Free Browser-Based Indian Harmonium
Web Harmonium — Play Free Online
Play the two-octave instrument, follow six guided Bollywood and Coke Studio exercises, or try Game Mode. It runs in the browser with no download and supports touch controls.
Press ` to \ to play · MIDI auto-detected
Practice Songs — 3 Modes
Every song page opens with a built-in player. Choose ▶ Play to hear it, 🎯 Practice to follow the scrolling notation, or 🎮 Game to catch falling notes and chase a high score. Browse the full song library.
What is Web Harmonium?
A free browser-based practice instrument built around harmonium samples and a two-octave keyboard.
Web Harmonium is a free browser-based practice instrument with sargam labels and a harmonium sample. A physical harmonium uses hand-pumped bellows to move air through reeds; this tool instead uses the Web Audio API to play and pitch-shift its recorded sample. Open it in a supported browser and start playing. There is nothing to install.
Use it to find the notes of a song, run sargam drills with the labels on every key, or set Sa to your singing pitch before practice. The six song pages connect their notation directly to this keyboard.
How to Play Online
The interface responds to both keyboard input and touch gestures, so you can use it from a desktop, laptop, tablet, or phone.
Desktop: QWERTY
The QWERTY keyboard maps directly to instrument keys. The top row
(` through \) covers two full octaves from C3 to B4.
Number keys (1, 2, 4, 5, 7, 8, 9, -, =) play the black keys. Press multiple
keys simultaneously for chords.
Mobile: Touch
Tap the on-screen keys directly on your phone or tablet. In compatible mobile browsers, multi-touch lets you press multiple on-screen keys at the same time.
Scale: Set Sa
Use the Transpose control to set Sa to any key. Setting Sa to D means all notes shift up by 2 semitones from C. Use this to place Sa at a comfortable pitch without changing the visible note layout.
QWERTY Key Mapping
| Key | Note | Sargam |
|---|---|---|
| ` | C3 | Sa |
| 1 | C#3 | r (komal Re) |
| Q | D3 | Re |
| 2 | D#3 | g (komal Ga) |
| W | E3 | Ga |
| E | F3 | Ma |
| 4 | F#3 | Ṁ (tivra ma) |
| R | G3 | Pa |
| 5 | G#3 | d (komal Dha) |
| T | A3 | Dha |
| 7 | A#3 | n (komal Ni) |
| Y | B3 | Ni |
| U | C4 | Sa' |
| I, O, P, [, ], \ | D4 to B4 (white keys) | Re' to Ni' |
| 8, 9, -, = | C#4, D#4, F#4, G#4 | r', g', Ṁ', d' |
A#4 (upper komal Ni) has no QWERTY shortcut; play it with the mouse or touch. The keyboard layout tutorial lists every key individually.
Browser App — Free, No Download
The page generates all audio locally: it loads a recorded harmonium sample once, and the Web Audio API pitch-shifts it in your browser, so no note travels through a server. The only requirement is a browser that supports the Web Audio API. MIDI input additionally depends on the Web MIDI API, which not every browser provides; mouse, QWERTY, and touch input work regardless.
The interface is designed for Indian music practice, with sargam labels on every key, a control for setting Sa, and a harmonium sample rather than a piano sound.
Understanding the Sargam Labels
Indian classical music uses seven notes called sargam (Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Dha Ni), analogous to the Western Do Re Mi. Unlike Western fixed pitch, sargam notes are relative: "Sa" can be set to different pitches. The labels show the Indian note name assigned to each key.
Each note has shuddh (natural) and vikrit (altered) variants. Vikrit forms are either komal (flat: re, ga, dha, ni) or tivra (raised: Ṁ). Pa and Sa are always fixed. Understanding these labels makes it easier to read this site's swaralipi notation and follow its practice excerpts.
The Thaat System and Raga Practice
In the Bhatkhande classification, many Hindustani ragas are grouped under 10 parent scales called thaats. The 10 thaats are: Bilawal, Khamaj, Kafi, Asavari, Bhairavi, Bhairav, Kalyan (Yaman), Marwa, Poorvi, and Todi. This site currently provides introductory keyboard-orientation guides for Bilawal and Yaman.
Beginner Harmonium Tutorials
New to this instrument? Start with the keyboard layout, basic fingering, and notation guides.
Keyboard Layout
How QWERTY keys map to sargam notes
Finger Placement
Proper hand position and technique exercises
Read Swaralipi
Learn Indian notation to follow any tune
Explore Ragas
Beyond individual tunes, the keyboard can be used to explore Indian ragas and thaats. Each raga defines specific notes, patterns, and characteristic phrases:
Why Use a Browser Harmonium?
A browser instrument is useful when a physical harmonium is not nearby. Every key displays its sargam name, the Transpose control sets Sa, and the two-octave keyboard works with mouse, computer keyboard, or touch.
Daily Riyaz, Bhajan, and Kirtan Practice
For daily riyaz, the keyboard can provide a repeatable pitch reference for alankars, scale exercises, and vocal warmups. Open the browser, select Sa, and start the exercise.
For bhajan and kirtan practice, it can provide a portable reference when the main instrument is unavailable. Students can also keep a tutorial open in another tab while trying the notes.
Physical Instrument vs. Browser Practice Tool
This is a practice tool, not a replacement for the real thing. A physical harmonium offers bellows dynamics, acoustic reed response, and tactile feedback. The web version offers quick access in supported browsers, pitch transposition, and headphone practice. Use it for note orientation and pitch reference; use a physical instrument to work on bellows and touch. See our about page for implementation details.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Web Harmonium free to use?
Does Web Harmonium work on phones and tablets?
Can I connect a MIDI keyboard to Web Harmonium?
How do I change the key (transpose) on Web Harmonium?
Can this replace a physical harmonium?
Start Playing Now
Scroll up to the player, select your preferred scale, and try the ascending Sa-Re-Ga-Ma-Pa-Dha-Ni-Sa' scale. Then explore tunes for guided sargam notation, tutorials for structured learning, or ragas for music theory.
♫ Play Web Harmonium