Learn piano on the songs you actually want to play.
From can't-read-a-note to playing it all the way through. Rock and metal first. Built for adults who grew up on power ballads, and for their kids.
How it works
One song you love, one keyboard, one honest coach.
1Song first
Pick the song. We work backwards from it.
Tell us the piece you want to play. RiffKeys breaks it into the skills it needs (an arpeggio pattern, a left-hand octave line, a six-eight feel) and teaches them in that order, so every lesson moves you closer to the real thing.
2MIDI first
Plug in a keyboard. It hears every note.
Any USB or Bluetooth MIDI keyboard gives us exact timing and how hard you hit each key. No guessing from a microphone, no false fails. Slow it down, loop the hard bar, or use wait mode, which holds until you find the right key.
3AI coach
When a passage falls apart, it tells you why.
Rushing the triplet? Left hand landing late? The coach spots the pattern across your attempts, explains it in plain words, and gives you a two-minute drill that fixes it. Then it sends you back to the song.
Song first
Every lesson ends in a riff you'd play in front of friends.
Minor-key arpeggios, octave bass, six-eight ballads. The skills arrive in the order the songs need them.
Honest feedback
Plug in a keyboard. Get told the truth, note by note.
MIDI-accurate timing and dynamics, with slow-down, loops and a wait mode that holds until you hit the right key.
A coach, not a scoreboard
It explains why the passage failed, then shows you the fix.
Real notation taught as a goal, not hidden behind falling blocks forever.
Where it stands
RiffKeys is being built by Lion Pro Dev. The research phase is done; the first build is an iPad app for a MIDI keyboard.
Launch content is original pieces written in the style you love, plus the public-domain classics the metal greats grew up on. Licensed songs follow through an in-app sheet-music shop.
Straight pricing
A monthly plan and a real lifetime option. No trial that quietly becomes a year.
A family plan so a parent and a kid can learn the same song at different levels.
- Monthly means monthly: cancel any time, no exit maze.
- Lifetime means the full app for good, not a frozen legacy tier.
- You'll see the price before any card form. No surprise renewals.
Questions, answered straight
I can't read a note. Is that a problem?
No. You start on the keys, by ear and by pattern, and notation is introduced gradually as something you earn, not a wall you hit on day one. The goal is that you can read what you play by the end.
What do I need?
The first build is an iPad app for a MIDI keyboard: any keyboard with USB or Bluetooth MIDI (61 keys or more is comfortable). Acoustic pianos will work through the microphone later, with less precise feedback. If you don't own a keyboard yet, tell us in the form and we'll send buying advice when it matters.
Will it have the songs I actually love?
Launch content is original pieces written in the style you love, plus the public-domain classics the metal greats grew up on (Bach, Beethoven, Grieg and friends). Licensed songs follow through an in-app sheet-music shop, as publishers allow. We won't pretend to have songs we haven't licensed.
Is it for adults or kids?
Adult-first, because most piano apps talk to eight-year-olds. It works for teenagers and kids too, and a family plan lets a parent and a kid learn the same song at different levels, with a parent dashboard that shows real progress rather than streaks.
How much will it cost?
Prices aren't set yet. What is set: a monthly plan and a real lifetime option, and no free trial that quietly turns into a year's charge. If you join early access, you'll hear the price before anyone asks for a card.
When can I use it?
There's no launch date yet. The research is done and the first build is under way. Early-access people get the first test builds, in small batches, and we'll write to you by hand when there's something worth your time.
What happens to my email?
We store it, plus the optional song and keyboard answers, to contact you about RiffKeys. We don't sell or share it, and we'll delete it whenever you ask. Details in the privacy notice.
Early access
Get the first builds.
Small batches, real people, real feedback. Tell us the song you want to learn and it goes on the board that decides what we teach first.