Part 1: Let's get started.
Chapter 1: Important! Before we get started.
1. Top 5 reasons to learn to play the piano.
Reason 1: Playing the piano can be fun from day 1.
Unlike, for example, with the guitar, you can create amazingly beautiful music on the piano right from the beginning. (Guitarists have to play their fingers (almost) to bleeding before they can really get started...)
In the first lessons of my free piano crash course for beginners, you will immediately learn your first chord. And I promise you, it will already sound beautiful.
No doubt, not everything will sound beautiful right away, but the piano still allows us to have a lot of fun from the beginning. Because when you learn with the right guidance, you will always have a lot of joy and make progress at the same time.
In many small steps that anyone can take, you will notice how you gradually improve over time and discover more and more on the piano.
Reason 2: You can play songs from almost every musical genre on the piano.
No matter if it's a beautiful piano melody, a classical piece, a current pop song, an evergreen, film and soundtracks, local hits, children's songs, church songs, jazz, blues, even rock music and EDM, can be played on the piano.
The piano is an incredibly versatile instrument. You can elicit delicate, soft, melancholic, and romantic tones from it, but you can also make it sound dramatic, grandiose, rock-like, and much more.
Reason 3: You can play both the accompaniment and the melody of a song on just one instrument.
The piano is one of the few instruments on which you can play both the melody and the accompaniment of a song. Even at the same time!
This makes the piano an instrument that can provide us with a particularly enjoyable time.
However, you can also choose to play only one of them.
Reason 4: A sound that touches hearts.
I don't know about you, but when I hear a piano piece, no matter how simple it may be, something very special happens in my body. My heart is touched in a way that doesn't happen in any other situation. Even a single note, a small melody has the power to touch my heart. This irresistible sound makes the piano a very special instrument for me, one that receives my love.
Reason 5: The perfect instrument to learn and understand music theory.
I'd like to clarify: you don't need to learn a lot of music theory to play beautiful songs and melodies on your piano or keyboard.
But! The piano is the perfect instrument to learn music theory and then apply it to other instruments.
The unique arrangement of black and white keys allows us to visually understand complex music theory concepts in a way that no other instrument offers.
If you want to learn music theory (and it's actually much more exciting than it may sound at first), you'll have a lot of fun with the piano.
There are many more reasons why learning to play the piano is simply fantastic, and I could probably write about it for hours.
But let's continue with our lessons for now...
2. How often should I practice?
You've probably heard stories of pianists who started learning to play the piano at the age of 4 or 7 and practiced 8 hours a day.
And yes, I wish I had started learning to play the piano at 4 years old and had 8 hours a day to practice.
But unfortunately, that's not the case, and I can assure you, there's no need to worry!
If you practice for just 15 minutes every day, you'll likely be able to play all the songs you want.
I say "likely" because so far, I haven't had any piano students who wanted to learn the entire Piano Concerto No. 1 by Tchaikovsky (the song from the beer commercial on TV).
If you want to play that song or something similarly difficult, you should practice for about 6-8 hours a day for a few years.
But for everyone else, here's what applies:
If you practice regularly, you'll probably be able to play more in the first days, weeks, and months than you ever thought possible.
In practice, it looks like this for many of my students:
Almost no one practices for just 15 minutes per day!
Why?
Simply because once you sit at the piano, time flies by, and you might end up practicing for 30 minutes or even 1-2 hours.
Almost no one practices every single day.
After all, who has the time to do it every day without exception?
Life tends to get in the way from time to time.
Many of my students practice like this:
Practice Type 1:
Some weeks, they practice for 5 days a week, 1 hour each day, and other weeks, they practice 2-3 times a week, once for 2 hours, and twice for 1 hour.
The next week, they might practice every day for about 30-60 minutes.
Practice Type 2:
Some of my piano students have a strict routine and practice every day at 6 pm for exactly 15 minutes.
Practice Type 3:
Some of my piano students travel frequently and might not practice for 1-2 weeks because they don't have an instrument nearby, but then they practice 2-3 times a week for about 30 minutes.
There are other practice types, and each person is unique.
The great thing nowadays is that you can practice (almost) anytime and anywhere you want, and you can even watch your piano teacher's fingers closely if you need to check something quickly.
What I want to say is this:
All these piano students have a lot of fun playing the piano, they can already play many of their favorite songs, read sheet music, improvise beautifully, or whatever they wanted to learn at the piano. They still play after many years because the joy of playing the piano never fades away.
Of course, in general, the more you practice, the faster you'll improve. But practicing is not just about putting in the hours; it's more about acquiring the right skills with the right exercises. And you can get these exercises, for example, in my free Piano Crash Course for beginners.
The wonderful thing about playing the piano is that you don't have to be a top pianist to reap incredible rewards.
3. Playing Piano as an Adult
Many people wonder whether they can learn to play the piano as adults.
Let me answer that for you:
Most of my piano students are adults between the ages of 35 and 65.
But I also have many students over the age of 65 and even children.
And the best situation is still when parents buy a piano for their child, then discover my lessons online, see how quickly their children succeed, and then think to themselves, "Wait a minute... I want to try this too..."
And then a few days later, I receive an email describing this situation along with the sentence, "Now I practice even more than my daughter."
And this last sentence describes perfectly why adults can still learn to play the piano even at an advanced age. And perhaps even better than many children.
Children learn new things faster than adults. That's not even a question.
BUT! Adults usually have more patience, perseverance, concentration, and they simply stick with something they set out to do for a longer time.
In addition, many adults have been dreaming of playing the piano for many many years. (Usually longer than children have even been in the world.)
And this strong desire ignites forces that can move mountains.
Depending on what you want to learn, there will likely be moments at the piano when it becomes more challenging. Moments when you have to "dig in."
Adults who have a strong desire to learn to play the piano stick with it, especially in these situations, and their life experiences tell them that everything will turn out well in the end.
Ultimately, it's not "talent" that decides at the piano, but how often and with what instructions and exercises you practice.
By the way, in my free Piano Crash Course for Beginners, you will not only find the corresponding instructions and exercises but also small steps that will challenge you a bit but are also easy enough not to overwhelm you.
In general, I always design my lessons in such a way that you take many small steps that everyone can do, but they will lead you directly to the top of the mountain.
Learn more about my famous "small practice sections" further down on this page.
4. Staying Fit Through Piano Playing into Old Age
I am firmly convinced that playing the piano can help people live longer or at least stay physically and mentally fit for a longer time.
Although I am not a doctor, scientist, or expert in this field, it is my strong belief that playing the piano can keep us feeling young and vibrant.
Interestingly, some experts seem to agree with this notion. In this article from Harvard University, they discuss the concept of "Super Agers," individuals in their 70s or 80s who have the mental and physical capacity of people ten years younger.
One of the key factors that distinguish these "Super Agers" from others is their willingness to seek out and embrace new mental challenges. Playing the piano is one such challenge, and it not only helps us stay youthful and fit but also brings immense joy and fulfillment.
There are numerous articles that highlight the benefits of piano playing for our brain. Becoming a "Super Ager" through this wonderful pursuit is a beautiful example.
Chapter 2: A journey you will never forget
1. Forget everything you've heard about playing the piano so far!
"Forget everything you've heard about playing the piano so far." With this slogan, I am pointing to the 10 lessons of my free Piano Crash Course. It's a bold statement, I know... But I want to share with you how it all came about.
When I started my YouTube channel "werdemusiker" in 2013 and began uploading piano learning videos or "Piano Tutorials," my goal was clear: these videos shouldn't just be "fun," "somewhat helpful," or "interesting," but they should enable people to truly learn to play the piano.
Before my first video went online, I spent a long time perfecting it. I recorded various videos and showed them to some piano students, friends, and acquaintances in Cologne, observing how they responded. Then I went back to the keys and the camera, improved the videos, and presented them to people again, watching their reactions. This process continued for some time until I finally figured out how to successfully translate my learning method (which I had already refined) into video format.
The recipe spoke for itself. After just 3 months, suddenly 300,000 people in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland were learning to play the piano with my videos.
I never expected that...
300,000 piano students!!!
Then an idea struck me! With so many piano students, I had the unique opportunity to learn as a teacher and perhaps create something that had never been done before.
I had more piano students than anyone else in the German-speaking region. I thought, "I should somehow make the most of this special opportunity..."
I divided some of the piano students who signed up for my free Piano Crash Course into groups over time and tried out various methods and ideas with the goal of making their learning experience even faster and more enjoyable.
I kept asking myself... "Okay, this is how I learned, and this is how it's always been taught. But what if we tried it this way instead?" Then I tested out those alternative approaches. The experiments varied in duration, some lasting several months or even years.
The result, however, is something very special. A piano method that has never been seen in this form before and still doesn't exist anywhere else today.
If you're wondering, "What's so special about it?" or "What's different?" here's an example for you: [Continued...]
2. Sheet music is not good for beginners!
First of all... You can absolutely learn to play the piano using sheet music with me. Personally, I play both with and without sheet music. Both approaches have their advantages, and I wouldn't want to miss either! Sheet music is great (more on that in the next section).
BUT! It is not good for beginners to start learning to play the piano with sheet music from day one. Why?
Well, first of all, it was a clear result of one of my tests.
