The Rosetta Stone For Musicians
The piano keyboard is the Rosetta Stone for all musical instruments!
My students get to know the key names this way: the 3 black keys are “Grandma’s house,” and the 2 black keys are “the dog’s house.”
G = Grandma
A = Ants that are hiding in Grandma’s house – or it could be “A” for “Auntie”.
B = Grandma’s BACK door
D = the Dog
E = the Eagle, or the Elephant
F = Grandma’s FRONT Door
For the first few months of their lessons, they must fill in the piano keyboard paper one key-name per week. The first week they write in all the D’s, and the piano players practice a hand exercise to go with it.
Morning Mood Edvard Grieg
Grieg wrote this piece to depict the rising sun, and it perfectly captures the beauty and wonder of a new dawn. Youve probably heard it played on flute and oboe before. Our easy arrangement for piano requires you to move your hands around a little, but has you maintain a simple, steady melody that we think most beginners will be able to pick up in no time.
Also Check: Rolling In The Deep Piano Chords
What If You Are Tone Deaf
Unfortunately, numerous individuals are tone-deaf, meaning they cant distinguish between sounds. However, just because you are not able to perceive tones now, doesnt mean you have to give up your dream to become a musician you can learn how to identify tones.
First, take the tone-deaf test to find out if you really are tone-deaf. This test was created by professional musician-educators with many years of experience in the music industry based on scientific research in tone-deafness. You might be surprised to find that you are not completely tone-deaf.
If you pass, great! However, even if you fail, youre still not out of the Ballpark, there are many online resources to help you learn how to distinguish and recognize tones Musical U is one of them. And dont forget there is still one thing that can help you to be a great musician even if you are tone-deaf and thats memory.
Playing by memory, put into another perspective, is a way that you can fake it until you learn to play by ear. Its what you can do when all else fails, but you should continue to work on recognizing tones while playing by memory.
Recommended Reading: Dont Stop Believin Piano Sheet Music Easy Free
Recommended Reading: Home Sweet Home Motley Crue Piano
All Of Me John Legend
Next on our list of easy popular songs to play on piano, we have one of the most beautiful love songs of the 21st Century, John Legend dedicated his song All of Me to his then-fiancé , Chrissy Teigen in 2013.
Great for beginners, the first part needs only the right hand the left hand only featuring slightly at the end.
If you memorize this, you are well on your way. This song is a great introduction to jazz harmony and is the perfect melody to use to practice playing stride.
You May Like: Best Songs For Piano Bar
How Do The Lines & Spaces On The Staff Relate To The Piano Keys
Every note found on piano sheet music corresponds to a piano key. While there are 88 keys in total on a full-sized instrument, they are made up of 12 tones that simply repeat moving up in pitch. When you learn to read music notes, youll need to learn how to recognize the notes on the staff, and find them on the piano keyboard. Check out this piano notes chart of the keyboard notes below the music note letters correspond to the piano keys in a repetitive pattern.
Dont Miss: Difference Between Piano And Keyboard
Recommended Reading: Blue Book Value Of Kimball Pianos
The 20 Best Websites To Download Easy Piano Sheet Music In Pdf For Free
There are many websites with free piano sheet music of popular songs in PDF, but we dont always know where to find them and if they are really good quality or not. For example, on La Touche Musicale, you can learn piano online with simplified piano sheet music for beginners.
The purpose of this post is to give you an overview of the best websites offering free piano sheet music in pdf so that you can make your own choice!
What Is The Easiest Song To Play On The Piano For Beginners
For a super easy song to start with, try Hot Cross Buns. This song can be played on three consecutive black keys on the piano or else on the white notes C, D, E. It only has three different notes and a simple rhythm. Its also a familiar folk tune that many people have already heard. You can find free sheet music here.
Don’t Miss: Best Upright Piano Brands Used
Beginner Piano Sheet Music & Song Books
Everyone starts somewhere when it comes to discovering how to play music on the piano. Sheet music and song books for beginners are tools that can help. These sheet music products teach new players the basics of playing piano so that they can experience years of enjoyment from it.
What do beginner piano books cover?
These books cover a number of topics for beginning piano players.
- They teach the various notes and how to read both bass and treble music.
- They teach the layout of a piano keyboard.
- They teach proper fingering and technique, as well as posture when you play.
- They teach about different time signatures. For example, a piece that is in 4/4 means there are four beats per bar. Correct timing is very important in music.
- They provide scales that are good for warming up before each practice session or performance.
- Although lesson structure varies, most books provide a step-by-step guide for teaching beginners how to play. Different books will organize lessons differently, so take the time to find one that matches your learning preferences.
What types of songs are in these books?
- Beginner piano books can be general in nature. Many contain short sections of music from different sources to introduce new concepts.
