Welcome to the Modern Piano Foundations Course!
This online video course, with accompanying digital sheet music, is for total beginners of any age. If you’re brand new, you’re in the right place! Each line of music is one daily exercise. Think of them like little “pills” from your music doctor. Take one a day, or if you have more time, take two or three. Each line builds on the one before it. Feel free to download and use the "How To Read Music On The Piano" PDF before you get started.
How the Videos Work
For each exercise, there is a video: For those who have some basic music reading skills, you will learn more quickly referring to the sheet music PDF. For those with no music reading skills, use the videos. But, every beginner will benefit from watching me play the exercises at least once so you can imitate me and the "feel" of the music. First, I play the whole line. You’ll see the “feel” and rhythm. If you’ve had some piano lessons before, this might be enough for you. Then, I break it down step by step. I show you tiny groups of notes, explain them slowly, and talk about how to move your hands. Reading music notes is optional here. I describe everything out loud and show you on the keyboard.
How to Practice
Watch the video. Look carefully at how I play—watch even my arms and wrists. Look at for the "Hopping Baseball Hands" video after exercise 1. Imitate me. Try to copy not just the notes, but also the way I move. Play slowly, very slowly. See the notes in your mind first. Imagine playing them before your fingers touch the keys. At first, it may feel slow. But slow is the secret! Over time, your hands will move on their own.
Practice Mantras
Here are some sayings to keep in mind: “Play so slowly that it’s impossible to play a wrong note.” “Pretend you are underwater—play in slow motion.” “Play one note (or chord), stop, relax, then find the next one. Never rush.”
Using Pedal
If you can, press the pedal down and change your pedal each time your left hand changes a chord. This will cause each exercise to sound more pleasing and smooth. Sometimes the chords change at the beginning of each measure (every four beats). But other times, the chords change every half measure (every two beats). See if you can decide when it sounds good to change the pedal. Changing the pedal means to lift your foot off of it at the same moment your left hand plays a new chord or bass note. Then, before your left hand comes off that new chord or note, your pedal foot should "catch" it by pressing down again. All of this happens together very fast, but the helpful order to say is this: "Note, Up, Down"
Building Speed
Once you can play the line smoothly at a slow pace, watch my video again. This time, listen for the TEMPO (that’s the music word for “speed”). Try to match it. But don’t rush into playing the whole line fast. Instead: Play small chunks (2–5 notes at a time). Repeat those chunks again and again until they feel easy. Find your “weak spots” (a hard chord jump, or a tricky run of notes). Focus on those and practice them until they are smooth.
Important Rule
Do not move to the next line until you have mastered the one before. Mastering means you can play it: Slowly and carefully without mistakes At the right tempo with confidence
Exercise 1
Your hands will stay in the same place, so you actually don't have to look at them once they are over the right notes. Try to watch me play (or look at the music notes on the sheet music PDF) without looking at your fingers. You will learn fast this way. Can you play Exercise 1 perfectly 2 times in a row, without pausing at all? If so, you get 1 point!
Hopping Baseball Hands
Using "hopping baseball hands", many of you will notice that you play much better. For beginners, this will help you very much!
Exercise 2
Can you play Exercise 2 perfectly 2 times in a row, without pausing at all? If so, you get 1 point!
Exercise 3
Can you play Exercise 3 perfectly 2 times in a row, without pausing at all? If so, you get 1 point!
Try to play exercises 1 - 3 all at once, without stopping, perfectly. If you can do it, you can check it off on the points checklist PDF!
Student Check In
1 - Have you printed out the "How To Read Music On Piano" PDF? 2 - At the end of each exercise, do not pause, but go right into the beginning of that same exercise. This way, you can play it twice and it sounds smooth. 3 - Are you trying to use the pedal? Make sure you are lifting your foot up AT THE SAME TIME you play the left hand note on beat 1 (or 2). 4 - Make sure you can also play the exercises 1 right into the other without pausing. So at this point, you should be able to play exercise 1, 2, and 3 back to back, as if they are just 1 song. 5) Are you using "hopping baseball hands"? Make sure you are, especially if you are younger. I do not always have to use hopping hands for every note, because I've been playing for a very long time.
Teacher Check In
Each exercise, once perfected as described, earns the student 1 point (or dollar). At certain points along the way, you will opportunities for more points by having the student accomplish various skills, such as playing multiple sections together all at once, or adding octaves to the left hand, and so forth.
Before You Keep Going
Read back over the beginning written notes at the top of this video lesson course. Now that you've played a bit, it is good to be reminded that playing slowly and not looking at your hands will be very helpful. Slow down enough so that you don't make any mistakes.
Exercise 4
Can you play this perfectly 2 times in a row, without pausing at all? If so, you get 1 point! Go ahead and check it off your checklist!
Exercise 5
Can you play this perfectly 2 times in a row, without pausing at all? If so, you get 1 point! Go ahead and check it off your checklist!
Try to play exercises 1 - 5 all at once, without stopping, perfectly. If you can do it, you can check it off on the points checklist PDF!
Time To Sight Read
At this point, learning to sight read will help you learn the rest of the exercises MUCH faster than if I simply show you each note. From here on out, the videos will show how to play each exercise, but I will not break down each note in so much detail.
Important 1-5 Check In
At this point, we should pause the game and have a little chat. Watch the video below!
Check your checklist! At this point, if you can play through exercise 1 - 5 just like I show you in the video above, and you have also gone through the challenging "How To Sight Read Notes On Piano" PDF document, then you should have checked off the 7 correct boxes on your your Star Checklist (Modern Piano Foundations PDF), and ALL the boxes on the Eye Checklist (How To Read Notes On Piano PDF)
Exercise 6
Can you play this perfectly 2 times in a row, without pausing at all? If so, you get 1 point! Go ahead and check it off your checklist!
Exercise 7
Can you play this perfectly 2 times in a row, without pausing at all? If so, you get 1 point! Go ahead and check it off your checklist!
Exercise 8
Can you play this perfectly 2 times in a row, without pausing at all? If so, you get 1 point! Go ahead and check it off your checklist!
Try to play exercises 6, 7 and 8 all at once, without stopping, perfectly. If you can do it, you can check it off on the points checklist PDF!
Exercise 9
Can you play this perfectly 2 times in a row, without pausing at all? If so, you get 1 point! Go ahead and check it off your checklist!
Exercise 10
Can you play this perfectly 2 times in a row, without pausing at all? If so, you get 1 point! Go ahead and check it off your checklist!
Exercise 11
Can you play this perfectly 2 times in a row, without pausing at all? If so, you get 1 point! Go ahead and check it off your checklist!
Exercise 12
Can you play this perfectly 2 times in a row, without pausing at all? If so, you get 1 point! Go ahead and check it off your checklist!
Exercise 13
Can you play this perfectly 2 times in a row, without pausing at all? If so, you get 1 point! Go ahead and check it off your checklist!
Exercise 14
Can you play this perfectly 2 times in a row, without pausing at all? If so, you get 1 point! Go ahead and check it off your checklist!
Exercise 15
Can you play this perfectly 2 times in a row, without pausing at all? If so, you get 1 point! Go ahead and check it off your checklist!
Exercise 16
Can you play this perfectly 2 times in a row, without pausing at all? If so, you get 1 point! Go ahead and check it off your checklist!
Exercise 17
Can you play this perfectly 2 times in a row, without pausing at all? If so, you get 1 point! Go ahead and check it off your checklist!
Exercise 18
Can you play this perfectly 2 times in a row, without pausing at all? If so, you get 1 point! Go ahead and check it off your checklist!