Preparing for the first piano lesson

If your child is about to start learning to play the piano, you may like to know whether there is anything they can do to prepare for their first lesson. Here are just a few steps to try at home that might help your child know what to expect. If you don’t have a piano at home yet, see if your child can try them out on a friend’s piano. Give them a go yourself!

1. Practise sitting at the piano. The stool should be adjusted so that it is at the correct height – not too high and not too low. Your child should be able to reach the piano keys comfortably without having to stretch or squash their arms against their sides. Encourage your child to sit up straight near the edge of the stool, with both feet on the floor, keeping their arms and shoulders relaxed. 2. Explore the piano. Have a go at playing the piano. Find the high notes, the low notes and the middle-of-the-piano notes, then try playing some quiet notes and some loud notes. You could also open up the piano lid and have a look inside! 3. Look at the keys closely. Try playing the black keys. Look for a group of three black keys then look for a group of two black keys. 4. Find a C. Find a group of two black keys. The white key that sits directly to the left is called ‘C’. Try to find and play all of the Cs on the piano. 5. Have a look at some musical notation. If you don’t have any piano sheet music, find some free online. IMSLP is a great resource for free public domain sheet music. Explain that the musical notes tell the pianist which keys to play and how to play them. And have fun!