {
13      appId: awsPinpointApplicationId,
14      region: region
15    },
16  }
17});

I won’t get into the userPoolId and userPoolWebClientId — that’s for Cognito user authentication and could easily be a second post. With this set up, I can then run the following in my sign up function:

1import { Analytics } from 'aws-amplify';
2...
3return signUp(values)
4  .then(result => {
5    Analytics.record(signUpEvent({email: values.email}))
6  })
7  .catch(err => {
8    setAuthErrors(handleAuthErrors(err))
9  });

Which uses a defined event function which looks like this:

1export interface EventAttributes {
2  [key: string]: string;
3}
4export interface EventMetrics {
5  [key: string]: number;
6}
7export interface AnalyticsEvent {
8  name: string;
9  attributes?: EventAttributes;
10  metrics?: EventMetrics;
11  immediate?: boolean;
12}
13export const signUpEvent = ({ email }: {email: string}): AnalyticsEvent =>({
14  name: "SignUpEvent",
15  attributes: {
16    email
17  }
18})

Finally, I can see events filtering into the kinesis stream:

Now on to the data pipeline.

Data Pipeline

In order to sent my events from the pinpoint kinesis stream to S3, I’m going to take advantage of Eventbridge Pipes. Pipes allow you to send events to Eventbridge with additional features like filtering on specific event types and event enrichment. This is the serverless part of the setup, so I’ll be using AWS SAM.

You can install sam with Pip or any of the options here. I’ll be using pip and a python virtual environment. First, I’ll create my virtual env, then I’ll install sam into it.

mkvirtualenv pinpoint-event-pipeline
pip install aws-sam-cli

After a lengthy install I’m ready to run sam init --name pinpoint-event-pipeline . Or, if you already have a SAM repo setup you like, go ahead and copy everything over.

Eventbridge Pipes

Eventbridge pipes allow you to filter and enrich events on the way to eventbridge from a variety of source types. One of those source types is a kinesis stream, which is why I chose it for this project.

The following CloudFormation is what I used to create my pipe:

1  Pipe:
2    Type: AWS::Pipes::Pipe
3    Properties:
4      Name: kinesis-to-eventbridge
5      Description: 'Pipe to connect Kinesis stream to EventBridge event bus'
6      RoleArn: !GetAtt PipeRole.Arn
7      Source: !Sub arn:aws:kinesis:us-west-2:${AWS::AccountId}:stream/my-org-app-event-stream-${Environment}
8      SourceParameters:
9        FilterCriteria:
10          Filters:
11            - Pattern: '{"data":{"event_type":["SignUpEvent"]}}'
12            - Pattern: '{"data":{"event_type":["SignInEvent"]}}'
13        KinesisStreamParameters:
14          StartingPosition: LATEST
15          BatchSize: 1
16          DeadLetterConfig:
17            Arn: !GetAtt PipeDLQueue.Arn
18      Target: !Sub 'arn:aws:events:us-west-2:${AWS::AccountId}:event-bus/my-org-events-${Environment}'
19      Enrichment: !GetAtt TransformerLambda.Arn
20      EnrichmentParameters:
21        InputTemplate: '{ "data": <$.data> }'

Obviously, I cut a lot of the template out for brevity, including the code for deploying my “enrichment” lambda as well as DLQ and Pipeline role. The full template can be found here.

In the above Pipe resource, I’ve defined a filter that only allows events that I’ve defined to pass through to my lambda — specifically only the “SignUpEvent” and “SignInEvent” event types I’ve defined. I’ve also defined an enrichment lambda — which I’ve called a “transformer” lambda because I’ll be using it to transform events into the format I’d like to have sent to my backend. At first, I just used the lambda to print the event to get an idea of how the data is shaped when it gets to my lambda, and without much time passing, I can see it in my Cloudwatch logs:

Unfortunately, at this point I hit a wall. I would like to send the event along its way to Eventbridge (see the target of my Eventbridge Pipe). From there I would be able to create a rule which triggers on arrival of sign in/sign up events. Unfortunately, while I’m able to see the events recieved in the Eventbridge metrics — I’m not able create an event rule that triggers. I’m even using the generated schema from Eventbridge’s handy tool which scans your events:

The point of sending the event to event bridge was to create the potential for an event driven approach that would allow me to feed more than one data source from eventbridge. Eventually, if I want to also send data to a realtime database, like Timescale, I would be able to create a second output lambda to route data to that database as well. However, for now my goal is to view my data in Athena. So, instead of routing my event to eventbridge and creating an eventbridge rule to trigger an S3 upload lambda, I’m going to make the lambda the target of my Eventbridge pipe.

