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Free · University-Level · From Your First Note

Piano Lessons for Adults: The Free University Course

Learn piano as an adult with a real, university-level beginner course — taught for years at colleges by Dr. Maria Pisarenko (DMA) — now free, step by step, from your very first note. Learn to really play: both hands, pedal, reading music — properly, with no bad habits to un-learn.

▶ Start the Free Course Watch on YouTube →
Dr. Maria Pisarenko· Doctor of Musical Arts· International Competition Prizewinner· University Professor
Dr. Maria Pisarenko, DMA, concert pianist and piano teacher, at the grand piano, teacher of Online Piano University
Dr. Maria PisarenkoDMA · Concert Pianist · Your teacher
DMAMoscow Conservatory SchoolSteinway Top TeacherPrizewinner — Paris · RomeStudents earn top marks (ABRSM / Royal Academy)
Start here

This is for you if…

Why this is different

Most channels teach you to press keys. I teach you to really play.

This is the actual curriculum I teach at universities — proven over years — that builds a real foundation: posture, hand position, reading, technique, musicianship. Build that foundation, and you can play anything: classical, film music, the songs you love.

A real course, in order — not random tips

Follows Alfred's Basic Adult All-in-One Piano Course, Level 1 — the same book I teach from at the college level. Lesson by lesson, nothing skipped.

See the free course →

Try it right now

Play your first note — right here

Tap the keys, use your computer keyboard (A S D F…), or plug in a digital piano by USB. Start with middle C — the key with the label.

Try it: record yourself, then play it back — your first composition.

This is how the course begins — one note, done properly.

▶ Now learn to really play — free course

The free course

Start Here — the Free University Beginner Course

Step by step, in order, free on YouTube. You'll learn to sit & position your hands · read notes, key signatures (to 1 sharp / 1 flat) & time (2/4, 3/4, 4/4) · chords · pedal · play with both hands · and perform your first real pieces.

Lesson 1 — Warm Up the Keyboard

Your very first lesson: how to sit, find your hand shape, and get comfortable at the keyboard.

Then continue in order — 41 lessons:

  • C Position (right & left hand)
  • Reading notes & the Grand Staff
  • Intervals (2nds → octaves)
  • Chords: C, G7, F, D7
  • Sharps, flats & naturals
  • Scales: C, G, F
  • Time signatures & rhythm
  • Your first real pieces

▶ Begin with Lesson 1

Find your path

Where are you starting from?

Pick what sounds like you — each path leads into the free course.

Complete beginner

Never played a note. Start from scratch, the right way.
↩

Returning after years

Played as a kid? Rebuild technique and freedom.

Play the songs I love

Learn the foundation, then play anything.

For my child

Give them a proper start from a university teacher.
The result

In a few weeks, you'll be able to…

October 14, 2026

Reading Music or Playing by Ear: Which Should an Adult Learn First?

Adults are told to pick a side. Both camps are describing something real — and for a beginner the answer is far less dramatic than the argument.

October 13, 2026

Who Taught the Person Teaching You? Why Piano Lineage Matters

A piano teacher's lineage shows which ideas shaped them; I lay out both branches of mine, from Liszt and from Leonid Nikolayev, and offer adults a…

October 12, 2026

61, 76 or 88 Keys: What You Can and Cannot Play on Each

A straight answer about key counts — what runs out, when it runs out, and the question that matters considerably more than this one.

October 9, 2026

How Long Before I Can Play a Real Piece?

A specific answer rather than an encouraging one — including what “a real piece” turns out to mean once you are inside it.

October 7, 2026

How to Sit at the Piano: Bench Height, Distance, and Why It Decides Everything

It is the least interesting subject in music and the one that quietly decides how you will sound. Three minutes, once, and most of the usual problems…

October 5, 2026

Learning Piano Without a Teacher: What You Can and Cannot Diagnose Alone

Most of learning the piano can now be done alone, and done well. Four specific things cannot — and knowing which four is the whole difference.

