Course playlist:
Some errors to prevent as a beginner:
Did you simply purchase your first keyboard and have no concept how to begin? Then you've concerned the right place! In this mini-series I'm going to cover all of the basic principles and teach you how to start your piano or keyboard playing career. Emphasis is on practical lessons with real-life applicability, focused on pop/rock artists.
In this video I'll be covering how to name notes, and after that provide some important chords which will get you began: C major, F major, G major and A minor.
Next lesson we'll work on your accompaniment skills, so stay tuned! I plan on releasing a new video about as soon as a month.
Piano Lessons for Beginners: Part 1 – Getting Started! Learn some simple chords
I have this as a response to another comment, thought I would put it as its own comment:
For those of you who are total beginners, and possibly confused or overloaded (no need to reat the whole thing, but the concepts work off of eachother as you read on), some basic theory is super useful:
-SCALES (often used interchangeably with “key” even though they are slightly different things):
-Before looking at chords, we should be looking at what a “scale” is. Scales will have 7 notes in them (with some rare exceptions). The first note (lowest pitch, furthest left on the keyboard), is referred to as the “tonic” or “root” and it will determine the name of the scale (e.g. C Major). The 8th note is referred to as the “ocave.” The octave is the same note as the first, but an “octave” higher.
-Ex: The key of C major are the notes C,D,E,F,G,A,B. It repeats on upward, starting at the next C. Each time it starts again at C, it is in the next “octave.” It works the same way going downward (to the left)
-You can also think of these 7 notes as numbers, 1,2,3,4,5,6,7 (with 8 being the octave)
Place your right thumb (for this beginner lesson, we’re using ONLY the right hand) on the white key immediately to the left of two black keys. It doesn’t matter which set of two black keys. This note is always a C. Now put each of your other fingers in order on the white keys following. Your fingers are now on C,D,E,F, and G (1,2,3,4,5) — thumb, index, middle, ring, pinky
Practice Exercise:s
1). Place your right hand as above, 1,2,3,4,5. Play up and down from thumb to pinky, then pinky and back:
-1,2,3,4,5…5,4,3,2,1 (aka C,D,E,F,G…G,F,E,D,C).
-This works best if you play with a metronome, starting at a slow tempo (60 bpm) and increasing it in increments of 5 or 10 each time you are 100% comfortable.
2). Now, with your hands starting in the same spot, we will play all 7 notes in the C Major scale (and the octave).
You will play with your thumb, index, middle first (C,D,E, — 1,2,3), but instead of using your ring to play the 4th note (F), you will cross your thumb underneath and use it instead.
Your hand will now be shifted with your thumb on the 4th note (F), and your index, middle, ring, pinky fingers will now play the 4th,5th,6th, 7th, and 8th (octave), notes – aka F,G,A,B,C(octave).
3). Once you have the above down (practicing to a metronome as above will help you to advance in skill more quickly), you will be able to descend in reverse in a similar fashion
You will start in the position you have ended on in the previous exercise. Pinky on C, descending C,B,A,G,F (8,7,6,5,4) — pinky, ring, middle, index, thumb.
Play all those notes in that order. To play the last 3 following notes, descending, you will now cross your middle finger over the top and play the next note down (E, 3rd note of the scale), followed with your index and thumb on D,C (2,1).
-Now practice going back an forth between exercise 2). and 3).
-Now onto CHORDS, Yay!! (in this case, triads, the most basic chord that consist of 3 notes):
-Now with all the fingers on your right hand on 5 adjacents notes, starting with the C (immediately to the left of two black keys), Press down the key with your THUMB, MIDDLE, and PINKY. You are now playing a C chord (in this case, C Major or CM. We’ll get to minor later). The name of the chord is based off of the lowest note (aka, the “root.” The term “tonic” is not used for chords, only scales)
-The notes you are pressing are also referred to as “1,” “3,” and “5,” – you leave out the 2nd and 4th notes when playing a basic chord (also called a triad, because there are 3 notes)
-This shape, [1,3,5,], [thumb, middle, pinky] works as a chord (triad), no matter where you start on the white keys. Wherever your thumb is determines what the chord is called (e.g. C Major). Again, we’ll get to major/minor later.
-In the video he plays a C chord, an F chord, and a G chord. (as he said, if you don’t say major or minor, just the letter, it will be a major chord by default).
-He is playing them in a more advanced way, called inversions (not important yet)
-The simple way to play them would be to place your thumb on C, and use your thumb, middle, pinky on C,E,G (1,3,5).
-Now for F, thumb on F (immediately left of the 3 black keys), and use thumb, middle, and pinky on F,A,C (1,3,5)
-G: thumb on G, middle, and pinky on B,D (3,5)
When he plays multiple chords in order like this, it often repeats, and is referred to as a CHORD PROGRESSION.
