Learning the piano involves a wide range of skills.
Co-ordination is one of the main ones.
You will gradually learn to co-ordinate your fingers individually, each performing a separate task.
As you progress, this will involve hand to hand co-ordination.
Eventually you will learn to play the piano like a musical drum kit! Here are some finger and rhythm exercises to start you on your new and exciting journey.
The fingering in piano music is the way the fingers are numbered.
The thumb is 1, the index finger is 2 and so on.
Exercise 1: Place your hands on your lap and tap each finger in turn - 1 2 3 4 5 4 3 2 1.
Keep to a steady rhythm.
Exercise 2: Alternate the fingers of each hand - tap the right hand first and then the left hand - 1 1 2 2 3 3 4 4 5 5 Exercise 3: Do the same as Exercise 2 but tap the same finger twice, starting with your right hand - (R)1 1, (L)1 1, 2 2, 2 2, 3 3, 3 3, 4 4, 4 4, 5 5, 5 5 Exercise 4: In one hand only, tap alternate fingers - 1 3 5 3 1 3 5 3 1.
Now repeat with the other hand.
Exercise 5: In one hand only, tap alternate fingers - 1 3 5 3 2 4 2 4, 1 3 5 3 2 4 2 4.
Now repeat with the other hand.
Play exercises 1 to 5 on the piano using 5 adjacent white keys in each hand.
Play each exercise to a regular steady beat.
The piano will sound like a musical drum kit!