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!

Glen Clark verified

Brat srart

Love the concept of any song in any style

Luis Marrufo verified

Great information

Great information on technique and chords!

Ken McEvoy verified

Intro to the Keyboard - review

I wish I had had this course when I first started (70 years ago). It puts the emphasis on the most important aspects; have fun, be consistent in your practice, don't be too hard on yourself.

Enrique Sancho verified

Very clear, fun and well-organized

I’ve been playing the piano since I was a child, and now I’m 65. Baroque, classical, rock, pop, jazz, and fusion—I love all kinds of music. But I wanted to start over from scratch just for fun, to be able to play pieces without difficulty, to progress steadily and step by step, and to revisit all the concepts in a different way than how I learned them at the conservatory as a child and teenager. Since the lessons come very easily to me, I’m playing with great fluency and musicality—which is exactly what I want to develop. I’m really enjoying and having a lot of fun with this course—it’s serious yet enjoyable and lighthearted, building itself up layer by layer, building on everything I’ve learned previously.

Patrick King verified

Johnny’s First Course

I got a lot of knowledge out of this first course. I actually learned to play two songs by memory, something I had not been able to do previously. I also improved my note recognition especially in the left hand which I had some trouble with. The finger exercises too are a great help for speed and coordination.

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