Do you want to learn how to play the piano but don’t know where to start?

You’re on a budget and you prefer to try it without hiring the piano teacher or paying for an online learning app?

Don’t worry, there are many options for you!

Platforms that offer online piano lessons are growing rapidly and a lot of them are providing content for free. Whether it’s a website, an app, or a Youtube channel, you can learn how to play the piano at home easily.

However, in order to do that, you’ll need a quality source. To help you decide, we’ve summarized different ways of learning and a few recommendations for each of them.

If you wish to play your favorite songs on the piano and learn about music theory from talented musicians, many free platforms will help you do just that.

Why not make the most out of that brilliant possibility and start learning today?

Keep reading and explore the best free piano lessons.

Best Free Piano Lessons

1. Creative Piano Academy

This piano YouTube channel was created by the young and witty Josef Sykora.

His video lessons are recorded with high quality, and with the combination of talking and showing a screen keyboard (above his own), he manages to teach the piano basics in an easy and efficient way.

Due to somewhat structured lessons, you will get a sense of guidance while learning. They will introduce you to scales, chords, rhythm exercises, and so on. 

So, with Sykora, you’ll get a good grasp of the piano technique and not only hit the right notes of the particular song like with some other YouTube lessons.

However, if you wish to master note reading and learn in-depth music theory, this might not be what you’re looking for.

To make your free piano lessons more structured, go to the Creative Piano Academy website and get a free guidebook or the piano practice plan for adults. It will show you some tricks and help you establish your practice routine.

A positive and motivating approach of the teacher, clear video lessons, and additional learning resources on the platform’s website are making this channel definitely worth checking out.

2. Mangold Project

Mangold Project is a popular YouTube channel that offers a variety of free video lessons.

In the videos, you will mostly be hearing the channel’s creator and teacher explaining a particular concept and see the keyboard or animated explanations.

He will teach reading sheet music with such animations while pointing with the cursor.

There are a number of free piano lessons for beginners, as well as more specialized ones with advice for advanced piano players. The content is focused both on theory and playing songs.

The series of “Piano Quickie” videos will introduce you to concepts such as semitones, intervals, and triads through short bite-sized lessons.

After going through Mangold Project’s videos, you will get a solid foundation of theoretical and practical knowledge that you can use for your further piano practice.

However, if don’t have any musical experience, the lack of structure and guidance might make things a bit confusing.

So while the channel provides a good learning starting point, you’ll need to create your own schedule and focus on sticking to it.

3. PianoLessons.com

PianoLessons offers free piano lessons created by the instructors at Pianote.

They have a bunch of material on YouTube, but you should start with the Piano Lessons website to pick the lesson pack that is suitable for your level.

Most videos are guided by Jordan Leibel and Lisa Witt, experienced pianists and instructors who share their knowledge with an engaging and positive approach.

Lessons cover a wide range of important topics tailored both for beginners and experienced players. You will learn various techniques, how to read sheet music, and how to play popular songs.

Instructors also talk about proper body and hand posture which is sometimes skipped in the other courses.

Well-rounded content and a fresh look reflect the quality of the Pianote platform. You can check our Pianote review to get a better idea of their free lessons.

Although you can get truly structured lessons and other benefits if you pay a subscription to Pianote, PianoLessons is also a great learning option to indulge in for free. 

4. Hoffman Academy

This piano course is created primarily for children.

The platform’s founder and teacher Joseph Hoffman uses video lessons to share his knowledge. He has a fun and positive approach and is prone to use games, animation, and puppets while explaining musical concepts.

Hoffman Academy is based on a holistic teaching method so your kid will complete a well-rounded curriculum that focuses both on music theory and playing songs.

Content is focused on sight reading, technique, proper posture, improvisation, and, of course, playing famous songs.

Although all video lessons are free, to get printable sheet music, games, and additional learning resources you need to subscribe to their website. 

Academy’s video lessons are more than enough though, and every student will get a solid musical background after completing the course. Even parents and adults might find it as a fun way to learn something new or remind themselves of some music theory.

Read about the platform’s method and most important features in detail in our full review of the Hoffman Academy.

5. Pianonanny

Pianonanny is one of the first free piano learning websites created by jazz musician and composer Clinton S. Clark.

This award-winning platform has been sharing useful material since 1994. through textual lessons accompanied by images and audio files.

Lessons are divided into a starter, intermediate, and advanced section, covering a wide range of music theories and techniques. After each lesson, you can take a short quiz to test your knowledge.

Students who remember things better by reading (and writing, as we recommend you to do) will find this website quite useful. If you’re a beginner, you will gradually be introduced to musical concepts.

However, you will not actually play the piano during the first part of the starter course. Therefore, if your goal is to learn how to play popular easy piano songs, this might not be for you.

On the other hand, Pianonanny’s content might be helpful as an additional source of information for anyone who is starting their piano learning journey or want to improve their existing skills.

6. Music Theory

This is another text-based website that you might find useful as a part of your free piano learning process.

Lessons are clearly divided into concepts and categories, so you can follow them one by one or find exactly what you want to learn about.

