Synthesia, formerly known as Piano Hero, is a piano trainer that uses rhythm game–like mechanics
to promote learning the piano keyboard without the prerequisite of learning traditional sheet music.
Users may connect MIDI keyboards for an authentic piano experience or use their computer’s keyboard for ease of access.
It began as an open-source project called Piano Hero by Nicholas Piegdon, hosted on SourceForge and supported by
community donations. After receiving a cease and desist from video game publisher Activation, which argued that
the name Piano Hero was too similar to Guitar Hero, a change was required. As a result, Piegdon hosted a contest
to rename the project, and the community ultimately selected the name Synthesia.
