Two habits make everything later easier: a steady hand position with one finger per key, and playing in time with a click. This section builds both with five notes and a metronome, then adds velocity, the first thing that makes a keyboard part sound played rather than programmed.
Start this section in the interactive courseFingers are numbered thumb 1 to little finger 5 on both hands. Exercises and diagrams in this course use those numbers.
The five-finger position puts one finger on each of five neighbouring white keys. Right hand: thumb on C, little finger on G. Left hand: little finger on C, thumb on G.
Curve the fingers slightly, as if holding a ball, and play with the fingertips. The wrist stays level and loose.
Playing in time means landing on the click, not chasing it. Listen to the count-in, feel where the next click will fall, and press as it arrives.
Start slower than feels necessary. Speed comes from evenness at a slow tempo, not from practising fast.
The result shows whether you tend to be early or late. Most people rush when unsure, so if yours says early, wait for the click.
Halve the gap: two notes for every click, as 8th notes. The click lands on every other note.
Keep the notes between the clicks exactly halfway. If they bunch up, slow down until they don’t.
Velocity is how hard a key is pressed, sent as a number from 1 to 127. Most synth patches use it for level or filter brightness, so it shapes a part as much as the notes do.
A sequencer plays every step at one velocity unless you set it. By hand, accents happen naturally; the skill is putting them where you want.
Practise with a pattern of one loud note and three soft ones. Play from the fingertip, letting the weight of the hand make the accent rather than stiffening the wrist.