If you’re like me, you’ve always wanted to be able to play the piano. The thought of just sitting down and playing your favorite songs is thrilling and exciting, and fun to daydream about.
But, I’d you want to actually buckle down and learn how to play piano, where do you even start? It seems like people who have really mastered the piano started very young or had musical parents who helped them develop skills as little kids.
Well, thankfully, you no longer need to scour the bulletin boards at your local coffee shop hoping to find a poster or business card of a local piano teacher and then pray that it’s a good match. That’s because there are numerous online piano lesson sites that can get you started, even if you’re a complete beginner.
1. Vita Piano
If you’re looking for a serious, thorough, and professional approach to online piano lessons, look no further than Vita Piano. This is one of the most enjoyable and complete courses I’ve ever come across.
The great thing about Vita Piano is that it combines an innovative approach that really simplifies a lot of difficult piano concepts with color coded charts and diagrams that are actually easy to understand and apply to the keyboard.
Also, there is tons of free content on YouTube and on the site as well, for basic techniques like piano scales, chords, arpeggios, and tons of other more advanced techniques.
If you’re serious about really improving your skills on the piano, Vita Piano is going to be an incredibly valuable resource for you, even if you don’t pay for the premium content like advanced piano courses.
2. Piano for All
Piano for All has been around for a long time and is one of the more time tested online piano method.
This program is organized into a series of books that cover various aspects of piano technique and styles of playing.
The nice thing about Piano for All is that you do learn some nice music right away and the teacher has a very calm and welcoming demeanor that eases you into learning at your own pace.
The only problem here is that the course is very limited in scope and only consists of the pdf format books. So, unlike Vita Piano, which is a dynamic platform that’s always being updated with new content, Piano for All never gives you anything new. Still, it’s a pretty solid introduction to the basics.
3. Peterson Academy
Peterson Academy is a newcomer to the scene of online piano lessons.
The main thing to know about this course is that the teacher is clearly an accomplished professional and good at explaining concepts clearly.
This course is mainly for those interested in learning a very traditional classical style in order to play music like Beethoven, Schumann, Chopin, and other great masters. There are also technical elements like music theory and scales.
Peterson Academy offers a few levels so you can advance through the beginner, intermediate, and advanced courses as your skills improve.
4. Key Notes
If you’re looking for a super-premium, high-budget course, you could try out Key notes. This is by far the most expensive route to take, but the quality of instruction and the innovative tech they employ in the course does make it worth the investment.
Like Vita Piano and Peterson Academy, Key Notes is primarily focused on the classical style and approach to technique. The instructor also has a great, easy to follow, and polished way of explaining concepts in the videos.
One of my favorite features in Key Notes is that you can actually slow down the video and audio tracks in order to play along with them at different speeds. This is a great feature, especially for beginners!
5. Playground Sessions
If you’re not as keen on learning classical music and would like to explore the world of pop and jazz music, then Playground Sessions may be the best choice for you.
This program focuses much more on playing by ear and improvising – techniques primarily used in jazz, pop, and rock keyboard playing. If you’re interested in honing these skills, you should definitely check out this course.
On the other hand, if you really want a solid foundation in traditional piano playing, one of the other options, like Vita Piano, may be a better choice.
So, if you’ve been on the fence about what piano course to try online, or just thought of taking piano lessons in a whim, hopefully this info helps nudge you in the right direction.
Have you tried any of these piano courses? Let me know in the comments if you have any thoughts or if there’s anything I missed that would help people out who may be looking to find the right piano lessons!