A beginner's guide to learning the piano // 15 topics you need to know

(Scales, Chords & Theory)

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This video is a beginner's guide to learning the piano but also for anyone else who has some experience but looking for ways to develop more freedom on the instrument. It's jam packed with important piano lessons for beginners and teaches you a lot about how music actually works and how to start playing so you can improve and learn to speak music as a language.

These are things I have learned over many years experience, learning myself, playing with other musicians and teaching. Things that I know from first hand experience that many beginners don't realise and need to know in order to get good at piano. They will help lay a strong foundation of fundamental musical knowledge and piano skill to set up you up to keep learning and learning, get far more advanced and go down many musical avenues.

Of course it's impossible to unpack everything completely in one video, so this is an overview of how to play piano for beginners, and advice about things you should be looking into and working on over a longer period of time. Each topic will be getting its own dedicated videos to delve deeper into exactly what and how to learn effectively!

VIDEOS TO WATCH NEXT

THEORY 🎹

Half Steps and Whole Steps

Building chords Made Simple

Chord Inversions Made Simple

Minor Scale Theory Made Simple

Chords of a key Made Simple

How To Find Other 3 Note Chords Too

7th Chords Made Simple

CHORDS 🎹

How To memorize every Major and Minor chord

How To find chord inversions INSTANTLY

How To Find Other 3 Note Chords Too

Practise The chords In a key

Slash Chords

SCALES 🎹

Order To Learn Scales

Find Any Major Scale Easily

All 12 Major Scales | Just The Fingerings

Major Scales Tutorial Playlist

Tips And Other Stuff 🎹

5 Must know Chord Rhythm Patterns

How To Play Hands Together

Memory Tips To learn songs Faster

Hand Placement Tips

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TIMESTAMPS for The 15 Things (Mixture of practical, music theory for beginners and general advice on learning)

0:00 Introduction
3:00 Learn the notes names and Keyboard
6:34 Basic Technique
12:08 Scales
16:57 Melody
18:10 Chords and Harmony
22:51 Thinking in Numbers
28:11 Chords of the Major Scale
31:56 Chord inversions (Playing chords in different ways)
38:08 Learning Songs and Music
40:58 Focusing on Ears
46:43 Rhythm
51:11 Basics of Reading
53:21 Learning to Learn well
58:33 Musical Terminology
58:42 Enjoy Making Music

Thanks for watching!

[PianoFromScratch]

HERE'S THE 15 THINGS WITH TIME STAMPS TO EACH SECTION!




1 Learn the notes names and Keyboard Layout 3:50
2 Basic Technique 7:24
3 Scales 12:58
4 Melody 17:47
5 Chords and Harmony 19:00
6 Thinking in Numbers 23:41
7 Chords of the Major Scale 29:01
8 Chord inversions (Playing chords in different ways) 32:46
9 Learning Songs and Music 38:58
10 Focusing on Ears 41:48
11 Rhythm 47:33
12 Basics of Reading 52:01
13 Learning to Learn well 54:11
14 Musical Terminology 59:23
15 Enjoy Making Music 1:00:32


Thanks for watching!

[asitis]

Great ! I’m 64 never ever played a piano in my life but you have helped me get started well done young man 👍

[johnbalao]

You presented the most crucial elements for learning to play the piano in a clear and comprehensive manner. You are an incredibly effective and efficient piano teacher.

[NemerioCB]

The fact that you put visuals over your keys while you’re playing the notes is so helpful for a visual learner like myself. Thank you 🙏🏼

[arthouston]

I'm working my way through your videos, to give me something related to playing when I am not at the keyboard. Your tight editing makes the videos "content rich, " and that is a plus. You don't have a lot of extra talk, and get right to the point. You are one of the experts here on youtube when it comes to piano, and I'm sure many of us appreciate your efforts.

[dianesmall]

I am a senior citizen and i enjoy the Techniques you share Thank you

[ellakinloch]

Loads of things here I didn't realise that makes much more sense now

[fksimpson]

I'm a returning piano student, still a beginner level, 67 years young, thanks for ALL the info. My interests are play by ear and lead sheets. I plan on checking back to your channel often. Thanks.

