Piano Fundamentals: The Ultimate Beginner's Course

Explore how scales serve as the building blocks of music, learn the eight-note structure, and compare major and minor scales with practical examples and simple songs.

Apply the major-scale formula—whole step, whole step, half step, whole step, whole step, whole step, half step—to build the C major scale from middle C, C–D–E–F–G–A–B–C.

Learn the c major scale with right and left hand finger numbers, playing one note at a time. Memorize the fingering and maintain a one-octave gap for future metronome practice.

Practice the C major scale with a metronome, mastering counting 1 and 2 and 3 and 4, and progress from right-hand and left-hand drills to tempo progression 50–70 bpm.

Play happy birthday in the C major scale with the right hand, reading the notes and finger numbers on screen one by one.

Learn to play twinkle twinkle little star in C major using finger numbers, focusing on melody notes and slow, deliberate practice.

learn the g major scale using the major scale formula, from g to g with f sharp, and note the rule against repeating alphabets; next lesson covers finger numbers.

Learn the G major scale finger numbers, using the same fingering as C major; practice right and left hands separately, then together with slow memorization and a metronome.

Learn to play happy birthday in G major by following finger numbers and note names, transferring from C major to G major, and memorize the finger numbers for scales.

Master the D major scale by applying the whole-step, whole-step, half-step pattern from D to D, learning notes D, E, F#, G, A, B, C#, D to build piano basics.

Learn the D major scale finger numbers for the right hand, 1-2-3-1-2-3-4-5. Left hand uses the same fingering as C major and G major; practice with the metronome.

Practice the D major scale and play Mary had a little lamb using those notes. Follow the finger numbers from D to F sharp and E, then repeat phrases.

Master the a major scale using whole and half steps with sharps (A, B, C sharp, D, E, F sharp, G sharp, A) and identify white-note scales that use sharps.

Learn the A major scale finger numbers for the right and left hands. Practice the 1–2–3–4–5 right-hand pattern and the descending left-hand pattern slowly when combining.

Learn to play jingle bells in the A major scale using guided finger numbers, maintaining hand position and fingering to simplify the melody.

Explore the E major scale, built with sharps using whole and half steps, showing notes E, F#, G#, A, B, C#, D#, E, and previewing finger numbers.

Learn the e major scale with four sharps, practice right and left hand fingerings, and combine hands to hear the scale, preparing for a song in this key.

Learn to play 'If you're happy and you know it' in E major by following finger numbers and notes, building fluency through careful, step-by-step practice.

Master the B major scale, which has five sharps. Practice the whole- and half-step pattern from B and memorize the sharps C#, D#, F#, G#, A#.

Master the B major scale with right-hand finger numbers 1-2-3-1-2-3-4-5 and a left-hand pattern starting from the fourth finger, then memorize each hand before playing together.

Practice 'If you're happy and you know it' in the b major scale with fingerings. Follow the sequence from f sharp to b, c sharp, d sharp, e, g sharp.

Master the F major scale with one flat, tracing whole and half steps from F to F and noting B flat, while linking to G major and upcoming finger numbers.

Learn the F major scale fingering for both hands, with the right hand using 1-2-3-4 and the left hand 5-4-3-2-1, then practice with a metronome.

Play Old MacDonald had a farm in the F major scale with B flat, using finger numbers and note patterns to practice F, C, D, A, G, and repeat sequences.

Master the B-flat major scale on the piano by starting on a black key, applying the whole-step and half-step formula, with B-flat and E-flat.

Master the B-flat major scale fingerings for both hands, with right hand starting on the second finger and left hand on the third; practice slowly and combine for fluency.

Practice happy birthday to you in the Bb major scale with the right hand, follow fingerings, and maintain a slow, steady tempo to master hand position.

Construct the E-flat major scale using whole and half steps, yielding E-flat, F, G, A-flat, B-flat, C, D, E-flat, and memorize the black-note flats B-flat and E-flat.

Learn the E-flat major scale finger numbers for both hands, starting the right hand on a black key with finger two and the left on the third finger.

Practice jingle bells in the e-flat major scale with the given fingerings and notes, memorize the finger numbers, and build fluency before the next scale.

Learn the A-flat major scale starting on A-flat, with notes A-flat, B-flat, C, D-flat, E-flat, F, G, A-flat, and memorize that E-flat major has four flats.

