We’ve found that adding the letters and finger numbers to the keys can help students get started faster. See the pictures below to help set this up at home. This type of tape is easy to replace if it gets worn down by a student.
Having the letters on the keyboard definitely helps beginning students start making music faster and practice easier.
Our goal is to get them playing music as quickly as possible, not to setup a lot of big hurdles to slow them down. The information on the tape will sink in overtime until the student grows out of using it. Without the tape, young students progress at a much slower pace.
Pro tip: Don’t use duct tape on a real wood piano.
Here is a picture of all the letters over the keyboard to make that a little clearer.

We will often use washable marker to give younger students “tatoos” as well. Here is a picture showing how to setup your rock star tatoos:
