System Requirements

Python

Pianove requires Python 3.10 or newer. Verify your version:

python --version

Python 3.11 or 3.12 is recommended for best performance. Python 3.9 and earlier are not supported.

Python Dependencies

All required packages are listed in requirements.txt. Install them with:

pip install -r requirements.txt

Package	Required	Purpose
`pygame-ce >= 2.4`	Yes	Rendering, event loop, font loading
`python-rtmidi`	Yes	MIDI device input
`pyfluidsynth`	Yes	Python binding for the FluidSynth synthesiser
`Pillow`	Optional	Emoji rendering via NotoColorEmoji; omit to disable emoji icons

FluidSynth (System Library)

pyfluidsynth is a Python binding — it wraps the native libfluidsynth library, which must be installed separately as a system package. The bundled soundfont is loaded automatically once FluidSynth is available.

Platform	Installation
Windows	Download `fluidsynth-*.zip` from the FluidSynth GitHub releases, extract the DLL files into the `bin/` folder next to `main.py`.
macOS	`brew install fluid-synth`
Debian / Ubuntu	`sudo apt install fluidsynth`
Arch Linux	`sudo pacman -S fluidsynth`

If FluidSynth is not installed, Pianove still starts and runs normally — audio playback is silently disabled. A notice is shown in the Settings tab.

MIDI Device (Optional)

Any USB MIDI keyboard is supported. Pianove detects connected devices automatically on startup and reconnects if one is plugged in while the app is running. A MIDI keyboard is not required to use lessons, navigation, or the song viewer — only the interactive exercise steps require one.

See MIDI Setup for calibration and device selection details.

Supported Platforms

Platform	Minimum Version	Notes
Windows	Windows 10	FluidSynth DLL must be placed in `bin/`
macOS	macOS 12 (Monterey)	Install FluidSynth via Homebrew
Linux	Any modern distro	Tested on Ubuntu 22.04+, Arch Linux