Ready to start your musical journey? From timeless classics to beloved pop hits, we're showcasing the most approachable songs for piano beginners. Whether you're looking to impress friends or simply learn a new skill, these pieces will help you build confidence at the keys without overwhelming complexity.
Category
🗞
NewsTranscript
00:00Um, does anybody know how to play piano or keyboards?
00:04I do.
00:08Good. I have a job for you.
00:11Welcome to Miss Mojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the most beginner-friendly songs to play on the piano.
00:17Jobsticks.
00:24Number 10. Hallelujah. Leonard Cohen.
00:27This haunting song took on a life of its own when it was covered by Jeff Buckley in 1994.
00:32It then entered mainstream consciousness after being featured in the 2001 animated film Shrek.
00:44Did you know it makes for a sophisticated-sounding-yet-easy piano arrangement?
00:48Slow and self-referential, the song's lyrics actually tell you the chords they are based on.
00:52It goes like this, the fourth, the fifth, the minor four, the major lifts.
00:59You can't get any better instruction than that.
01:02Plus, to the layman's ear, the song sounds full and impressive, making it a great choice for learning the piano.
01:07Hallelujah.
01:08Number 9. Let It Be. The Beatles.
01:17This legendary band's swan song was included in their final studio album.
01:21Composer Paul McCartney got the inspiration for the song from a dream that he had about his mother, Mary.
01:26Let It Be debuted at number 6 on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming one of the band's most beloved and iconic songs.
01:42With its straightforward chords and melody, it's the perfect song to develop your beginner piano skills.
01:46It's in C major, without sharps and flats to contend with.
01:56Another famous beginner-friendly composition by a Beatles member is John Lennon's Imagine, also a ballad in the key of C major.
02:02But we're giving the nod to Let It Be Here.
02:05There will be an answer. Let it be.
02:10Number 8. Yesterday. The Beatles.
02:13This Fab Four composition is a great addition to your piano repertoire.
02:17Composed by Paul McCartney, Yesterday is a timeless standard, interpreted by many artists over the years.
02:22Yesterday.
02:25Love was such an easy game to play.
02:30Not only does it sound beautiful without being overly sentimental, but it's also easy to play for newbies.
02:36The song starts in F major and smoothly transitions to D minor.
02:40It's relative minor. Before then, resolving back into F major.
02:44It's going to sound like this, so from
02:45Why she had to go, I don't know
02:53This gives beginners a chance to practice dynamics, particularly in the bridge section.
02:58With its classical-style intonations, Yesterday makes for the perfect piano arrangement.
03:03Oh, I believe in yesterday.
03:08Number 7. Can't Help Falling In Love.
03:11Hugo Peretti, Luigi Creator, and George David Weiss.
03:15Wish to play romantic ballads to impress a lover or touch the sentimental side in all of us,
03:20every pianist should have Can't Help Falling In Love in their repertoire.
03:24Some things are meant to be
03:29Based on the French love song, Plaisir d'Amour, this composition by Peretti, Creator, and Weiss
03:36was made famous by Elvis Presley, and has been covered countless times ever since.
03:41It has especially become a favourite at weddings, particularly first dances.
03:45So take my hand
03:51Take my whole life too
03:59With its orderly D major key and simple yet powerful melody,
04:05Can't Help Falling In Love is just right for beginners.
04:07And because of its classical history, it even sounds impressive on the piano.
04:11Falling in love
04:14With you
04:18Number 6. Lean On Me, Bill Withers
04:21Want to steer clear of play-to-death compositions?
04:31If you're aiming for a more varied repertoire, consider this timeless song to memorise on the piano.
04:36One of the most successful songs of all time, Withers' 1972 recording of Lean On Me,
04:41was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame and Certified Platinum in the UK.
04:45Now you just call on me, brother, when you need a hand
04:51With its poignant lyrics and slow tempo, Lean On Me features C major left-hand chords,
04:56Allowing you to focus on the melody with your right hand.
04:59It's a great song to play that isn't overdone.
05:01We all need somebody to lean on
05:08Number 5. Over the Rainbow
05:10Harold Arlen and Yip Harburg
05:13Standards are called standards for a reason.
05:15Written for The Wizard of Oz, the melody, Over the Rainbow, came unexpectedly to Harold Arlen while he was on the road.