You can also access the pop-up keyboard on your PC and click to hear notes, mark them, and so on.

There are also many exercises available, such as note identification, key signatures, and scale construction exercise, all of which will help you remember the music theory more easily.

This website is focused purely on theory though.

Although its look is pretty simple, it’s actually quite structured and you should check it out if you want some extra learning resources or simple game-like exercises.

7. Pianoforall

Pianoforall conveniently offers a free 7-day mini-course that will help you grasp the basics.

It uses guided video courses and a chord-based teaching method.

Considering that a lot of paid courses aim at teaching you how to play the piano as quickly as possible, this can be a sufficient amount of time to learn at least something.

The results depend on you though, and you should continue with regular practice to really learn how to play.

You can check our verdict on this popular and fun learning platform here.

8. Skoove

Skoove is another popular and effective app that provides 25 free lessons.

It’s suitable for beginners and focuses on music theory and playing simple songs through a structured linear curriculum.

The app is programmed to listen to your playing and give you instant feedback, so you will know if you’re on the right track.

This is common among e-learning apps and a great advantage in comparison to websites and video lessons.

You will also be encouraged to repeat what you’ve learned, which is something that other learning sources lack. Repetition, practice, and keeping notes in your muscle memory is crucial for progress.

To get a better idea of the platform’s method, take a look at our full Skoove review.

9. Music Tutor

Music Tutor is a free mobile app for learning music theory.

It focuses on sight reading and teaches how to read notes easily through its game-like format. It also helps you with your ear training and listening (aural) skills.

During the practice session, you will see displayed notes and hear how they sound. After a short test, you can review your mistakes.

There is also a possibility to customize practice sessions so the content can be useful both for beginners and advanced piano players.

That way, the app tracks your progress and accuracy so you will know if you’re doing it right.

Different Types of Free Piano Lessons

YouTube video lessons

There are plenty of YouTube channels that offer piano learning lessons. It’s easy to get lost in there, especially if you’re a beginner and have no idea where to start.

Before choosing a channel, make sure you know what your goals are. If you simply want to learn how to play popular songs, many YouTube tutorials will come in handy.

However, if you want to really learn how to play the piano, meaning you’re ready for some music theory, practice, and learning techniques, you need to find something structured.

Guided video lessons

Although the YouTube video lessons we’ve just described are also guided by someone, there are websites that offer free video lessons as a part of their curriculum.

They are specialized, structured, and often provide additional learning resources or practice plans.

If you’re a beginner or you want to keep improving your piano skills, it might be better to have a linear learning process. That will also help you track your progress and get a sense of accomplishment.

On the other hand, players who wish to work on a specific technique or weak spot will also find something for themselves here.

Websites

People prefer different learning methods; some learn better visually and some by listening.

Piano learning websites offer a variety of resources such as text-based lessons, audio files, and so on.

There are some free websites that can help you learn how to play the piano, whether you will use them as a main piano program or an additional learning source.

Piano learning apps

Video lessons and websites can be great learning tools if you’re on a budget and want to improve your piano skills.

But these types of lessons often lack structure, so for beginners, they might be confusing or not engaging enough.

There are plenty of high-quality piano learning apps. The problem is, that they are rarely free.

However, they usually offer a free trial with full access or certain free parts of the course. That way, you can check if you like them, but also start learning in a quick and easy way.

How to Choose the Best Free Piano Learning Resource?

We know it’s not easy to choose between all these free piano learning options.

If you don’t have any musical knowledge, it might be hard to start learning by yourself.

That’s why the traditional piano school lessons still have their appeal; you are guided by a teacher, helped when needed, and encouraged to keep going.

But if you’re truly eager to learn how to play the piano and are willing to commit to it, you can do it without paying a piano instructor.

If you prefer a fun and engaging way of learning, pick an app or a guided video lesson. If you’re a reading and studying type, learn from the materials on the websites.

Or, combine! But not too many of them though, so you don’t get lost or feel overwhelmed.

Whatever you choose, create your own practice plan if your learning source doesn’t provide it. Decide how much you want to practice daily and what your goals are. Learn at your own pace.

That’s how you’ll be able to make progress, enhance piano skills in the right way, and not give up.

Final Thoughts

One of the advantages of the Internet and growing e-learning platforms is that anyone can learn how to play an instrument for free and in the comfort of their home.

You can choose between YouTube videos, guided video lessons, websites, and apps. Each source is created to teach how to play the piano in an easy and quick way.

Apps are fun and often gamified and they’re great for tracking progress and getting feedback.

Websites offer in-depth music theory content that you can print and use anytime. And video lessons guided by piano teachers will help you understand the technique better.

Whatever you choose, if you want to learn how to play the piano properly, you need to practice regularly.

Although many of these free piano learning resources claim that playing the piano is easy, it’s not effortless, and like any other skill, mastering it takes time and persistence.

In the end, music is about enjoying yourself and being creative. Once you learn the basics of playing the piano, the possibilities are endless.

So, stay curious and take your time to really get to know this beautiful instrument and discover where it can take you!