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!

David Elliot   verified

Great course as a starting place and tricky in parts

Jonny is very positive and encouraging all through which gives me the confidence I need to keep going. I’m sure that the content is giving me skills that I may not appreciate now but will do so later. So, I’m going along for the ride and trusting that the course will allow me to improve . One thing I struggled with a bit was developing hand independence (eg with the ‘William Jonathan’ song, so that was a little frustrating but good, in the end, to get over that hurdle.

Adam Stranburg   verified

Fun and Challenging

I know a little bit about music theory, but I’ve never played the piano. I found this course really worthwhile because it gave me the confidence to keep going. It’s enjoyable and challenging in the best way. Jonny explains everything thoroughly and in a way a total beginner can understand. I’ve tried other online piano courses before, but the fundamentals always felt confusing and hard to follow. This course finally made things click. Now it’s up to me to practice consistently and keep improving. Great course!

Darlene Delhomeau   verified

Detailed easy to follow lessons that encourage student learning,

I like the way lessons are planned: piano exercises followed by a song. Jonny is an excellent teacher. He assumes the student knows nothing so his lessons are very detailed, doesn't miss teaching anything. I appreciate this very much.

Stephanie Byrd   verified

I definitely was challenged, but now I’m getting it!

I was super hard charging the first few days, but then I became tired and couldn’t focus. The William Johnathan song was my larges hurdle. Took me four days to get my mind to work both hands to a real song. I’m pleased now. This course is valuable!

Sueci Carmichael   verified

For students and teachers!

Being a teacher myself, I'm always looking for new ideas. You have some that I plan on using with my own students. I love how you had students play in the air or tapping on a flat surface before they play. The games - pick a note, play it, and name it! Technique on the fingers with no Karate chops and use your Kitty Paws! I also liked how the finger exercises related to simple songs that the beginning student can play. Teaching the stock chords with cool backing tracks were also a lot of fun. Great course for beginners and teachers alike!

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