How to Use · Tiny Instrument
Get the most from the app
Feature guides for Tiny Instrument — step-by-step walkthroughs for practice modes, chord tools, and more.
Play Mode · Quick Chords
Explore Chords with Quick Chords
Quick Chords lets you browse every chord in any root, hear it instantly, and highlight the notes on the keyboard.
Play
iPhone
iPadPractice Mode · Chord Practice
Practice Chord Progressions
Set up Chase the Notes to drill a chord progression at your own pace, with BPM Goal Mode to build speed gradually.
PracticeiPhoneiPad
MacPractice Mode · Hand Configuration
Set Up Fingering
Configure which hand plays what — and which note the left hand holds — so you can focus on one hand at a time.
Practice
SettingsiPhoneiPadMacPractice Mode · Hand Configuration
Practice with Multiple Hands
Use Drone to introduce a steady left hand, or Split to divide a chord across both hands — then practice each independently before combining.
PracticeiPhoneiPadMacPractice Mode · Song Practice
Practice Real Songs with Chord Charts
Paste a chord chart from any source, follow the highlighted chord as it plays, and drill any section until it sticks.
PracticeiPhoneiPadMacCompose Mode · Chord Progressions
Build Chord Progressions in Compose
Start from a template or record chords directly from your instrument — then send the progression straight to Practice.
ComposeiPhoneiPadMacPlay Mode · Live Rewind
Capture Ideas with Live Rewind
Play freely — Live Rewind records a rolling 2-minute buffer in the background so nothing you improvise is ever lost.
PlayComposeiPhoneiPadMacLearn Mode · Lessons
Get Started with Music Theory Lessons
Nine chapters, 38 lessons — each one teaches a concept by making you play it before naming it.
LearniPhoneiPadMacListen Mode · Ear Training
Train Your Ear
Five stages — Notes, Intervals, Scales, Chords, Melodies — each one teaching you to hear what you already know how to play.
ListeniPhoneiPadMacPlay Mode · Keyboard
Explore Scales and Chords on the Keyboard
Highlight any scale or chord on the keyboard in seconds — tap a note, pick a type, and see exactly which keys to play.
PlayiPhoneiPadMacCompose Mode · Piano Roll
Create Your First Composition
Draw notes, build chord progressions, and layer multiple tracks — all in a piano roll designed for touch.
ComposeiPhoneiPadMacPractice Mode · Scales
Practice Scales
Scale Practice uses falling notes to guide you through any scale — step by step, at your own pace, with Guided or Strict feedback.
PracticeiPhoneiPadMacListen Mode · Melodies
Play Melodies in Ear Training
The final ear training stage — hear a short sequence of notes and reproduce it on the keyboard. Five levels build from M2 stepwise motion to chromatic chromatic passages in any key.
ListeniPhoneiPadMacListen Mode · Challenge
Challenge Mode
Sixty seconds. No second chances. Every correct answer builds your combo — see how high you can score before time runs out.
ListeniPhoneiPadMacLearn Mode · Aria
Use Aria Inside Lessons
Your on-device AI music coach is one tap away from any lesson step — ask preset questions or type your own.
LearniPhoneiPadLearn Mode · Progress
Understand Your Lesson Progress
See your accuracy, build a streak, and let the Today sheet tell you exactly what to work on next.
LearniPhoneiPadMacPlay Mode · Easter Eggs
Find and Play Easter Egg Songs
Hidden song challenges are scattered throughout Tiny Instrument. Play the right notes and you just might unlock one.
PlayiPhoneiPadMacPractice Mode · MIDI
Import a MIDI File and Practice with It
Bring any .mid file into Tiny Instrument, pick your practice track, and play along with falling notes — at any speed, with accompaniment.
PracticeiPhoneiPadMacPractice Mode · MIDI Keyboard
Connect a MIDI Keyboard
Plug in or pair a hardware keyboard on iPhone, iPad, or Mac and use it to play, practice, and navigate the app without touching the screen.
PracticeSettingsiPhoneiPadMacPlay Mode · Instruments
Import a SoundFont
A SoundFont (.sf2) is a standard file format that packages sampled instrument sounds. Import one to add any instrument — piano, strings, synth, or anything else — to your Tiny Instrument library.
PlaySettingsiPhoneiPadMacCompose Mode · Export
Export Your Composition as MIDI
Take your composition beyond Tiny Instrument — export as a standard MIDI file and open it in any DAW or notation app.
ComposeiPhoneiPadMacCreative Workflow
From Idea to Song
Start with a single chord in Learn, explore freely in Play, capture that magic moment with Live Rewind, and shape it into a finished song — all without leaving the app.
LearnPlayComposePracticeiPhoneiPadMacCompose · Songbook
Import a Chord Chart
Find any song online, copy the chord chart, and paste it into Tiny Instrument — the app parses sections and flags any chord it doesn't recognise before you start playing.
ComposePracticeiPhoneiPadMacLearn · Practice · Narration
Change the Narration Voice
Tiny Instrument reads lesson text aloud in Learn mode and announces chord and note names during practice. Pick any voice installed on your device — or download a new one.
LearnPracticeSettingsiPhoneiPadMacPlay Mode · Instruments
Change Your Instrument
Tiny Instrument ships with a library of acoustic and digital instruments. Switch sounds in seconds, or expand the library with downloadable packs and your own SoundFont files.
PlaySettingsiPhoneiPadMacPlay Mode · MIDI
Fix Stuck Notes
A stuck note keeps sounding after you release a key — usually caused by a MIDI dropout that drops the note-off message. Tiny Instrument detects them automatically and can silence them for you.
PlaySettingsiPhoneiPadMacPlay Mode · On Screen Keyboard
Customize the On-Screen Keyboard
Set the note range, turn on key labels, configure haptics, and let the keyboard expand automatically to show incoming notes.
PlaySettingsiPhoneiPadMacPlay Mode · Sound
Adjust Reverb
Add space and depth to any instrument sound with the built-in reverb. Choose a preset — from a small room to a large cathedral — and dial in the mix.
PlaySettingsiPhoneiPadMacSettings · Progress & Notifications
Set Up Practice Notifications
A daily reminder at the right time is one of the most effective ways to build a practice habit. Set it once and let the app nudge you.
SettingsiPhoneiPadLearn Mode · Aria Assistant
Configure Aria Assistant
Aria is Tiny Instrument's built-in music teacher. Adjust how she explains concepts, whether she narrates lessons aloud, and how much detail she gives.
LearnSettingsiPhoneiPadMacPractice in the app
Learn this on Tiny Instrument
Tiny Instrument teaches music theory through interactive lessons, ear training, and playful practice — all connected in one app for iPhone, iPad, and Mac.
