Piano Level 1 :
Complete Beginner
to Playing Songs
The structured video course that takes you from "I've never touched a piano" to playing real melodies and chord progressions with confidence, at your own pace, on any device.
By Mirco Lieber, MMag. (MDW Vienna) · Concert musician, 30+ years · 23 years Academy of Music Ljubljana · Updated August 2026
- 28 structured HD video lessons, 4 modules
- Printable note charts & chord diagrams for all exercises & songs
- Practice routines designed for busy adults (20 min/day)
- Chord chart poster (major & minor, all 12 keys)
- Access to student community & Q&A thread
- Certificate of completion from ML Elite Online Music School
- Upgrade credit towards Level 2 or Bundle
🔒 In development, live coaching available now
🔔 Early access: leave your email and get notified first when the course launches — with an early-bird price.
🔒 In development, live coaching available now.
- Instant access after payment
- Watch on any device
- Download for offline use
- EN & DE subtitles available
- 7-day money-back guarantee
Full Course Curriculum
Foundations
- The keyboard layout & note names
- Proper posture and hand position
- Reading note names by letter (A to G)
- Playing a 5-note melody (right hand)
- Introduction to rhythm values
Left Hand & Chords
- Left hand bass note patterns
- C major, F major, G major chords
- Am, Dm, Em minor chords
- Simple chord progressions
- Playing melody + bass together
Coordination & Rhythm
- Both hands together, the breakthrough
- Quarter notes, half notes, whole notes
- Dotted rhythms & ties
- Dynamics (soft vs loud playing)
- Metronome practice techniques (try our free online metronome)
Songs & Application
- Ode to Joy (Beethoven), arranged for beginners
- Amazing Grace, melody + chords
- Simple pop chord song (4-chord pattern)
- Blues scale introduction
- What comes next, your Level 2 path
This Course Is Perfect For You If…
✓ This IS for you
- You're a complete beginner, never played before
- You're an adult who always wanted to learn piano
- You can practise 20 to 30 minutes per day
- You want structured lessons, not random YouTube videos
- You want to play real songs, not just scales
- You prefer learning at your own pace, online
- You want a German-language option (also available)
✗ This is NOT for you if…
- You already play at intermediate or advanced level
- You're looking for classical conservatory training
- You need in-person lessons (see 1-on-1 coaching instead)
- You can't commit to any regular practice time
Already have some experience? Jump to Piano Level 2 →
What Level 1 Students Say
"I'm 47 and always assumed I was too old to learn piano. After 6 weeks of Level 1, I played Ode to Joy for my family. My daughter cried. Worth every cent of the €63."
"I tried YouTube tutorials for months and got nowhere. Level 1 gave me the structure I was missing. By Module 3 I could actually coordinate both hands, something I thought I'd never do."
"The 20-minutes-a-day structure is genius for busy people. I'm a teacher with very little free time. This course fit perfectly into my schedule and the results came faster than I expected."
Where Does Level 1 Lead?
Level 1 is your launchpad. Every step up is optional, but once you can play, most students want to keep going.
Piano Level 1
28 lessons, complete beginner to playing songs
Book Live CoachingPiano Level 2
Intermediate, scales, complex chords, repertoire
See Level 2 →Ready to Play Your
First Real Song?
Start your piano journey with ML Elite Online Music School. One payment, lifetime access, 7-day guarantee.
🔒 In development, live coaching available now.
From Baroque to Jazz :
All Styles, All Epochs
30+ years of teaching experience mean: I teach in your style. Classical epoch or modern genre, you choose, I adapt.
Baroque
Polyphony, ornamentation, basso continuo. Counterpoint in the tradition of Bach.
Classical
Formal clarity, sonata form, homophony. The Viennese style.
Romantic
Expression, virtuosity, song form, and the great piano repertoire.
Impressionism
Tone colour, whole-tone scales, floating harmony, and atmosphere.
Modern & Contemporary
Atonality, minimalism, neo-classicism, and contemporary composition.
Jazz & Blues
Swing, Bebop, Boogie-Woogie, Blue Notes, improvisation. Standards from Gershwin to Bill Evans.
Pop & Rock
Chart hits, Beatles, Elton John, Coldplay, Adele, Ed Sheeran, chords and accompaniment patterns.
Film & Cinematic Score
Hans Zimmer, John Williams, Ennio Morricone, Ludovico Einaudi. Cinematic piano at its most expressive.
World Music
Tango, Bossa Nova, Latin, Flamenco influences, and folk music from Austria and Europe.
Chanson & Art Song
The German art song, Schubert Lieder, French chanson, and cabaret style.
Gospel & Soul
Gospel chords, call & response, spirituals. Emotional, rhythmic, and deeply expressive.
Folk & World Music
Mirco's personal field: Slovenian Oberkrainer music (Slavko Avsenik), Tango, Bossa Nova and European folk traditions. Every idiom taught from the inside out.
Lute & Guitar Transcriptions
Lute transcriptions for piano, Baroque pieces in a modern keyboard arrangement.
Your favourite style not listed? No problem. In 1-on-1 coaching, we tailor the repertoire entirely to your wishes.
Explore 1-on-1 Coaching →Frequently asked questions
Who is Piano Level 1 for?
Piano Level 1 is built for complete beginners, adults who have never touched a piano, or who tried once on their own and gave up. Across 28 structured video lessons in 4 modules, you learn the keyboard layout, correct posture and hand position, reading note names by letter, basic rhythm values, left-hand bass patterns, and your first chord progressions, finishing able to play real songs, melody and bass together, with both hands. No music-reading background, prior instrument experience, or innate musical talent is assumed; the course is paced for 20 to 30 minutes of daily practice over about 8 weeks, the same progression Mirco Lieber, a Vienna-trained concert musician (MMag.), uses with adult beginners in private lessons. It's equally suited to a 25-year-old and a first-time learner in their sixties. Each lesson includes printable note and chord charts, so you're never staring at a screen while trying to play.
How is this different from a piano app like Simply Piano or flowkey?
Apps like Simply Piano and flowkey are gamified and subscription-based. They listen through your microphone or a MIDI keyboard to check whether you played the right note at the right time, but they can't see your hand position, correct your fingering, or judge your tone, the technique that determines whether you keep improving or plateau. Piano Level 1 is a taught video course by Mirco Lieber, a Vienna-trained concert musician (MMag.) with roughly 30 years of teaching experience, structured the way real one-on-one lessons are: each module builds one specific skill before moving to the next, and every song is explained, not just displayed on a scrolling screen. You pay once (€63) instead of a recurring €110 to 200 per year subscription, keep lifetime access with no expiry date, and can download lessons for offline practice. If you outgrow Level 1, its upgrade credit carries over toward Level 2 or the Complete Bundle.
What if the course isn't right for me?
Piano Level 1 comes with a 7-day money-back guarantee: if you follow the lessons and aren't playing real songs, melody and simple accompaniment, both hands, within 7 days of starting, you get a full refund, no questions asked, just an email to request it. This is realistic because Module 1 alone gets most beginners playing a five-note melody within the first two or three lessons, so 7 days is enough to judge whether the teaching style and pace genuinely work for you. The guarantee exists because the course was designed for adults, some of whom have never tried an instrument before and are naturally cautious about committing to a new hobby. If Piano Level 1 turns out not to be the right fit, for example, because you already play at an intermediate level, Piano Level 2 or 1-on-1 coaching with Mirco Lieber directly may suit you better.
Online Piano Lessons with Mirco Lieber - Book your free trial lesson →
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