The Adult Piano Method - Learn Piano from Scratch

Welcome to Lesson 1! Discover what you'll be learning and how to make the most of your piano lessons. Take your time, enjoy the process, and get ready to begin your musical journey.

Meet Middle C, one of the most important reference points on the piano. Learn how to locate it on your keyboard and use it as a starting point for finding other notes.

Discover the seven letters of the musical alphabet — A, B, C, D, E, F and G — and how they repeat across the piano keyboard.

Get comfortable at your piano or keyboard. Prepare to play with good positioning, relaxed hands and an approach that helps you develop confidence from the beginning.

Learn the finger-numbering system used in piano music. Understanding which finger is numbered 1 through 5 will make following exercises and learning new pieces much easier.

It's time to start playing! Explore your first three notes at the keyboard and practise moving between them carefully and confidently.

Discover why a steady beat is so important in music. Practise feeling and maintaining a regular pulse as you begin developing your sense of rhythm.

Learn how musical notes tell us how long to hold each sound. Explore the basics of note values and start applying them to your piano playing.

Music isn't just about the notes we play — silence matters too! Discover how rests work and how they help create rhythm and shape musical phrases.

Put your new skills into practice as you begin learning your first piano tune. Work through the music at your own pace, using the techniques introduced so far.

Now let's play together! Follow along at the piano as we practise your first tune, bringing together the notes and rhythm you've been learning.

Time to see what you can do! Use the skills you've developed in Lesson 1 to tackle your first musical challenge. Remember, accuracy and confidence matter more than speed.

Congratulations on completing Lesson 1! Take a moment to recognise your progress, revisit anything you'd like to practise, and get ready for the next stage of your piano journey.

Explore a familiar classical melody with Mozart's Theme. Take your time working through the music, applying the note-reading and rhythm skills you've developed. Use your workbook to follow the music and practise at a comfortable pace.

Discover the beautiful traditional French melody Au Clair de la Lune. This additional piece gives you another opportunity to practise reading notes, maintaining a steady beat and developing confidence at the keyboard.

Time for something a little different! Cool Cat gives you another enjoyable piece to explore at the piano. Work through the music at your own pace and put your developing keyboard skills into practice.

Welcome back! In Lesson 2, we'll build on everything you've learned so far, develop your keyboard confidence and begin exploring new skills with both hands.

Get to know how your hands work at the piano. Explore their positions and roles as you prepare to develop greater independence and coordination.

It's time to give your left hand some attention! Discover how to find your way around the lower part of the keyboard and develop confidence using your left hand.

Begin coordinating your hands while keeping a steady musical pulse. Take things slowly and focus on maintaining an even beat as you practise.

Meet the note F and learn to recognise and locate it at the piano. Build on your growing knowledge of the musical alphabet and keyboard geography.

Practise the notes C, D, E and F using both hands. Strengthen your note recognition and develop control as you move around the keyboard.

Put four notes to work in a practical two-handed exercise. Concentrate on relaxed movement, accurate notes and keeping a comfortable, steady tempo.

Add the note G to your growing collection of piano notes. Learn where to find it and practise recognising it as you extend your keyboard knowledge.

Bring five fingers together in a musical exercise designed to develop coordination, control and rhythmic confidence. Start slowly and build fluency through repetition.

Bring together the notes you've learned and develop a clearer picture of how they relate to the keyboard. Use this knowledge to find notes more confidently.

Explore the famous melody Ode to Joy by Beethoven. Put your note-reading and rhythmic skills into practice as you learn this recognisable piece.

Learn the familiar melody Frère Jacques. Practise reading the music, playing with a steady beat and developing fluency through repetition.

Return to Five Fingers, One Groove for additional practice. Reinforce your finger control, coordination and rhythmic accuracy before progressing to Lesson 3.

Welcome to Lesson 3! We'll build on your progress, develop your coordination and explore new musical ideas as you become more confident reading and playing piano music.

