Is Alfred's Adult All-in-One good for beginners?

It is the book I teach from, and it is the only book you need to start. If you want to judge any method book for yourself, use my ten-point checklist for choosing one: it covers print size, whether every symbol is explained before it appears, and whether the left hand is treated as an equal.

Can I learn from Alfred's book without a teacher?

Yes, but if you are learning on your own, your method book is doing a teacher's work. It decides what you learn first, what you learn next and what you never learn at all. A book with recordings and video helps, and the free course on this site shows each step at the piano. You can also send me a recording of your own playing and get written feedback while the pilot runs.

Do I need the book to follow the videos?

The lessons follow the book page by page, and the page numbers in the table above refer to it, so keep the book open on the music stand as you watch. It is the course book, and the only book you need to start. The first lesson covers the warm-up, posture and finding the keys.

Alfred's Adult All-in-One Book 1: Free Video Lessons

The full course

All 41 lessons, by book page

Click a lesson title to watch it on YouTube. The notes beside each lesson are from its YouTube description.

Lesson #	Book pages	Lesson	Length	Note
1	pp. 4–9	Warm-Up, Posture & Finding the Keys — Adult Beginner Piano Lesson 1	21:36	Warm up your hands, sit with correct posture, curve your fingers, number your fingers, read the black-key groups and find every white key (A–G).
2	pp. 12–13	How to Read the Treble Staff — Right-Hand C Position for Adults	4:28	The treble staff and treble clef, your first five notes (C, D, E, F, G), and Right-Hand C Position with correct hand shape and fingering.
3	pp. 13–14	Quarter & Half Notes on Piano + Ode to Joy — Counting for Adults	7:50	Quarter and half notes (1 count and 2 counts), counting and clapping them, measures, bar lines and the double bar, then "Ode to Joy" with your right hand.
4	pp. 16–17	The Whole Note on Piano — Hold It for 4 Counts (Adult Beginner)	4:34	Counting and clapping the whole note, then a song in the bass clef in Left-Hand C Position that puts quarter, half and whole notes together.
5	pp. 16 & 18	Left-Hand C Position & Bass Clef on Piano — Adult Beginner	4:07	Reading bass-clef notes, finding C–D–E–F–G in the bass clef and playing them with your left hand below middle C, plus a simple left-hand warm-up.
6	pp. 20–21	How to Read the Grand Staff — Both Hands Together (Adult Beginner)	16:35	How the treble and bass clefs join as the grand staff, the 4/4 time signature, the whole rest and the quarter rest, three pieces with both hands, and the repeat sign.
7	pp. 24–25	Piano Intervals 2nds & 3rds — How to Read Them Instantly	15:52	Melodic 2nds and 3rds, and the dynamic signs p (soft), mf (moderately loud) and f (loud).
8	pp. 26–27	Melodic vs Harmonic Intervals — 2nds & 3rds on Piano	5:10	Harmonic seconds and thirds, practiced in C position, in a song for both hands with the forte sign.
9	pp. 28–29	Piano Intervals 4ths & 5ths for Beginners (Melodic)	7:46	Recognizing and counting 4ths and 5ths, and playing melodic fourths and fifths in C position.
10	pp. 30–31	Harmonic 4ths & 5ths on Piano + Play Jingle Bells	8:14	Harmonic 4ths and 5ths in C position, then "Jingle Bells" with both hands, hands separately first and then together.
11	pp. 32–33	How to Play a C Major Chord on Piano — Your First Chord	11:37	What a chord is, the C Major chord (C–E–G) in the left hand, right hand and both hands, the half rest, and soft (piano) and loud (forte) dynamics.
12	pp. 34–39	How to Play the G7 Chord on Piano & Move from C — Tied Notes	21:33	The G7 chord (G–B–D–F), its inversions and the simplified 3-note version, moving smoothly between C and G7, and tied notes.
13	pp. 40–41	3/4 Time Signature on Piano — How to Count Waltz Rhythm	4:27	Counting in 3/4, the dotted half note (three counts), and a song in 3/4 with the C and G7 chords.
14	pp. 42–43	Tie vs Slur on Piano — How to Tell the Difference & Play Legato	7:49	What a slur is, how to play legato, and a song in 3/4 using legato, the C and G7 chords and tied notes.
15	pp. 44–49	How to Play the F Major Chord on Piano (+ Pickup Measure)	19:16	The F Major chord (F–A–C) and its inversions in both hands, the incomplete (pickup) measure, and "When the Saints Go Marching In" with the melody first in the right hand, then in the left.
16	pp. 50–53	G Position on Piano & How to Read Intervals in G	14:06	Both hands in G position, melodic and harmonic intervals (2nds–5ths) in G, and two songs using legato, dynamics and a pickup measure.
17	pp. 54–55	The Sharp Sign on Piano — What It Means & the Black Keys	8:31	What a sharp does (move up to the next key on the right, black or white) and how to find sharps across the keyboard.
18	pp. 58–63	The D7 Chord & How to Use the Damper (Sustain) Pedal	21:02	The D7 chord (D–F♯–A–C) and its inversions, the G and D7 chords as block and broken chords, and correct damper-pedal technique.
19	pp. 64–71	New C Major Chord Position on Piano — Inversions & the Note E	16:00	The new C Major chord position in both hands, combined with the G and D7 chords, and songs in G position with the damper pedal.
