MiniPiano: IPhone Application Review

MiniPiano is a free piano emulation application for the Apple iPhone. It is available for download from the App Store.

MiniPiano is a stripped down version of the FingerPiano application, by JY Product. As you'd assume, the app operates like a 'real' piano - you press down the keys on the screen with your fingers to produce an audible sound. However, this is really the only similarity with a real piano. MiniPiano doesn't have any other functionalities or features that you might expect from a virtual keyboard.

Firstly, you are limited in the number of notes to one octave - this gives you 14 playable notes in total. Unfortunately, there are no options for customization or configuration either - you can't move the octave up or down or increase the number of keys on screen. This really limits you in terms of what you can actually play. A lot of music obviously utilizes a larger range than that which is provided by MiniPiano, meaning that while Mary Had a Little Lamb might be possible, Fur Elise is definitely out of the question. It's probably easiest to picture MiniPiano as something akin to those small xylophones you used to play around with in kindergarten.

MiniPiano also lacks one of the key features any budding musician requires: recording. You're certainly able to make up a basic little tune, you just don't have the ability to save it for later reference or playback. The response time of the application is quite good however. You'll find that you'll get a clean note almost immediately upon striking a key on the touchpad. The only problem here, and its not a problem that's limited to MiniPiano, is that the iPhone simply doesn't have a loud enough speaker. You will find it next to impossible to hear the notes you are playing unless you are in a quiet space. I found that while demonstrating the app to a friend in a room with several groups of people talking, I had to hold the speaker upto their ears to show that MiniPiano was in fact producing any sounds. They were still amused by the app, however.

Despite the aforementioned drawbacks, the reality is that MiniPiano is a free application. It is definitely basic, but it still allows for a little bit of creativity and fooling around on-the-go. If you are looking for more advanced options and more functionality, take a look at FingerPiano - its also available in the App Store for $2.99.