The first months of learning to play the piano may seem tedious – simple scales, exercises, and simple music pieces are often played with one hand.

There are different approaches to how to start learning to play. In my opinion, if your intention is to commit to a serious several year study, you should start from practicing scales and simple pieces for beginners.

An another approach is represented by for example Suzuki method, when you do not practice scales and etudes, but intuitively mimic a teacher, looking for your “own” technique. You can learn more about the method here

How the first months of learning to play the piano look like in practice, assuming a “classical” method of learning?

The purpose of this stage is to make sure that the hands are relaxed (not tense), and that the fingers are well based on a keyboard. For this purpose simple melodies should be practiced, initially with right and left hand separately. Also the scales should be played (starting from simple ones like C-major or a-minor), each hand separately as well.

What music pieces to play in the first months of learning the piano?

The selection of music pieces that a beginner learns to play usually consists of 2-3 music pieces. In the same time, the scales should be practiced. each hand separately. After a few months of playing the piano, it is good to add the passages as well.

Music pieces are of various kinds, so that the student learns various aspects – technical and also related to harmony. The repertoire of the learner should consist for example of the following music pieces:

• Etudes (authors of know etudes are for example C. Gurlitt, H. Gnesin)

• Music pieces by J. S. Bach (in the initial stage these could be simple piano pieces from Anna Magdalena Notebook)

• Any of the popular melodies (for example one of the popular children songs)

Each exercise begins from playing a scale. The first scales are in key C major or a minor or G major or e minor, since they are the easiest ones.

With a more serious approach to playing the piano it is worth purchasing a book, for example Adult All-In-One Course: Lesson-Theory-Technic: Level 1 by Willard A. Palmer, where all basic concepts or playing a piano are introduced.