20	p. 72	Middle C Position on Piano — Where to Put Both Hands	4:26	Setting your left hand (finger 5 on F) and right hand (thumb on middle C) around middle C, with a warm-up in the new position.
21	p. 73	Crescendo & Diminuendo on Piano — Dynamics for Adult Beginners	7:53	Reviewing p, mf and f, then crescendo and diminuendo, shaping a phrase, and a song in 3/4 in Middle C Position.
22	p. 74	What Is a Fermata? How to Play It + Happy Birthday on Piano	5:00	How and when to use a fermata, and "Happy Birthday to You" in Middle C Position.
23	pp. 75–77	How to Count Eighth Notes on Piano — 1 and 2 and (Beginner)	19:26	Counting eighth notes ("1 and 2 and"), clapping and playing them.
24	pp. 80–82	How to Count Dotted Quarter Notes on Piano + Play Alouette	13:19	A dotted quarter equals a quarter tied to an eighth note: the rhythm clapped and played, then "Alouette" with the C and G7 chords, crescendo, diminuendo and the damper pedal.
25	pp. 83–90	Piano Intervals: 6ths — Melodic & Harmonic for Beginners	11:36	Recognizing a 6th, melodic and harmonic sixths in both hands, a warm-up for reaching a 6th, and a song in 3/4 with ritardando, dynamics and a fermata.
26	pp. 85–89	2/4 Time Signature on Piano — How to Count It (Beginner)	20:09	Counting in 2/4, songs where the time signature changes from measure to measure, and pieces with the C and G7 chords, legato and broken chords.
27	pp. 90–91	What Is Staccato? How to Play Staccato on Piano (Beginner)	12:28	How staccato is written (a dot above or below the note) and how to play it, like plucking a string, plus moving in 6ths and a 3/4 song that mixes staccato and legato.
28	pp. 92–95	Piano Intervals: 7ths & Octaves — How to Read Them	15:25	Recognizing a 7th and an octave, and playing melodic and harmonic 7ths and octaves in both hands.
29	pp. 96–97	The Flat Sign on Piano — What It Means & How to Play It	7:01	What a flat does (move down to the next key on the left, black or white) and how to find flats across the keyboard.
30	pp. 98–99	Half Steps & Whole Steps on Piano Explained (Adult Beginner)	4:28	A half step is the shortest distance between two keys and a whole step is two half steps; how to find them anywhere on the keyboard.
31	pp. 100–106	C Major Scale on Piano: Fingering & the Thumb-Under Move	22:55	The major-scale pattern (whole-whole-half-whole-whole-whole-half) and tetrachords, scale fingering in both hands (passing the thumb under and crossing over), and "Joy to the World" with fortissimo.
32	pp. 106–107	Primary Chords in C Major (I, IV, V7) + 12-Bar Blues	11:46	How the C, F and G7 chords work together with Roman numerals, a smooth chord progression using inversions, and the 12-bar blues progression.
33	pp. 108–110	The Natural Sign on Piano + Blues & Extended Chords	20:55	How a natural works (and that it lasts for the rest of the measure), blues songs with naturals, sharps and flats, and the extended chord position.
34	pp. 112–114	G Major Scale on Piano: Fingering for Both Hands & Key of G	12:36	The G major scale (with F♯) with correct fingering, the key of G major, changing fingers on the same note, and a piece in G.
35	pp. 115–117	Primary Chords in G Major (I, IV, V7) + Syncopation	29:33	The chords and a smooth progression using inversions, syncopated notes, and a G blues piece.
36	pp. 118–123	F Major Scale on Piano — Fingering, B-flat & Primary Chords	27:06	The F major scale (with B♭) and its special fingering in both hands, the primary chords in F (F, B♭ and C7), the eighth rest and the accent sign.
37	pp. 126–127	The Key of A Minor & the Harmonic Minor Scale on Piano	11:11	Finding a relative minor, natural versus harmonic minor (raising the 7th note to G♯), A harmonic minor fingering in both hands, syncopated rhythm, and a song in A minor.
38	pp. 130–132	The Overlapping Pedal & Major vs Minor Triads on Piano	9:49	Overlapping-pedal technique for a smooth, connected sound, the mezzo-piano (mp) dynamic, "Greensleeves" in A minor, and turning a major triad into a minor triad by lowering the third a half step.
39	pp. 132–133	Primary Chords in A Minor (i, iv, V7) — Adult Beginner Piano	5:48	The primary chords in A minor and their inversions, played with the overlapping pedal.
40	pp. 134–144	The Key of D Minor + The Entertainer & Amazing Grace	25:40	The D harmonic minor scale (raising C to C♯) and its fingering, the primary chords in D minor (Dm, Gm, A7), pianissimo and the overlapping pedal, then bigger pieces including key changes, "The Entertainer" by Scott Joplin, eighth-note triplets and "Amazing Grace."
41	—	What Are Arpeggiated (Rolled) Chords? + O Sole Mio	13:40	How the arpeggiated-chord symbol works on an F major chord, then "O Sole Mio" in F major, with its fermata at the very beginning, tied notes, primary chords in the left hand and arpeggiated chords near the end.

Lesson 41 does not give a page range in its title or description, so none is listed here.

Write to Dr. Maria Pisarenko, or send your playing

Alfred's Adult All-in-One Piano Course, Book 1: Free Video Lessons, Page by Page

How to use this page

All 41 lessons, by book page

Start with Lesson 1

Questions? Want feedback on your playing?

Alfred’s Basic Adult All-in-One Course, Level 1

The course book

Choosing a method book

Questions adults ask

Write to Dr. Maria Pisarenko, or send your playing