Students who wanted to learn piano playing with sheet music but started without it for the first 2-6 months learned to read sheet music quickly afterward, and their progress was much better than those who learned with sheet music from the beginning.
And not only that... their piano playing sounded much, much more beautiful too!!
And the reason is quite simple:
When we are born as babies, we learn to speak the language first in the early years before we later learn to read and write in school.
And that's exactly how it should be on the piano. First, learn to speak the language of music on the piano before you learn to read and write sheet music.
One thing at a time!
I always say, "In patience lies strength."
There are enough challenges on the piano. What notes are being played? What is the left hand doing? What is the right hand doing? When does the middle finger cross over? Why doesn't the pinky do what I want? And so on...
If you then add reading sheet music and make the mistake of constantly looking back and forth between the keyboard and the sheet music, up and down again, up and down again... then it becomes chaotic! Well, not that bad, but progress just becomes slower than it could be, and the piano playing sounds somewhat "mechanical."
Don't get me wrong... I started learning to play the piano exactly the same way when I began taking lessons.
But that was also the reason why it took me 1 1/2 years to play songs that my online students can often play after just a few weeks. In exceptional cases, even after a few days.
This is just one example of many that has proven to be very sensible. Another one is the carefully selected "practice sections." But more on that later.
For now...
3. Sheet music is fantastic!
I play both piano with sheet music and freely without it. I enjoy improvising and playing songs by ear.
And you can learn all of that with me, of course!
Both worlds are actually quite close to each other.
But let me tell you why sheet music is really great!
In the previous section, I mentioned the example of how we are born into the world and first learn to speak the language before we later learn to read and write in school.
And that's exactly how it should be on the piano.
First, we learn to speak the language (play the piano).
Then we learn to read and (if you want) write the language. The sheet music!
It's essential to understand that it is a language in written form.
Nothing more.
And also, nothing less.
However, many people often treat sheet music as if it were a law. I often hear, "But the sheet music says something else."
That's entirely possible. The person or people who wrote those sheet music might have written it differently.
The thing is, it might be better, different, or even worse, possibly with mistakes.
Yep... You read that correctly. There are sheet music that contains errors! Even quite often. In many cases, there are simply different versions. And that's perfectly fine!
But you should know: Sheet music is not a law!
Just like not everything you read is correct.
You should form your own opinion, and for that, you should first learn the language.
Okay, but what's still amazing about sheet music? If it's just a written form of the language?
Here's the point: Sheet music has been carefully developed for music.
You don't have to read each note individually, but with time, you will recognize patterns. You won't read notes as individual "letters," but in "words" and even in complete "sentences."
And you'll particularly understand and appreciate it when you first consciously focus on your piano playing and learn to recognize the connections there.
Then you will love reading sheet music afterward!!
Part 2: The Basics
Chapter 3: Let's Get Started with the Piano
1. Posture
I know, you would love to start playing the keys right away. But let's briefly discuss this important topic so that you can avoid back pain and make playing the piano easier for you. Because it starts with the correct sitting and body posture.
Here I have a picture for you of what the perfect posture at the piano looks like, and in the video below I give you a few valuable tips on how to achieve and easily maintain this body posture.
Here are the most important points in brief:
- It's best if you have a piano bench (not a stool)
- You sit on the front edge (so that you're sitting securely and there's no risk of you slipping off)
- Your back is straight, but not artificially kept straight, instead, it's supported by the lower back.
Here in the video, there is a detailed description (It's currently in german with english captions. But I will record an english version soon):
2. Hand position
Incorrect: The wrist is bent downward. The arm is too high.
Incorrect: The wrist is bent upwards. The arm is too low.
Correct: The forearm and the back of the hand form a straight line.
Chapter 4: Let's play
1. How to find your way around the keys
Finding your way around the keys is easier than it may seem at first glance.
Although a piano has 88 keys, and your instrument may have more or fewer keys (for more information, check out the article: How many keys does a piano have?), we only have 12 different notes!
Yes, you read that right. There are only 12 different notes, and most of the time, we only need 7 different notes for each song!
But how do we know which key corresponds to which note?
Thanks to the black keys, it's actually a piece of cake!
As you can see, we always have a group of 2 black keys and a group of 3 black keys on the piano.
Now, we have two ways to find our first note. Choose one of them and stick with it for now.
Option 1 (the German version):
1. Go to the pair of 2 black keys.
2. Then, go to the left of the two black keys.
3. Then, go to the white key on the left. That is "c."
4. From there, count upwards on the white keys: c, d, e, f, g, a, b, c.
That's it!
As you can see, the first and last note is "c." From then on, it repeats.
Option 2 (the international version):
The note "b" is called "h" in German. Internationally, it is referred to as "b." If you want to know more about this, you can check out this article.
For this reason, in the international version, we can use the alphabet.
Here's how:
1. Go to the group of 3 black keys.
2. Then, go to the middle black key.
3. Then, go to the white key on the right. That is "a."
4. From there, count upwards on the white keys: a, b, c, d, e, f, g.
That's it!
So, we simply start with "a" instead of "c" in the international version.
We'll continue with graphics and exercises below. But now might be the perfect time for you to try out a video lesson with some great exercises and even play your first simple song.
Why not give it a try with your 1st piano lesson here!
2. The first 5 notes
This article is brand new (as of July 27, 2023) and still in progress.
However, I have many video lessons here on my blog and, of course, my popular Piano Crash Course for Beginners, which is how most of my piano students started learning to play.
I am currently working on this article daily. So feel free to come back tomorrow and in the meantime, get yourself enrolled in my free Piano Crash Course.
Click here to go to the page where you can enroll.
3. Your First Chord
Let's move on to your first chord!
Chords are super important on the piano and in music-making in general.
More about this will be covered in Chapter 6 below.
In simple terms, chords are 3 or more notes that sound very beautiful and harmonious when played together.
This time, we will play 3 notes simultaneously.
Place your thumb on the C key and the remaining fingers on the adjacent white keys.
We will be playing the C, E, and G notes together.
The key to remember is to strike all 3 keys simultaneously.
The goal is for it to sound like a single, magically resonant tone.
This might not be easy at first.
Take a few minutes now to practice this at least 10 times, but it's even better to aim for 20 or 30 times.
And remember: Patience is key!
Your patience will be rewarded in the long run.
In the short term, you will be rewarded with the beautiful sound of a major chord.
In this case, it's the C major chord.
Congratulations!
You've just played your first chord.
It took me 2 months when I first started learning the piano to do the same.
In the sections below, you will learn more chords. In Chapter 6, we'll cover the theory behind chords and how they work.
But in the next section, you'll get a taste of what's possible with chords.
4. Learn 4 EASY Chords, Play 1000 Songs!
I had already mentioned that chords are super important on the piano. In Chapter 6, you will also find out exactly why.
In the following video, I want to invite you to try it out and experience for yourself what is possible with just 4 simple chords.
You will already create beautiful music from your piano.
Definitely give it a try!
5. Your First EASY Song
6. More Songs for Beginners
I have created some songs and piano tutorial series that adapt popular songs, which are not originally for beginners, to be beginner-friendly.
That means if you are a beginner and would like to play one of these songs, you should definitely try it out with one of these video series.
I have broken down these songs into many small practice sections, so it's possible.
Again... it's not entirely easy...
But you can do it.
Here are the songs you can learn with me on YouTube or here on my blog:
- Für Elise
- River Flows in You
- The soundtrack from the movie "Amélie"
- The soundtrack from the movie "Forrest Gump"
- Experience by Ludovico Einaudi
On YouTube, you will find many more songs that you can learn with me at werdemusiker.
7. Playing the Piano with Both Hands Independently
Playing with both hands simultaneously is one of the biggest challenges in playing the piano, especially when it comes to playing independently with each hand. The brain needs to learn a completely new skill when playing different things with each hand, which requires patience and practice.
You should know that as soon as you start playing with both hands, it may feel like you can't do anything at all. This feeling is entirely normal! You are not alone! It will get better 🙂
In the following video, I have a very detailed exercise for playing a complex piece with both hands together. The exercise breaks down the piece into smaller sections and gradually builds up to playing the entire piece.
It's essential to practice each hand separately before attempting to play with both hands. The left hand plays the chords, while the right hand plays the melody.
By repeating the exercise slowly and gradually increasing the speed, it helps the brain process and learn the movements. It's normal to have difficulties at first, but with patience and repetition, playing with both hands will become easier.
Part 3: Music Theory
Chapter 5: Playing Piano by Reading Sheet Music
I will discuss some basic elements of our musical notation system below the video. However, for a more in-depth breakdown, I recommend checking out this comprehensive article or this lesson here:
1. Our Music Notation System & Pitch Levels
This article is brand new (as of July 27, 2023) and still in progress.
However, I have many video lessons here on my blog and, of course, my popular Piano Crash Course for Beginners, which is how most of my piano students started learning to play.
I am currently working on this article daily. So feel free to come back tomorrow and in the meantime, get yourself enrolled in my free Piano Crash Course.
Click here to go to the page where you can enroll.
2. Note Values & the Heartbeat of a Song
Note values tell us how long notes should be held.
In conjunction with measures, they also dictate the rhythm.
