How To Play Piano

How to play piano. That's a tall order for a web page. What we present here is a quick overview the physical aspects of piano playing:

- How to sit at the piano
- How to hold your fingers
- Finger numbers
- The five finger position and what it implies
- Fingering patterns for scales
- Fingering patterns for chords

- Plus a discussion on Piano Playing Technique.
(This is intended more for the intermediate or advanced piano player.)

How To Sit At The Piano

How to sit at the piano

Sit with your back straight, but somewhat relaxed. Sit so that your elbows are by your side, but somewhat in front of you. Hold your wrists so that they are level with, or slightly higher than the top(back) of your hands. Curl your fingers so that the thumb is almost in line with your fingers on the keys.

How To Hold Your Fingers

Hands and fingers at the piano

As stated above, curl your fingers so that your thumbs are almost in line with your fingers on the keys. Your fingers should be shaped like you are holding a ball. This is the basis of how to play the piano properly. Do not lay your fingers flat on the keys! Place each fingertip and the side of your thumb of each hand on five adjacent keys. Each finger has its own key to play. (More on this in the "Five Finger Position.")

What it looks like from your angle:

Piano Hands Overhead Photo

Finger Numbers

Piano Finger Numbers Diagram

On both the left and right hands, the thumbs are #1, index fingers are #2, the middle fingers are #3, the ring fingers are #4, and the pinky fingers are #5.

The Five Finger Position And What It Implies

Explains what all those little numbers over notes mean. Includes diagrams showing the C Major five finger position.
The Five Finger Position

Fingering Patterns For Scales

Here you'll find the best way for fingering scales. Finger number patterns for all of the major scales, left hand and right hand.
Fingering Scales

Fingering Patterns For Chords

How to finger major and minor triads, inversions and octave chords.
Fingering Chords

Piano Playing Technique

Piano Playing Technique discusses how to play piano, making the most effective use of the fingers, wrists and arms to get the best sound with the least movement.
Piano Playing Technique

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The Piano Guide Book Series - By Peter Hostage. A piano method for busy adults that helps you learn faster and more easily, and have fun! Learn with over 120 songs and compositions of all styles, including classical, traditional, blues, jazz, folk and rock, and more. Hear the musical examples, etudes and exercises with the more than 240 MP3 audio files. Written and developed by an instructor with over 25 years experience eaching adults. Learn more...

"The Piano Guide Book Series is a piano method that is both fun and accessible to the older beginner. Written in plain language and using simple diagrams, anyone should be able to pick this book up and start playing. Music theory concepts are introduced is such a way that you have time to grasp them while steadily advancing your knowledge on the keyboard. I would recommend this piano method to any adult who wants to play and see results quickly."
William Hinkle, professional musician and music teacher
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"Many of the current 'adult' piano method books are lttle more than better worded children's piano books. Adult students need practical information presented in an appropriate manner, with room for conceptual development. The Piano Guide Book Series artfully accomplishes this task and more. Peter presents all of the material in a manner appropriate for adults, at a brisk, but reasonable pace, while providing enough challenge to keep the student engaged. The student can easily move beyond just the notes on the page and understand the broader concepts of piano playing. Put all of this together, with a great selection of supplemental songs, and you have an adult piano method that provides everything needed to be a proficient musician."
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