Training routines

Technique & practice: Drills · Exercises · Training routines

Short, guided workouts. Pick one, and the app walks you through it one step at a time — it lights up the next note or chord on the keyboard, listens to what you play, and only moves on when you get it right. A wrong note just restarts the current step, so you can't "fail" — you simply build accuracy, then speed.

These build on the basics from Theory and Practice. Keep the metronome (pinned at the bottom) running: start slow, lock the notes, then nudge the tempo up.

Play your own keyboard

The routines

Beginner · scales

Scale Forge

What it is: your first workout — the C major scale up and then down, followed by A natural minor and G major. It cements the note order of the most common starting scales and gets both hands used to running smoothly.

What to do:

  • Play the highlighted notes in order, one finger at a time.
  • If a note turns out wrong, the run restarts from that scale's first note — slow down.
  • Any octave is fine; match the note name that's glowing.

Ready? Keyboard connected and metronome ticking? Press start, then follow the glow.

Intermediate · all 12 keys

Circle of Fifths Grind

What it is: the major scale played in all twelve keys, moving around the circle of fifths (C, G, D, A …). This is the classic way to make every key feel as familiar as C major.

What to do:

  • Play each scale ascending; the app advances you to the next key automatically.
  • Expect the black-key scales to be harder — that's the point. Take them slowly.
  • Aim to finish all twelve with as few resets as possible.

Ready? This is a longer one (12 scales). Set a slow tempo you can hold the whole way.

Beginner · chords

Chord & Arp Bootcamp

What it is: the three main major chords (C, F, G) plus A minor, practised two ways — first "broken" as arpeggios (one note at a time), then "blocked" as full chords played together. It links the shape of a chord to its sound.

What to do:

  • For arpeggio steps, play the notes in order (C–E–G–C).
  • For chord steps, press all the notes together — the step completes when every note is down.

Ready? For the block chords you'll need three fingers down at once — a MIDI keyboard works best here.

Beginner · progressions

Progression Drill

What it is: the four chords behind countless songs — I–vi–IV–V (C – A minor – F – G). Playing them in a loop trains the muscle memory for real music.

What to do:

  • Play each chord as a block (all notes together), in order.
  • Once it feels easy, try switching chords on the metronome's downbeat.

Ready? Try to keep a steady 1-chord-per-bar pulse with the click as you go.