And here it gets a little exciting and, to be honest, also a bit complicated.
You see, there aren't many pitch values. I mentioned earlier that we usually only need 7 different tones.
But with rhythm, there are almost infinitely many possibilities!
That's another reason why it's better for beginners to start without sheet music.
Don't worry! It's certainly possible, and there are many great exercises, but you'll make much faster progress at the beginning if you leave out the sheet music for now. You'll simply improve much more quickly. And then it will be easier to handle the notes and rhythms afterward.
Alright, but let's still briefly talk about note values because having some basics helps with understanding...
Before we even know how long a note should be held, we need...
A time signature. We also call it the meter.
The time signature is the heartbeat of every piece of music.
The time signature beats evenly at a predetermined speed.
For example, often above the staff, there is a small note that looks like an equal sign (=) with a number next to it, e.g., 60.
This note here is called a quarter note, and the number 60 means that we have 60 quarter notes or 60 quarter beats per minute.
In short: 60 beats per minute.
So, unlike our human heartbeat, where the heart doesn't always beat at exactly the same speed, in music, these 60 beats should be as evenly spaced as possible. Like a clock.
That's why it's always a good idea to practice piano pieces with a metronome that precisely indicates this time signature.
In fact, the time signature is usually given in quarter notes. (More about quarter notes below).
And this is determined right at the beginning of a piece of sheet music, just after the key signature.
It's called the time signature.
For example, here it's 4/4 time signature.
The top 4 indicates that we always count to 4 evenly before the next measure starts, and then we start again at 1.
So, it's always evenly 1 2 3 4 | 1 2 3 4 | 1 2 3 4, and so on.
The bottom 4 indicates that what we're counting are quarter notes. This is especially important when we come to note values.
Note Values
The most well-known note value is the quarter note.
Simply because the most common time signature is 4/4.
This means it was simply decided that we count quarter notes when we evenly count to 4.
So, in one measure, there can be 4 quarter notes.
It looks like this.
As you can see, these notes are played exactly on the quarter note beat.
This brings us to other note values.
Eighth notes.
Eighth notes are played exactly twice as fast as quarter notes.
So, we can play twice as many notes. Namely, 8 eighth notes per measure.
There are further note values like
Sixteenth notes, thirty-second notes, sixty-fourth notes, half notes, whole notes, dotted notes.
For more on this, it's best to refer to the article specifically created for it.
At this point, I just want to mention that note values can be combined.
As I mentioned earlier, in a 4/4 time signature, you can have either 4 quarter notes or 8 eighth notes. The thing is, this is not an option, it must be that way!
A measure must always be filled.
4 quarter notes fill a 4/4 measure.
2 eighth notes can replace one quarter note.
It looks like this, for example:
Or like this:
Or like this:
As you can see, they can be combined differently.
Notes can also be replaced by rests.
For each note value, there is also a corresponding rest.
This way, music can be notated very rhythmically, and it can get quite complicated to read.
It looks like this, for example:
Or like this:
Or like this:
3. Reading Rhythm
To read rhythm, you first need to be familiar with note values.
Since we have been dealing with quarter and eighth notes so far, let's focus on these two examples.
Here is our first example measure:
The composer has established a 4/4 time signature. And 84 quarter beats per minute.
Here's how it works:
1. Count evenly to 4. 1 2 3 4. Again and again. 1 2 3 4 | 1 2 3 4 | 1 2 3 4 | 1 2 3 4 (You can use a metronome set to 84 BPM to help you with this)
2. Identify the shortest note value (the higher the number below the fraction line of the note value, the shorter the note value). In this case, eighth notes.
3. Now, we add an "and" between the numbers while maintaining the same tempo. This is how it works with eighth notes. So, we count 1 and 2 and 3 and 4 and | 1 and 2 and 3 and 4 and | 1 and 2 and 3 and 4 and |
Important: Continue counting the numbers on the metronome beat. The word "and" always goes in between. So, we now have to say twice as many words in the same amount of time.
For a better understanding, you can watch this video here. It also explains how we associate the notes with this rhythm: [Insert link to the video].
4. 3 Tricks To Read and Play Notes QUICKLY
To be able to read sheet music quickly, there are specific exercises. As I mentioned in Chapter 2, I recommend beginners to start without sheet music for now.
However, if you already know how to play the piano to some extent and would like to improve your ability to read sheet music more quickly, I recommend watching the following video.
It provides some really useful tricks on how you can use musical notation to read and play sheet music faster.
Chapter 6: Why Chords are Incredibly Powerful
1. Would you have thought that? Chords are the foundation of almost every song!
It's amazing that this isn't more widespread... In fact, many classical pianists are not aware of it. For example, my music teacher back in school was widely known beyond the city borders for her musical achievements and won numerous awards. But when I played something for her in music class for the first time, there was a huge pause afterward... Dead silence... I thought, "What's coming now?"... and then she burst out, "Wow!! How did you do that?" It would go beyond the scope to tell the whole story here. (By the way, I have a mini-course where I tell this story in full and provide corresponding piano exercises. It's called "Secrets that remain forever hidden from most pianists." I usually sell it, but because you are so attentive and reading these lines, you'll get it for free as a bonus to my Piano Crash Course if you sign up for it here in the following field.)
In short... I played a song for my music teacher and the class. I think it was a mix of the songs "Canon in D" and "Gangsta's Paradise" (a current song in the charts at that time). At the end of the song, I really went wild and improvised over both songs, creating a "mashup."
One thing my music teacher didn't know back then is that chords are the foundation of every song. She had a classical education. She studied at the conservatory and was really competent. But she wasn't aware of that.
I then showed her using the example of Beethoven's "Für Elise."
"Here... these are the chords A minor and E major," I showed her.
To this day, many pianists are not aware of this.
But once you know this and then learn the theory and connections of chords (and that is definitely possible for anyone!), a completely new world opens up for you on the piano. Everything else becomes easier. You learn new songs faster. You can read sheet music faster and better. You can improvise with ease. You can learn new songs completely without sheet music in record time. You quickly memorize songs and can still play them after years without forgetting.
That is one of the main reasons why most of my piano students continue learning with my online courses for years (many of my students have been with me for over 10 years!!), enjoy it, and even become really, really good.
2. How Chords are Formed
There are many different ways chords are formed.
Here's the simplest and most suitable for beginners:
Major Chords
1. Choose any note on the piano. This will be the first of the 3 notes in our chord. The root note. Remember this key.
2. Then, go up 4 half steps. This is the 2nd note. Remember this key as well.
3. From there, go up 3 half steps. Remember this key too. Now our major chord is complete. It's named after the first note you chose + the word "major." "Root Note-Major" If the first note you chose, for example, is "C," the chord is now called "C Major."
Minor Chords
Minor chords are formed very similarly. The only difference is the number of half steps in steps 2 and 3. So:
1. Choose any note on the piano. This will be the first of the 3 notes in our chord. The root note. Remember this key.
2. Then, go up 3 half steps. This is the 2nd note. Remember this key as well.
3. From there, go up 4 half steps. Remember this key too. Now our minor chord is complete. It's named after the first note you chose + the word "minor." "Root Note-Minor" If the first note you chose, for example, is "C," the chord is now called "C Minor."
Chapter 7: A Trick That Allows You to Play Almost All Your Favorite Songs Quickly
1. Do this exercise every day, and you will become a master at the piano.
I have recorded a video for this exercise.
The exercise is somewhat advanced, but even beginners can give it a try. It trains various aspects of piano playing in a playful manner. Moreover, it is very impressive what one can achieve with it.
The exercise starts in the video at Part 2 (02:48 min).
Below the video, there is a written explanation.
Here is the written explanation:
1. I go to my favorite search engine and enter the title of the song I want to play. Let's say "Hotel California." Additionally, I add the word "Chords" or "Akkorde" (German for chords). In most cases, it will bring up the website ultimateguitar.com, but e-chords.com and other sites also work.
2. I open this page, scroll down a bit, and then I see a section titled "Intro" and "Verse." There is also the song's lyrics, and above the lyrics, there are letters like C or Gm, etc. These are the chords of the song.
3. With these chords, I can now go back to the piano and start with the verse.
For example, if the first chord is "Am," it stands for the A minor chord. If there is no "m," it's a major chord.
As you learned in the previous section, you know how to form chords. And that's exactly what we can apply now.
Since we need the A minor chord, we first go to the note "a." This is our root note. Then go up 3 half steps. This is the "c," our 2nd note. Remember this key as well. From there, go up 4 half steps. Remember this key too. This is the "e," our 3rd note. Our A minor chord is complete. A, C, and E.
In most cases, we only need major and minor chords. For example, if you see a 7, it's just a variation of a major or minor chord (e.g., C7 or Cm7). But for now, it's enough to play major and minor chords without the 7, even if it's written there.
There are also other chords (dim, aug, +5, and many more...), but that's more of an exception and would exceed the scope of this beginner's guide.
Let's move on to Part 4.
4. Learning melodies. Here's another thing that many pianists are not aware of: The melody is based on the chords!
When we play our "Hotel California" song, you can see in the video that the melody at the beginning plays the notes e, d, and c. Both e and c are part of the A minor chord we are playing here. The "d" is a neighboring note or, in this case, also called a "passing tone."
