Your First Steps Made Easy


You've always thought about learning piano. You've always imagined how fun it would be to be able to sit down at the piano and play anything you want to play. You've envisioned yourself gathering together with your friends and playing all of their favorite songs for them.

You've just never known where to start.

Until now.

Over 140 Exercises!

With every module, you'll encounter countless examples of how to actually apply the things we talk about. With detailed and clearly laid out visuals, you'll be guided step by step in how to start playing these concepts and building your proficiency. All exercises are also downloadable so you can print them out or pull them up on a screen and play along!

Easy to Follow Instruction

I'm proud to have had one major recurring point of feedback on my YouTube channel of over 1 million subscribers: People are always shocked by how well they understand seemingly difficult concepts because of how clearly I'm able to explain them. I've built this course specifically to be the best example of that I've ever produced.

Graphics and Animations

As well as I can explain how to start your musical journey, it also helps to see it in new and creative ways. We have worked tirelessly to break these concepts down into visual representations and animations so that you can clearly see how things work. What may have been intimidating before is now easy to understand and apply!

Choose a Pricing Option

Frequently Asked Questions


What does purchasing this course get me?

  • Purchasing the Intro to Piano course gets you access to the course FOR LIFE. It's a one-time purchase that will ensure you have access to the material for as long as need it. Also, you'll have access to any new additions or updates to the course over time. You ALWAYS have the most up-to-date and value-packed version available. In addition to the course, you'll receive a secret code to access the private members-only channels in the Charles Cornell Discord server. That's where you'll get access to an exclusive community of fellow students, who you'll be able to connect with and share progress and questions with!

How is this different from other piano courses?

  • One of the ways Charles has been able to build a YouTube channel with over 1M subscribers is by having a unique ability to explain complicated concepts in an extremely clear and easy-to-understand manner. While other courses simply feature an instructor talking to the camera, this course is packed full of detailed graphic animations and supplemental resources to make sure you'll be up to speed at every step of the way.

How much practice will I need to put in?

  • There is no one-size-fits-all answer to the question of how much practice is enough. The best amount of time to practice is any amount of time when you're actually doing it. For some people, that might be 10 minutes per day. For others, it might be 2 hours. With this course, you can go as fast or as slow as you like, and you can replay any of the videos in the course as many times as you like. You get to set your own pace and take as long as you need to work through it.

What kind of piano do I need?

  • One that works! An acoustic piano will work great and so will a digital keyboard. It doesn't matter how expensive it is, how many keys it has, or how many features it has. If it has some keys and makes a sound, you can probably use it! Now of course, a better quality instrument can help make some things easier. But especially at the beginning, the important thing is that you get playing at all. You can worry about the fine details later.


Meet Charles


Before building a YouTube channel with over 1 million subscribers, Charles made a living as a jazz pianist playing gigs and teaching students. With both formal jazz and classical education, he has helped thousands of aspiring musicians take the next steps in their musical journeys. With such an extensive background and knowledge base in applied theory and improvisation, Charles has been able to help students of all levels improve their skills. From complete beginners looking to start learning the piano, to advanced professionals looking to improve their theory knowledge and improvisational vocabulary on their instrument.

Course Curriculum


  Intro
Available in days
days after you enroll
  Getting Started
Available in days
days after you enroll
  Getting To Know The Instrument
Available in days
days after you enroll
  Getting To Know The Fingerings - Exercises
Available in days
days after you enroll
  Rhythm and Time Signature
Available in days
days after you enroll
  Reading Rhythms - Exercises
Available in days
days after you enroll
  Figuring Out The Notes
Available in days
days after you enroll
  Playing In C Position - Exercises
Available in days
days after you enroll
  Scales And Using The Whole Piano
Available in days
days after you enroll
  Playing With Both Hands - Exercises
Available in days
days after you enroll
  What Are Sharps And Flats?
Available in days
days after you enroll
  Reading Accidentals - Exercises
Available in days
days after you enroll
  Getting Started With Chords
Available in days
days after you enroll
  Tips on Practicing
Available in days
days after you enroll
  Putting It All Together - 20 Short Songs To Practice
Available in days
days after you enroll
  You Made It!
Available in days
days after you enroll

“Charles isn’t just a gifted musician; he’s an uncommonly talented teacher as well. As a self-taught musician who never learned to read music or understand theory, I spent over a decade with huge gaps in my musical knowledge that prevented me from playing what I wanted to play. When Charles sat down with me, he was able to explain in 30 minutes what I’d struggled and failed to grasp pouring through music theory books, videos, and discussion threads on my own. If you want to learn piano quickly, he’s your guy.”

-Thomas Frank (YouTube)