Learn Beginner Piano Songs in Online Lessons

What to Look for in Beginner Piano Songs

Beginner piano songs meet these criteria:

• Few jumps. “Hard” piano songs usually earn their designation because of dexterity requirements; in other words, your fingers and hand have to make big jumps across the keyboard. Easy beginner songs have fewer and smaller jumps to deal with.
• A reasonable tempo. The faster the song, the harder it is to play – for the most part. Starting with something slow and steady is ideal if you want to learn.
• Repetitive sections. Repetitive sections make it easy to practice and memorize a song. If there are dozens of sections to learn and many rhythmically distinct patterns, you’ll likely have issues learning it.
• Easy left and right hand coordination. The piano requires you to coordinate your left and right hands, sometimes forcing them to play entirely different rhythms. This is akin to patting your head and rubbing your stomach at the same time; it’s difficult for the inexperienced to pull off. Beginner songs have fewer coordination demands.
• Basic chords and structures. Great beginner songs also introduce you to familiar chords, structures, and patterns that will follow you throughout your piano learning journey.

Beginner Piano Songs to Master

When you’re ready to play through some full-length songs, these are some of the first tunes to try.

Mary Had a Little Lamb (Sarah Josepha Hale)

Why overcomplicate things? Anyone, even with no musical knowledge, can probably sit down at a piano and play Mary Had a Little Lamb after a few minutes of experimentation. It’s not going to impress anybody and it’s not going to push your skills to the next level, but it can prove to you that you can be a piano player.

Give it a try.

Chopsticks (Euphemia Allen/Arthur de Lulli)

The next level up is Chopsticks, a very iconic piano song that anyone can instantly recognize – even if they don’t know the name. Set in 3/4 time, this waltz can be learned in the span of a few minutes, and it sounds more complex than it truly is.

Heart and Soul (Hoagy Carmichael)

You’ve likely seen and heard this song played a hundred times in your life, both from live piano players and on TV shows and movies, but have you tried playing it yourself?

Traditionally, this song is played with two people, with one person focusing on the lower, bouncing part and the other focusing on the higher, clearer melody. If you become skilled enough, you might be able to master playing both parts at the same time – all alone.

This is also a great song to learn early because it teaches you a common chord progression (I-vi-IV-V), which you can use in a number of other songs, including more advanced ones.

Fur Elise (Beethoven)

If you hear someone play this song masterfully, you might believe it took them a year to learn. The song itself sounds complex because of the graceful melody and the interaction between high and low parts. But realistically, it’s not hard to get the hang of it.

This song also has a flexible tempo, allowing you some wiggle room if you make a mistake or lose your place.

Imagine (John Lennon)

Commonly cited as one of the best songs ever written, Imagine continues to permeate pop culture. The song begins with a heavy piano introduction, and the piano music that follows grounds the song.

The chord progression in Imagine is straightforward, only requiring a few different chord structures, and you don’t need to have much dexterity developed – even in the most challenging sections. If you practice it consistently, you should be able to get the hang of it in the span of a day.

Canon in D (Pachelbel)

Recognizable in a variety of different contexts, including weddings, Christmastime, and even pop songs, there are few pieces of music that have been as inescapable as Canon in D.

There are several arrangements you could try here, ranging from ridiculously easy to still-kind-of-easy. Your left hand will be playing the same part over and over throughout the entire piece, while the right hand’s role gets progressively more complex as the piece goes on.

If you’re struggling with coordinating your left and right hands, this song functions as a fantastic exercise.

Can’t Help Falling in Love (Elvis Presley)

This simple, slow tune is loved by millions of people, and it doesn’t require any fancy finger work. In it, you’ll learn how to play arpeggiated chords and you’ll get familiar with some of the most common chords in standard pop music.

The only obstacle you might face is that the chords change frequently throughout the song, and it might be hard to memorize.

Let It Be (The Beatles)

One of the most famous and moving songs in the Beatles’ repertoire, Let It Be is a guaranteed crowd-pleaser. Most of the song relies on the same 4 chords, flipping the progression slightly when it moves from verse to chorus. And while the introduction makes the song seem like an intermediate-to-expert-level piece, it should be well within your capabilities even as a newcomer.

Clocks (Coldplay)

In the mood for something newer? Try Clocks by Coldplay. This song features one of the most recognizable piano intros of the 2000s and it sounds challenging – but in reality, it’s very approachable. There are only 3 main chords to learn, and the pattern repeats itself over and over.

Learning the rest of the song is more of a challenge, but it’s still something even an amateur can handle.

Developing Beyond Beginner Piano Songs

Just practicing these beginner piano songs will eventually turn you into a better player. But if you want to take the next step and become an intermediate piano player, you’ll likely need a little help. You’ll need to challenge yourself with more advanced songs and exercises, and more importantly, you’ll need to consider taking online piano lessons.

Through online piano lessons, you’ll work one-on-one with an expert piano instructor. You’ll learn more about how to read and play music and get introduced to a variety of songs that can turn you into a more impressive pianist. It all starts with your first lesson – and for that, we offer a 100 percent satisfaction guarantee!