All articles →

Coming from Dr. Maria Pisarenko

The piano app that teaches you to really play

The keyboard you just played is the first small part of something larger: an app in which a concert pianist guides you note by note — honest feedback, real technique, real musicianship. It is built on the method I have refined over a career of teaching, in conservatories and universities.

Join the free course list below and you will be among the first to hear when it opens.

Questions? Want feedback on your playing?

Send a message or attach a recording. Email, phone and how you found us help me answer you properly.

Free guide

Get my free Adult Beginner's Piano Starter Guide

The first steps to start the right way — no bad habits to un-learn. Join fellow beginners learning with a real university teacher.

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What you'll need

Recommended books & keyboards

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

The Book

Alfred's Basic Adult All-in-One, Level 1 — the course book.

View on Amazon →

Yamaha P71

88 weighted keys — a great first digital piano.

View on Amazon →

Roland FP-10

Excellent weighted action for beginners.

View on Amazon →

Casio PX-S1100

Slim, weighted, beautiful sound.

View on Amazon →

See all recommended gear →

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Questions

Frequently asked

Am I too old to start?

No. Adults learn piano beautifully — the key is a proper method and a steady path, which is exactly what this course gives you.

Is it really free?

Yes — the full beginner course lives on YouTube, free. The website simply helps you follow it in order and go deeper.

Where do lessons take place?

Everything is online: the free course lives on YouTube, and 1-on-1 lessons happen worldwide via Zoom. I teach students across the U.S., Europe and Asia.

Do I need a real piano?

A digital piano with 88 weighted keys is perfect to start — see the recommended keyboards above.

Do you teach 1-on-1 online?

Yes, via Zoom — tailored to your level and goals, from anywhere. Details & pricing →

Ready to finally play?

Start the free university course — from your very first note.

▶ Start the Free Course

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Why adults start, and stay

What learning the piano gives you

Something genuinely new

Reading music and playing with both hands is a skill most adults around you do not have. Within weeks you notice a change you can hear, and that is what keeps people practicing.

Something you get back

A private half hour that is yours, the songs you have always loved under your own fingers, and a way to switch off that is not a screen.

Something people notice

The person who can sit down and play, properly, at a family evening or a party is remembered. It is a skill, earned, and nobody can take it away.

Real students, real words

What adult students say

What adult students say about Dr. Maria Pisarenko as their teacher · 5.0★ on Yelp, 4.9★ on Google.

★★★★★

“After being away from piano lessons for 15 years, I'd always wanted to start up again... Dr. Pisarenko is a great instructor for me. She's kind and patient and encouraging... very reasonable rates and top notch instruction. She's the best!”

— Guillo L., returning adult student · Yelp

★★★★★

“I've spent years struggling to find the passion to stick with piano, and I finally found a teacher who exceeded any expectations I had for myself. Dr. Pisarenko's No Red Button philosophy has transformed me from a timid perfectionist into a player with realistic goals, a clear understanding of what it takes to achieve them, and a step by step path to actualize my version of success with the piano.”

— Sterling D., adult student · Yelp

★★★★★

“I took piano lessons for a few years as a kid... Dr Pisarenko has been wonderful!!! She is very patient, very flexible with scheduling and I have learned so much from her in such a short period of time!”

— Sarah K., adult beginner · Yelp

Read more reviews →

Find your decade

Piano lessons for adults in their 20s, 30s, 40s, 50s, 60s and 70s

The songs from your own years, the obstacles that are really in your way, and a realistic plan.

20s 30s 40s 50s 60s 70s+

Write to Dr. Maria Pisarenko, or send your playing

Online Piano University is run by one teacher. I read every message and listen to every recording myself.

Contact

maria@onlinepianouniversity.com

Full contact page
Feedback on your playing
Free 41-lesson course
Piano lessons by age

Free Starter Guide

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