KeyByKey

Hear the day's tune, then play it back on the piano by ear.

Every day: One tune a day, the same for every player: listen to it, then play it back note by note on an on-screen piano, and see how your number of attempts compares with everyone else's that day. New puzzle: Midnight in your own time zone, from the game's code (the tune is picked from your device's date).

Play KeyByKey on keybykey.app
KeyByKey screen on a dark background: a Welcome to KeyByKey panel over a piano keyboard, listing how to play (listen to the tune, first note highlighted, click keys from memory, unlimited attempts), s

KeyByKey plays a short, well-known tune each day and asks you to play it back on an on-screen piano. The first note is highlighted, a wrong note ends the attempt, and you keep trying until you get the whole tune, then see how your attempts compare with other players'.

About KeyByKey

KeyByKey is a small daily ear-training game in the browser. Each day it names a tune, such as a nursery rhyme, a classical motif or a film or TV theme, and plays it when you press Play example. The starting note is lit on the keyboard, and you click the keys to play the rest from memory.

Each attempt is a row of cells, one for each note. Correct notes fill in as you play; a wrong note turns red and ends that row, and you start again on the next one. Attempts are unlimited, so the score is how many you needed. When you finish, the game shows where your count sits among everyone who played that day's tune.

The set of tunes is small and familiar, so it suits beginners and anyone who wants a minute of playing by ear rather than naming songs. A practice button gives you another tune once the daily one is done.

How to play KeyByKey

  1. Press Play example to hear today's tune.
  2. Find the highlighted starting note on the keyboard and click it.
  3. Click the keys for the rest of the tune in order, from memory.
  4. If a note turns red, listen again and start the tune over on the next row.
  5. Finish the tune to see your attempt count and how it compares with other players.

Tips

  • Hum the tune first and listen for whether each note goes up or down from the last.
  • Replay the example as often as you need before trying again.
  • Most tunes stay within a small range of white keys near the starting note.

Questions

How many attempts do I get in KeyByKey?

As many as you need. Your score is the number of attempts it took.

When does the tune change?

At midnight on your own device's clock: the game picks the day's tune from the local date.

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