Master a-flat major scale finger numbers for the right and left hands, memorize note names, and practice scales to develop coordination for playing songs on this scale.

Play jingle bells in a-flat major, with four flats, to show the same melody across scales, shifting an octave for brightness while keeping the finger numbers constant as notes change.

Explore the D-flat major scale and its enharmonic relation to C-sharp major, learning how the same notes are written differently using whole steps and half steps.

Explore the D-flat major scale and its harmonic C-sharp major scale, and learn the right hand and left hand finger numbers.

Master piano fundamentals by learning jingle bells in the d flat major scale, keeping the same finger numbers as you move to c-sharp major, then practice line by line.

Learn the g flat major scale and its enharmonic f sharp major form; memorize the six flats and scale steps.

Learn the G flat major and F sharp major scales, understand the finger numbers for the right and left hands, and memorize note names to complete the scale.

Learn to play Jingle Bells in G-flat major using the same finger numbers while notes change, and discover engaging scale practice ideas to keep you fluent.

Master legato and staccato scales with progressive hand coordination, including one-hand versus other-hand patterns, to keep scale practice engaging and build both major and minor skills.

Learn how major scales have relative minors using the same notes. Start a minor three half steps down from the major, illustrated by C major and A minor.

Apply the whole step, half step formula to build the a minor scale starting on A, and practice with a metronome using the same fingering as the C major scale.

Explore the e minor scale as the relative minor of g major, with f sharp as the key signature and practice right and left hand fingerings with a metronome.

Learn the relative minor of D major, B minor, with its two sharps (F# and C#), and step-by-step practice to master the B minor scale.

Learn the relative minor of a major scale by forming f sharp minor with three sharps, using the whole-step and half-step pattern, practice right- and left-hand fingerings, then combine.

Explore the relative minor of E major, C# minor, with its four sharps key signature, and practice the C# minor scale using simple right- and left-hand fingerings.

Discover the relative minor of B major as G-sharp minor, featuring five sharps and a stepwise formula (whole and half steps) with guided right- and left-hand finger patterns.

Explore the relative minor of F major, D minor, and learn the one flat key signature B flat, with hands-on scale practice, fingerings, and metronome-assisted drills.

Identify the relative minor of Bb major as G minor and its two-flat key signature. Practice the G minor scale from G to G with finger patterns in both hands.

Learn the relative minor of E flat major, C minor, by memorizing the three-flat key signature and practicing the right-hand fingering and left-hand pattern slowly.

Discover the relative minor of A-flat major as F minor, with four flats in the key signature, memorize the note names, and practice the F to F scale with fingerings.

Explore the relative minor of d-flat major, b-flat minor, with a five-flat key signature. Learn the b-flat minor scale notes and beginner fingerings for right and left hands, then combine.

Discover the relative minor of Gb major, Eb minor, and its six-flats key signature, then learn the Eb minor scale with note names and fingerings in right and left hands.

Explore natural, harmonic, and melodic minor scales, learning how raising the seventh creates harmonic minor, and raising sixth and seventh ascending for melodic minor while descending uses natural minor.

Learn to build major triad chords on the piano using the first, third, and fifth notes of the major scale, or use four half steps then three half steps.

Learn the C major triad in root position, first inversion, and second inversion, with right and left hand fingerings and practice tips to memorize finger patterns.

Master the G major triad chord across both hands, practicing root position (1-3-5) and the first and second inversions with correct fingerings.

Learn the D major triad in root and inverted positions with correct fingerings for both hands, and memorize C major, G major, and D major fingering patterns.

Master the A major triad by playing root position and inversions with fingerings (right: 1-3-5; left: 5-3-1) and practice block chords and arpeggios to build muscle memory.

Master the E major triad in root, first inversion, and second inversion using scale-based and half-step methods, with right-hand fingerings 1-3-5 and left-hand 5-3-1.

Master the B major chord through root position and first and second inversions, using B, D sharp, and F sharp, with right and left hand fingerings and practice tips.

Master the F-sharp major triad by identifying root position and first and second inversions, using the 1–3–5 finger pattern and left-hand 5–3–1, with half-step formulas.

