Guide.
Everything you need to know about playing the Web Harmonium. Keyboard mappings, controls, Indian classical notation, and practice tips.
Keyboard Mapping.
Your computer keyboard maps to harmonium notes across three octave regions. White keys are on the letter/symbol row, black keys (sharps) are on the number row.
Lower Octave
Main Octave (Sa to Ni)
Upper Octave
Tip: The E key is Sa (the root note). This is your starting point. Practice Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Dha Ni Sa using keys E R T Y U I O P.
Controls Reference.
All controls are located below the keyboard. Settings are automatically saved to your browser.
Controls the master output volume. Use the slider to adjust. Your setting is saved automatically.
Toggles convolution reverb effect using a real room impulse response. Adds natural space and depth to the sound.
Shifts the entire keyboard up or down by octaves. Default is 3 (middle). Lower values produce deeper tones, higher values produce brighter tones.
Shifts the pitch by individual semitones. Useful for matching a vocalist's key or tuning to a specific shruti. Each step is one semitone (half step).
Stacks additional octaves on top of each note you play, simulating a multi-reed harmonium. Higher values create a richer, fuller sound.
Automatically detects connected MIDI keyboards. Supports note on/off (velocity 144/128) and control change messages.
Indian Classical Notation.
Indian classical music uses the Sargam system (Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Dha Ni) instead of Western notation (C D E F G A B). The seven swarams form the foundation of all ragas.
Octave Notation
MIDI Setup.
Connect a MIDI keyboard for the most natural playing experience.
1. Connect your MIDI device
Plug your MIDI keyboard into a USB port. If using Bluetooth MIDI, pair it in your system settings first.
2. Open the harmonium
Navigate to the Play page and click "Initialize Audio". The app will automatically detect connected MIDI devices.
3. Start playing
Your MIDI keyboard notes will be mapped directly. The MIDI status panel shows the detected device name. Note on (144), note off (128), and control change (176) messages are supported.
Note: MIDI access requires a Chromium-based browser (Chrome, Edge, Brave) or Firefox. Safari has limited MIDI support. Your browser may ask for permission to access MIDI devices.
Practice Tips.
Tips for getting the most out of the Web Harmonium.
Start with the main octave (E to O keys) to get comfortable with Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Dha Ni.
The E key is Sa (root note) - this is your anchor. Always return to Sa while practicing.
Try playing ascending (Arohanam) and descending (Avarohanam) patterns to learn ragas.
Use the transpose control to match a vocalist's pitch. Each semitone shifts all notes equally.
Enable reverb for a more natural, room-like sound quality during practice.
Add 1-2 reeds for a richer sound. Higher reed counts work well for drone-like playing.
Connect a MIDI keyboard for a more natural playing experience with velocity sensitivity.
Your settings (volume, octave, transpose, reverb, reeds) are saved automatically in your browser.