05:21It's one of the most famous and beloved songs of all time.
05:24Somewhere over the rainbow, skies are blue, and the dreams that you dare to dream really do come true.
05:45It won the Academy Award for Best Original Song, and has been cemented in American consciousness ever since.
05:51The song also lends itself well to terrific piano arrangements.
05:54While its familiar melody takes at least an octave leap, Over the Rainbow's A-A-B-A structure is uncomplicated with a tritone B melody.
06:11You can bet that everyone will be thrilled to hear this ballad of melancholic longing.
06:16Why, oh, why can't I?
06:28Number 4. Oh to Joy
06:30Ludwig van Beethoven
06:32Who doesn't love this Daughter of Elysium?
06:40The fourth movement of Beethoven's Symphony No. 9, Oh to Joy, is one of his most well-known melodies, with its text adapted from Friedrich Schiller's poem.
06:49It even became the official anthem of the European Union, and is considered one of the greatest musical works ever.
06:55While the completed work is taxing to both play and sing, the actual melody of the fourth movement is a cinch to play on the piano.
07:08Both the left and right hands play the stepwise melody, before you even get to the variations.
07:13Oh to Joy will please all, and your fingers will thank you.
07:16Number 3. Happy Birthday
07:24Patty Hill and Mildred J. Hill
07:26This song really needs no introduction.
07:40One of America's most well-known tunes, Happy Birthday was originally created by two Kentucky sisters as a catchy song for kindergarteners.
07:48Thanks to corporate chicanery though, it was given a long copyright that only ended in 2015 in the US.
07:54This song was incredibly profitable for them. In 2008 alone they collected two million dollars in royalties for the Happy Birthday song, which equates to five thousand dollars a day.
08:04While the song is notorious for its tricky high note, especially for untrained singers like most of us, such leaps are no problem on the piano.
08:12Since the song uses a relatively simple, repeating melody, playing it is a piece of cake, even for a newbie.
08:23Just one option
08:24Number 2. Heart and Soul
08:25Frank Lesser and Hoagie Carmichael
08:27Carmichael. Most pianists have surely come across this tune in their introductory piano
08:43books. Composed by Frank Lesser, famous for Baby It's Cold Outside, Heart and Soul is
08:47a beloved jazz standard, widely referenced in media.
08:57With its childlike melody paired with surprisingly intense adult lyrics, Heart and Soul's simplified
09:16piano arrangement is a breeze to learn and memorize. It's traditionally meant to be a
09:20duet between the piano teacher playing the left-hand chords and the student playing the
09:25right-hand melody. Once you've mastered this arrangement, you can experiment with variations.
09:29You're sure to have a wonderful time with this song, no matter your level.
09:32Before we continue, be sure to subscribe to our channel and ring the bell to get notified
09:43about our latest videos. You have the option to be notified for occasional videos or all
09:48of them. If you're on your phone, make sure you go into your settings and switch on notifications.
09:53We definitely do not need to explain this one. That said, the history behind the familiar
10:10children's song may surprise you.
10:11As you know, this is a very simple tune, but one of our greatest composers spun magic out
10:17of this one.
10:17This folk tune began as the French A Vous Derez Je Maman, a girl's sweet confession to her
10:23mother about her crush. Eventually, it was given nursery rhyme lyrics, 12 variations by Mozart
10:28and no fewer than three sets of English lyrics. The most common English version is, of course,
10:40Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, based on a poem by Jane Taylor, as well as the alphabet song and
10:46Bar Bar Black Sheep. With its stepwise melody and only one B variation, this is the simplest song
10:52to learn for beginners on the piano. Which other songs do you think would be great for a beginner
11:01to try on the piano? Let us know in the comments down below.
11:03It's getting hot in here, so take off all your clothes. I am getting so hot, I'm gonna take my clothes off.
11:14Do you agree with our picks? Check out this other recent clip from Ms. Mojo,
11:17and be sure to subscribe and ring the bell to be notified about our latest videos.
11:22We'll see you next time.
11:23We'll see you next time.
11:24Bye.
11:25Bye.
11:26Bye.
11:27Bye.
11:28Bye.
11:29Bye.
11:30Bye.
11:31Bye.