Learn the F major triad by building root position F-A-C and its first inversion C-F-A and second inversion A-C-F, using the 5-3-1 fingering, and memorize chords to play songs.

Learn to accompany the simple tune 'Brother John' using a single C major chord, reading chord charts and playing the chord on sung syllables with both hands.

Play Brother John with the G major chord, continuing from the C major version. Learn to read a chord chart easily once you memorize the chord.

Play brother john in D major using the D major chord, follow the chord chart to align notes with lyrics, and memorize the chords for quick, easy practice.

In this lesson, practice the song 'Brother John' in a major scale using the A major chord, memorize the chord shapes across both hands, and reinforce a simple, single-chord approach.

Explore major triad chords such as C-sharp major, E-flat major, and G-sharp major, using first, third, and fifth scale notes or four-and-three half-step patterns.

Learn to form minor triads with a three then four half-step pattern from the root. Build C minor (C, E flat, G) and study the C minor scale.

Learn to use the sustain pedal and the overlapping pedal technique to sustain chords and make transitions (C major to D major to E minor) sound connected and clash-free.

Master jingle bells using a chord chart, combining major and minor chords with rhythm and overlapping pedal, while practicing left-hand and right-hand patterns and chord transitions.

Play brother john in C major by combining right-hand melody with left-hand chords, using one chord and consistent finger numbers to create accompaniment, while practicing slowly before speeding up.

Learn to play cups by Anna Kendrick with singing and chords, using chord charts, rhythm, and pedal technique, featuring C major, F major, E minor, G major, and D minor.

Practice a two-chord hand independence exercise to master smooth C major to G7 transitions, using specific fingerings, sustained counts, and gradual metronome tempo from 50 to 170 bpm.

Practice the two-chord hand independence exercise with C major and G7 to smooth chord transitions, using pedal, metronome at 60–80 bpm, and held chords in both hands.

Learn to form four-note major seventh chords by adding the seventh note of the major scale to a major triad, with examples like C major seven and F major seven.

Learn seventh chords by turning major seventh chords into seventh chords, as shown with C major seven becoming C7 after lowering the seventh a half step.

Learn how to form minor seven chords by adding the seventh note of the minor scale to the minor triad, using C minor seven and E minor seven as examples.

Learn the difference between a broken chord and an arpeggio, how each pattern uses chord tones, and practice fingerings for right and left hands to apply these patterns in songs.

Learn Hallelujah with a practical chord pattern using G major, E minor, C major, D major, and B7; coordinate right-hand chords with left-hand arpeggios, and practice slow chord transitions.

Listen to can't help falling in love, find its notes by ear, and determine the scale and chords, using ear training, scales, and chord charts taught in this section.

Use the circle of fifths to determine a song's scale by identifying sharps or flats and key signatures, then decide major or minor from the last note.

See how accidentals let composers move beyond the key signature; using F sharp, C sharp, and D sharp, determine when a sharp is an accidental outside the D major scale.

Identify the chord family of the D major scale via the circle of fifths, listing G major, D major, E minor, B minor, F-sharp minor, and C-sharp diminished.

Create the chord chart for can't help falling in love by pairing each note with chords from the chord family, then practice coordinating the right-hand melody with left-hand chords.

Master an arpeggio-based chord pattern for Can't Help Falling in Love, starting with D major, practice left hand slowly, use pedal, and gradually add right hand while keeping melody audible.

Begin by exploring new songs, including Christmas carols, first practicing the right hand then the left hand, and finally combining both to build piano fundamentals.

Master the right-hand part of deck the halls in this beginner piano fundamentals course, building basic technique for performing the piece.

Master the left hand for deck the halls by alternating f major and c major chords in inversions, adding d minor and b-flat, while aligning with the right-hand melody.

Join this full play-along of deck the halls to practice piano with the instructor. Play along at a slow tempo, build confidence, and prepare for the next carol.

Practice the right hand for Away in a Manger within this piano fundamentals course for beginners.

Master the away in a manger left-hand part with finger positions, practice with the right hand, and await the full song in the next lesson.

Master a full piano rendition of away in a manger within piano fundamentals for beginners, combining practical technique with engaging song practice.

Learn the right hand melody of Joy to the World in C major using all white keys, with specific fingerings and timing patterns, before adding the left hand.