Often times chords are referred to as numbers, written in roman numerals. In the case of the above progression, C,F,G, it would be referred to as a:
I, IV, V progression, because C is the 1st note of the key, F is the 4th, and G is the 5th. No matter what octave you play each chord in, it would still be called a “I, IV, V” progression.
-(a more advanced concept: in any major scale/key the chords go in order as: I,ii,iii,IV,V,vi,viio, with lower case being minor, and the “o” (which is supposed to be small superscript) meaning it is a diminished chord. This pattern is referred to as CHORD ORDER.
-Now for INTERVALS! yay!:
-Now we are going to add black keys into the mix.
-if you play every key (including the black keys) you will end up with a pattern of 12 notes repeating the 13th being the octave. Moving one adjacent key up or down (right or left), INCLUDING black keys, you are creating a HALF STEP (aka semi-tone). If you move two keys adjacent (including black keys) it is a WHOLE STEP (aka whole tone).
-All twelve notes, including the black keys, is referred to as “chromatic.” Using C as a starting point, the chromatic scale looks like:
-C, C#, D, D#, E, F, F#, G, G# ,A , A#, B, and C (octave). The “#” symbol is referred to as “sharp” (not hashtag, ha). Which means one half-step or semi-tone higher (to the right on the keyboard). The sharps are the black keys. This can also be written as:
-C, Db, D, Eb, E, F, Gb, G,Ab, A, Bb,B and C (octave). The “b” symbol is referred to as “flat” which means one half-step (aka semi-tone) lower (leftward).
-Also can be thought of in numbers, 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12, and 13(octave)
-The notes B to C, and E to F, do not have a sharp (#) aka flat (b) because there is no black key between each pair.
TBC!!!!
Make a channel please
Thank u..well explained..
tysm this helped a lot
???
I loved the explanation but i still dont understand this part:
“-Now for INTERVALS! yay!:
-Now we are going to add black keys into the mix.
-if you play every key (including the black keys) you will end up with a pattern of 12 notes repeating the 13th being the octave. Moving one adjacent key up or down (right or left), INCLUDING black keys, you are creating a HALF STEP (aka semi-tone). If you move two keys adjacent (including black keys) it is a WHOLE STEP (aka whole tone).
-All twelve notes, including the black keys, is referred to as “chromatic.” Using C as a starting point, the chromatic scale looks like:
-C, C#, D, D#, E, F, F#, G, G# ,A , A#, B, and C (octave). The “#” symbol is referred to as “sharp” (not hashtag, ha). Which means one half-step or semi-tone higher (to the right on the keyboard). The sharps are the black keys. This can also be written as:
-C, Db, D, Eb, E, F, Gb, G,Ab, A, Bb,B and C (octave). The “b” symbol is referred to as “flat” which means one half-step (aka semi-tone) lower (leftward).
-Also can be thought of in numbers, 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12, and 13(octave)
-The notes B to C, and E to F, do not have a sharp (#) aka flat (b) because there is no black key between each pair.”
C major = G C E
F major = A C F
G major= G B D
A minor= A C E
Pl
besides imagine, the chords work for Layla, the Goodfellas song!
@iLavaRF Sir i am using ctk 1100 in that how to on mmetronome pl tell me
@Cats Are etuC Sir i am using ctk 1100 in that how to on mmetronome pl tell me
Sir i am using ctk 1100 in that how to on mmetronome pl tell me
I need a beginner version of this beginner version
Really?
Me, brain can’t get past the first half
Lmao
me too
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cvHdYDeHMNc&t=339s (Hi, hope you like my Piano Lesson ,too Bye:-) Please give me a feedback.
I’m 13 and I never really had interest in piano when I was young. But recently I’ve been wanting to know how to play the piano cause it’s so calming and helps with personal problems. So thank you for making this vid! I still need to learn certain notes but I’ll keep watching your videos. Thank you!
hey any updates
I am in my mid 30s and feel the same like you all in learning this instrument 🙂
Same here!
I’m 13 too.😄
I’m having some diffculty choosing what to learn between guitar or piano.
I am 13 too and i also just getting interested in the Piano, however its hard to find teachers online i really wish i get to master it soon
I have a deep appreciation for people who take their time to teach something and even more for those who do so for the love of spreading knowledge without any secondary interests. Thank you very much for these lessons, they will be very useful!
Amen!!!😌🙏♥️♥️♥️♥️
Yes, Of course you are right….. !
Here
Some people intentionally hide their knowledge to lure you in paying money for them, how scummy?
