Play a phrase with your hands

Step 1: Find C

Open FirstTrack.
Choose Add, then FL Keys.
Right-click the Pattern selector at the top and choose Find next empty.
Name the new pattern Melody.
On a keyboard, find C: the white key immediately left of a group of two black keys.
Play C–D–E–F–G slowly, right thumb through little finger.

Listen for: five notes, each one a step higher than the last.

No MIDI keyboard yet?

A MIDI keyboard is recommended for your goal. Until you have one, hum into a phone voice memo and use the Piano Roll to find the notes. Octave numbers can differ between FL and a teacher’s keyboard; follow the black-key groups.

Your first piano lesson

Watch it done · Pianote · Lisa Witt · 00:30–05:41

Watch on YouTube (new tab)

Step 2: Invent an answer

Play any three notes from C–D–E–F–G.
Hum them back.
Leave a pause, then sing a different answer.
Spend about ten minutes finding an answer you want to repeat.

Familiar notes are enough; the rhythm and contour are your decisions.

Listen for: three notes, a pause, then an answer that isn’t the same.

G

F

E

D

C

Fig. 2. Five keys, C to G, across eight beats. Three notes, a pause, then a different three-note answer.

Now in FL Studio: play your own three notes from C–D–E–F–G, hum them back, then sing a different answer. Step 3 records it into FL Keys.

Step 3: Capture it

Listen for: FL Keys sounding each note as you play it.

No notes appearing?

Check the selected instrument and the Notes recording filter. MIDI records note instructions, not microphone sound. In FL 2026 a new-controller notice may offer Enable; the Options, then MIDI settings route still works. Without a controller, keep the hummed memo and enter its notes next lesson.

Let's record MIDI

Watch it done · FL Studio · Synthet · 00:27–03:30

Watch on YouTube (new tab)

Step 4: Save and check

Save FirstTrack (Ctrl+S (Mac: Cmd+S)).
Check that your recorded notes play back.
No keyboard? Keep the voice memo beside this project; the next lesson captures its pitches.

Listen for: your own phrase, played back by FL Keys.

Step 1: Find C

Step 2: Invent an answer

Step 3: Capture it

Step 4: Save and check

Finish