I’m starting a series of videos that provide a gentle introduction to learning piano. My hope is that anyone who wants to learn piano can do so, regardless of whether or not they’re ready to start formal lessons.

Here’s a video that teaches you about how the musical staff works. It’s good to learn how the staff works before you try to learn the notes!

I had the opportunity to meet a boy last spring who told me he loved scary things! This made me think of spooky songs that would be good for a beginner to play.

I landed on this classic, the opening line to Toccata in D Minor by Johann Sebastian Bach. Have a listen!

A is the first note of the musical alphabet, so it’s natural for beginner piano students to want to start there when learning note names at the piano.

But A can be one of the hardest notes for beginners to learn, for two reasons.

Learning piano with ADHD can become complicated when you apply expectations taken from mainstream education. Here are a few observations based on my experience as a teacher, and how I prefer to engage instead.

If your child or student is stuck in a habit of resisting their piano homework, chances are there’s a really good reason.

It’s important to be mindful of our assumptions when we hit a stress like this. Often, when a student resists practicing, they end up taking on blame for the problem, for being either lazy, unfocused, or lacking discipline.

These are unfounded fears.

Kids love attention when they’re learning and practicing piano! But sometimes it can be hard for a parent to know how to encourage their child, especially if they don’t know how to play piano themselves. You can only say “Good job!” so many times before you wish you could give them a little more.

I think most adults are familiar with the connection between having an intrinsic source of motivation and being able to stick to a task when the going gets tough. Usually, the intrinsic motivation stems from the reward we know is ahead with just a little bit of grit and determination.

But how do you teach this idea to kids? Because kids are young, most haven’t experienced the payoff that comes with hard work. So how do we encourage them to stay motivated before they even understand its value?

A common question I get asked when parents are first starting their child in piano lessons is, how long should my child practice? It’s a great question to help you set your expectations. Aim too low, and your child may not progress quickly enough and lose motivation. Aim too high, and you risk burning them out.

I’m really excited to share my first video lesson with you! This is a song that I wrote to be a fun and easy introduction to playing piano. I hope you like it!

In this song, you’ll learn how to use your left and right hand when you play, and how to hold a rhythm so we can play together! I show you each step of the way, so you can play along with me while you learn! I even include a duet piece at the end so you can really show off your new playing :)