This will involve editing the Pipe config like so:

  # Target: !Sub 'arn:aws:events:us-west-2:${AWS::AccountId}:event-bus/museflow-events-${Environment}'
  # for now - just point to the output lambda instead of pushing to eventbridge first.
  Target: !GetAtt PinpointOutputLambda.Arn

There are plenty of tutorials on how to set up a lambda with AWS SAM, so I won’t be going over that here. But, there are some gotchyas in the setting up the event pipe and athena backend. You need to make sure your Pipe has permission invoke each lambda (the validator and the final target), and your lambdas need permission to post to the final S3 buckets which will make up your Athena tables. Your lambda invoke permissions will look like this:

Resources:
  TransformerLambdaInvokePermission:
    Type: 'AWS::Lambda::Permission'
    Properties:
      FunctionName: !GetAtt TransformerLambda.Arn
      Action: 'lambda:InvokeFunction'
      Principal: 'pipes.amazonaws.com'
      SourceAccount: !Ref 'AWS::AccountId'
      SourceArn: !GetAtt Pipe.Arn
  OutputLambdaInvokePermission:
    Type: 'AWS::Lambda::Permission'
    Properties:
      FunctionName: !GetAtt PinpointOutputLambda.Arn
      Action: 'lambda:InvokeFunction'
      Principal: 'pipes.amazonaws.com'
      SourceAccount: !Ref 'AWS::AccountId'
      SourceArn: !GetAtt Pipe.Arn

In addition to the above you’ll want to provide the following permissions to the “output lambda” — or the lambda that your Eventbridge Pipe is targeting:

- Effect: Allow
  Action:
    - s3:PutObject
    - s3:AbortMultipartUpload
  Resource: 
    - !Sub 'arn:aws:s3:::museflow-sign-up-events-${Environment}'
    - !Sub 'arn:aws:s3:::museflow-sign-in-events-${Environment}'

Transformation/Validation Lambda

Now, I’ll get a bit into the lambda code. My first lambda has two purposes: Validate the incoming event, and transform the event into a truncated version containing only the necessary pieces. The transformer lambda handler looks like this:

1import urllib.parse
2import os
3import traceback
4from utils.logger import logger
5import json
6from aws_xray_sdk.core import patch_all
7from aws_xray_sdk.core import xray_recorder
8from main.transformer import transform_event
9
10logger.info('Loading function')
11env = os.getenv('Environment', 'local')
12TracingOff = os.getenv('TracingOff', False)
13
14def handler(event, context):
15    log.info(json.dumps(event))
16    log.info(context)
17    env = os.getenv("Environment")
18    s3_endpoint_url =  os.getenv('S3EndpointUrl')
19    region = os.getenv("AWSRegion")
20
21    log.info(f"region: {region}")
22    log.info(f"s3_endpoint_url: {s3_endpoint_url}")
23    validated_events = []
24    for evt in event:
25        try:
26            # print(evt['data']['event_type'])
27            transformed_evt = transform_event(evt)
28            json_dict = json.loads(transformed_evt.model_dump_json())
29            validated_events.append(json_dict)
30        except Exception as e:
31            if env != "local" and not TracingOff:
32                subsegment_ref = xray_recorder.current_subsegment()
33                if subsegment_ref:
34                    subsegment_ref.add_exception(e)
35            log.exception(e)
36            log.error('failed_to_validate_event', evt=json.dumps(evt))
37    try:
38        return validated_events
39    except Exception as e:
40        log.error(e)
41        traceback.print_exc()
42        raise e # re-raise for Lambda console