What we can remember here:
1. The melody almost always follows the chords.
2. That means the 3 notes that make up a chord appear in the melody.
3. Additionally, neighboring notes often appear. We call them "passing tones" or "changing tones."
4. We always have to keep an eye on the chords. Because when the next chord comes, we have 3 new notes that the melody follows.
The entire process is not quite simple.
It is definitely a more advanced technique.
But you can imagine that if you "jump into the cold water" and dare to do this exercise over and over again without fear of making mistakes, you will make great progress at the piano with this exercise alone.
By the way, you are training various aspects of piano playing:
- Music theory
- Your musical ear
- Your finger dexterity
- Melody formation
- And much more
It's a great exercise routine!
But don't worry... if this is not for you, there are many other beautiful ways.
Overall, it's better to take smaller steps, learn everything step by step, and do exercises like this only occasionally. That's why there's my free Piano Crash Course or my premium course, Piano Complete.
Chapter 8: Watch My Piano Students Play!
1. Schülervideos
Time and time again, my piano students send me videos where I can see them play. It makes me incredibly proud! Because what I see there often brings tears to my eyes.
You can find these videos in the playlist on YouTube. (Click here to access the playlist on YouTube.)
2. Piano Competition "We Love the Piano"
Then there are occasional community events, such as the competition "We Love the Piano," where my students could submit a video and have a chance to win great prizes.
You can find these videos in the playlist on YouTube.
Part 4: Additional Tips & Information
Chapter 9: Tips for Buying an Instrument
1. Which piano should I buy?
I have written two comprehensive articles on this topic.
The first article discusses different types of pianos (piano, grand piano, keyboard, electric piano, digital piano, upright piano, etc.). The decision on which type of piano you should buy should be made first before proceeding, and it highly depends on your personal situation.
You can find the first article here:
Buying a Piano - Making the Right Decision!
In my second article, I talk about specific manufacturers and more concrete solutions. I want to emphasize that my recommendations are 100% independent of any manufacturer and are solely based on my personal experience, opinion, and over 20 years of professional experience as a pianist.
You can find the second article here:
Buying Guide - What Piano Should I Buy?
Here on this page, let me briefly outline the most important points:
1. Nowadays, almost all new instruments are excellent!
2. Your instrument should definitely have "touch sensitivity" or "key sensitivity." This means that when you press a key slowly and lightly, the sound is soft and the tone is smoother. And when you press it quickly and firmly, the sound is louder and more intense.
3. You should have a sustain pedal (also known as a damper pedal).
And that brings us to the next point: accessories.
2. What accessories do I need?
Generally, you don't need a lot of accessories when learning to play the piano. In fact, in most cases, the necessary accessories come automatically with your instrument.
However, not everyone has a new instrument, and each instrument is slightly different. Therefore, here are the most important points and essential accessories so that you can check if you are perfectly equipped.
1. A Pedal
First and foremost, you definitely need a pedal, specifically a sustain pedal, also known as a damper pedal. If you have an acoustic piano, you will most likely find three foot pedals on your instrument. I'm referring to the right one here.
Some electric pianos and digital pianos also have these three pedals. If that's not the case for you, you probably have a single foot pedal that came with your instrument.
If you have an older electric piano or use a keyboard, you might not have a pedal yet. In that case, it's essential to get one. It costs between €5 and €25.
For more information, you can also check my blog article "Buying Guide - What Piano Should I Buy?"
2. A Piano Bench
Next, I highly recommend getting a piano bench. Yes, you read that right: a bench, not a chair or stool. When playing the piano, we sometimes shift our body weight to the left or right, and it's possible to fall off a stool. A piano bench is wide enough to accommodate weight shifts in the upper body comfortably.
3. Metronome
It is built into almost all electric pianos and keyboards: a metronome, also known as a timekeeper. This metronome sets the beat, the heartbeat of every song (as described in Chapter 5.2).
The special thing about a metronome is that it beats perfectly evenly and always gives a different sound on the first beat (remember, we usually count 1, 2, 3, 4, and repeat that all the time). The metronome also helps us find the first beat. It sets a tempo (e.g., 82 beats per minute) and then beats exactly and evenly at 82 beats per minute!
If you have an acoustic piano and don't have a metronome, you can either buy one or search the internet, as there are online metronomes and apps available in the iOS App Store and Google Play Store that provide a beat.
4. Tablet/Smartphone/Computer
Next, I strongly recommend having a tablet, smartphone, or computer on hand.
Tablets are widespread among musicians nowadays. It's simply because you can read notes, texts, and sheet music very well on a tablet, while it might be too small on a smartphone.
For learning purposes, it is also excellent because you can work with video lessons very well, and they can be displayed on a tablet at a convenient size, fitting on a music stand.
Depending on your instrument, a laptop might fit better on your instrument and may have an even larger screen. So, if you have a relatively deep but large space on your instrument, a laptop would be perfect.
There are also other reasons why a device like a tablet, smartphone, or computer can be beneficial for practicing. For example, it is a great exercise to occasionally record yourself while playing. It can be an audio recording or even a video recording. You don't have to show or play it for anyone else, but you get valuable feedback about yourself. For example, you can check if you are sitting at the instrument correctly with a healthy posture and also judge how your piano playing sounds. However, it is essential not to be overly critical. On the one hand, you should be a little critical because you want to improve, but on the other hand, we often tend to be too critical of ourselves. Keep that in mind. After all, it should be fun! If you are too critical of yourself, know that you are not alone. So, please don't be too hard on yourself.
Another useful application of having a computer close to your instrument is that you can control very high-quality piano sounds in the computer with most digital and electric pianos. We are talking about virtual instruments or software instruments. These computer programs are partly free or cost up to around €200. However, you get the sound of the best concert grand pianos in the world, which would cost over €100,000 if you were to buy them in real life. Of course, there is still a difference between having the real instrument or using software, but if you connect some headphones to the computer, the experience is, in my opinion, already very good. Personally, I often use such software instruments.
5. Music Stand
Finally, it's good to have a music stand. Most pianos and keyboards have one integrated in some way. If that's not the case for you, and you want to use sheet music or notes (you don't have to use either if you don't want to play from sheet music and prefer using a laptop as a tablet), you will need a music stand.
3. Wie du dein Instrument pflegen solltest
piano tuner
Chapter 10: Additional Tips
1. How to Find the Right Teacher
How to Find the Right Piano Teacher?
First and foremost, I'm delighted that you are here, and I would be thrilled if you continue learning with my tutorials, video lessons, and courses. I have been a professional pianist and piano teacher for over 20 years and I love my job with all its aspects. You can find more about me in the next chapter 11 or by Googling my name (Thomas Forschbach).
However, my goal with this article is also to provide an impartial source of information. Here are my tips:
1. Try Different Teachers
The most important tip in this section is to try out different teachers. You don't need to pay too much attention to specific details or keep a checklist of what is better or worse with each teacher. Instead, focus on how comfortable you feel. Who do you enjoy learning from the most? Where do you feel well supported, and where does communication work best? It's essential that your teacher understands your questions and that you understand their answers and instructions.
2. Practice with Multiple Teachers and Learning Materials
It's also beneficial to practice with multiple teachers and learning materials. This has several advantages. First, no one knows everything, and second, you gain different perspectives. Personally, I constantly educate myself, remain open to new ideas, and enjoy exploring various perspectives on the same topic. I pass this knowledge on to my students, but not everyone does that, and I am not all-knowing either. Therefore, practicing with different teachers and materials is a good idea.
3. Observe Professionals and Watch Their Fingers
This third tip helped me a lot in the past, especially when there was no internet to access great information from anywhere, and finding a piano teacher was not as easy as it is today.
I once heard an interview with Michael Jackson where he said that he learned the most by closely watching his role models and other professionals. He would then go home to practice.
When I was 13 years old, I took this advice to heart, even against my parents' wishes. I used to go to the city in the evenings to find professional pianists and observe them closely while they worked. I literally watched their fingers.
For example, in a bar, I would stand next to the entrance to the restroom all evening. All the guests would ask why I was there, and the answer was simple: It was the best spot to watch the pianist's fingers. Four years later, I was the professional pianist sitting at that very piano in that bar!
4. Music Conservatory
Finally, if you aspire to a career as a professional classical concert pianist, you should have (multiple) teachers specializing in that area. Additionally, attending a music conservatory is recommended.
2. What Sleep Has to Do with Playing the Piano
The brain processes what you have learned during the day while you sleep. You will be surprised by the wonders that happen when you have slept on it for a night.
3. What movement has to do with playing the piano.
I am often asked how I manage to make my piano playing sound so soft and emotional.
Here is my secret: Relaxation!
On one hand, playing the piano is an excellent way to unwind and relax from everyday life.
On the other hand, the same applies in reverse.
For many years, I have been taking a one-hour walk every day.
4. How to practice effectively & the magic of small practice segments
In this section, we will discuss a very inconspicuous tip. It is a technique that is often underestimated, yet incredibly valuable.
It's about the magic of small practice segments, or rather, the "right" practice segments.
Let me explain it to you.
There are three types of piano students. The third type is by far the rarest because hardly anyone knows this tip. However, it is also the most powerful way to practice and can make a huge difference in your progress at the piano.
