Import a MIDI File and Practice with It

Tiny Instrument can open MIDI files from several sources. In the Files app, navigate to any .mid file and tap Share → Tiny Instrument. You can also receive a file via AirDrop — it opens directly in the app. On macOS, drag a .mid file onto the Tiny Instrument dock icon or use File → Open. Any MIDI file you have saved to iCloud Drive or a local folder is accessible this way.

Tip Free MIDI file archives like Musescore.com and freemidi.org are good starting points. Download the .mid file in Safari, then tap Share → Tiny Instrument to import it immediately.

Once imported, your file appears in the Practice MIDI library — accessible from the Practice tab. Each file row shows the file name, BPM, time signature, and the number of tracks. Files you have practiced before display a small accuracy badge so you can track your progress at a glance.

Tap Practice on any file row to open the setup screen. Here you can see all the tracks in the file — each labelled with its instrument name and note count. Pick the track you want to practice. Use the speed slider to set a starting tempo (50 % is a good place to begin with a new piece). You can also choose Falling Notes for a Synthesia-style view or Chase the Notes if you prefer to advance one note at a time.

Tip If the file has a dedicated left-hand and right-hand track, start with just one hand until you are comfortable, then switch to the other before combining them.

After tapping Start Practice, a brief preparation screen appears while the app loads the MIDI file, builds your practice notes, and starts the session. You will see three steps complete in sequence — Loading MIDI file, Building practice notes, Starting session. On large files this takes a few seconds. If anything goes wrong a clear error message is shown with a Go Back button so you can return to the setup screen and try again.

In the practice view, note blocks fall from the top of the screen toward the piano keyboard. Hit each note or chord as it reaches the play line. In Stepped mode the piece waits for your input before advancing — the accompaniment tracks pause until you play the correct note, then resume in sync. In Continuous mode the piece plays at tempo and your hits are scored in real time. A green flash means a correct hit; a faded red block marks a miss.

Tip Use the metronome toggle in the control bar to keep a steady beat even when playing in Stepped mode. The BPM label next to the toggle shows the effective tempo at your current speed setting.

The speed control is available at any time during practice — tap the BPM display at the top of the screen to bring up the slider. Slow the piece down to nail a tricky passage, then gradually increase the speed as it becomes comfortable. Your personal best accuracy for each file and track is saved automatically when you exit the session, so you can always compare runs at different tempos.