Play music you love. From lesson one.
Chord First is an all-in-one piano method built for teens, adults, and returning students. Instead of grinding through months of single-note reading first, you start with chords, the shapes that actually make songs sound like songs.
Built for the students traditional methods leave behind.
Teens & adults
Older beginners who want music, not months of C-position exercises.
Returning students
Anyone coming back to piano who wants a practical, chord-based restart.
Self-directed learners
Curious players who want to understand why songs work, not just what notes to press.
Chords, then melody, then reading.
Book 1 walks you through the essential chords in their simplest form, the rhythms that make them sound like songs, and the theory that ties everything together, with reading gently layered in as you go.
- • Basic major and minor chords represented as two-note intervals in the left hand
- • Rhythm patterns for pop, folk, and jazz styles
- • Practical theory: notes, intervals, and simple progressions
- • Songs, both familiar and new, that combine everything you've learned
Books 1, 2, and 3 are available now.
Chord First is its own product line, and it keeps growing. Click any book to preview the inside pages and see exactly how the method unfolds.
A method that keeps older students playing.
If you've watched an adult beginner quit before they got to the good part, Chord First is your alternative track. Assign it as their primary method, or pair it with any traditional method book for a complete piano education experience.
Listen to the Books
Hear recordings from Chord First Books 1-3.