How to Play the Piano ( Part 1 : Equipment and Setup )

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• When you acquire a used piano for little or no money off the private market, it's likely that you'll need to get it tuned and possibly even repaired before it will be usable. Check your local business listings to find someone who's willing to make a house call and assess your piano's condition.
• It's acceptable to purchase a high-quality electronic keyboard if you must (for example, if you live in a tiny studio apartment), but it isn't recommended. You'll have more trouble learning proper posture and hand positioning than you would with an actual piano, and you'll never be able to exert as much control over the sound of a keyboard as you can with a decent piano. There are some electric pianos, though, that have their keys weighted to feel like a real piano. This would be ideal but it may be just as expensive as getting a real piano. If you're dead set on an electric one for whatever reason this is the way to go. 

2. Acquire accessories. Once your piano is set in place and has been tuned and examined by a professional, it's time to get a bench and some music to play. Many pianos come with a bench; otherwise, they can be found at thrift stores and music stores. Try to get an adjustable bench, as bench height is very important to ensuring proper posture. Don't use a dining room chair or an ottoman as a substitute unless it naturally places you at the ideal height for playing.

• Ask your local music store for recommendations on basic, easy-to-play music books. It's likely the clerk will know of at least a couple of books you can use. Try to get one book that encapsulates beginner advice in the front and contains scales and arpeggios, and one book with simple, complete songs to practice, such as old folk songs.
• If you have trouble keeping a rhythm, buy a metronome. A metronome sits atop your piano and ticks like a loud clock at a pace you set for it. It's a useful aid for maintaining a steady tempo as you begin to get better at playing.

3. Set up for proper posture. Sit on your piano bench with your music books on the sill of the piano, above the keyboard. Point your forearms towards the keys until they're parallel to the floor. If your bench is at the proper height, your fingers should gently arc downward and rest on the tops of the keys, without you having to bend your wrists or raise or lower your arms. Adjust the bench height until you feel no strain in your arms or shoulders when you sit at the piano. Make sure your shoulders and upper body is relaxed as well.

• Rest your feet flat on the ground, a comfortable distance apart, with the toes pointing straight ahead. Sit with your feet in a firm stance. Sit with a straight back - your shoulders shouldn't hunch forward, and your spine should be straight. Scoot in until your hands rest on the keys without having to stretch your arms. You should be able to move your feet forward to the pedals and back again without putting any strain on your upper legs. While you hold this position your entire body should be relaxed.
• If you don't have an adjustable piano bench, or it won't adjust high enough to make you comfortable, it's acceptable to use pads or pillows to further raise the height of your seat. Just be sure they're even in terms of thickness, and stable enough that you won't have to worry about them slipping as you play.

4. Double check your hand position. You should be seated at the center of the keyboard. Each of your ten fingers should rest on one white key. Your right thumb rests on the white key just to the left of a group of two black keys in the middle of the keyboard, which is the C note. Each finger on your right hand rests on the next following white key, thus D, E, F, and G. Your left hand follows the same pattern one octave down, only reversed: the left pinky should rest on C, and the left thumb should rest on G. There should be two white keys (A and B) between your thumbs. 

• The C note that anchors your right thumb is in the center of the keyboard, and as such is often called “middle ” It's common for beginning players to use a sticker or a piece of tape to mark middle C. Just be sure it's something you can eventually clean off as you get better.
• Learning the notes at the center first is conventional because a pianist must normally sit at the center of the keyboard to be able to reach every high and low note without standing up and moving.