Create Sounds With a Laptop Keyboard

A laptop computer is a powerful tool for both business and creative pursuits. If you're a musician, you know that inspiration can strike at any time, making it extremely beneficial to have access to a way to make sounds and flesh your ideas out even if the only "instrument" at hand is your laptop keyboard. Use the online Virtual Keyboard website to generate sounds and music with your laptop keyboard from any location, and with any Web-enabled computer.

Browse to the Virtual Keyboard website (see Resources). Click in the window to start the applet once it's loaded.

Use the home row (beginning with the A, S, D and F) keys on the laptop keyboard to play the notes on the virtual piano's white keys, and the top row of keyboard keys to play the notes on the virtual piano's black keys.

Click the red buttons near the top of the window to change instruments.

Click one of the "Drum Beat" buttons to play a prerecorded drum beat.

Click the "Chord Mode" button to construct a chord. Click the keys that you'd like to be included in the chord; the selected keys will darken. Click the "Play Chord" button to start the chord. Hit or click any key to stop the chord.