Strengthen your understanding of minims and practise recognising and playing different note values together. Focus on counting carefully and maintaining a steady beat.

Explore longer note values and musical silences. Learn how semibreves and rests fit into the rhythm of a piece and practise counting them accurately.

Develop your ability to use both hands at the piano. Work slowly through the exercises, concentrating on coordination, accuracy and relaxed movement.

Continue developing your two-handed playing with additional guided practice. Take your time and focus on bringing both hands together comfortably and confidently.

Discover the musical feel of three beats in a bar. Learn how to count 3/4 time and recognise the characteristic pulse used in many waltzes.

Put your understanding of 3/4 time into practice with your first waltz. Focus on counting three beats per bar and keeping the music flowing smoothly.

Put your rhythmic skills to the test! Practise reading, counting and performing different rhythms while keeping a steady pulse.

Discover quavers and how they divide the beat into smaller parts. Practise counting and playing these shorter note values accurately.

Learn how a dot changes the length of a note. Explore dotted crotchets and practise recognising their rhythmic value in music.

Bring together the rhythmic ideas you've learned so far. Practise combinations of different note values and rests, keeping your counting accurate and consistent.

Explore Morning Mood, the well-known melody by Edvard Grieg. Apply your developing note-reading and rhythmic skills as you work through the piece at your own pace.

Learn and practise the traditional melody Lightly Row. Concentrate on accurate notes, steady rhythm and developing a smooth, confident performance.

Explore the beautiful and familiar melody Amazing Grace. Put your note-reading, rhythm and keyboard skills into practice as you learn this timeless piece. Take your time and aim for a smooth, expressive performance.

Discover Minueting and continue developing your confidence playing in triple time. Focus on maintaining a steady pulse, reading the notes accurately and giving the music a graceful, flowing character.

Time for something with a little more character! Explore Blossom Blues and put your developing piano skills into practice with a blues-inspired piece. Enjoy the rhythm and have fun making music.

Learn the traditional tune When Johnny Comes Marching Home. Concentrate on keeping a strong, steady beat and playing the melody with confidence as you develop your musical fluency.

Welcome to Lesson 4! It's time to build on your piano skills and develop greater confidence moving around the keyboard. Follow along at your own pace and get ready for some new musical challenges.

Explore Trade Winds and put your developing piano skills into practice. Focus on reading the music carefully, maintaining a steady rhythm and playing with a smooth, confident touch.

Discover broken chords and how the notes of a chord can be played separately rather than together. Practise the patterns slowly and develop control and coordination at the keyboard.

Build on your understanding of chords with Chasing Chords. Practise recognising patterns, moving confidently between notes and maintaining a steady musical pulse.

Bring together the skills from Lesson 4 with Move It! Practise your coordination, rhythm and keyboard movement, taking time to develop accuracy before increasing your speed.

Welcome to Lesson 5! Discover how to bring more musical character and expression to your piano playing. We'll start exploring how the way you play notes can make a real difference to the music.

Welcome to Lesson 5! Discover how to bring more musical character and expression to your piano playing. We'll start exploring how the way you play notes can make a real difference to the music.

Put your developing musical skills into practice with City Lights. Focus on accurate notes, steady rhythm and adding expression to bring the piece to life.

Music is about more than playing the right notes! Discover how to give your playing meaning and expression through thoughtful phrasing, dynamics and musical character. Make every phrase tell a story.

Explore Afterglow and put your expressive playing skills into practice. Focus on shaping musical phrases, controlling your touch and creating a smooth, flowing performance.

Bring together the skills you've developed so far in this musical challenge. Take your time, practise carefully and demonstrate your growing confidence with rhythm, coordination and expression.

Enjoy playing Open Road as you continue developing your musical independence. Focus on steady rhythm, confident note-reading and expressive playing as you prepare for the next stage of your piano journey.

Discover sharps and flats and learn how these musical symbols change the notes you play. Explore their positions on the keyboard and begin recognising them in written music.