Each event is run through a transformation function called “transform_evt”. That function looks like this:

1def transform_event(event):
2    if event['data']['event_type'] == 'SignUpEvent':
3        return SignUpEvent(**({
4            "event_type": event['data']['event_type'],
5            "datetime": event['data']['endpoint']['EffectiveDate'],
6            "session_id":  event['data']['session']['session_id'],
7            "email": event['data']['attributes']['email'],
8        }))
9    elif event['data']['event_type'] == 'SignInEvent':
10        return SignInEvent(**({
11            "event_type": event['data']['event_type'],
12            "datetime": event['data']['endpoint']['EffectiveDate'],
13            "session_id":  event['data']['session']['session_id'],
14            "email": event['data']['attributes']['email'],
15            "id": event['data']['attributes']['id'],
16            "is_test_user": event['data']['attributes']['is_test_user'],
17            "user_type": event['data']['attributes']['user_type'],
18        }))

Each event is being validated by its respective Model, which I’ve written using Pydantic, a rather convenient python validator. Something to point out in the above model is that I’m using the “effective date” portion of the event as the timestamp. It seemed as good an option as any.

Here’s the model I’m using for my SignUpEvent:

from pydantic import BaseModel, Extra, EmailStr, field_serializer
from datetime import datetime
from typing import Literal


class SignUpEvent(BaseModel):
    class Config:
        extra = Extra.forbid
    @field_serializer('datetime')
    def serialize_dt(self, dt: datetime, _info):
        return dt.strftime('%Y-%m-%dT%H:%M:%S.%f')[:-3] + 'Z'
    event_type: Literal['SignUpEvent']
    datetime: datetime
    session_id: str
    email: EmailStr

In order for an event to be processed it must conform to the expected schema. Additionally, I’m serializing the date to remove the last 3 0's that get appended to the end when Pydantic prints the date into JSON. Something else to note is that The Amplify library which I’m using to send these events doesn’t accept null values. So, to compensate for that I wrote the following validator, which allows for nulls:

1def coerc_string_to_null( string_val: Any):
2    val = None if string_val == 'null' else string_val
3    return val
4
5class MyClass(BaseModel):
6   ...
7   _my_value_validator = validator('my_value', pre=True, allow_reuse=True)(coerc_string_to_null)
8   my_value: Union[str, None)

“Output” Lambda

Now, we can discuss what I’m calling the “OutputLambda”, which is responsible for taking the validated and transformed event, and sending it to the Athena backend. After this section I’m going to go over actually creating the Athena backend, but for now it should be noted that there is an S3 bucket for each event type. Here’s the handler code for the output lambda (I’ve removed some extraneous code that’s pretty much the same as the last one):

1def get_date_details(datetime_str):
2    dt = datetime.strptime(datetime_str, '%Y-%m-%dT%H:%M:%S.%fZ')
3    return (dt.day, dt.month, dt.year)
4...
5try:
6  s3_client = boto3.client('s3', endpoint_url=s3_endpoint_url)
7  for evt in event:
8      with tempfile.TemporaryDirectory() as temp_dir:
9          id=str(uuid.uuid4())
10          schema = transform_event_schema(evt)
11          parquet_out(evt, schema, f'{temp_dir}/evt_parquet_{id}.parquet')
12          s3_bucket = bucket_map[evt['event_type']]
13          day, month, year = get_date_details(evt['datetime'])
14          s3_put_object(s3_client, s3_bucket, f'year={year}/month={month}/day={day}/{evt["event_type"]}{id}.parquet', f'{temp_dir}/evt_parquet_{id}.parquet')
15  return {
16      "statusCode": 200,
17      "headers": {
18          "Content-Type": "application/json"
19      },
20  }

As you can see I’m calling a new transform function on each event — but this time it’s called transform_event_schema . That’s because I’m taking each event and creating a parquet schema. You can use JSON for Athena, but Parquet is more efficient, which may save you some $$. Here’s the code for my parquet schema generator:

1import pyarrow as pa
2import pyarrow.compute as pc
3
4def transform_event_schema(event):
5    if event['event_type'] == 'SignUpEvent':
6        return pa.schema([
7            ('datetime', pa.timestamp('s', tz='UTC')),
8            ('event_type', pa.string()),
9            ('session_id', pa.string()),
10            ('email', pa.string())
11        ])
12    elif event['event_type'] == 'SignInEvent':
13        return pa.schema([
14            ('datetime', pa.timestamp('s', tz='UTC')),
15            ('event_type', pa.string()),
16            ('session_id', pa.string()),
17            ('email', pa.string()),
18            ('id', pa.string()),
19            ('is_test_user', pa.bool_()),
20            ('user_type', pa.string())
21        ])

It’s a bit verbose and frankly, kind of strangely formatted, but that’s the gist. What isn’t pictured here is an example of an int, for which you might use pa.int64() . You can read more about parquet data types here.

Once my parquet schema is created, I can write it to S3. Unfortunately, I couldn’t easily figure out a way to transform the event into parquet and write directly to S3 from memory, so instead I created a file in a temp directory. It’s important to use a temp directory because Lambdas can potentially use the same context with the same temp. The code I used to write the parquet file looks like this:

1from json2parquet import write_parquet, ingest_data
2
3def parquet_out(json_blob, schema, path):
4    # table = pa.Table.from_pydict(json_array, schema)
5    # pq.write_table(table, path)  # save json/table as parquet
6    date_format = "%Y-%m-%dT%H:%M:%S.%fZ"
7    record_batch=ingest_data([json_blob], schema,date_format=date_format)
8    write_parquet(record_batch, path,compression='snappy', use_deprecated_int96_timestamps=True)

I used a nifty library called json2parquet. The one part that’s worth calling out here is use_depreciated_int96_timestamps=True . From the json2parquet docs:

“If you are using this library to convert JSON data to be read by Spark, Athena, Spectrum or Presto make sure you use use_deprecated_int96_timestamps when writing your Parquet files, otherwise you will see some really screwy dates.”

Fair enough.

The final bit of info worth sharing is that when you write these files to S3 you’ll want to do so in binary. Here’s the function I used to read the parquet file and push it to S3:

1from smart_open import open
2
3def s3_put_object(client, bucket, key, file_path):
4    file = open(file_path, 'rb')
5    content = file.read()
6    tp = {'min_part_size': 5 * 1024**2, 'client': client}
7    uri = f's3://{bucket}/{key}'
8    with open(uri, 'wb', transport_params=tp) as fout:
9        logger.info(f"pushing to s3 {uri}")
10        fout.write(content)
11    file.close()

smart_open is utility library which allows you to read and write from S3 like a native file system using the “open” function. As you can see, I’m specifying b for ‘binary’.

And that’s pretty much it. After deploying, I can go log into my app and watch my function invocation metrics:

And check out their corresponding evens in S3:

You might have also noticed the slightly specific path I chose for these events. This is actually a way that Glue will partition your tables by date automatically (More info in the AWS docs here), which brings us to our next section: Glue/Athena.

Glue/Athena

AWS Glue is a pretty nifty tool with a lot of data-centric features. One thing it works well with is Athena — a Serverless query engine that allows you to query against a multitude of sources, one of which being a Glue table.

In order to create Glue tables based on your S3 data, you’ll need to create what’s called a “Glue Crawler” which will read all of your data in an S3 bucket and place it into a glue table. Now, what’s really nifty about these crawlers is that you don’t even have to create the tables yourself. The crawler will infer the schema of your table based on the format of the data in the S3 bucket. You saw the schemas earlier in my output lambda. So, all you need to do is define an Athena database and one crawler per S3 bucket. Here’s the Terraform I wrote to create them:

