Free PDF: the Adult Beginner’s Piano Starter Guide by Dr. Maria Pisarenko, DMA — how to sit, where the sound comes from, and how to practice from your first day.

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Start here · 41 lessons · Free

Free Online Piano Course for Adult Beginners

Yes, there is a free online piano course for adult beginners: all forty-one lessons are on YouTube, in order, with no sign-up and no payment. I teach it the way I teach at the university, starting with the sound and the hand, not only which key to press.

The complete beginner course, in order, free — the same curriculum I teach at universities. Follows Alfred's Basic Adult All-in-One Piano Course, Level 1, lesson by lesson, nothing skipped.

The full 41-lesson course, free & in orderTaught by Dr. Maria Pisarenko, DMA100% free on YouTube
The full course

Free piano lessons for adult beginners: watch in order, Lesson 1 to 41

Press play below to start the whole course playlist from Lesson 1. Each lesson has chapters, so you can jump to any topic.

Open the playlist on YouTube →

Following Alfred’s Adult All-in-One Book 1? Here is every lesson by page number.

Warm up right here

Try the keys before your first lesson

Tap the keys, play a song, or record your own melody — then start Lesson 1 and learn to do it properly.

Play a song — and watch the keys light up.

After a few lessons, you'll play these for real.
What you'll learn

A real foundation, step by step

Posture & hand position

Sit correctly, shape your hands — the technique that prevents bad habits.

Reading music

Notes on the Grand Staff, key signatures (to 1♯/1♭), counting in 2/4, 3/4, 4/4.

Chords & harmony

C, G7, F, D7 — and how music actually works.

Both hands + pedal

Play hands together with the damper pedal, smoothly and musically.

Scales

C, G and F major — the keys your first pieces live in.

Real pieces

Perform complete pieces properly — not just pressed, played.

Free companion app

Read Music Notes: practice between lessons

Reading is the skill adults most often skip, and the one that makes every new piece faster. My free note-reading app drills notes, rhythm, scales and chords in short rounds. No account and no email; your progress stays on your device.

Open the free app →

Companion course

Extra Practice — play along with me

Eight close-up play-along sessions that accompany the main course. Watch my hands from above and practice together, at your pace.

▶ Open Extra Practice →

What students say

★★★★★

“After being away from piano lessons for 15 years… Dr. Pisarenko is a great instructor for me. She's kind and patient and encouraging… top notch instruction. She's the best!”

— Guillo L., returning adult studentYelp

Read more reviews →

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 the Adult Beginner's Piano Starter Guide

Start the right way — the first steps, the right instrument, and how to practice, in one free PDF.

Or start with your first piece, by ear →

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What you'll need

The book & a good keyboard

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Alfred's Basic Adult All-in-One, Level 1

The course book — we follow it page by page.

View on Amazon →

A digital piano with 88 weighted keys

Yamaha P71, Roland FP-10 or Casio PX-S1100 — see my full recommendations.

See recommended keyboards →

Your first lesson takes 20 minutes

Start today — properly, from the very first note.

▶ Begin with Lesson 1

Questions adults ask before they start

Is this piano course really free?

Yes. All forty-one lessons are on YouTube, in order, with no sign-up and no payment. You can also send a recording of your own playing and get written feedback while the pilot runs.

Is it too late to learn piano as an adult?

No. Some things are harder for an adult and some are easier, and neither decides the outcome. What decides it is whether you are taught the sound and the hand from the first lesson, instead of only which key to press.

Do I need a real piano, or is a keyboard enough?

A keyboard is enough to start, and two things matter more than the brand: eighty-eight keys if you can, and weighted keys, so your hand learns what a real instrument feels like.

How long before I can play a real piece?

You play a real piece on the first day of this method - the opening of Ode to Joy, by ear, with five fingers that never move. Reading music comes after that, not before it.

Do I need to read music to start?

No. The course starts with sound and with the hand, and reading is introduced step by step once you already know what you are listening for.

Who teaches the course?

Dr. Maria Pisarenko, DMA - a concert pianist and university professor trained in the Russian school at the Central Music School of the Moscow Conservatory and the Gnessin Academy.

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

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