[prentissscott]

BRO, you don't know how much I appreciate you, 1 week in I've learned the keys and notes, I'm not as fast as I wanna be, but this is one helluva big step, you put everything in simpler terms and were all can understand without as much frustration... Thanks again bud!!

[BeatsByGemsmiff]

This guy is the truth when it comes to learning piano on youtube..everything single thing he says resonates with me as i have a very basic knowledge of music theory.thank you for this video

[Flat-Five]

An absolute tonne of great, important information in here!!

[lunaimbrium]

I'm new to piano and I've been plodding along for weeks. I learned more in this video than I have in all this time. Thank you!

[eggsngr]

I've tried out a few different piano teaching videos, but I must say that your video channel is more in-depth than most others. Your tutorials have given me a ton of inspiration and I will definitely follow your methodology.

[Andrea-gmno]

This video is exactly what I was looking for as a beginner who wants to lay solid foundations for the long run. There's a lot of great material for learning here on youtube but this guide was the missing link. Great video and great channel.

[AnnieTaylorChen]

I am so glad to have this as a start before I even get my piano! I really like the way you said we should have "intentional practice" when it comes to playing and listening.

[DaMowner]

Very clearly and well explained! I started playing 3 days ago and I have to say that the end of your video is really inspiring and motivating.

[darkoniiii]

Simply fantastic stuff. Hope more will come. Thank you

[lawrencetaylor]

I'm halfway through the video but already I'm amazed at your methods of telling things that I've heard before but you explain it on a different level. You give us information on turbocharge. Merci beaucoup.

[michaeldonovan]

Okay, i started some 50 day's ago, , i bought a YPT 260 from Lidle for a great price, , , got the unit home set it up, , started scouring the Internet for Minor & Major Scales i started the routine learning the scales and memorising, , Woo the blood pressure was unreal intence for a few day's as the first week went on it became easier, , by week two was makeing improvement i noticed in week three all started to settle, , , and the blood pressure, , i notice on my journey it had been best to undertake one hour regime just before bed, , and on the next day just after breakfast an hours training on what i had lernt, , buy week four five i had Minor and Major Scales covered along with Harmonic and Blue's Scales, , to date i use my scales as my daily training, , I'm moving into chords shortly, , however whilst i recognise chords are a quick fix for me it really says it's not really piano, , my route is to learn piano by notation and reading sheet music, , Hymm i say sheet music, , well I've reverted to chords it makes sense and using notation and sheet music as the long term strategy, , in my learning, , I'm amazed where i am today i wish 50 years, ago i had started well thats life, , I'm currently playing songs i thought would be impossible don't get me wrong I'm know Guru no sir just learning, , I've decided to learn my scales also blindfolded sounds crazy doesn't it but look, , , we all have this left and right hand issue pending which you have the problem with, , , so this was what i noted along my journey.

The eye's are mischievous and Kind of control what you see so thats the piano keys hand's fingers, , but just imagine being partially sited or blind, , imagine therfore just being blind how would you accomplish leaning piano, , well i understand braille is, the answer and thus this applied to key's but look the reality is one has to learn patterns it's therfore best without such support other than your ears thats right its great to for once hear a new language since starting I've been blown away with my achievements, , i blindfold my self and continue as i do with my regime when i see the notes without blindfold i become overwhelmed at times, my mind wonders, my hands fidget and this set's a bad seen for my finger positioning, , , i get none of the above issues when blindfolded its as if i am as calm and collected as sitting with a cup of tea.

Well there you have it just to end just imagine you are a classical pianist, , you lost your sight from illness, , do you give up or continue your chosen career, , my view on this is as important as playing, , if i could see the understanding playing blindfolded it helps train your brain your hands your your thoughts feelings emotions frustrations and gives back your unique ability to play piano when i now play i have no known issues, as above why would i be placed with a dilemma when i know there is a solution i belive the best classical pianists are bourn from there physical disability why not visit a special school for the blind that teach classical music to the blind one might just be taken back from what they will see and learn.

I started 50 plus day's ago and can say im comfortable with my left and right hands now, when playing piano i where the blindfold when i become overwhelmed to calm the moment the training is intense but hay paying attention playing slow is key building up skill and knowledge.

[cavinnn]

i love your accent it's really calming and sometimes I get really anxious when learning the piano so I love this!