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Hansy / Guides / Turn a song into a piano cover

How to turn a song into a piano cover

A piano cover keeps the song's own notes and plays them on piano. Hansy gets the notes out of the recording, so you don't have to work them out by ear.

1. Add the song

Open RosenBridge and add the song file. It stays on its own track as your reference.

2. Turn it into MIDI

Convert the song: each instrument becomes its own MIDI track with the song's notes, in about a minute of GPU time (free account needed).

3. Put every part on piano

Pick Piano and press Play every part on Piano. The original is muted so you hear the piano version; switch between them to compare.

Try it on your song: RosenBridge opens with the piano steps ready.

4. Make it sound like one pianist

A real piano cover leaves things out.

  • Mute the drums. A piano can't play them, and the song still moves without them.
  • Keep melody, chords and bass. Mute any part that doubles another or clutters the middle.
  • Soften it. Humanize and Random velocity make the notes less mechanical.
  • Change the key. Pick a key in the MIDI editor and every part moves there, if the original is awkward to play or sing.

5. Download it

Download the MIDI, every part in one file. Open it in any piano app, or import it into a notation app to get sheet music.

Does it make sheet music?

Not directly: you get MIDI. Notation apps that import MIDI (MuseScore, for example) turn it into a score you can print.

Can I play it in a different key?

Yes. Picking a key in the MIDI editor detects the song's key and moves every part into the new one.

Will it sound like a real pianist?

It plays the song's own notes on a sampled grand piano. Leaving parts out and softening the velocities makes it sound far more like one person playing.

Which songs work best?

Songs with clear chords and a clear melody. Very dense or distorted mixes give messier notes you'll want to tidy.

Common problems

  • It sounds busy. Too many parts on piano at once. Mute the drums and any doubled parts.
  • The bass is muddy. Move the bass part up an octave (+12), or lower its volume.
  • Some notes are wrong. Fix them in the MIDI editor; Smart View shows only the notes in the song's key.