Explore how different notes and sounds can add colour and character to music. Put your developing understanding of sharps and flats into practice at the keyboard.

Learn what key signatures are and why they appear at the beginning of a piece of music. Discover how they help you identify which notes are sharpened or flattened throughout a piece.

Put your understanding of key signatures to the test. Practise checking the key before you begin playing and recognising the notes that need special attention.

Explore Northern Lights and apply your growing understanding of musical notation and key signatures. Focus on accurate notes, steady rhythm and expressive playing.

Discover the difference between major and minor sounds. Explore how these contrasting musical qualities can change the mood and character of what you play.

Bring together the skills from Lesson 6 with After Midnight. Practise reading the music carefully, recognising key signatures and playing with musical expression and confidence.

Discover what the sustain pedal does and how it changes the sound of your piano. Learn the basics of using the pedal to create a richer, more connected sound while keeping control of your playing.

Learn how to change the sustain pedal cleanly so that your music sounds connected without becoming blurred. Practise coordinating your foot with your hands and listen carefully to the results.

Put your developing pedal technique and musical skills into practice with Last Orders. Focus on accurate notes, steady rhythm and using the sustain pedal thoughtfully where appropriate.

Bring your Lesson 7 skills together with Closing Time. Focus on musical expression, confident performance and thoughtful use of the sustain pedal. Take your time, enjoy the music and aim for a smooth, polished performance.

Welcome to Lesson 8! Discover why silence is just as important as sound in music. Develop your rhythmic awareness and learn to give rests their full value while maintaining a steady pulse.

Build your confidence reading music and recognising the details that bring a piece to life. Practise paying attention to notation, phrasing and the musical space between notes.

Explore what happens when musical notes fall between the main beats. Begin developing your understanding of off-beat rhythms and how they can give music a fresh, exciting feel.

Put your understanding of off-beat rhythms into practice. Work on feeling the underlying pulse while playing notes between the beats, developing rhythmic independence and confidence.

Bring your Lesson 8 skills together with Neon After Dark. Apply your rhythmic understanding, note-reading and expressive playing to this piece, focusing on musical flow and confident performance.

Welcome to Lesson 9! Discover how to make the most of your practice time. Learn to approach challenging passages in manageable steps, develop good practice habits and build lasting confidence at the piano.

Explore The Long Way Home and put your developing piano skills into practice. Focus on careful note-reading, steady rhythm and shaping the music with expression as you work towards a confident performance.

Take a moment to appreciate how far you've come! Bring together the techniques you've learned throughout the course and recognise the progress you've made as a developing pianist.

Get ready for the final stage of your beginner piano journey. Prepare to put your skills into action, approaching the music with confidence, patience and a positive attitude.

It's time for your final challenge! Bring together your note-reading, rhythm, coordination and musical expression. Work at your own pace and enjoy putting everything you've learned into practice.

Discover After Hours as a complete musical piece. Listen to how the different sections fit together and get a sense of the overall musical shape before working through the individual parts.

Begin learning After Hours by focusing on Section A. Break the music into manageable phrases, practise slowly and concentrate on accurate notes, rhythm and coordination.

Continue learning After Hours with Section B. Build on the skills you've developed in the first section and practise the new musical material carefully before joining the sections together.

Learn Section C of After Hours and continue building the complete piece. Focus on accurate playing, rhythmic control and smooth transitions between musical phrases.

Bring the sections of After Hours together and practise moving smoothly between them. Work towards a connected, confident performance while maintaining a steady musical pulse.

Practise After Hours at a slower tempo to strengthen accuracy and confidence. Follow along carefully, concentrating on rhythm, coordination and smooth transitions before building speed.

Now it's time to play After Hours from beginning to end! Bring together everything you've practised and enjoy performing the complete piece with confidence and musical expression.

Congratulations on completing The Adult Piano Method beginner course! You've developed valuable piano skills and built a strong foundation for your musical future. Celebrate your progress, keep practising and enjoy the journey ahead. You've earned it!