Complete Piano
A complete piano path for adult self-learners — from keyboard geography, reading, and technique to harmony, accompaniment, styles, performance, and instrument care.
8 sections · 68 lessons
Meet the Instrument
6 articles- 01
Choosing a Piano and Setting Up
Compare an acoustic piano, an 88-key weighted digital piano, and a compact keyboard, then set up a stable practice space you can use every day.
- 02
Bench, Posture, and Relaxed Hands
Set bench distance and height, keep a neutral wrist and relaxed shoulders, and use a three-position check before playing.
- 03
Keyboard Map and Note Names
Use black-key groups and the terminal-key exception to find every C, name the seven notes A-G, and complete a timed note-finding route.
- 04
How the Piano Makes Sound and Its Pedals
Compare acoustic and digital sound paths, identify three pedals, and hear the sustain pedal's effect in a controlled C-G pattern.
- 05
Finger Numbers and the First Five-Note Shape
Place right-hand fingers 1-5 on C4-G4, keep a relaxed hand, and play an even five-note pattern up and down.
- 06
Checkpoint: Practice Habits and First Piece
Plan a short practice session, play an eight-measure right-hand piece in C position, and assess pulse, posture, and one correction.
Read Notes and Play First Pieces
10 articles- 07
Staff Lines, Spaces, and Clefs
Recognize five lines, four spaces, and the roles of the treble and bass clefs on the piano grand staff.
- 08
Grand Staff, Middle C, and Ledger Lines
Connect C4 on the keyboard with middle C in both clefs and understand how ledger lines extend the grand staff.
- 09
Landmark Notes and Reading Direction
Use C4, G4, and F3 as landmarks to read upward, downward, and repeated motion by staff distance.
- 10
Quarter, Half, and Whole Notes
Count, hold, and play one-beat quarter notes, two-beat half notes, and four-beat whole notes in 4/4.
- 11
Rests, Measures, and 4/4 Time
Maintain pulse through quarter, half, and whole rests while reading barlines and the 4/4 time signature.
- 12
Right-Hand C Position
Read and play C4-G4 in treble clef with right-hand fingers 1-5 while keeping your eyes on the score.
- 13
Left-Hand C Position
Read and play C3-G3 in bass clef with left-hand fingers 5-1 as pitches ascend in C position.
- 14
Steps, Skips, and Repeated Notes
Recognize steps, skips, and repeated notes from staff contour and sight-read six short cells in C position.
- 15
Pickup Measures, Ties, and Repeats
Count a pickup, sustain a tie across a barline, and follow repeat signs in an original eight-measure phrase in 4/4.
- 16
Checkpoint: First Two-Hand Piece
Read and perform a 16-measure C-position piece that alternates hands before coordinating both hands in the final system.
Rhythm and Coordination
8 articles- 17
Eighth Notes and Eighth Rests
Divide each beat into 1-and, read beamed eighth notes, and keep counting through eighth rests in an original four-measure pattern.
- 18
Dotted Notes and Longer Ties
Calculate dotted durations, sustain ties across beats and barlines, and play an original eight-measure phrase in 4/4.
- 19
3/4 Time and Waltz Pulse
Feel strong–light–light in 3/4 and play an original twelve-measure waltz study with both hands.
- 20
6/8 and 12/8 Time
Group eighth notes into two or four dotted-quarter beats and distinguish the compound-meter feel of 6/8 from 12/8.
- 21
Triplets and Swing Eighths
Play even triplets, compare straight and swing eighths, and understand that triplet-based long–short timing is a flexible approximation.
- 22
Sixteenth Notes and Basic Syncopation
Divide a beat as 1-e-and-a, read sixteenth-note beams, and sustain emphasis across a weak subdivision in an original four-measure pattern.
- 23
Hands-Together Coordination
Use a reduce–align–rebuild process to combine different rhythms between the hands in an original eight-measure study.
- 24
Checkpoint: Two Rhythmic Feels
Perform two complete original pieces—one straight 4/4 and one compound 6/8—and evaluate pulse, duration, and coordination.
Scales, Keys, and Movement
8 articles- 25
Whole Steps, Half Steps, and Major Scales
Use the W–W–H–W–W–W–H formula to build C, G, and F major correctly on paper and at the keyboard.
- 26
C Major Scale and Thumb Crossing
Play a one-octave C major scale with each hand using the course fingering and prepare each thumb crossing before the landing note.
- 27
Sharps, Flats, and Naturals
Read, locate, and spell sharp, flat, and natural notes while separating written note names from their physical piano keys.
- 28
Key Signatures and the Circle of Fifths
Connect the C, G, and F key signatures to their positions on the complete circle of fifths and identify the key in six examples.
- 29
G Major Position and Scale
Play a one-octave G major scale with each hand using F♯, the course fingering, and an original phrase in G.
- 30
F Major Position and Scale
Play a one-octave F major scale with each hand using B♭, its distinct right-hand fingering, and an original phrase in F.
- 31
Moving Beyond Five-Finger Positions
Prepare, move, and land accurately in an original eight-measure study that travels through three keyboard regions.
- 32
Checkpoint: Playing in C, F, and G
Perform three original eight-measure mini-pieces, distinguish C/G/F key signatures, move between positions, and assess a mini-recital.
Intervals, Chords, and Voice Leading
10 articles- 33
Naming and Hearing Intervals
Count interval size by note letters, determine quality from semitones or scale context, and connect written labels with sound at the piano.
- 34
Thirds, Fifths, and Sixths
Use thirds, fifths, and sixths melodically and harmonically, then write a supporting lower voice for an original four-note melody.
