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Piano Syllabus
A comprehensive piano curriculum covering technique, scales, chords, music theory, sight-reading, and repertoire performance from beginner to advanced.. The complete Piano outline — 6 subjects, 39 chapters and 148 topics — laid out so you can see exactly what has to be covered and tick each item off as you go.
Piano subjects
Each subject below has its own page with the full chapter → topic → sub-topic tree and a set of real exam-style flashcards.
7 chapters · 28 topics
Scales, Arpeggios & Technical Work6 chapters · 24 topics
Music Theory & Notation7 chapters · 27 topics
Chords & Harmony at the Keyboard6 chapters · 22 topics
Sight-Reading & Ear Training6 chapters · 21 topics
Repertoire & Performance7 chapters · 26 topics
Piano flashcard decks
300 question-and-answer cards across 6 decks, written against this syllabus. Preview any deck free.
How to work through the Piano syllabus
The outline on this page is arranged the way the syllabus itself is: subject, then chapter, then topic, then sub-topic. That last level is what most study plans skip, and it is where coverage actually goes wrong — a chapter marked "done" often has three sub-topics inside it that were never touched.
Weight your plan accordingly: Piano Fundamentals & Technique carries 28 topics while Sight-Reading & Ear Training carries 21. Giving both the same number of weeks is the most common planning mistake for Piano.
The ~110 hour estimate above is a first pass only: roughly 45 minutes per topic plus 12 minutes per sub-topic. Revision cycles, past papers and mocks sit on top of that number.
Piano syllabus FAQ
What subjects are in the Piano syllabus?
Piano covers 6 subjects: Piano Fundamentals & Technique, Scales, Arpeggios & Technical Work, Music Theory & Notation, Chords & Harmony at the Keyboard, Sight-Reading & Ear Training and Repertoire & Performance. Together they contain 39 chapters and 148 named topics.
How big is the Piano syllabus?
The full Piano outline breaks down into 39 chapters, 148 topics and 0 sub-topics. Piano Fundamentals & Technique is the largest single subject with 28 topics across 7 chapters.
How long does it take to cover the whole Piano syllabus?
Roughly 110 hours for one full pass. That estimate allows about 45 minutes per topic plus 12 minutes per sub-topic, so it is first-pass coverage — revision, past papers and mock tests sit on top of it. At 3 hours a day that is about 5 weeks.
Are there Piano flashcards?
Yes — 300 question-and-answer flashcards across 6 decks, one per subject, written against this syllabus. A sample of every deck is readable on this site for free, and the complete decks are in the Examius app.
Is this Piano syllabus free to use?
Yes. Every page here is free to read, and importing the Piano syllabus into the Examius app to tick off topics as you finish them is free too. No account is needed to start.
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