Introduction to the Keyboard

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.

Featured Reviews

View PWJ member reviews of this course!

Douglas Weiss   verified

Excellent Foundation

I really like Jonny's overall positive attitude and his constant reminder to experiment once a concept in introduced. The idea of thinking in various styles I consider a very sophisticated thought to tell even those new to piano. I am reviewing all courses up to my Level 5 and correcting weakness while I confirm my foundations.

Tracey Burnette   verified

The fundamentals made enjoyable

I decided to return to basics, so unlearning bad habits and installing good ones is challenging; however, following the recommended path by the PWJ team has made a difficult job not only possible but enjoyable. Extremely well structured, easy to follow and top-class tuition. As the opening course, it promises a great year of learning piano to a reasonable level.

salvatore dina   verified

good help in putting theory in practice

led me trough some improvement. A little of a beneficial stepback that highlighted some bad habits, like posture and hand/finger position

John Falconer   verified

Basics plus improv!

I never really considered stretching out my hands before practicing, but it's a really good idea! I bought some balls to help with strengthening my fingers and will do the stretching exercises so I can reach the 10th interval/chords more easily. Really great review of the basics for me and I always enjoy the way Jonny encourages us to find a groove and improvise with the melodies in the lessons. This is something that I never learned to do before and I am trying to work on getting more comfortable with creating a variation/style that works with the backing track. Learning how to work with lead sheets is another valuable aspect of this lesson. I'm looking forward to getting better at basic improvisation!

Nina Rogers   verified

Excellent intro to the keyboard

I’m not a beginner, but I learn so much from every course at PWJ. I took this course to fill any holes I might have in my learning. I particularly appreciated the section on warm-up exercises, as well as his explanation of comping, which was a new concept to me before joining PWJ. I have recommended PWJ to several friends who are beginners, and now I know they will be in good hands from the very start of their piano journey.

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