We present the first detections by the NASA K2 mission of oscillations in solar-type stars, using short-cadence data collected during K2 Campaign 1 (C1). We understand the asteroseismic detection thresholds for C1-like levels of photometric performance, and we can detect oscillations in subgiants having dominant oscillation frequencies around 1000 μHz. Changes to the operation of the fine-guidance sensors are expected to give significant improvements in the high-frequency performance from C3 onwards. A reduction in the excess high-frequency noise by a factor of 2.5 in amplitude would bring main-sequence stars with dominant oscillation frequencies as high as ≃2500 μHz into play as potential asteroseismic targets for K2.