Magic Piano

Review

Common Sense Media says

Popular songs but no traditional piano in tap music game.
greenON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.
yellowPAUSE: Know your child; some content
may not be right for some kids.
redOFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.
not for kidsNOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age.

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Quality
 
Sometimes media can be age appropriate but a real waste of time. Our star rating assesses the media's overall quality.

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Learning1
BEST: Really engaging, great learning approach.
GOOD: Pretty engaging, good learning approach.
FAIR: Somewhat engaging, OK learning approach.
NOT FOR LEARNING: Not recommended for learning.

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Parents say

Not yet rated

Kids say

Not yet rated

What parents need to know

Parents need to know that Magic Piano is a music-playing app with two very different modes. The app is free to play, and players start with a handful of free songs. Additional songs must be purchased for between 25 and 75 "Smoola" (Magic Piano's in-game currency), with bundles of Smoola selling for from $2.99 for 200 up to $99.99 for 7,920 Smoola. Smoola can also be earned gradually in the game by completing objectives. Players can listen in on other players' performances from around the world, but there's no chatting.

  • Ease of use3
    There are four levels of difficulty, which add to the number of notes players must tap at the same time (to a maximum of four). Players might have a hard time figuring out the correct rhythms to tap in unless they're already familiar with the song.
  • Violence0
    Not applicable.
  • Sex0
    Not applicable.
  • Language0
    Not applicable.
  • Consumerism2
    Players are prompted to share songs and results with friends on Facebook, Twitter, and email. The app itself, and a handful of songs, are free, but more must be purchased with in-game currency that can be slowly earned by playing the game a lot, or by paying real-world cash.
  • Drinking, drugs, & smoking0
    Not applicable.
  • Privacy & safety3
    Some concerns. If enabled, the app detects the user's location and broadcasts it to other players as a dot on a world map. Players are also constantly prompted to share status updates and songs via Twitter, Facebook, or email.
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What kids can learn

1

Kids can learn fine motor skills and improve their sense of rhythm and musicality as they tap the screen at the correct time to recreate the melodies and chords of popular songs. Kids will work to improve their performances to earn stars with which they can unlock new songs. The secondary mode, Solo/Freestyle, allows kids to get creative and improvise their own music. Magic Piano is a fun app to play around with, but it won't teach kids how to play the piano.

Subjects
  • Arts
    music, rhythm
  • Hobbies
  • Language & Reading
  • Math
  • Science
  • Social Studies
Skills
  • Collaboration
  • Communication
  • Creativity
    producing new content
  • Emotional Development
  • Health & Fitness
    fine motor skills
  • Responsibility & Ethics
See more details

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.

This review was written by Erin Bell

What kids can learn

1

Kids can learn fine motor skills and improve their sense of rhythm and musicality as they tap the screen at the correct time to recreate the melodies and chords of popular songs. Kids will work to improve their performances to earn stars with which they can unlock new songs. The secondary mode, Solo/Freestyle, allows kids to get creative and improvise their own music. Magic Piano is a fun app to play around with, but it won't teach kids how to play the piano.

Subjects
  • Arts: music, rhythm
  • Hobbies:
  • Language & Reading:
  • Math:
  • Science:
  • Social Studies:
Skills
  • Collaboration:
  • Communication:
  • Creativity: producing new content
  • Emotional Development:
  • Health & Fitness: fine motor skills
  • Responsibility & Ethics:
  • Self-Direction: achieving goals
  • Tech Skills:
  • Thinking & Reasoning:

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.

How kids will learn

Magic Piano draws kids in by letting them play tunes by the latest pop stars as well as classical and traditional favorites. Kids actually create the music by following visual cues, so they have more control over the sound than if they were just tapping along to a prerecorded track. However, by making players guesstimate the rhythms rather than showing notes and their subdivisions, Magic Piano misses an opportunity to teach rhythm and note-reading that could help kids learn to read "real" piano scores.

How parents can help

  • 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.
This review was written by Erin Bell
Kid, 11 years old
February 18, 2012
AGE
10
 
magic piano
i think this is the funnest app on the app store
Was this review useful?
Helped me decide (3) | Had useful details (3) | Read my mind (3)
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This review was written by Erin Bell
Topics:music and sing-along
Category:Music
Platforms:iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad
Price:Free
Size:19.70 MB
Publisher:Smule
Version:3.0.2
Release date:November 23, 2011
Minimum software requirements:iOS 4.0 or later
This review was written by Erin Bell
 

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About our rating system
ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.
PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids.
OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.
Learning ratings
BEST: Really engaging, great learning approach.
GOOD: Pretty engaging, good learning approach.
FAIR: Somewhat engaging, OK learning approach.
NOT FOR LEARNING: Not recommended for learning.
Our child development rating guidelines

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