@Redstone Captain i don’t know if you’re being sarcastic or not
U’re a brilliant teacher; never played or read music before, but u just simplified it all in a less boring way. Thanks! 👍🏾
First 10seconds into watching this video and am loving it already,,, thank you for this free tutorial piano lesson. God bless you sir.
recently turned 67 and bought some keyboards online to finally learn and scratch off my bucket list…your video was excellent and you are a great teacher…i learned a lot and hope I can find your subsequent ones..thanks
@ben dover crabbey road studio Just counted. It us a 88-key.
@ben dover crabbey road studio I have subscribed.
@Asif .. the 61 key pianos are good bcuz the 1 and 7 octaves are pretty useless.. my channel was started for me to send goofy videos to my little grandson.. he thinks I am a big youtube star.. until he gets a bit older and exposes my deceit…
I am 80 and I just bought a keyboard. This is the first channel that I could understand clearly. I am going to practice it many times. Then move on to lesson 2. I am slow having never played before. I am grateful for this help.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cvHdYDeHMNc&t=339s (Hi, hope you like my Piano Lesson ,too Bye:-) Please give me a feedback.
here I am watching a piano tutorial without actually owning one
@Super DedeAdam me too
SAME LMAO
GarageBand is free.
🤣
im practicing on my cats back, She s A Minor,,,i think
This tutorial is better than any paid course. Literally this is extremely helpful man. Thanks a bunch for taking out hecka time for us newbies ❤️❤️😍😍
This is fantastic. Haven’t played piano in years and recapping on my music theory, fingering and following you is amazing… nice and clear… and easy to follow and apply practically. THANK YOU!
Notes:
Chords:
C major – G C E
F major – A C F
G major – G B D
A minor – A C E
Left hand : base note : name of chord
@CrunchyKev TG yeah he is playing the first inversion of those two chords. I think he should have started with the normal chords instead of using inversions to avoid confusing us beginners.
@Jim Dobim I come to piano from playing guitar for ~5 years. Why is he teaching inversions in the 1st lesson?
@Stevan Ležaja I don’t know, I’m a drummer and a synth collector lol
But how come in the video he ends with G? Not A?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cvHdYDeHMNc&t=339s (Hi, hope you like my Piano Lesson ,too Bye:-) Please give me a feedback.
This helps me alot, I’m a beginner it’s so hard to memorize all of the chords, and you really need a muscle memory, but Thankyou alot!!!❤️❤️
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cvHdYDeHMNc&t=339s (Hi, hope you like my Piano Lesson ,too Bye:-) Please give me a feedback.
Ever since I was a little girl I’ve always wanted to learn how to play the piano, but back then piano lessons were too expensive so my parents couldn’t pay them.. later on in middle school I learned how to play the trumpet, then the violin but I never learn how to play the piano… I’ll be trying to learn how to play the piano by my own with your lessons 🙂
Good luck!
The violin is insanely hard tho
Same
I really appreciate this lesson my mom was a musician she played multiple instruments. I’ve been told she was born gifted and I’ve always wanted to play like her. She’s gone now but I’m practicing everyday now that I’m not working and your simple instructions have been so helpful. I look forward to all your lessons Thank you.
you should watch your lie in april anime it’s also about a piano playing guy who for a reason leaves piano but later because of someone he starts it’s an emotional but excellent story and keep learning
I hope it works out for you. My dad was a musician and he just passed away. I’m attempting to learn the piano now. This video is helping me.
😊😊
@pincgatorsorry about that
I am a drummer of 50 years, I have always wanted to learn piano,. For decades I thought it was too complicated and never took the time. You explain it so well,? Thank you. I’m getting something to start on tomorrow. My body will not allow the drums anymore, but I can still learn something. Thank you again.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cvHdYDeHMNc&t=339s (Hi, hope you like my Piano Lesson ,too Bye:-) Please give me a feedback.
Whoaaaa!!! This is my very first piano lesson and I really, really enjoyed it!!! I feel so blessed to have found this channel. Thank you, Teacher!! My deepest respect for your generosity in sharing your wisdom. Lots of love and see you again💕
From a homeschool mom who’s child wants to learn THANK YOU!!!!! I am not musical at all (unless you count me belting out Blue October songs off key while making dinner or driving!) And this is wonderfully detailed and gives me the confidence to go forward with our new music lessons.
In my piano i put tape on each chords and write the major based on which chords major
its really hard to explain but its really helpful because it helps me not get confused, its much easier that way. It also helps me memorize each major on each chord.
If you want to learn how to play piano just stay on the piano for all course and practice. You will be amazed at what you will accomplish! Here’s the link to the video: https://youtu.be/YfOxXDhuhbk