- 35
Building Major and Minor Triads
Stack root, third, and fifth; distinguish major and minor formulas; and build six correctly spelled triads.
- 36
Diminished Triads and Diatonic Chords
Build a diminished triad, stack thirds on all seven C-major scale degrees, and play the complete diatonic set with correct spelling.
- 37
Roman Numerals and Chord Function
Read Roman numerals by scale degree, hear three contextual function zones, and analyze I–vi–ii–V–I in C major.
- 38
Chord Symbols and Slash Chords
Decode root, quality, seventh-chord extension, and slash bass without confusing a symbol with inversion or a specific voicing.
- 39
Triad Inversions
Identify root position, first inversion, and second inversion by bass, then practice nearby C, F, and G major shapes.
- 40
Seventh Chords and Inversions
Build four core seventh chords, recognize half-diminished m7♭5, and identify root through third inversion by bass.
- 41
Smooth Voice Leading
Retain common tones, move upper voices by small steps, and use clear single bass notes to connect C–Am–Dm–G–C.
- 42
Checkpoint: Harmonize a Melody
Analyze an original eight-measure melody, compare two complete and distinct harmonizations, and finish one defensible solution with a self-assessment.
Accompaniment and Piano Arrangement
10 articles- 43
Melody with Single Bass Notes
Keep the original 16-measure lead sheet intact while one well-balanced root bass note per measure supports the melody without covering it.
- 44
Root, Fifth, and Octave Patterns
Turn the project's held roots into root–fifth and root–octave patterns while preserving a clear pulse, register, and melodic balance.
- 45
Block Chords and Broken Chords
Move the same project voicings between simultaneous and sequential attacks while preserving spelling, bass, register, and melodic priority.
- 46
Arpeggios and Alberti Bass
Carry chord shapes through directional arpeggios and low–high–middle–high Alberti patterns across the complete 16-measure project.
- 47
Waltz and Compound-Meter Accompaniment
Compare bass–chord waltz texture in 3/4 with two felt beats in 6/8 using the same harmonic material from the arrangement project.
- 48
Pedal Changes and Clean Harmony
Practice syncopated pedal by playing first, then changing immediately after each new harmony attacks, keeping C–Am–Dm–G7 connected and clean.
- 49
Lead Sheets and Fake Books
Read the original 16-measure lead sheet through melody, chord symbols, form, and roadmap, then plan an arrangement without a commercial chart.
- 50
Intervals and Triads Below the Melody
Place thirds, sixths, and selected triads beneath the project melody while preserving every top note and avoiding low or over-dense voicings.
- 51
Upper Structures and Advanced Comping
Distinguish a split G7 voicing from a tension-bearing upper-structure triad, then plan spacious comping, fills, and wide bass for the project.
- 52
Checkpoint: Create a Piano Arrangement
Turn the original 16-measure AABA chart into a complete solo arrangement with bass, voicing, texture, pedal, intro/outro, alternatives, and rubric.
Expression, Improvisation, and Styles
8 articles- 53
Dynamics, Articulation, and Phrasing
Shape one original motif with dynamics, legato, staccato, accents, and breath points without changing its pitches or rhythm.
- 54
Interpretation and First Improvisation
Separate interpretation from improvisation, then vary original motif M within four measures using only chord tones and bounded rhythm changes.
- 55
Blues and Boogie-Woogie Piano
Follow the exact 12-bar C blues, add three original boogie bass cells and one new lick, then retain form, pulse, and clear register across three choruses.
- 56
Rock 'n' Roll Piano
Build an original rock groove from straight eighth-note pulse, compact chord attacks, root–fifth bass, and tension-free repeated-note technique.
- 57
Pop/Rock Piano
Turn an original mini-piece into a clear pop/rock piano role through register, space, density, and groove instead of imitating an artist or song.
- 58
Introduction to Jazz Piano
Use the exact Dm7–G7–Cmaj7 ii–V–I project to hear function, seventh-chord color, and voice leading before continuing into the Jazz course.
- 59
Country and Classical Approaches
Compare one original melody through country root–fifth bass and a Classical-period-inspired Alberti texture without imitating an artist.
- 60
Checkpoint: One Progression, Three Styles
Perform one eight-measure progression in exactly three complete arrangements: sustained blocks, pop/rock pulse, and a Classical-inspired broken texture.
Become an Independent Pianist
8 articles- 61
Planning and Rehearsing a Performance
Backward-plan a performance, separate repair from full runs, and complete one concrete seven-day rehearsal sheet.
- 62
Recovering from Mistakes and Showmanship
Keep pulse, use form landmarks, continue after a small error, and close a performance with composed stage behavior.
- 63
Solo, Band, and Ensemble Opportunities
Match pianist roles to solo, band, and ensemble settings, then build a practical personal opportunity checklist.
- 64
Home Recording and Studio Basics
Trace capture and monitoring routes, set input gain from the meter without clipping, and record a conservative home session.
- 65
Acoustic, Digital, and Electronic Pianos
Compare three keyboard-instrument paths by mechanism and use case, then write a model-specific requirements sheet without naming one universal best.
- 66
Piano Placement, Care, and Moving
Audit a piano location, use conservative surface care, and assign internal service and moving to qualified professionals.
- 67
Influential Pianists Across Styles
Use a selective institutional listening map to hear transferable piano traits without treating the route as a canon or copying protected material.
- 68
Final Recital, Reference, and Next Plan
Perform the exact three-piece Ledutu final program, use a checkpoint rubric and one-page reference, then follow a concrete 30-day plan.