You found a piano PDF online, or a teacher handed you one, and now you want to change the key, fix a few notes, or pull out one hand to practice. Instead of re-entering every note by hand, you can import the PDF into Flat and turn it into a score you can edit. This guide covers how to import a piano PDF, what to check afterward, and how to export the finished score.
Importing your piano PDF into Flat
Importing takes about a minute, on the web or from your phone.
- In your Flat score library, click New score, then choose Import PDF.
- Upload your piano PDF from your computer. On the iOS or Android app you can instead photograph the page, and the in-app scanner finds it, crops it, and cleans up the image.
- Flat reads the staves, notes, rhythms, and markings, multi-page scores included, and opens the result as an editable score.
- Press play to hear it, then start editing.
On import, the notes, rhythms, chord symbols, tempo marks, lyrics, and the two-staff layout usually come across. Faint or complex passages are the most likely to need a correction, so read through the score before you rely on it. Flat's guide to scanning and importing sheet music lists what it reads.
PDF import works on every Flat account and runs on page credits, so you pay only for the pages you import. One-time packs are 30 pages for $9.99, 70 pages for $17.99, and 300 pages for $49.99.
Refining your imported piano score
Flat reads most of a piano score accurately. A few things are still worth a look, and a few are yours to add for practice.
- Voices and hands. Grand staves come in close to the original. If you want to edit or play the hands independently, split dense chords into separate voices.
💡 Working with voices. - Slurs and phrasing. Check that phrase slurs carried over, and add any phrasing you want to shape how the piece plays.
💡 Slur notes. - Ties across barlines. On a long note held over a barline, confirm the tie so the sound sustains instead of restarting.
💡 Tie two notes. - Dynamics and hairpins. Most dynamics come across. Add or fine-tune crescendos and diminuendos where you want more shape in playback.
💡 Crescendo and diminuendo. - Articulations. Confirm staccato and accents sit on the right notes, and adjust them to match how you play.
💡 Add or remove articulations. - Fingering. Fingering is usually something you add yourself. Drop finger numbers above the notes where you need them for practice.
💡 Fingerings.
Sharing and exporting your piano score
Once the piano score looks the way you want, share it with a private link so a teacher or duet partner can open it in the browser and edit alongside you in real time. When you want a copy on your computer, export to PDF for printing, MIDI to carry into a DAW, or MusicXML to move it to another notation program. A common workflow: import a piano arrangement, transpose it to a friendlier key, then export a clean PDF to print for the lesson. See the options on Flat's print and export page.
Getting the cleanest import
A few habits give you a cleaner score from the start. Use the original digital PDF rather than a page you printed and scanned again, since each extra scan adds noise. Keep the file upright and cropped to the music, with one piece per file. Clear, engraved notation reads far better than faint or handwritten pages, which Flat cannot read. The sharper the source, the less you fix afterward.
Why Flat for piano
Flat runs in your browser, so you can open an imported score on a laptop and keep editing on a tablet later, with nothing to install. Playback uses real instrument samples, so you can hear the arrangement as you work, even away from a keyboard. And because scores live online, a teacher or duet partner can edit the same piano part with you in real time.
Ready to turn your piano PDF into an editable score? Try Flat for free!
FAQ
Is PDF import free on Flat?
PDF import works on every Flat account and runs on page credits. You can buy one-time page packs (starting at $9.99 for 30 pages) or use the monthly page allowance included with a Flat Power subscription.
Which files can I import into Flat?
Flat converts PDF sheet music into an editable score. On the mobile apps you can also photograph a printed page and import that. Handwritten music is not supported.
How accurate is the PDF import, and will I need to fix things?
Flat reads most standard notation accurately, including chords, lyrics, and piano grand staves. A clean, sharp source gives the best results, and you should expect a few manual touch-ups afterward.
Can I import a PDF from my phone?
Yes. PDF import works on the web and on the iOS and Android apps. On mobile you can photograph a printed page and the in-app scanner crops and cleans it before importing.
Can I export the score after editing?
Yes. Once your piano score is ready, you can export it as PDF, MusicXML, MIDI, or audio, print it, or share it with collaborators.