- There are also themed books and sheet music for nearly everything you can imagine, from movie scores to pop music and musicals.
Are beginning piano books for all ages?What are some simple songs for beginners?
Free Tools To Help You Learn
The steps above are a great place to start as you learn to read music. To help you along on your musical journey, weve also created a few free tools to begin practicing with.
First, download a free arrangement of . Just add the song to your cart and proceed through checkout. For more variety, check out the rest of our sheet music for beginners, all of which youll be able to play using the steps above. Play popular hits like the Star Wars Theme, Let It Go from Frozen, Hallelujah by Leonard Cohen, and more. Were adding new Beginner Notes daily, so be sure to check back often and learn to play all your favorite songs!
Weve also created a helpful guide for lettering the keys on your keyboard or piano. to print, fold, and place on your keyboard. Once you become familiar with the keys, you can easily remove it and continue to strengthen your note-reading skills.
Finally, dont forget to download the free Musicnotes app! Enjoy instant access to all your Musicnotes sheet music files, plus tools and features created by musicians, for musicians. As you progress and learn how to read sheet music, your collection of arrangements will grow. Our app makes it easy to keep everything organized on the go. If you have any additional questions or need help finding songs to practice, reach out to our team of experts and well be happy to help. Good luck and, most importantly, have fun!
Read Also: Talking To The Moon Piano Chords
Get A Head Start On Classical Piano
Love classical music but not sure where to start? Head over to Classical Piano Quick Start, four free lessons designed for beginners taught by Victoria Theodore. Victoria is a classically trained pianist with degrees from Oberlin College and Stanford University, and has played with Beyoncé and Stevie Wonder. Start your classical journey with Victoria today!
Learning To Read Sheet Music With An Instructor
The best way to learn how to read music notes is by taking piano lessons. A professional piano teacher can walk you through these steps and ensure that youre building your skills on a solid foundation of music theory. With each lesson, your knowledge of the piano will grow and your music reading skills will develop. Lesson plans that are catered to your learning style and current skill level will help you stay motivated for the long term. You can always look up piano sheet music for beginners and practice your music reading skills. Once you have a handle on understanding piano with notes and reading music, the playing possibilities are endless!
With enough time, patience, and practice, you can develop into a well-skilled piano player. Obtaining a stable foundation in musical note reading will make your journey toward becoming a fine pianist an exciting and fun adventure.
Do you have a favorite technique for learning how to read sheet music? Let us know in the comments below!
Post Author: Liz T. teaches online singing, acting, and music lessons. She is a graduate of the Berklee College of Music with a B.M in Vocal performance and currently performs/teaches all styles of music including Musical Theater, Classical, Jazz, Rock, Pop, R& B, and Country.
Photo by Basheer Tome
Recommended Reading: Roland Rp-800 Digital Piano
An Opportunity To Practice A Flexible Wrist
This exercise, known as “Dipping Donuts,” requires shaping the 1 and 3 fingers into a round hole like a donut, then pretending to “dip” it into an imaginary glass of milk, using a smooth wrist action.
So, all week long at home, they start their piano practice time by “dipping donuts” on all the D’s.
First one hand, then the other, strikes each D on the piano, from left to right, then back down again right to left (or the other way around — some free spirit always wants to do it backwards, and it really doesn’t matter!
Make a technical exercise out of it, for fun
This reinforces not just the piano key’s location and name, but also a flexible wrist motion.
Bruno Mars When I Was Your Man
Taken from Bruno Mars album Unorthodox, released in 2012, When I Was Your Man is one of the most popular piano pop songs.
Its catchy rhythm makes it a dynamic music. The melody of this title is inspired by jazz songs on piano.
When I Was Your Man is a very easy piano song. If you are a beginner, it will suit you perfectly.
When I Was Your Man is also part of our ranking of the best piano songs to play with chords.
If you want access the piano sheet music or the midi file of the song When I Was Your Man, please feel free to .
You May Like: Hot Cross Buns Song Piano
Understanding Dynamics Rests Articulations And Tempo
In all types of sheet music, there is a wide range of instructive symbols that help the music sound a certain way. Some of the symbols refer to how soft and loud a passage of notes are.
Others indicate when a pianist should be silent, and that exact duration of time. Articulations help when it comes to the character of the piece, making it sound more percussive or more lyrical.
Finally, there are indicators at the top of a piece of music as well as in the middle of certain sections of a piece.
Below is a list of the common symbols you will find in any piece of sheet music, and what they mean.
Piano Not to be confused with the instrument name, piano is an Italian word meaning soft. The symbol can be found in between the treble and bass staff when it applies to both hands. If the composer intends for one hand to be soft such as the left hand, they will put the symbol under the notes in the bass staff only.