Piano student number 1 makes a typical mistake. This person practices a piece from the beginning, and if they make a mistake, they start again from the beginning.
Piano student number 2 knows that it is better to practice a complete piece by focusing on small sections. They select 2 or 4 measures and repeat those measures over and over. If they make a mistake, they start again from the beginning of those 2 or 4 measures and repeat until they get it right.
Piano student number 3 knows the tip and trick we are talking about here. These students understand that every piece has easier and more difficult passages. The difficult passages need to be repeated, but the easier ones do not. It is a complete waste of time to repeat the easy passages as often as the difficult ones. However, this is exactly what students 1 and 2 do. This can lead to the fatal result that they lose interest and motivation to continue practicing because it simply takes too long for them to play a new piece, or they get stuck on easy pieces.
Instead, piano student 3 (brace yourself) makes progress up to 1000 times faster and learns difficult passages and pieces in a very short time.
It is one of the reasons why some beginners manage to play songs like "River Flows in You" or the soundtrack from the movie "Amelie," even though these pieces are not considered beginner-friendly.
I break down these songs into the right small practice segments for them. And step-by-step, they reach their goal.
But how do you find these "right" practice segments?
Quite simply... in all my tutorials, courses, and video instructions, these practice segments are an important and significant part. It is indeed not quite easy to find these segments by yourself without having a comprehensive music-theoretical knowledge of the song you want to practice.
However, you will always get that from me.
Either I provide you with the specific practice segments (often without you even realizing it), and later, over time, you will learn how to find these segments yourself.
5. Avoid these typical beginner mistakes!
Chapter 11: About Your Teacher
1. This pianist is fun!
"If you want to have a really good time and experience many artists, then you should go to Thomas Forschbach!" (Barbara Schöneberger, Germany's No. 1 TV Host)
Take a look at the following video to see a small excerpt from one of my concerts.
For me, one thing is always clear: Life is too short not to have fun and do what you want. That's why I sometimes rappel down from the ceiling to play the piano upside down during concerts and always go through life with a smile."
2. "More Than 1500 Live Performances - What a Pianist Experiences"
3. Duets with Plácido Domingo, Shakira & Germany's Soccer Goal Keeper & World Champion Manuel Neuer
As pianists, we have the advantage of gaining an exclusive glimpse behind the scenes. When everyone else is already at home, the lights are out, and the power is off, the piano is still alive, and that's when some otherwise shy personalities emerge from the shadows.
This has led to some very special moments.
For example, I sang the worldwide hit "We are the world" together with national goalkeeper Manuel Neuer. I met Shakira completely unadorned during rehearsal. And meeting Plácido Domingo was also a truly special moment for me.
Here, Franz Beckenbauer didn't quite know how he felt when I asked him to sing the Cologne hit "Viva Colonia."
At this moment, Sarah Engels and Pietro Lombardi were still a couple and particularly enjoyed how delicately I played the keys. (Notice the friendly gentleman at the piano 🙂 )
4. More Than 350,000 piano students on YouTube.
Chapter 12: How to proceed from here in the best way.
1. More Courses & Beyond...
You can probably imagine that the journey with the piano is infinite.
And that's exactly what it is!
It can always go on. You can always discover more. And I can promise you this: It's beautiful and it never gets boring!
But how should you proceed now with so many possibilities?
1. If you haven't done so yet, get my free Piano Crash Course now. It will guide you step by step. In the beginning, you'll find the most important exercises for beginners, and later on, I'll introduce you to more possibilities and step-by-step instructions, depending on what you want to learn and pursue further. (Do you want to learn to play your favorite songs? Learn improvisation? Improve and speed up your music reading? You can learn everything, but it's best to take it one step at a time. In many small steps that won't overwhelm you.)
Here's the page where you can sign up for free.
2. If you already know that you want more and want to immerse yourself fully in the world of piano playing, you can also purchase a premium course from me on my website werdemusiker.de. Here's the page.
For the starting point, I recommend my course "Piano Complete." After that, you can learn with my course "The Art of Sight-Reading" and then move on to my course "Tips & Tricks for Advanced Players."
By doing so, you're not only supporting my work but also getting a course that I'm sure you'll love. And because I mean that sincerely and would rather have one less customer than an unhappy one, each of these courses comes with a 60-day money-back guarantee.
If you have any questions, you can always write me an email at [email protected].
I love hearing from my piano students!!
It's great to have you here, and it's wonderful that you made it to the end of this page!!
I'm sure we'll have a fantastic time together 🙂
Loved it! Thank you, danke schön, merci, tack!
Not bad at all.which means it’s really helping me
Thanks for giving us your time freely and with so much enthusiasm, even for this lesson!
Hey Sir 🙂 nc to see ur promotion on my fb’s wall.. Now i am 14 years old.. I know this basic since i in 3rd grade school.. But we have a same problem.. Lazy to practice.. Any solution? #until now i can play songs like sugar, payphone, counting stars, etc but i dont know wht i push.. Which chords etc.. I just follow the youtube by synthesia.. Hmm i just hope u will make me better 🙂
Thanks Thomas, se you soon
Yes great looking forward to continue:)))
The first chord I ever learned and even made up my own little song as a child. I always wanted to learn to play properly but never was given the chance. I’m looking forward to seeing how this all goes. Thank you.
I already know the basics but am going to follow along with you. Thanks for this site!
Hello there! Just went through the 1st lesson. I am thinking no way this is all there is to it 😉 I’m willing to stick with it though and see how serious it gets. When I played the C Chord my index finger was sticking out and up. I kept trying to keep it curled under but it had a mind of it’s own lol. Is this okay or do I need to keep working at keeping in curled under or at least not sticking out so much?
Pretty simplistic. Just the “c” chord for an entire lesson? I really like you though, and love the accent.
Thanks for my 1st lesson
Nice
Thanks for the tips. Looking forward to your next lesson.
Very informative. Looking forward to more .
Let’s keep going..
Wow so simple. You make learning fun Thank you so much.
Good info
Danke vielmals!! Das hat mir geholfen lernen, besser und ich genieße es auch!
Thank you so much for the lesson.. Actually I only know play piano with one hand and I just listen to my favorite song and try to play it even though I don’t know if it’s the right chords(it’s sound like it though). I don’t really know about chord and other stuff about piano. I think I’ll learn a lot from your other lesson.. Thank you so much…
LOVE IT !!!!! thank you very much
Thanks for this..
it’s very useful thank you so much
its nice
I think I’ll gonna love your lessons
Could you please tell me the title of the song you played in the beginning?
Awsome i cant wait to learn more
Thank you very much Merci!!!
Hi!
I’m very glad I took your course, because forma a very long time I’ve wished to learn piano. So muy hopes are high. Thank you very much!!
Hi!
I’m very glad I took your course, because for a long time I’ve wished to learn piano and now with your lessons it might be possible. Thank you so much!!
Thank you for these lessons, I wanted to learn how to play the piano for a while now and I just didn’t know where to start.
Looking forward to the next lessons, when will I be able to attend those too?
Thank you, I just bought my first keyboard (It’s a midi keyboard) and I can’t find any Instructors here in Egypt so I’m depending on you 😀 . Also My keyboard is extra weighted and since I am a complete beginner I get cramps after 1 minute of playing any Tips Maybe software that can let me play with the touch response anything will do
Thanks again 🙂
Don’t have a piano YET so practicing on a desk. ;P
Thank you very much , waiting for next lesson!
Hi Thomas
Thanks for making your lessons available. I am a late starter in piano and have just developed this interest maybe a couple of months ago. What I like about your sessions is your patience. Hope that there are many more sessions which make it easier for late beginners like me to play songs that we like.
I’m waiting for lesson 2 I hope I will get one..and I love this kind of way of piano lesson..thank you..
Ur great, can u continue the river flows in you at your channel pls
Your lesson is sooooooo great! Thanks!
Found you on You Tube and love your teaching style. I’m one year into my lessons so this particular one was not for me but I’m trying to learn your more difficult ones. Thank you!
Thank you it was very useful
gracias amigo, bien por la primera, espero la segunda 😉
Hello, I am from the Netherlands.
I love the way your explanation!
Awsome i cant wait to learn more
dearest Thomas
I learned more from you than from my music teacher.
A hug
Your doctor faithful of Rome
Enrico
Thank you very much for this first lesson. I’m exciting to see the second lesson. I’m beginner, and my project is to play “comptine d’un autre été” i have seen on youtube your tutorial, but it’s too hard for me. I don’t play with the 2 hands together. Do you think that is posiible for me a day this song? I’m trying since 3 month, but nothing to do!! Thank you Thomas for your advice. Happy new Year!
Dear Thomas,
Thank you very much! I first came across your Youtube tutorial on Comptine d’un autre ete, and I managed to play it following your instructions. I enjoyed the way you teach piano, it is great fun and I can actually learn much!
Here I am, hoping to learn more!
Best wishes for you in 2017!
kind regards,
Shuang ^^
thanks.
Thank you so much, it really helped me! And thank you for giving your time.
thanks
Thanks for my first lession waiting on the next one ,can’t waite love it!!
