Beginner Piano Lessons - 1

Proper Piano Posture

Beginner piano lessons - how to position yourself at the piano

First of all, as part of our free beginner piano lessons, you will learn how to sit at the piano.

Where you put the piano bench and how you position yourself on the bench is a very important part of piano playing. By having the proper posture and position you will be able to reach the entire keyboard and be comfortable while practicing or playing.

Sit tall but not stiff. Your feet should be flat on the floor and your back straight. Your right foot may be slightly especially for using your piano pedals. Position yourself forward on the piano bench toward the piano but make sure you're comfortable. You shouldn't have too much thigh on the bench. Position yourself at the center of the piano.

Lean slightly forward. Let your arms hang loosely from your shoulders. Bench must face the keyboard squarely. The bench should be positioned so that your hands are resting over the keys. Elbows should be bent and slightly higher than the keys. Adjust the bench so that your forearms are parallel with the floor. Knees should be slightly under the piano keyboard.

Your fingers should be curved. Pretend you have a bubble in your hand. Be sure to keep your fingernails reasonably short as well.

You can find many videos online that teach you how to position yourself at the piano. Here's a good one. Watch this video for a good understanding of proper piano posture.

Piano lesson - video on correct piano posture

When it comes to learning to play the piano, I have written an important review that you should read. Click here for my number one recommendation for piano lessons.

Free Beginner Piano Lessons - Piano Fingering

Learn Where Your Fingers Go on the Piano Keyboard

The graphic below illustrates the piano fingering number system. As can be seen, the thumb is the first finger of each hand.

Fingered piano music marks each note with a number that corresponds to one of the five fingers. The numbers 1-5 are written above or below the notes. These numbers tell you which finger to press for which key. Here's an example below.