A list of recommended resources from across the web (free and paid) for learning piano technique.
For help choosing or finding repertoire, visit the Piano Repertoire page.
Videos and Courses on Piano Technique
How to Read Sheet Music Course (Free!). This free course gives you the tools to approach and read any piece of sheet music in traditional staff notation. Additionally, I go over some of the logic of what music notation is and share some of the other kinds of notation, so you can quickly learn any kind of notation or create your own. This course also comes with pdf downloads of helpful illustrations and access to the course’s learning community and discussion board.
Josh Wright’s ProPractice Technique Series on Teachable. Josh is one of my favorite teachers on the internet; his attention to detail and ability to convey specific, technical information through video is impressive. This series helped me improve my technique and get rid of tendinitis. He covers everything from beginning all the way through advanced technique. You can view free samples of the ProPractice Technique Series on his Youtube channel here. Included in the course is entrance into a Facebook group of everyone in the “lifetime access” group, which is a great resource for feedback and discussion on all things piano. That’s been my favorite part of joining this course.
PianoTV’s Technique Series on Youtube. Allysia is an energetic and fun teacher whose Youtube channel is a great resource, especially for those who are just getting into piano. She covers everything from piano technique, to theory, and even a little history in a way that makes it feel more like a game than sitting down and studying. She also discusses ABRSM and RCM and how to prepare for those exams.
Cedarville Music on Youtube. Steinway artist, Dr. John Mortensen runs this Youtube channel on all things piano. He doesn’t have any intro courses, but he does cover a lot of fundamental-to-advanced piano techniques and does an excellent job explaining each of these. He’s got a fun but professional personality, and I would honestly love to have had him as an instructor in university. Dr. Mortensen also covers a variety of styles and topics I haven’t seen much elsewhere, like Irish music and Classical improvisation. Definitely check out his channel!
Books on Piano Technique
Piano Patterns: Fingerings for Scales, Chords, and Arpeggios. This collection of basic musical patterns provides fingerings for even the lesser-used scales: pentatonic, whole tone, and blues. Learning how to pick fingerings is one of the least-taught elements of piano technique, so Piano Patterns can help you get started.
This book is included as part of the upcoming course: The Pianist’s Guide to Fingering.