Okay. You've got a keyboard. Maybe bought it, borrowed it, found it in your aunt's basement. You're sitting in front of it right now staring at all those keys and you have no idea what to do.
Been there. That overwhelm is real.
Here's the thing – most "beginner piano" content throws too much at you. Scales, chords, reading music, hand position, finger numbers, all in the first lesson. Your brain can't absorb that. You end up more confused than when you started.
I'm gonna tell you just the first week stuff. The bare minimum that actually matters. Nothing else.
First: find middle C.
Look at your keyboard. See how the black keys come in groups of two and three? Find a group of two black keys somewhere near the middle of the keyboard. The white key directly to the LEFT of those two black keys is C. The C closest to the center of your keyboard is middle C. It's your home base.
I stuck a piece of tape on mine for the first two weeks. No shame in that.
Second: learn the musical alphabet.
There are only seven note names: A, B, C, D, E, F, G. Then it starts over. From middle C, play the white keys going right: C, D, E, F, G, A, B, C. That second C is the same note, just higher. One octave up.
The black keys have names too (sharps and flats) but ignore them for now. Week one is white keys only.
Third: number your fingers.
Both hands use the same system. Thumb is 1. Index is 2. Middle is 3. Ring is 4. Pinky is 5. When something says "play this with finger 3," that's your middle finger.
Fourth: basic hand position.
Put your right hand on the keyboard with thumb on middle C. Let your other fingers naturally fall on D, E, F, G. One finger per key. Fingers curved like you're holding a tennis ball. Wrist level, not drooping or cocked up. This is "C position."
Now do left hand one octave lower. Pinky on C, other fingers falling on D, E, F, G going up.
This will feel awkward. That's normal. Just don't collapse your wrists or flatten your fingers – those habits are hard to fix later.
Fifth: play something.
Right hand in C position. Play C, D, E, F, G, one finger per note, going up. Then back down. Congratulations, you just played a partial scale. Now left hand. Same thing but starting with pinky on the lower C. Way harder, right? I have a whole article on why left hand feels impossible if that's frustrating you.
That's week one. Find middle C. Learn the alphabet. Number your fingers. Basic position. Play the 5-note pattern with each hand.
Don't try to learn a song yet. I know you want to. I tried to play Coldplay on day two. Bad idea. You need these fundamentals first or you'll build bad habits. When you're ready, check out first songs to learn.
For the full journey ahead, my complete beginner's guide maps out everything month by month.
The keyboard layout lesson on MusicTheory.net is also helpful if you want another explanation.