How to Play Tunes on a Piano
For someone who wants to begin playing piano for fun and doesn't want to invest the money or time it takes for lessons, learning to play easy tunes is possible. While playing the piano well can take years of practice, learning to play simple songs can be accomplished with just a little practice. By learning a few basics about how songs are structured and how they relate to the piano, you can soon be playing tunes well enough to entertain family and friends.
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Instructions
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1
Learn the note names on the piano. A piano has many keys, but the notes repeat themselves. The lowest note on a full-size piano is A. The highest note is C. Middle C is the fourth C on the piano, from left to right. The white keys are natural, and the notes are A, B, C, D, E and F. The black keys are a half step higher than the white keys and are either sharp or flat, depending upon whether you go up to the key (sharp) or move back to it (flat). This means the black key after C and before D can be called either C sharp or D flat.
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2
Learn to play chords. This is the quickest way to begin playing tunes on the piano. Learning to play chords isn't as difficult as it may seem. There are many different chords and variations of the same chords in music, but to play simple tunes on the piano you only need to learn simple chord shapes. Major chords are formed on the piano using your index finger, middle finger and ring finger and placing them on the keyboard with an untouched key between each finger. This is a triad (three-note chord), and it is the only shape you need to know to play major chords. The first key you place your finger on will tell you the name of the major chord you are playing. To make the major chord into a minor chord shape, simply move your second finger back one key. With these two shapes, you can make every major and minor chord and have the basic skills you need to play a large number of songs that use these chords.
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3
Choose your first easy song to play. "Silent Night" uses the major chord shape you learned earlier (see Resources). Try this one and sing along. Familiarize yourself with three easy chords---C, F and G---using the major chord fingering in Step 2. Play the chords with both your left and right hands, striking each chord until the tune indicates switching to a new one. This is an easy song to get started with and one that almost anyone can recognize.
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References
Resources
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