Develop the left-hand accompaniment to the right-hand melody in joy to the world by practicing C and G together, building finger coordination in this piano fundamentals beginner course.

Learn to play Joy to the World as a full song with both hands together, following along and playing with the instructor as we move to the fourth carol.

Master right-hand piano technique by practicing the melody of 'we wish you a merry christmas' in this beginner-friendly module of piano fundamentals.

Learn left-hand accompaniment and hand position for we wish you a merry Christmas, with specific fingerings: 5th on lower g, 2nd on c, 4th on e, 1st on d.

Learn to play the full 'we wish you a merry Christmas' using beginner piano fundamentals, practicing core techniques and practical tips for a complete holiday performance.

Practice the right-hand melody of Carol of the bells in G minor, with B-flat and E-flat, using precise fingering and repeated patterns. Add the left-hand accompaniment in the next lesson.

Master the left-hand accompaniment for carol of the bells by starting on g with the thumb, then f, e flat, d, while the left hand stays constant.

Play along with the instructor as you learn the full Carol of the Bells and prepare to move on to the next carol.

Learn the right hand part of Hark the herald angels sing within piano fundamentals for beginners. Focus on the right hand melody for a clear, approachable entry to piano playing.

Learn to add the left hand to hark the herald angels sing, coordinating finger positions and notes like f, c, b flat, g, e, and c with the right hand.

Practice the full carol hark the herald angels sing on piano fundamentals, starting slow and increasing tempo as you gain confidence, with a preview of a new song.

Learn the right-hand melody for Santa Claus is coming to town, with specific fingerings and staccato playing; the lesson ends with plans to add left hand in the next session.

Learn how to add left-hand accompaniment to the Santa Claus is Coming to Town melody, using CG left-hand positions, finger numbers, and two-note chords.

Play along as the instructor performs the full Santa Claus Is Coming to Town and invites you to join in, then move on to the next lesson.

Practice the right-hand melody of Silent Night in B flat major, using two flats and precise fingerings, with plans to add left-hand accompaniment in the next lesson.

Master the silent night left-hand pattern by coordinating with the right hand, using precise fingering (thumb on f, fifth finger on b flat) and practicing hands separately before combining.

Practice the full Silent Night carol from a very slow tempo alongside the instructor, then move on to the next carol.

Learn the God rest ye merry gentlemen right-hand part in D minor, using fingering 1–5 and notes with B flat and A flat, then prepare to add the left hand.

master the left-hand technique for god rest ye merry gentlemen, establish hand position, memorize finger numbers, and coordinate with the right hand.

Master the full song 'God rest ye merry' within piano fundamentals for beginners, building technique, rhythm, and musical expression. Progress from the basics to a confident performance through structured practice.

Master the right-hand melody of the first Noel in G major, with one sharp (F sharp) and step-by-step fingerings (3 on B, 2 on A, 1 on G) and repetition.

Master the left-hand finger positions and patterns for the first Noel, following finger numbers and 1-2-3 counts while coordinating with the right hand. Practice the repeating sequences described.

Practice the first Noel full song with this lesson and play along; though it's a little tricky, it sounds beautiful, and a new carol awaits in the next lesson.

Learn the right-hand part of we three kings in C major, using all white keys and finger patterns to memorize the melody. The next lesson adds the left hand.

Master left-hand fingering and note patterns for we three kings, starting from middle c and a, using thumb, pinky, and other fingers.

Play along with the instructor to perform We three kings, building speed and accuracy in this beginner piano fundamentals course. In the next lesson, you’ll learn a new carol.

Play the right-hand melody for ding dong merrily on high in C major, using all white keys and a finger sequence that alternates 4-5-4-3-2-1, ending on C.

Master the left-hand pattern for ding dong merrily on high using fingerings and notes, then gradually combine with the right hand for a slow practice.

Practice ding dong merrily on high with me, and look forward to a very sweet carol in the next lesson.

Master the right-hand melody of jingle bells in g major, using d, b, a, g, d with guided fingerings, and prepare for the left-hand part in the next lesson.

Learn the left-hand jingle bells pattern in piano fundamentals, applying precise fingerings, holding notes, and coordinating with the right hand to play the full carol.

Learn to play the full Jingle Bells carol at your own pace, practice at varying speeds, and build confidence to finish the song.