1locals {
2  glue_role         = data.aws_iam_role.glue_role.arn
3}
4
5data "aws_iam_role" "glue_role" {
6  name = var.glue_role_name
7}
8
9resource "aws_glue_catalog_database" "this" {
10  name         = var.database_name
11  description  = var.database_description
12  parameters   = var.parameters
13}
14
15resource "aws_glue_crawler" "this" {
16  for_each = var.tables
17  name                   = "${var.database_name}_${each.key}_glue_crawler_${var.environment}"
18  description            = "${var.database_name} glue crawler for table ${each.key} ${var.environment}"
19  database_name          = aws_glue_catalog_database.this.name
20  role                   = local.glue_role
21  schedule               = "cron(0 1 * * ? *)"
22  configuration = jsonencode(
23    {
24      Grouping = {
25        TableGroupingPolicy = "CombineCompatibleSchemas"
26      }
27      CrawlerOutput = {
28        Partitions = { AddOrUpdateBehavior = "InheritFromTable" }
29      }
30      Version = 1
31    }
32  )
33  s3_target {
34    path = each.value.location
35  }
36}
37
38resource "aws_athena_workgroup" "athena" {
39  name = var.aws_athena_workgroup_name
40
41  configuration {
42    enforce_workgroup_configuration    = true
43    publish_cloudwatch_metrics_enabled = true
44
45    result_configuration {
46      output_location = "s3://${var.s3_query_result_bucket_name}/output/"
47
48      encryption_configuration {
49        encryption_option = "SSE_S3"
50      }
51    }
52  }
53}

Not provided above is the config for the S3 Athena query output bucket. Make sure that when you do create the output bucket, you provide a bucket policy that gives access to athena via “athena.amazonaws.com”. For reference, here are the variables I provided to the above template:

1{
2  "environment": "prd",
3  "database_name": "org_name_analytics_prd",
4  "database_description": "org_name athena analytics db",
5  "glue_role_name": "org_name-main-prd-glue-role",
6  "s3_query_result_bucket_name": "org_name-athena-output-prd",
7  "aws_athena_workgroup_name": "org_name-analytics-prd",
8  "tables": {
9    "org_name_sign_in_events": {
10      "description": "org_name app sign in events table prd",
11      "location": "s3://org_name-sign-in-bucket-prd/"
12    },
13    "org_name_sign_up_events": {
14      "description": "org_name app sign in events table prd",
15      "location": "s3://org_name-sign-up-bucket-prd/"
16    }
17  },
18}

In this config each key is the name of a table/crawler. Two things are important to mention. Athena only takes underscores and letters as table names, and you need to end your s3 bucket location with a slash: “/”.

As you can see, I provided a role to be used by the glue crawler. You should make sure that role has permissions to access to each of the S3 buckets you create to hold your parquet events, like so:

1{
2 "Version": "2012-10-17",
3 "Statement": [
4        {
5            "Effect": "Allow",
6            "Action": [
7                "glue:*",
8                "lakeformation:*"
9            ],
10            "Resource": [
11                "*"
12            ]
13        },
14        {
15            "Effect": "Allow",
16            "Action": [
17                "s3:GetObject",
18                "s3:ListBucket"
19            ],
20            "Resource": [
21                "arn:aws:s3:::org_name-sign-up-bucket-prd",
22                "arn:aws:s3:::org_name-sign-up-bucket-prd/*",
23                "arn:aws:s3:::org_name-sign-in-bucket-prd",
24                "arn:aws:s3:::org_name-sign-in-bucket-prd/*"
25            ]
26        }
27    ]
28}

Finally, with all this in place I can visit the Athena console and write a query:

One thing to note is that you should select the correct working group on the top right, because that’s what actually configures the output bucket. Otherwise, you’ll be asked to configure a new one.

Conclusion

This was a fun project. I’ve wanted to set up an Athena pipeline for a while, but never had a good reason. With an easy to create Athena pipeline, I’ll be able to easily and cheaply store data for use in ML, business analytics, or any other analytics I’d like to do.

Some closing thoughts. As you saw in the image of my lambda invocation metrics, this process doesn’t batch at all. That means potentially a single invocation per event. This could potentially get rather costly, so a way to mitigate this might be to place an SQS queue between my event pipe and my lambda. Additionally, Crawlers will re-crawl all of your data daily. This can also be costly, but an alternative might be to use event driven crawlers which would prevent re-crawling of data.

Hope this was an enjoyable and instructive read. If you’d like to follow me for more tech articles, feel free to follow me here or add me on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/steven-staley/