For a musically minded person who is interested in testing the waters of piano lessons, but who is not quite sure if her commitment is all there, free online beginner keyboard lessons are a great way to quickly find out whether the piano is the right instrument to learn. After all, some people just don’t have the type of brain and fingers that are necessary to play the piano. It requires incredible hand eye coordination, plus a level of hand and finger agility that is rarely required in other areas of life.

I’ve known people who seem to be literally are incapable of playing notes on the piano. They try to play the most simple melody, and something odd happens — their fingers just can’t seem to do it. It’s no fault of theirs; it’s just an unfortunate result of the way they are wired. In most cases, these people are incredibly proficient in other ways. For example, my brother can’t play a lick of any musical instrument, but he can build a house from scratch. Me, I can play some of the most difficult piano pieces ever written, but I can’t hammer a nail straight.

To find out if the piano is right for you, try doing a Web search for free online beginner keyboard lessons, and find a website that offers a few introductory lessons, or articles about how to get started on the piano. Naturally, there is a wide range of these types of lessons; some are very poor quality, while others are as good as pay instruction. The key is to find the right one.

Of course, what you can expect to learn from these is relatively simple, and I can basically sum it up for you here. First, you’ll learn about which notes on the piano are which. The notes range from A through G, and the white keys symbolize the pure forms of the lettered notes, while the black keys represent sharps and flats.

You’ll learn the C major scale, and how to play it. Basically, the key of C major is where all piano students start, because it includes all of the white notes and none of the black notes, making it the easiest key to play in.

To play the C Major scale with your right hand, place your thumb on middle C (which is usually below the first letter of your piano maker’s name), and start by playing the first three notes. Then, cross your thumb under to play the fourth note, and continue with the rest of the fingers in your hand. If you practice this a few times, and the scale begins to sound more fluid and musical, then you know you are doing well. If you can’t play this scale at all, no matter how hard you try, then you may want to look into carpentry.

After learning how to play the C Major scale with your right hand, most free online beginner keyboard lessons will instruct you how to do the same thing with your left hand, which is just as easy.

After that, you’ll begin to learn chords, and soon, you’ll progress to playing in other keys, probably starting out with G Major and F Major. After that, you’ll learn minor keys, beginning with A minor, which, in its standard form, includes all of the same notes as C Major, except it goes from A to A instead of C to C.

Soon, you’ll learn music notation, how to read the staff, and about the various types of symbols that are used in reading music. This is where piano playing really becomes fun, as you begin to progress into more complex pieces of music. Of course, thanks to free online beginner keyboard lessons, you should know by this point whether you want to continue with more serious lessons. If you feel that you have a proficiency for the instrument, then you may want to look into serious, pay lessons. After all, this is the best way to receive in-depth instruction.

Meanwhile, sign up for a few keyboard lessons online, such as Duane’s Piano Chords & Chord Progressions Newsletter. You’ll soon know if you have the interest and desire to pursue the keyboard or piano.

(This is a guest article – opinions not necessarily mine)