Synthesia

Synthesia, formerly called Piano Hero, is a music video game that allows users to play a MIDI file on a virtual keyboard. The program can also be used to learn some basic piano skills. It is recommended to use a music keyboard when playing the game, but the computer’s keyboard can also be used. There are several songs that come with the program. Users can play the songs by following the falling notes on the screen and pressing on the corresponding key on the keyboard. Users can also upload a MIDI file to the program and use that to practice their skills. Users can submit their scores to the online scoreboard.

Users can upgrade Synthesia and purchase a learning pack. The learning pack has five game modes for practicing their piano skills. These are:

• Section Looping – users can practice difficult sections of the song over and over again with looping
• Melody Practice – the game waits for the player to press on the correct button before continuing the song
• Note and Key Labels – The name of the notes are displayed beside the falling notes or beside keys on the keyboard
• Finger Number Hints – adds finger number hints with just one click
• Sheet Music Display – adds classic notation of the notes that are falling down