Young man I had one piano lesson as a child and the teacher told me never to come back I am 71 now and I think teaching me to play the piano would be the challenge of a life time . Thank you from this Scottish Transplant.
So excited to see this! I’ve always wanted to play the piano, have had some lessons but got frustrated because I felt I wasn’t getting anywhere! Haven’t done anything in years so I’m looking forward to learning from you! My name is Debbie, wife, mother and granmother from Spring, Texas USA
Thank you for the opportunity to go learn this way. I will be 70 this year and I first took lessons 20 years ago for about 9 months. I love the beginning course . Thank you.
I’mJe very excited to have this chance to learn some basic piano so that I can play a little. Thank you for making this available to me.
Thank you so much, Thomas, for your lessons !
My problem with the first one is to play C, E and G only, and evenly. The D and the F sometimes come along with the C, E and G. And my pinkie lacks strenghs. Please, have you any helpful suggestion to correct this while practicing ? Thanks again !
Kind regards,
can u recommend a siutable piano for me as abeginner , and it make abeautiful sounds like yours 🙂
Hi. I really want to learn to play, but to be honest, I tried to learn before; many years ago. My teacher gave up; she told me it was no use; so I gave up too. If I never learn it is not your fault —– it really may be no use.
Omg, you made my life so beautiful with your lessons ! Thank you ! You are awsome !
hi Thomas
thank you so much for the first lesson.
This is great! I used to play the n stopped when I was 17. I decided it was time to get back to what I wished I had never stopped. This has been a good refresher for me.
Tks
Bro! what digital piano should i buy? what digital piano you have?
I have been searching on the internet to find something I could play. I found you and you are very easy to follow. You are slow and very clear in your teaching. I just bought a used piano for $200.00 and now I am learning to play thanks to you. I am 74 years old and never played before. I just want to thank you for offering these lessons for free.
very nice thanks !!!
Thanks!
I always hated practicing too when I was younger. Now, much later in life, I only know how to play scales! I hope your lessons will help me learn fast without practicing!
I love it
Hey, Thomas I play the flute and it’s a lot of fun by my parents asked me if I wanted to take piano lessons or flute lessons and I said I not sure I will think about it and my mom said she took flute lessons but she played the flute and she wished she took piano so I wanted to ask you what would you do if you played the flute but you had the option to take flute or piano lessons. Also is it okay if I have a keyboard instead of a piano.
Thank you for sharing your talent with so much has passion. !! It’s contagious !!
Hi. I am from Azerbaijan. I liked your playing. Actually have a diploma from a music school but I can’t play any song. I just know notes. I guess I will learn how to play songs from you. Thanks a lot))
Sehr gut!
Hi! This was a really simple yet handy lesson I have learned today, I’m really excited for the next one!
so if you played the flute would you take piano or flute lessons even if you like the piano as well?
Danke schön!!!
Sir its helpful to me thank u
im so happy to be one of your student , you are so talanted and the way you teach is so wonderful
thanks u so much
Amazing! Excited to start! 😀
Awesome! Just learnt my first cord Thanks
The interactive approach is Fun.
Thank you so much for the Enthusiasm..
Looking forward for more lessons.. 🙂
Hey thomas , please help us , how can we play with both hands separately!!
Thank you very much I find your lessons very interesting and fun !!! I find it great how you look so enthusiastic during the lessons, and they’re superb !!!!
Loads of thanks from France
I’m happy to join Thamas and start learning new ideas on piano
How can improve in my hand independence?
I’m very happy to be here. Its so pretty. Thnk you klavier.
waw , thanks a lot
You are really really good!!! And you way to learn is so good!! The best!!
Thank you for your the first lesson.
It was nice to jump 6 months as you said.
Hi Thomas!I am attracted to your lesson river flower in you,but I can’t find the second part of it in the Web. Can you tell me where can I see it?Thank you !
I love it I play the french horn at my middle school and resintly just got into the mustang winds (im in 8th grade). Recently I have commited my self to play the piano as well and I think soon I can also play prucuton beuase its the samce comsept. But any ways I love it! :3
ive already learnt Yrimas river flows in 2 days coz of your video and I just started playing …..I don’t know any chords yet but thanks to your videos I’m learning a lot …THANK YOU THOMAS …. Really helped
Hey Thomas,
As a kid I’ve always loved music, especially the piano, Hearing those pieces being played so fast and beautifully moved me a bit on the inside, each and every time again. I would have loved to play myself, be able to bring that feeling onto others. Too bad we did not have the financial requirements for music lessons, and my parents weren’t too keen on music-making.
Now, many years later, I realised how important music still is to me, and now I got enough to make the ends meet.
so I finally set myself to learn the piano, thanks to you, and I will be forever greatful.
Nanook.
Dear Sir, I don’t have words to thank you, have been waiting long for such a great teacher like you and now the long waiting has come to an end
Thanks Thomas for the very helpful first lesson!
this is amazing! 🙂 I really appreciate it! my sis had one for years and never knew how to use it so she gave it to me
Thank you so much for your piano tutorials on youtube.
As a child I’ve played the piano by improvisation (like a lot of kids) but I didn’t had the courage to really learn how to play…
When I became 29 years old, I said to myself: just do it, now!
It’s because of you that I can play ‘Comptine d’un autre été’ just in 4 weeks.
You are amazing Thomas. The best online teacher. My dream came true.
Ricardo thank you so much God bless you
EASY!!! look forward to other lessons please send them soon!
Thanks!!!!!!
ps. should i practice chords with both hands?
I love this teaching. this is amazing!
Hey Thomas, I love the way your videos are set up, how you personally walk through the whole song is so much more efficient than other online programs. Do you take suggestions for songs for future videos? Anyways thanks for the lessons, I love them.
Thanks so much for the lesson! I am enjoying this very much and I guess for me, you’ll be that ‘special teacher’ ♡
Great stuff. I love your teaching style.
Thanks, I am looking forward to future lessons.
Hello, your explaination are veruy clear. Thks
How do i get the second lesson?
Love you site pls continue teaching me Thanks again
I have been takeing lessons for years and still can only know how to play a few songs. need to learn more about cords and etc. thanks carolyn
Im new to the piano and i cant wait to learn but my fingers and wrists are not moving the way i need them 2 i am wondering if their is any kind of exercises that i can do to make my fingers more flexible
Wow, that was a lot more difficult than I thought it would be. I loved the lesson though. I look forward to the next one!
You were blessed with great talent. I wish I could play just a little bit like you. Great music.
I play a little bit of the piano all ready i want to continue where i was but it was great.
You are just great Thomas , thanks
Thank you for sharing your talent with us. I am a single mom of 2 girls with one that has cancer. I work 18 hour a day 7 days a week. I was in badly need of a stress reliever or a diversion. I got inspired by Yurima’s live performance of the river flows in you, i told my self i need to learn that, i found your tutorial video and in a week i learned it. Oh by the way i have no backround in music, i dont know how to read notes or chords, i only play by ear, but because of your enthusiasm and sincerity i was able to learn. So again thank you! 🙂 i have my diversion and it was an inspiration. 🙂
wonderful, im really amazed!!! cant wait to move forward
Thank you dear teacher
Thank you. Very helpful lesson for a beginners like me. Grateful.
Thanks Sir so much for the first lesson you presented….I loved it …And I hope I will learn to play it perfectly.
Thank you so much for my first piano lesson. Am going to practice and have fun doing it!
Thanks a lot.I am in my 50’s. I have been playing keyboard but without any formal training.
Thanks for being my first TEACHER.
The first lesson was good. How can I get 2nd lesson?
Forschbach Thanks for you for the good work. I am 11 years starter of Music as a subject.
Cheers
Thanks sir
I haven’t play a piano but i would love to learn. Thanks for this first lesson.
Sir,
I’m really looking forward to learn piano lesson from you.
Great! Thanks Mr. Thomas. Gbu.
How to play a piano fluently sir its very defecault for me for this say any solutions
Thanks! nice intro for this lesson.
Thankyou sir for the first lesson. Hoping to learn more informative and interesting lessons from you…
Thank you sir, for the first lesson. Hoping to learn informative and interesting lessons from you.!
Very talented teacher! I love the way you teach and very simple step to be learn. I hope I will get a great way of playing piano from you ! Thank you!
thanks for ur piano lesson thomas
Thanks for the first lesson, I must admit it’s difficult to curl fingers, but that’s what practice is about especially at 73.
Oh god i think you’re the best human in the world you’re my best teacher , i don’t know how to say it but ( you’re the best, please keep going and be aware that we are here for you ) and about my english , i am sorry if there’s in mistakes cause i am arabian and thanks 🙂
I liked it very much. Thanks
I liked it. Thank you
Thank you so much for the first piano lesson. 🙂
Hey I was wondering if you could do a song request ..?
Hello Thomas,
I enjoy your story and im so exited you to teach me how to play piano i dont understand you but anyways its my daughter’s dream
Thank you! I am really motivated to play piano, thanks for the help!!
Hello! When are you sending the next lesson? ( i didn’t quite get that sry) thanks! By the way amazing first lesson I really love it!
Thomas, I got the first lesson and practiced it. When should I expect the next lesson?
The best piano teacher !!!
That was amazing and immense fun!!! Thank you so much for this opportunity ♥️
-m.g.
