Introduction to the Keyboard

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Instructor

Jonny May

Course Type

Course

Skill Level

Beginner

Duration

04:41:13

If you’ve never played the piano before, this is where your journey begins. Intro to the Keyboard assumes no prior knowledge. You’ll learn the keyboard layout, every note name, and simple tricks for finding any note quickly. You’ll even play your first groove before the first lesson is over.

Next, you’ll build healthy habits from day one. You’ll learn what the piano pedals do, your finger numbers, good posture and proper technique, plus five warm-ups and stretches that help your hands feel great every time you sit down to play. Then you’ll learn the C position, a simple 5-note hand position that unlocks hundreds of beginner tunes, along with the most common note values you’ll see in beginner sheet music.

From there, every lesson pairs essential finger exercises with a fun tune in a different style. You’ll play Ode to Joy as a swing tune, Mary Had a Little Lamb in a Latin style, original tunes in jazz ballad and pop styles, and Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star as a blues. You’ll also learn a 3-chord stack position you can use to jam over almost any song. The course finishes with a practical guide to structuring your practice time, so you know how long to practice, what to focus on and when you’re ready for the next course. Downloadable sheet music and backing tracks are included.

Course Objectives

Navigate the keyboard confidently and find any note by name
Develop good posture, proper technique and a healthy warm-up routine
Play in the C position and read the most common note values in beginner music
Build finger control through exercises in stepwise motion, 3-note groupings, chord outlines, 3rds and pivoting off a low note
Play familiar tunes in swing, Latin, jazz ballad, pop and blues styles, and structure your practice for steady progress

Learning Focus

Exercises
Groove
Reading

Featured Reviews

View PWJ member reviews of this course!

Jorge Porras verified

Solid Foundation and Useful Tips for Daily Practice

I really appreciated how the introductory course was structured. The warm-up exercises, the three fundamental chords, the practice exercises, and the groove techniques applied to the songs were all well organized. The methodology made it easy to understand and incorporate into daily practice sessions.

Steven Kaiser verified

Old Dog, New Tricks!

Upon completing the first Core Unit of Section 1 of the Mid-Beginner Foundations Course Level 2, I decided it might be worthwhile to go all the way back to the beginning since I am primarily self-taught. I wanted to make sure that my piano journey would not be built on a faulty foundation. Most of the material was review. However, I still managed to learn a number of important skills that I believe will improve my piano journey all the way to the top! If you want to be sure that your technique is solid from the beginning, this is the course for you!

Roman Tolus verified

Sometimes a bit challenging but alway fun

Just the right amount of challenge, each week I a little progress and I am and happy when I reach the goal of the lesson in a manageable period of time. Very enjoyable for me not to play only scales but also some simple songs and basic rhythms.

Svein Ole Solberg verified

Challing

Small nice exercises

Marco Ulloa verified

Excellent approach learning the keyboard

Wow! Just the introduction to the keyboard and we are already playing Twinkle Twinkle in a very expressive way . Thanks!

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