The Adventures of

Pinpi and Danda

A Piano Method as an Adventure

Pinpi and Danda is a beginner piano method that turns the first steps of learning the piano into a story.

Rather than moving through a series of disconnected exercises, students travel through the book with two characters, Pinpi and Danda. Each piece introduces a new musical idea, rhythm, hand position, or technique, allowing skills to develop naturally as the story moves forward.

The original book contains 180 short pieces designed to make reading music and learning the keyboard approachable, playful, and creative for both children and adult beginners.

Why I create It

I wanted the beginning of piano study to feel less like completing exercises and more like discovering a new world.

Learning an instrument requires repetition, but repetition does not have to feel repetitive. A simple melody, a character, a picture, or a small story can give even the most basic technical exercise a reason to exist.

With Pinpi and Danda, technique and imagination grow together.

Learning Through a Story

Music from the very beginning

Students begin playing short pieces while gradually learning the fundamentals of the keyboard and musical notation.

180 Short Pieces

The book is built around many small pieces rather than a few long exercises, allowing students to encounter new musical ideas step by step.

Characters as Guides

Pinpi and Danda travel through the book with the student, helping connect music, illustrations, and the physical experience of playing the piano.

For Different Ages

The method was designed to be approachable for beginners ranging from children to adults.

The First Edition

Pinpi and Danda was first developed and published in 2015 and was sold in Brooklyn through Pioneer Works.

What began as a teaching project eventually became an important part of my work as both a musician and a piano teacher. Over the years, I have continued to use many of its ideas while teaching students with very different ages, abilities, and musical interests.

What's Next? A New Pinpi and Danda

More than ten years after the original edition, I am now returning to Pinpi and Danda.

A completely revised edition is currently in development for 2027. Rather than simply reprinting the original book, I am reconsidering its structure, pacing, and teaching approach based on everything I have learned through years of working with piano students.

The idea, however, remains the same:

Learning the piano should be serious, but it should also be imaginative, curious, and fun.