Hi 🙂 ich bin auf dich Aufmerksam geworden als ich mein erstes Keyboard jetzt zu Weihnachten bekommen habe. Hab River flows von dir entdeckt und seit 1 er Woche nichts anderes mehr gesehen 🙂
Ich komme sehr gut voran und wollte mal schauen was deine Videos noch so zeigen.
Habe mich gerade bei dir angemeldet und das erste Video bekommen.
Dank deines River flows bin ich natürlich nun schon etwas weiter. ;P
Nun zu meiner Frage: wann bekomme ich die nächsten Videos und sind die ähnlich anspruchsvoll wie River flows?
Nochmal vielen Dank, dafür dass es auch noch umsonst ist 🙂
Ich finde das ist eine tolle Sache und das sind super Videos.
Habe sehr schnell Erfolge erreicht und es macht mir riesig Spaß mich jeden Abend nach deinen Videos anlernen zu lassen 😉
Grüße
Daniel
Lovely lessons to learn 🙂 great jobs 🙂 thanks you a lot
Hello Thomas,
I just had my first lesson, not really but after almost 50 years.
I’m an “elderly ” lady and I made a promise to my friends that I will give them a “concert ” before is too late. So, as you can guess, learning to play the piano is one of a few requirements on my “bucket list”.
I have plenty time to practise and I’m hoping you can help me.
I have selected you for your calmness and for speaking slow.
Sincerely,
Ilona
Hello Thomas,
I have received your first lesson and i enjoyed it. Learning to play the piano is on my “bucket list “. I have plenty time and now when i decided it’s time to learn I’m ready for the challenge. How often can i be receiving your lessons?
I won’t disappoint you.
Sincerely,
Ilona
Thank you so much
Hi, Thomas!
Thank you so much for your piano tutorials! I have never imagined myself playing the piano, although I have always dreamt of. But with your help and a lot of practice I have learnt to play Fur Elise….well, not the whole song…just studying the five parts. I am really excited about that and eager to learn the whole song, and not only.
Is it possible to have a piano tutorial on La Boheme, Charles Aznavour?
Thank you!
All the best,
Mirela
Thomas Thank you very much . I am 50 yrs old , learning how to play piano. Love your music .Great job
Hey Thomas
I hope we have a great time together
you are a great teacher you let the piano so easy
Thank you very much
Thanks for your generosity! I will absorb all the possible knoledge from your lessons! Thanks alot.
Hi dear Thomas, i found you a divine teacher and your fir elise tutorial lesson very attractive.
I have veen through piano class last 2 years but actually i feel that i need to know more details in a categorised way. Thank you very much for being fun and friendly
thankyou sir
I can understand a lot through ur lessons
This is actually awesome. I wanted to learn and I was just on YouTube trying to figure all this out, then I saw you’re video. It directed my to your program! And it said it was FREE. So I tried it. Now here I am. I was confused at first but, now I’m understanding thanks to your video here.
this music you played at first made me get so emotional and so ready to do anything just to play this magical way ❤
I actually dunno anything about reading music sheets, chords, and these things… I just play piano following synthesia on youtube and I was so proud that I played something finally but later I feel like that’s not the music .. I don’t enjoy this .. I knew it was the wrong way to learn .. then I finally found someone who gives free lessons on the internet… thanks a lot, sir I hope I can play like you one day
can I reach this lesson after some lessons later?
should I use same fingers that we used in this lesson?
hi, thanks for everything, i have watched all of your videos and i liked them. plz keep making more
hi, thanks for everything, i have watched all of your videos and i liked them. plz keep making more
Wow! This website is great! thank you, i actually watched the river flows in you tutorial u made, and i am practicing. So thank u so much! ☺
I watch lots of people who trying to teach piano but I think you are the right address. Hope that I can learn so much things from you and teach the other people as much as I can.
Always be with music… 🙂
Really good. Enjoyed watching the lesson. Can u please teach me unravel from Tokyo ghoul I learned the easy part from your YouTube video I now want to learn the full song so please help me!
Really good. Enjoyed watching the lesson. Can u please teach me unravel from Tokyo ghoul I learned the easy part from your YouTube video I now want to learn the full song so please help me! Thank you
Hai Thomas, it was great and i learned a lot from lesson 1 and i hope i have so much to learn piano coming to you Mr.Thomas
Hello Thomas,
It all started with Amelie Poulain… 🙂 Now I am glad that I can learn to play the piano thanks to you Thomas! When I got the time I am practising! Hope to meet you one day at one of your concerts. Greetings, Jurgen & Diane
Thanks you so much. Just started the first lesson hire after spending 100+ hours on YouTube for mastering your tutorial on ” river flows in you” I’m an beginner and it doesn’t feel like I have any talent. But I love the sound of a piano. And happy with, how the song sounds while I play it.
Looking forward to your lesson s.
Thanks again.
Thomas thank for the easy and simple lesson. I’d love to keep going and learn how to play the piano like a pro.
I have always wanted to be a musician since I was a kid, but life got in the way. Now decades later, as an adult more in control of my life, I can consecrate the time (and the discipline) There are many good tutorials on Youtube along with many good teachers. But YOU, Thomas, may be the magician that makes a pianist out of me. Let’s see how long it takes me…Vielen Dank!
Hi. Sir I liked it
Glad to be one of your students
Hi Thomas, leider läuft das Video bei mir nicht…hab einen Apple …vielleicht liegst ja daran..
🙂 Grüße aus München
I had been interested in playing piano for a long time, but had lack of motivation for the practice. I recently got a 1953 Hamilton piano from a friend, I spent days reconditioning it and I love it! I hope to bring the piano back to life by learning how to play it, and your recorded lessons gave me the final push and hope to practice. Thanks!
Hello SIR ..
I am Priyanshu Srivastava from India .. and i just really love your lessons.. videos
Actually this lesson was quiet easy .. coz i ve been playing piano now for a while.. luv u sir.. u are gr8
I wanted to share my story with u .. a success that is only for me and u specially.. how do i do it
hi, greetings from India.
Hi,sir I’m from India, I have learned many lessons from YouTube channel and now I’m here to learn more of paino ……..! . Sir Plz WISH me luck that one day I can also play the piano like you OK Bye…SIR..
Very nice easy and slow that means a lot to a beginner to go slow so we can catch on plus sounding out the keys great just wish your keys were labeled on the top
Thank you very much can you do more classical pieces for beginner and intermediate. Thank you
thanku for the first lesson
Thank you Sir, I really want to play the piano and I am looking forward to learn a piano lesson from you.
Hi Thomas
Thank you for the lessons.
you are awesome.
Hello Thomas. I’m 40 years old, never studied any music, and with a very busy life. Is my first time getting in touch with piano and love it. Thank you very much, for helping others.
Regards.
hiiii
im from iran and thats really good for me tank you at all and can you send me more practice.
hope to see you really
tanks.
I am so happy I have found you on the internet. It has been my desire all my life to play piano. I am a senior now and am able to devote time to this but could not get passed all the theory before starting a song. You have made it easy to do and your English is clear and precise so it is a pleasure to listen to your instructions. Thank you for sharing your wonderful talent with so many of us.
Sincerely Old joe crow
I learned from this and I have always wanted to learn piano
Thanks for the free lessons! it helps a lot!
You are a good teacher and also inspiration person. I hope you can keep up your good work on youtube and your lessons
Thank you very much, Thomas.
It’s a nice chord. But I have wonder note C on piano, I always use C4 because I count the first C note on left is it right or wrong? why note C3 ?
Best regards,
Thanks ❤️
I really loved this!
Dear Thomas, sir,
This is a wonderful idea…to spread the joy of music to everyone . I am 15 years ild, my birthday was 27th August, and I go for professional lessons, and give a theory and a practical exam every year with the Associated Board Of the Royal Schools of music(ABRSM). I am set to give my grade three exam in December, and I must say your lesson have proved to be a HUGE boon. Please never stop., .
Love,
Donovan Dexter Figg
I love your teaching way VERY much
THANK YOU for provide your piano lesson for FREE
your forver friend in China
Hi sir
I like your teaching
I am from one village, here have internet problem.
So can I download your all basic lessons.
first 3 steps done.
awaiting the next proceed.
I learn piano for like 3 weeks but I already know all the major and miner chords so can you tell me some ways to make it sound better and how to use it in the songs.
hi Thomas
thanks for your lesson but I want to know how to play some hard songs
I also want to know how to use the chords in the songs
Sincerely
Yuchen Pan
Hi! I’m from Finland and i want to learn how to play piano…
My dad bought me this piano because i wanted it so badly, and i can play it pretty well, like i know a few chords, but i want to learn to play them correctly! Thank you for helping me 🙂 Also i love your videos!
Hi sir! I am from the Philippines. I am so happy and thankful that I found an online piano teacher for free since I cannot afford to hire a piano teacher. I am willing to learn more piano lessons from you because I want to learn more about piano and I want to try to produce musics too (if I can do it) since I love music. I want to make my mama proud too.
thank you very much for your classes.
Great fun 1. 3. 5. Keys for cords in asimple way start from c key
Hey T
Thanks for the free lessons 🙂
I also learnd your first part of river flows in you…i love it
Thanks!
