Learning piano for beginners should start with a song, not a lecture. This free course teaches you one, Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star, on your own piano. It is never too late to start.
You play first. The theory arrives in small doses, one idea at a time, until you can read the sheet music you have been playing by ear.
The course, step by step
The course starts with one key and ends with a scale. You learn to play by ear before you learn to read.
Step 2 is the odd one. You get no sheet music at all, just the sound, and you hunt for the notes yourself. It feels like cheating. It is how most people learned songs before paper was cheap.
What else you'll learn
Besides playing by ear and the basics of sheet music, you pick up three things on the way: the treble and bass clefs, time signatures and measures, and the C major scale.
No hardware is needed to start: the early lessons work on the on-screen keyboard, so you can begin today and buy a MIDI keyboard later. Each section has music to play with one plugged in.
Before you begin
Sit well. Posture at the piano is not fussiness; it is what stops your wrists hurting in week two. The proper piano posture guide takes two minutes.
Ready to play?
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Getting started with Chordzy: Learn piano with the free Chordzy app: no hardware needed to start. Play in your browser on the on-screen piano or a MIDI keyboard, with no account.
Sheet Music: Free piano sheet music, hand-picked so it reads easily and sounds good: scales, chords, beginner songs, folk tunes, Beethoven. Download PDFs or play in Chordzy.
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Lessons: Learn piano online for free at any age: play a real song first, and let the app check each note so you learn faster than practicing alone.
More in This Section
Playing Music with Each Hand: How to play piano with both hands: the treble clef is usually on the upper staff and played with the right hand (on piano). Here are some in-app exercises.
How to Read Piano Sheet Music: How to read piano sheet music: treble and bass clefs, lines and spaces, the grand staff, ledger lines, and finding each note on the keys.
The C Major Scale: The C major scale on piano in open position: the notes, right- and left-hand fingering, the thumb crossing, and how to practice it so it sounds like music.
The White Keys: Your very first piano lesson with Chordzy: the notes on the white keys, C to B, starting with middle C under your right thumb.
Teach Yourself Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star: Learn Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star on piano by ear, no theory first: easy beginner piano sheet music, feedback without judgment, and Mozart along for the ride
Music in This Lesson...
Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star (Piano): Twinkle Twinkle Little Star sheet music for piano, simplified for beginners: C major, twelve bars, easy left-hand chords. Play it in your browser with Chordzy.
C Major Scale (Piano): The C major scale is C D E F G A B C, with no sharps and no flats. Notes, piano fingering for both hands, key signature and chords. Play it here.