The Top 5 Exercises for Beginner Pianists

Are you new to playing the piano?

Then these simple exercises are perfect for you!

Set yourself up for success with these tips!

Make sure you're sitting at the piano correctly.  Warm up before playing with the following exercises.  Find a great piano teacher!

Exercise 1: Pentascales

This is a simple five-finger scale.  To play one in C Major, place your right thumb on middle C and smoothly play the notes up to G, then go back down to middle C again.

Exercise 2: Scales

Practice this starting with one octave, then go to two octaves.  To play a C Major scale, play the following notes: C D E F G A B C B A G F E D C Get a scale book to help you learn all the scales in all 12 major and  12 minor keys.

Triads are a group of three notes in each key, with each note being a third apart.  A C Major triad in root position is C E G.  Triads have two inversions and can be played in any key.

Exercise 3: Triads

Once you have learned a scale, play it with different touches.  Playing legato (smoothly) and staccato (detached) will strengthen your fingers.

Exercise 4: Legato & Staccato

Exercise 5: Hanon & Czerny

Once you have been playing for a few months to a year, you can start learning Hanon finger exercises and Czerny studies.  They'll improve your finger dexterity and technique!

How to Play Hanon Exercises

Why are Scales Important?

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