Taking the First Steps

Absolute Beginner — Initial / Preliminary

You haven't played before — or you last played as a child and remember almost nothing. This plan starts at the very beginning: how to sit, how to find notes, how to get each hand moving independently. Every piece is short and genuinely musical. No finger exercises disguised as music — just small, satisfying pieces chosen because they sound good and teach something real.

About this plan

Estimated time: 8–12 weeks at 20–30 min/day

Books you'll need

24 Pieces for Children, Op. 39
Dmitri Kabalevsky · Hal Leonard / any edition
Widely available. You need this for A Little Scherzo.
Easier Piano Pieces (ABRSM)
Various · ABRSM Publishing
Contains Reinagle, Handel Gavotte in C, and other Initial-level pieces in one convenient collection.

Pieces in this plan

A 7-piece path to playing Taking the First Steps. Register free to unlock it.

1
Allegretto in C Major
A. ReinagleEasier Piano PiecesInitial — browse all →

A tidy 8-bar piece that fits entirely in five-finger position. A perfect first piece — short, musical, and achievable.

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2
Dance, Op. 227 No. 2
C. GurlittAlbumleaves for the Young, Op. 227Initial — browse all →

A cheerful little dance — the hands do different things for the first time. One plays the melody, the other holds a simple accompaniment.

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3
A Little Scherzo, Op. 39 No. 6
D. Kabalevsky24 Pieces for Children, Op. 39Initial — browse all →

Short and bright — this is the piece that shows what you've learned so far. More rhythmically lively than the first two pieces.

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4
Racing Against Each Other
B. SchattelTeaching PiecesInitial — browse all →

The two hands literally race each other across the keyboard. Playful and effective — it gets both hands moving with purpose.

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5
The Black Forest Doll
G. F. HumbertTeaching PiecesInitial — browse all →

A gentle character piece — think of a music box. This is your first piece that needs real expressive shaping.

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6
Gavotte in C
G. F. HandelEasier Piano Pieces / ABRSM Grade 1Initial — browse all →

Your first Baroque piece — crisp, light, and elegant. Completely different in feel from the Romantic and contemporary pieces.

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7
Menuet in F (Nannerl-Notenbuch)
L. MozartNannerl-Notenbuch / Easy Piano ClassicsGrade 1 — browse all →

Written by Mozart's father, Leopold, in the family teaching notebook. A natural bridge toward Grade 1 — longer, more varied, and more demanding than the Initial pieces.

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