You can program the keys on a computer keyboard to function as MIDI controllers. Your computer's keyboard becomes a "virtual keyboard," also called a "virtual piano" or "virtual controller."
Assign notes to keys on the computer keyboard as if it were a piano keyboard. For example, keys in one row might be designated as white keys, and selected keys in the row above as black keys. Pressing a key sends note data to a computer's on-board software synthesizer or external sound module.
You can also assign chords to keys on the keyboard. More sophisticated setups allow a rich array of harmony, as nearly all chords can be represented using alphanumeric characters.
Keys can trigger percussion sounds, such as a bass drum, cymbal or snare. You can arrange and edit your own drum tracks or select pre-composed drum patterns. Many MIDI products offer a wide range of drum styles.
Use your computer keyboard to compose simple melodies and drum beats. With a virtual keyboard and a MIDI sequencer, you can record and arrange multi-track music with multiple instruments, drum patterns and sound effects.