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New Released in April 2026
Piano or Guitar: Which Instrument Should You Learn?
Piano or guitar? Most people who want to learn to play an instrument end up choosing between the two. Both are excellent first instruments, and they share the same language: chords. Here is how to choose, and how to start whichever one you pick.
No account, no download. The demo has limited content. Advanced features are in ChordRunner Premium.
- MIDI keyboard
- Digital or acoustic piano
- Guitar
- Computer, phone or tablet
Piano or guitar: a quick comparison
- Piano: notes are laid out in a straight line, so theory is easy to see; no sore fingers.
- Guitar: portable and cheaper to start; the first weeks hurt the fingertips.
- Piano: two hands doing different things takes time.
- Guitar: strumming plus chord changes gives a full sound very early.
What they have in common
A C major chord is C, E and G on both. Once you know what a chord is and how it is built, switching instrument later is mostly about the hands, not about starting over.
Piano or Guitar: Which Instrument Should You Learn?
ChordRunner is a browser game that teaches piano and guitar chords: a chord appears on screen, you play it on a real instrument, and your runner jumps.
Play the demoLearning on your own
Self-taught learners need two things a teacher gives: feedback and a sequence. Feedback means knowing at once that a note was wrong. A sequence means doing easy things first and harder ones only when ready. A game can give both.
One game for both instruments
ChordRunner shows a chord and you play it: on a USB MIDI keyboard, on a piano near the microphone or on a guitar. The same levels, from major and minor chords to 13ths, work on either instrument, so you can start on one and add the other later.
The levels in ChordRunner
- Beginner: major, minor, augmented and diminished chords.
- Intermediate: adds sus2 and sus4.
- Advanced: adds 6th, 7th and 9th chords.
- Pro: adds 11th, 13th and altered chords; an adaptive mode adds the next family when you are ready.
Common questions
Is piano or guitar easier to learn from scratch?
Piano is easier to understand, guitar is quicker to sound full. Pick the one whose music you want to play; the chords you learn work on both.
Can I learn an instrument by myself?
Yes, with a clear sequence and feedback on every note. Short daily practice matters more than talent.
What is the easiest instrument to learn?
For most adults, piano or keyboard: the notes are in a straight line and nothing hurts. Guitar gives a full sound sooner. The easiest one is the one you will practise every day.
Am I too old to start?
No. Adults understand music quickly; the hands need repetition at any age.
Which instruments work?
A USB MIDI keyboard, detected automatically, or a piano or guitar through the microphone. Everything runs in Chrome or Edge on a computer, tablet or phone.
How is this different from apps where you tap the screen?
Tapping trains your eyes and fingers on glass. Here you press real keys or fret real strings, and the game hears the actual notes, so what you practise is exactly what you will play on your instrument.
Is everything in the demo?
The demo has limited content. Advanced features are in ChordRunner Premium.
Your instrument is the controller.
ChordRunner is a browser game that teaches piano and guitar chords: a chord appears on screen, you play it on a real instrument, and your runner jumps. MIDI keyboard or microphone, both work.
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