Hahaha you ended with: Cee you✌
hello! do you need a super piano lesson !! do you think you could do Disturbed-The Sound of silence? the second part does not really come out. thank you in advance
My c3 doesn’t work what do I do
Hello
I am a grade 1 student and your piano lessons have really helped me.
I was hoping whether you could send the music sheet for fur elise .
Thank you.
Hey there Thomas. Just wanted to ask you about when I can get my next lesson.
Dear Thomas,
Today I have come across you teaching ‘Rivercflows in you’ – wonderful.
Where can I get hold of the sheets to support my playing?
I have been learning from your tutorials on YouTube and now I have joined your course. Great to be here
Thank you Thomas for this lesson. I think this unique lessons very beneficial to me.
Hello dear Thomas
i am Mongolian Beginner i like your lessons so much but i need one special song for my girlfriend i can play songs like amelie, river flows in you, the pirate, victor’s solo and i need only one song for my girlfriend help me please.
Great one… looking forward for next lesson..
Thank you so much for this crashcourse. I can’t afford regular piano lessons and I’ve always wanted to play the piano. You’re an amazing teacher, I’ve learned so much from your tutorials 🙂
Thank you so much for making me to be your piano student, i realy like you please change my life with your lessons, God bless you
Thankyou for the free lesson. I just purchased your course. How long does it normally take to arrive?
Hi Thomas, I bought your program yesterday and I appriciate your effort to help me/others to put Music in the World. I looked in to the first practize yesterday and I allready learnt things that is giving me trust in Learning more. Just want to say thanks 🙂
Danke Schon for the first lesson!
What is the best position for the fingers one is not using? Please advise.
Thanks again
Maria
Came after spending this week learning river flows excited to learn more about the piano rather than just playing songs.
You are amazing! I did not have idea how to play on a piano, but after you “For Elise” tutorial I made this! Thank you!!!!
Thank you for the lesson but I couldn’t find lesson number 2
Hi Thomas. I’m looking forward my second lesson. Thank you for your help. I love playing piano.
Thank you very much! Great!
This is awesome. Can’t wait for the next lesson <3
Bsd
Hi there!
Thank you for the first lewson. Found it really helpful. Looking forward to # 2!
Bsd
Hi there!
Thank you for the first lesson. Found it really helpful. Looking forward to # 2!
Thank you so much sir Thomas ……….i just love the way you played the piano ……and you are a great pianist and teacher
Thank you so much sir Thomas ……….i loved the way you teach and played the piano…….and you are a great pianist and teacher ..May God bless you
Teachers usually speak a complicated language. You have a very accessible presentation for beginners. Thank you so much.
It really help me thanks for leason it motivate me
Hi Thomas
Thank you very much for your kind, excellent, piano teaching effort. I am a Sri Lankan. Really appreciate your help.
Thank you so much! U are my inspiration ! 🙂
Thanks I love it
thank u so so so much
Thank you Thomas for the course…my dream will come true!:)
I sent you a personal e-mail… I cannot begin to tell you what this means to me and I am honored
to learn from the best..>thank you so so much…You are a wonderful teacher and I love your
accent…Merci beaucoup 🙂
I just started learning Fur Elise and came across your lessons. Very informative and enjoyable. However, I notice that all other lessons are in german which unfortunately I don’t understand. Am I correct? Thank you.
HinThomas,
Agnes here from the Netherlands, I’m 49 and decided to learn to play piano. Thanks to you I’m almost through “The RiverFlows in You”. Who would have thought.
But I’m humble and want to learn everything from the beginning, so I’m here.
Thank you!
Wow! Love it! Please when am I getting Lesson 2
Hi Thomas,
Just done my 1st lesson. And I love it I’m 65 years old and all my life I have wanted to play the piano.
I can’t wait to be able to play a song. I just bought a Player Pianola I am so excited. I also love to listen to it.
There no way I could pay for lesson and I saw your program and my heart dropped
I thank so much you make it look easy and fun !!!
Thank you,
Bernice
Sir it was very to have you. I’m growing up from these lessons and your youtube channel also
Thank you for bieng me sir
Hello sir,
I have completed my first lesson and I loved it.please send me the next lesson and I want both hand exercise in your videos.
Hi Thomas, I’m from Brazil. I learned how to play River Flows in you in five days with your two lessons. I’m really happy, thanks a lot!! I’m sure that I’ll learn a lot with this lessons ☺️
Julia
Hi Thomas .I’m from China. Thanks for your lessons.I could play piano by confidence.and practice easily every day.I enjoy myself with piano.I had a dream when I was a young children.I like play piano but my parents didn’t have enough money to get it .so I grow up now ,I have a piano now ,the question is how to play it .You make all the things come easy.Thanks a lot!
Brilliant teaching. Pls send me next lesson
Hi Great Thomas Froschbach! First of all, my CONGRATULETIONS by your fantastic website/course/technique! Its was a surprising pleasure to me find your website! I’m from Rio de Janeiro/Brazil and started learning your amazinbg “Pour Elise L.V.B. tutorial”. Unfortunately I found only 6 lessons, which includes only the initial pieces part. How can I receive the next lessons (following the # 6 tutorial) in order to complete my knowledge about it? I will be very happy receiving this information. If I should pay for it, doens’t matter to me, once you let me know how much and how to pay. Thank’s my new and great teacher.
Hmmm….It was very nice. You are really doing a good job,sir. But,what if, you add subtitles to your videos…You know,it gets a problem to concentrate at both keyboard sound and video sound at same time
Thanks for this tutorial, I know that you will be my last stop to playing good sounds out of piano.
Looking forward for my next lesson.
Much grateful
Thank u so mush its so kind of u to give these free lessons ❤️
Hello Thomas! thank you for your lessons. I am in France and it helps me to enrich my stay home time!!
How much time do I have to wait between every email for a course?
Whoaa, thank you Sir.
Im from Indonesia and this is my first lesson hehe
Thank you
Thank you 1st lesson completed
Hi,Thomas I am loving to play piano because_of you your teaching is very good and very clear thanks for giving free lessons
Hi sir,
Thank you for the piano lessons sir ,I’m REALLY interested in piano. I’m waiting for my next lesson .
Woahhh!! Thank you so much sir really enjoyed it
I joined your class weeks ago but really haven’t gotten time to check through all your the mail you have been sending, but today due the the quarantine am happy to announce I never regret coming back here to the very first mail you sent cause it was really worth the time.. I love how you teach and most especially how you made the whole teaching less complicated for a lazy learner like me… thanks a lot for this piece
lemme hope the rest gets more fun
Hello sir.. Sir thank you for your precious time.. I really want to learn it & i love it to play… But i haven’t piano with me… O practice it on my cell phone
Hi Thomas, Thank you for Lesson number 1. I enjoyed it very much. I have not yet received the second lesson but I am looking forward to it
Thank you again
Phil
Hi Thomas . Thanks for a great first lesson.. I noticed you used your left hand in the video.. is that the correct way to learn or are you left handed? I’ am right handed but I guess that doesn’t make any difference when learning to play ?
Kind regards
Paul
I did my first lesson but I am already playing piano for a little while so this excersise is too easy for me. Is it possible to send me a couple of lessons at the same time? I would be very glad.
Hi Thomas.
I am 18 and i felt very embarrassed to learn piano at this age, but your videos are very intresting and motivating. I subscribed a long back but never got a chance to learn but now due to lockdown its all possible. And now i can’t stop myself from learning hehe.
Thank You a lot.
Hope one day I’ll be as good as you.
Thank you very very much Thomas for my first time learning the piano licence .
Wow!!!! Its awesome !!!! I having no words to say thanks to you thomas.
Your teaching make so easy to learn.
Thank you soooooo much for the first lesson.. waiting for the second one…
Thank you Thomas. I really liked your method .It’s different 😀
I want your lessons, but I must belive that order is pay to you and what I receive? … I hope it’s real and I can learn to lay piano like I wish
I really like the way you teach. When are you sending Lesson2
Hi Thomas,
Thank you for your free lessons! Never in my life did I imagine that one day I will be able to play piano and it’s all because of you!
You make it so simple and on point.
Hello. I am 27 years old beginner from Lithuania ^_^
I enjoyed the first lesson.
Looking forward for second one
Hi Thomas..Thank you very much for the first tutorial..And also thanks for sharing ur experience with us.. I was actually starting to feel that I’m not good at playing piano.. But thanks to you, you motivated us to play piano!
First day and first lesson can’t wait for more! I will not give up on my dreams
Thank you Thomas for offering this crash course. It was easy to understand .
Thank you so much for this…. was waiting for proper lessons and I found this….hope it goes well!
Hi Thomas,
I wanna say thank you for making these crash course for us beginners. I appreciate all the time and effort your put in these videos.
cheers from Australia!
thank you so much for the free lessons.
I loved it!
Hi thomas thank you very much for your wonderful , easy way of explaning ,it makes learning so interesting .
Ps .i completed my first class , where do i get the second class ?
thank you so much for this, i’ve watched a lot of your videos in youtube it’s all so cool and it inspires me to keep practicing harder and harder! love you so much ^w^
I saw your first video and imedllanly came here for lessons . I’m 13 and I love your video and am glad I’m here because it is very easy