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Beginner Piano Lesson #2

Beginner Piano Lesson #2

(Building on Lesson #1: finding the keys and basic finger placement)

Review

Before starting, find Middle C on your piano or keyboard.

Place your fingers:

Right Hand

  • Thumb (1) = C
  • Index (2) = D
  • Middle (3) = E
  • Ring (4) = F
  • Pinky (5) = G

Left Hand

  • Pinky (5) = C
  • Ring (4) = D
  • Middle (3) = E
  • Index (2) = F
  • Thumb (1) = G

Learn the Quarter Note

A quarter note (♩) gets 1 beat.

Count:
1 – 2 – 3 – 4

Play one key for each count.

Example:

C – D – E – F

Count:

1 – 2 – 3 – 4

Right-Hand Exercise

Play slowly:

C – D – E – F – G

Then back down:

G – F – E – D – C

Repeat 5 times.

Count steadily:

1 – 2 – 3 – 4

First Simple Melody

Play:

C – C – G – G

A – A – G

F – F – E – E

D – D – C

You may recognize this as the beginning of Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star.

Play slowly and count each note.

Rhythm Practice

Clap this rhythm:

♩ ♩ ♩ ♩

Then:

♩ ♩ ♫♫ ♩

Count:

1 2 3-and-4

Learning rhythm is just as important as learning notes.

Homework

Practice for 10–15 minutes daily:

  1. C-D-E-F-G up and down.
  2. Twinkle, Twinkle melody.
  3. Count out loud while playing.
  4. Keep fingers curved and relaxed.

Piano Tip

Play slowly enough that you never make a mistake. Speed comes naturally after accuracy.

Lesson #3 will introduce the C Major Scale and your first chords. 🎹

 
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Beginner Piano Lesson #1: The Basics

🎹 Beginner Piano Lesson #1: The Basics

Week One

🎯 Lesson Goals:

  • Learn the layout of the piano
  • Understand finger numbers
  • Play your first simple melody

1. 🧭 Know Your Keyboard

The piano is made up of white and black keys. The black keys are in repeating groups of 2 and 3.

Find Middle C:

  • Look for a group of 2 black keys near the center.
  • The white key to the left of the first black key in that pair is Middle C.

2. 🖐️ Finger Numbers

Each finger on each hand has a number:

  • Thumb = 1
  • Index = 2
  • Middle = 3
  • Ring = 4
  • Pinky = 5

You’ll use these to know which fingers to play notes with.

3. 🎵 Play Your First Notes: C-D-E

Place your right-hand thumb (finger 1) on Middle C, and play this:

 
C - D - E - D - C
1   2   3   2   1
 

Try to keep your fingers curved and relaxed. Play slowly and evenly.

4. 📖 Practice Tips

  • Practice 5–10 minutes a day to build muscle memory.
  • Focus on accuracy first, then on speed.
  • Use a metronome if you can (start slow: 60 bpm).

✅ What’s Next?

Once you’re comfortable, you can move to:

  • Playing C Major Scale
  • Reading basic sheet music (treble clef)
  • Using both hands together