Forte When a pianist sees this symbol, they should play that section of music loudly. The same rules apply for knowing whether one hand or both hands play at this level.
Mezzo forte & Mezzo piano These two dynamic markings indicate medium loud and medium soft.
Andante For slow and lyrical pieces, the Adante tempo marking is often found. This tempo operates between 76 108 BPM. A much slower tempo can be found in Largo which is at 60 BPM. A little faster tempo thats not quite allegro would be Andante Moderato which taps in at 92 112 BPM.
The Threshold Of The Larger World Of Piano Music
Leaving more predictable patterns behind makes left hand chords trickier. Good reading skills definitely required!
These pieces stretch pianists’ abilities.
More technique is required, with the use of chord inversions, thicker textures in the melodies, and stretched hand positions.
Additionally, note reading strays far outside the two octaves around Middle C.
Go here to see the “Year Three and After” sheet music!
Ae Fond Kiss, vocal score & piano music – A tender love song, saying farewell.
Black Beauty movie sheet music – a beautiful, energetic piece of music, with a soaring, singable melody. From the movie.
Black is the Color of My True Love’s Hair – a very beautiful love song, with a slow start, and an energetic follow-up. Some lyrics.
Brian Boru’s March – an mesmerizing Irish melody that pulls you along in a theme & variation style.
Cat Came Back lyrics and music – easy versions and harder arrangements mix up the descending single-note bass line with triad chords.
Colorado Trail song – this is a cowboy song! It is very short, but very pretty.
De Boself – a simplified arrangement of the original piece by T. Van Oesten brisk and charming.
Down to the River to Pray – a fun song to sing & play. This is a spiritual, with energy & lots of verses.
Emma, a Jane Austen “Emma” movie tribute – This is very lovely, and parents love it.
Esther: For Such a Time as This – both original & EASY PIANO editions
Funeral March by Chopin – A famous and ominous melody.
Read Also: How To Teach Yourself To Play Piano
Game Of Thrones Theme
Did you know that the soundtracks to the first five seasons of Game of Thrones feature no piano music? Apparently, the shows creators believed that the instrument was too delicate for the brutal world of Westeros. But while piano music might be missing from the show itself, this special arrangement allows you to bring its memorable main theme to life on the ivories. The slow melody makes for easy playing, as does the fact that you only need to play with both hands in a few places.
Apologize One Republic Ft Timabaland
Apologize is a song by hip hop artist Timbaland, released in 2007 in his album Shock Value.
The title is featuring the pop band One Republic. Its thanks to this song that the band became known worldwide.
The piano melody associated with this song is very original and beautiful. Thats why its learned by many piano players today.
If you want access the piano sheet music or the midi file of the song Apologize, please feel free to .
You May Like: Easy Rap Songs To Play On Piano
Also Check: Sheet Music For Piano Beginners Free
Music I Give My Beginners In The First Year Of Note Reading
Primarily, this music on this page is made up of Middle C songs with “shared-between-the-hands” melodies. Many will be familiar to your students. These are the same songs that are found in my book Songs Old & Songs New.
Additionally, there are some pieces that make use of left hand chords or very simple accompaniments.
Most of the Middle C melodies have chord suggestions or illustrative graphics for an enterprising accompanist to devise his or her own backup. A few also have written-out secondo parts, for easy duet playing.
Some of the songs duplicate songs for Beginners & also music with lettered notes, but this is because I tend to make songs with multiple levels of difficulty for my students.
All the Pretty Little Horses
Amazing Grace
Arabian Dance
Ash Grove, a Welsh folk song
Away in a Manger
How To Read Piano Sheet Music
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Playing piano by ear is a quick and easy way to learn the instrument. Knowing how to read piano sheet music is much more useful though. Reading sheet music opens up the amount of repertoire a person can learn.
Theres a common misconception that reading piano sheet music is hard, but with a clear strategy, its actually quite easy to learn.
Heres how to read piano sheet music in 11 easy steps
Next, Ill talk about each of these steps and the best ways to implement them into your practice routine. Learning these strategies will allow anyone to pick up a piece of sheet music and read through it with ease!
Interested in quality digital pianos for easy learning? You can find them by clicking here#ad
Read Also: Used Pianos For Sale Utah
Free Easy Piano Sheet Music
Piano sheet music that’s fun to learn and easy to play. Arranged for early to early intermediate levels.
We’ve listed some of our best easy piano pieces below including well known traditional pieces, hymns, classical pieces, and originals written specifically for early elementary through early intermediate students.
Sheet music on our site is free to view and play. Paired with a tablet or even a smartphone, you can easily sight read our pieces in the browser while seated at the piano. We also have an option for PDF downloads/prints for every piece on our site.
