Am I too old to start piano?

No. Adults learn differently from children, not worse. You understand explanations a child cannot, you can practice deliberately, and you chose this yourself. The course is built for adult beginners from the first note.

Is the course really free?

Yes. All 41 lessons of the beginner course are free on YouTube, in order, with nothing held back behind a paywall.

Where do the lessons take place?

The free course is on YouTube and you can follow it anywhere. Private lessons are held online via Zoom, worldwide.

Do you teach one-on-one online?

Yes. Dr. Maria Pisarenko teaches private lessons online via Zoom for beginners and returning adult students.

♪ Online Piano University

Free · University-Level · From Your First Note

The University Piano Course for Adults — Now Free

Q: Do I need a real piano?

You can begin on any keyboard, but for proper technique you want 88 weighted, touch-sensitive keys. Recommended instruments are listed on the Books and Gear page.

A real, university-level beginner course — taught for years at colleges by Dr. Maria Pisarenko (DMA) — now free, step by step, from your very first note. Learn to really play: both hands, pedal, reading music — properly, with no bad habits to un-learn.

▶ Start the Free Course Watch on YouTube →

Dr. Maria Pisarenko· Doctor of Musical Arts· International Competition Prizewinner· University Professor

Dr. Maria Pisarenko, concert pianist, at the piano

Dr. Maria PisarenkoDMA · Concert Pianist · Your teacher

DMAMoscow Conservatory SchoolSteinway Top TeacherPrizewinner — Paris · RomeStudents earn top marks (ABRSM / Royal Academy)

Start here

This is for you if…

You think you're “too old” to start — you're not.
You're afraid of learning the wrong way and building bad habits.
You tried apps and felt lost, with no real structure.
You want to truly play — not just press keys.

Why this is different

Most channels teach you to press keys. I teach you to really play.

This is the actual curriculum I teach at universities — proven over years — that builds a real foundation: posture, hand position, reading, technique, musicianship. Build that foundation, and you can play anything: classical, film music, the songs you love.

A real course, in order — not random tips

Follows Alfred's Basic Adult All-in-One Piano Course, Level 1 — the same book I teach from at the college level. Lesson by lesson, nothing skipped.

See the free course →

Try it right now

Play your first note — right here

Tap the keys, use your computer keyboard (A S D F…), or plug in a digital piano by USB. Start with middle C — the key with the label.

Try it: record yourself, then play it back — your first composition.

This is how the course begins — one note, done properly.

▶ Now learn to really play — free course Get the full experience — Maestra app →

The free course

Start Here — the Free University Beginner Course

Step by step, in order, free on YouTube. You'll learn to sit & position your hands · read notes, key signatures (to 1 sharp / 1 flat) & time (2/4, 3/4, 4/4) · chords · pedal · play with both hands · and perform your first real pieces.

Lesson 1 — Warm Up the Keyboard

Your very first lesson: how to sit, find your hand shape, and get comfortable at the keyboard.

Then continue in order — 41 lessons:

C Position (right & left hand)
Reading notes & the Grand Staff
Intervals (2nds → octaves)
Chords: C, G7, F, D7
Sharps, flats & naturals
Scales: C, G, F
Time signatures & rhythm
Your first real pieces

▶ Begin with Lesson 1

Find your path

Where are you starting from?

Pick what sounds like you — each path leads into the free course.

Complete beginner

Never played a note. Start from scratch, the right way.

↩

Returning after years

Played as a kid? Rebuild technique and freedom.

Play the songs I love

Learn the foundation, then play anything.

For my child

Give them a proper start from a university teacher.

The result

In a few weeks, you'll be able to…

Read basic music

Notes, key signatures (to 1♯/1♭), and counting in 2/4, 3/4, 4/4.

Play hands together

Both hands, with the damper pedal — smoothly and musically.

Perform real pieces

Complete beginner pieces, played properly — not just pressed.

Want personal help?

Online 1-on-1 Lessons via Zoom

Prefer one-on-one? I teach private piano lessons online — personalized to your level and goals, from anywhere in the world. Beginners to advanced.

Book an online lesson →

I teach students around the world — all lessons are online via Zoom, in English or Russian.

Learn from a DMA & university professor

Same expert teaching, flexible scheduling, from home.

About

Dr. Maria (Masha) Pisarenko

I'm a concert pianist, Doctor of Musical Arts, and international competition prizewinner — trained in the great Russian tradition at the Central Music School of the Moscow Tchaikovsky Conservatory and the Gnessin Academy, with a doctorate in the USA. I teach piano at the college and university level — and here, I teach you: warmly, simply, from your very first note.

DMA — Doctor of Musical Arts Moscow Conservatory school Gnessin Academy Prizewinner — Paris · Rome Steinway Top Teacher University Professor

More about me →

See me perform

Your teacher is a concert pianist

Stages across Russia, Europe, Asia and the USA — including the Royal Academy of Music (London), the Paris Conservatory and the Moscow Tchaikovsky Conservatory.

Grieg — Piano Concerto in A minor (live with orchestra)

Solo Piano Recital — live classical concert

Mozart — Piano Concerto No. 21 (live with orchestra)

Beethoven — Choral Fantasy, Op. 80 (live with orchestra & chorus)

What students say

Loved by students & audiences

★★★★★

“After being away from piano lessons for 15 years… Dr. Pisarenko is a great instructor for me. She's kind and patient and encouraging… top notch instruction. She's the best!”

— Guillo L., returning adult studentYelp

★★★★★

“Dr. Masha is a patient and wonderful teacher. Our son started playing when he was 7, and within six months played his first recital! I love that she teaches both theory and technical skills.”

— Victoria C., parentYelp

★★★★★

“Dr. Pisarenko has been wonderful!!! She is very patient, very flexible with scheduling and I have learned so much from her in such a short period of time!”

— Sarah K., adult beginnerYelp

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Coming from Dr. Maria Pisarenko

The piano app that teaches you to really play

The keyboard you just played is the first small part of something larger: an app in which a concert pianist guides you note by note — honest feedback, real technique, real musicianship. It is built on the method I have refined over a career of teaching, in conservatories and universities.

Join the free course list below and you will be among the first to hear when it opens.

Free guide

Get my free Adult Beginner's Piano Starter Guide

The first steps to start the right way — no bad habits to un-learn. Join fellow beginners learning with a real university teacher.

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No spam — just piano. Unsubscribe anytime.

What you'll need

Recommended books & keyboards

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

The Book

Alfred's Basic Adult All-in-One, Level 1 — the course book.

View on Amazon →

Yamaha P71

88 weighted keys — a great first digital piano.

View on Amazon →

Roland FP-10

Excellent weighted action for beginners.

View on Amazon →

Casio PX-S1100

Slim, weighted, beautiful sound.

View on Amazon →

See all recommended gear →

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Questions

Frequently asked

Am I too old to start?

No. Adults learn piano beautifully — the key is a proper method and a steady path, which is exactly what this course gives you.

Is it really free?

Yes — the full beginner course lives on YouTube, free. The website simply helps you follow it in order and go deeper.

Where do lessons take place?

Everything is online: the free course lives on YouTube, and 1-on-1 lessons happen worldwide via Zoom. I teach students across the U.S., Europe and Asia.

Do I need a real piano?

A digital piano with 88 weighted keys is perfect to start — see the recommended keyboards above.

Do you teach 1-on-1 online?

Yes, via Zoom — tailored to your level and goals, from anywhere. Details & pricing →

Ready to finally play?

Start the free university course — from your very first note.

▶ Start the Free Course

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