The very first piano lesson is a decisive moment: children take home the first impression that will determine whether they want to continue or not. That’s why I love making it a fun, visual, and movement-filled experience—almost like kindergarten, but at the piano.
Instead of jumping straight into Do–Re–Mi, I focus on something simpler and more powerful: the groups of 2 and 3 black keys. This foundation helps students feel confident and secure when navigating the keyboard.
✅ Step by Step: The First Lesson
1. Keyboard Exploration
Show the difference between white keys and black keys.
Discover together that the black keys are always grouped in 2s and 3s.
2. Visual and Motor Games
Use the deer and fox tokens to mark the 2- and 3-black-key groups.
Build a keyboard puzzle on the floor or on poster board.
3. First Pieces at the Piano
Play Running Sticks (great to do in small sections and then put together).
Explore The Woodpecker from Music Moves for Piano, using the fist on the group of 3 black keys.
4. At-Home Activity
Color and paste black-key tokens (a great visual and motor reinforcement).
(Link: English version – Spanish version)
🎯 Objectives of This First Lesson
- Recognize and differentiate between groups of 2 and 3 black keys.
- Feel safe and confident exploring the piano from day one.
- Associate music with play, color, and fun.
📋 Quick Teacher Checklist
- 2 & 3 black-key tokens (free). (Download here: English – Spanish)
- Printable keyboard puzzle. (English – Spanish)
- Songs from the Music Moves for Piano method.
- Poster board, scissors, and lots of enthusiasm.
🌟 Personal Tip
Don’t rush into teaching note names. If children leave the very first class recognizing groups of 2 and 3 keys, playing, and having fun, that’s already a huge success!
🎁 Free Download
To make things even easier for you, I’ve prepared a complete first piano lesson plan in PDF.
👉 [Download it for free here: English – Spanish]
🎵 Looking for more ideas? Check out my Music Teaching Blog for creative lesson activities.