Common Sense Media Review
By Erin Bell
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Popular songs but no traditional piano in tap music game.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 7+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Download
Videos and Photos
Magic Piano
Privacy Rating Warning
Privacy Rating
Our expert evaluators create our privacy ratings. The ratings are designed to help you understand how apps use your data for commercial purposes.
Pass
Meets our minimum requirements for privacy and security practices.
Warning
Does not meet our recommendations for privacy and security practices.
Fail
Does not have a privacy policy and should not be used.
Privacy Rating
Our expert evaluators create our privacy ratings. The ratings are designed to help you understand how apps use your data for commercial purposes.
Pass
Meets our minimum requirements for privacy and security practices.
Warning
Does not meet our recommendations for privacy and security practices.
Fail
Does not have a privacy policy and should not be used.
What's It About?
Players tap balls of light at the correct time, either single notes or chords, to play back familiar pop, classical, and traditional melodies that sound like they're coming from a virtual piano. Magic Piano's secondary mode, Solo/Freestyle, lets kids tap on a more traditional-looking piano keyboard with black and white keys.
Is It Any Good?
Magic Piano's main mode actually has nothing to do with piano playing in the traditional sense. Instead, players tap balls of light to recreate melodies and chords. Players must guesstimate the correct rhythm, which can make it challenging to perform songs correctly unless already familiar with how they go. The piano-only melodies can sound hollow, and would have been livelier and more fun to play if there were background tracks to play along to (something that would have also helped players pick out the correct rhythms). It's only in the game's Solo/Freestyle mode where players get a glimpse of something resembling a piano keyboard. On the upside, the game is constantly giving the player new goals to complete (such as Earn 300 points, get a 10-note streak, or Play 3 songs by Bach), which earn levels, achievements, and badges, so it always feels like there's something new to do.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Show kids what a real piano score looks like, and teach them to read notes and rhythms. If you're not musically inclined, classes, books, apps, websites, and YouTube videos can give you a hand.
Have kids watch a performance featuring the piano and let them watch the performer's hands.
App Details
- Devices : iPhone , iPod Touch , iPad
- Subjects : Arts : music , rhythm
- Skills : Self-Direction : achieving goals , Health & Fitness : fine motor skills , Creativity : producing new content
- Pricing structure : Free
- Release date : November 23, 2011
- Genre : Music
- Topics : Arts ( Music and Sing-Along )
- Publisher : Smule
- Version : 3.0.2
- Minimum software requirements : iOS 4.0 or later
- Last updated : October 1, 2025
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