You’re calling it ‘music lessons’ though. Surely they are ‘piano playing lessons’? Playing a clarinet or sax relies on single note understanding. Pianos are polyphonic which means you’re learning multiple notes as well as multiple clefs.

I wrote an article about this topic a while back. Here it is:

PIANO INSTRUCTION – IT DOESN’T HAVE TO BE A CHORE FOR YOU

So, you want to learn piano. There are many methods of piano instruction available on the market today. Let’s look at what’s out there.

Method 1 – Note Reading and the Classical Repertoire
Not a bad choice if you love the classics and want to spend your time learning how to note read. This option is what most piano students choose yet I don’t understand why. After all, you might as well throw creativity out the door. You’re playing other people’s music for crying out loud!

Method 2 – Chord Understanding and Improvisation
Here’s where the fun really begins! Learning how to use chords to create your own music is a world apart from note reading and will give you more joy then most any other method. Why? Because you are actively involved in the music making process! Why do you think so many guitar players can just pick up their instrument and play? It’s because the learn chords first. Note reading is not emphasized as much for the guitar player.

So, where can you find this kind of piano instruction? There are many teachers who know how to play using the chord-based approach but can’t teach this method. A teacher should do more than just give you the techniques and send you on your way. A good teacher will help you trust yourself and the music you play and will act as a mentor, guiding you to your desired goals.

Playing the piano: Hit the key gently = quiet note. Hit the key hard = loud note. Sustain pedal – hit the note and it holds, and in ALL CASES the note fades to nothing.

Playing the organ: The note only sounds whilst the key is held down, and (except on fancy electronic keyboards of which I am NOT referring) sounds at the same volume for as long as the key is held down, and the force with which it is struck makes no difference whatsoever! The organ has more than just one keyboard (“manual” is the proper name) AND a pedal board, and big organs take an awful lot of mastering, some of them having four manuals (and just to complicate matters, some of these DO react differently according to how hard you press the keys) , a pedalboard, lots of “stops” (with which to select the pipes and therefore the sounds) and on some, a selection of “effects” plungers for things like fire bells, train whistles and all sorts of other goodies!

As to your question, by all means have a go using a self-teaching manual, but do as IT says as to where you place your fingers, NOT as you find most convenient! Of course, you will be much better off in the long run if you CAN afford a proper teacher.
There is nothing more pleasurable than to be able to play ANY keyboard instrument, but a decent piano (or of course a REAL “Concert” or “Cinema” organ) really does the business for you.
Sorry this has been a long answer, but so is a lifetime of keyboard playing. Enjoy ! ! !