Since the inception of their company in 2005, YouTube has fast become the “Go To” for an immense online video gallery for watching, uploading, storing, and sharing videos. It has broadened the realm of education through video content and music. And it has allowed for easy access to classics as well as originals. While YouTube is a vast resource for personal growth and development, this writer also believes that there must be a caveat to go along with this. There are many things one can learn in YouTube piano lessons, but nothing takes the place of a teacher who is present or virtual to give honest feedback and critique in order to move to the next level.
Recommended YouTube Piano Lessons
With that being said, there are a few YouTube videos that I would recommend for easy and free piano lessons.
Piano Video Lessons
The first is put out by PianoVideoLessons. They have a website as well and there are free printables, ebooks to purchase, and opportunities to further your education through group or individual lessons.
The YouTube videos show both the keyboard and white board and are very visually oriented. They show the relationship between the keyboard and the staff. The first video includes the Grand Staff with keyboard visuals, Treble G and Middle C, Rhythm, Finger Gym Exercises, Bass F and Middle C, Treble Space Notes, Finger Gym #2, Bass Space Notes and How to Sightread.
This lesson and others in this series are easy to understand. They are well presented, and gives a student a firm foundation of music theory, piano principles and general musical terms.
How to Play Piano EASY First Lessons
The next one I would recommend is “How to Play Piano EASY First Piano Lesson” by Dylan Laine. She combines a lot of information in the first lesson but is clear and concise. She includes finger numbers, key names (A-G), how to find any note, correct hand positioning, whole and half steps, major and minor chords, and popular and easy piano patterns.
Piano Lessons for Beginners
Another different approach is the video “Piano Lessons for Beginners” by Mangold Project. After a quick introduction to the keyboard layout itself, he delves into teaching simple chords and how they are constructed with the root in the bass (LH).
This chord approach would be helpful for beginners wanting to learn pop or contemporary music. It can be helpful for some classical music too. But most classically trained teachers would include this later in the lesson plans after the traditional single note approach.
How to Read Notes Fast
The last approach I would like to talk about is the Landmark Approach. “How to Read Notes Fast” is a video that does not use the traditional lines and spaces acronyms for RH and LH but teaches landmark notes/keys evenly spaced across the keyboard.
He starts with Middle C then Treble G, Bass F, Treble C and Bass C and finally High G and Low F. In Treble Clef, the landmarks are just C’s and G’s and in Bass Clef, C’s and F’s. This approach helps visually as well. So that students can grasp the relationship between the keyboard and the staff and works best for visual learners.
YouTube Piano Lessons Can Be Helpful, But Nothing Can Replace a Real Teacher
Remember that a live, real-time piano lesson or class will give you invaluable feedback that you won’t get from a YouTube piano lesson. However, they can be great supplements to your learning.
For any teacher, the approach they use should be based on the student’s learning style. And also by the stage in their musical journey and goals of the lessons. Also, do not be afraid to switch gears and change the approach if students are not getting it. You will know when it clicks and students understand the layout of the keyboard to the relationship of the staff and its note names.
Above all, once a student can read music and understand the theory, keyboard and staff, the sky’s the limit and they can learn anything they set their mind to and enjoy so many great pieces of music.
Dorothy Clark