Play Piano In 15 Minutes

Ok, strummers, wanna get yourself in front of a piano or keyboard? 

I hate those misleading ads you see all over the internet: so this one is surely not one of them. :) If you’re a guitar player with even just a rudimentary understanding of music theory, this micro-course will get you up and running on the piano! Yep - this Food For Thought will get you playing a load of songs in just a few minutes. :) 

Let’s get directly to the point!

 

How to Play Piano in 15 Minutes (For Guitarists)

The white notes on the piano are C, D, E, F, G, A, B, C, and the black notes are the sharps and flats. Remember that E to F and B to C are just a semitone apart, so they are the ones that don’t have a black note between them. You’ll notice that black notes are grouped in 2’s and 3’s. The note C is to the left of the groups of 2.

 

🤔 Got confused? Check out my free Music Theory lessons. That’s a premium product, but the first beginner grades are free and will get you started with the basics!  

 

If we only use the white notes, we are playing in the key of C Major, which is all we’ll be working on today. :)

 

Music Theory Applied to the Piano

One of the cool things about theory applied to the piano is that it’s a lot more obvious than guitar. Basic triad chords, for example, are the root note, the 3rd, and the 5th. On piano, that’s an easy and visual thing to do: you’ll play a note (root), miss a note (2), play a note (3rd), miss a note (4), play a note (5th). It’s right there in front of you! 

There are many fingering options to play triads on the piano, but stick to this one to start:

• Use your right hand. Your thumb goes on the root, your middle finger on the 3rd, and your pinky on the 5th. 

 

This fingering will help you to ‘miss’ the notes that would have been under your index and ring fingers. 

 

🚨 Note that I’m avoiding finger numbers here because they’re different from the guitar!

 

So, start that triad shape with your thumb on the note C. Do the play a note, miss a note, play a note miss a note thing, and you have the C Major chord. Keep the same shape but move it up one note, so the thumb is on the D, and you have a D minor chord! It follows the diatonic chord sequence for the key of C, which is: C Major, D Minor, E Minor, F Major, G Major, A Minor, B diminished, and then back to C.

 

💡 Check out this Intermediate theory course to learn the theory behind chords in keys and diatonic sequences. 

 

We number chords in keys using Roman numerals for convenience. And we use capital letters for Major chords and lower case for minor chords. So, C (I), Dm (ii), Em (iii), F (IV), G (V), Am (vi), and Bdim (vii). Don’t worry too much about the vii chord for now. We don’t use it often!

Got it? If you have any questions, log in to your account and drop me a message in the Discussions section!

 

Playing the Rhythm

I recommend you start with the following pattern:

Play a root note of the chord (just one note) in the left hand, somewhere to the left of where you plan to play the chord. Then, the triad with the right hand. Do that all twice, and you have the bass root on 1 and 3 and the chord on beats 2 and 4.

A chord pattern that works for gazillions of songs is the ol’ I V vi IV (1, 5, 6, 4). So, doing each of those for a bar and you got yourself the ability to play hundreds (really!) of songs at parties and show off your new awesome piano skills. :)

So you’ll be playing C, then G, Am, then F. Remember, the C root will be just left of the pair of black notes, the G G will be between the first and second black notes in the groups of 3 (move up to it!). Then the Am, which is simply one step up. Then down to F, which is just to the left of the group of three black notes! Simples!

 

4 Easy Songs to Play on Piano

Now it’s time to have some fun! You can play simplified versions of many songs! You might like to sing over the following ones:

1. I’m Yours by Jason Mraz)

2. Let It Be by The Beatles

3. When I Come Around by Green Day

4. Wherever You Will Go by The Calling

 

You might need to leave some bits out if you’re just getting started, but the idea here is just to give you some food for thought. :)

If you fancy trying something a bit more old-school, try using the I, vi, ii, V (1, 6, 2, 5) chord sequence. It’s the foundation of many more songs like I Got Rhythm (George Gershwin) or The Rainbow Connection (Muppets). The so-called “50’s progression” is used in lots of songs too! It’s the I, vi, IV, V (1, 6, 4, 5) sequence, and you’ll find it in songs like Stand By Me (Ben E. King) and All I Have To Do Is Dream (Everly Brothers).

Later on in your journey, explore how you can use these ideas to help your guitar playing! That should help you get a little more creative. :) For now, tinkle those ivories and have some fun. :)

 

Want to go further? Explore my Intermediate & Advanced Music Theory lessons for guitar players!