{"id":32643,"date":"2023-08-30T14:01:54","date_gmt":"2023-08-30T12:01:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/?p=187687"},"modified":"2023-08-31T11:40:02","modified_gmt":"2023-08-31T09:40:02","slug":"easiest-piano-songs-best-tunes-for-piano-beginners-to-play","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcmusicmagazine\/rss_feed\/easiest-piano-songs-best-tunes-for-piano-beginners-to-play\/","title":{"rendered":"Easiest piano songs: best tunes for piano beginners to play"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"rssexcerpt\"> Here are some of the easiest songs to learn on the piano <\/p><p class=\"rssauthor\">By Steve Wright\n                \t\t<\/p><p class=\"rssbyline\">Published: Wednesday, 30 August 2023 at 12:01 PM<\/p><hr class=\"no-tts wp-block-separator\"\/><?xml version=\"1.0\" encoding=\"UTF-8\" standalone=\"yes\"?>\n<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC \"-\/\/W3C\/\/DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional\/\/EN\" \"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/TR\/REC-html40\/loose.dtd\">\n<html><body> <p><strong>The piano can be one of the most rewarding instruments for a beginner.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s easy to master and anyone can produce beautiful sounds on it without too much training \u2013 unlike, say, the violin, where learners have to put in a few dozen hours before they start to sound consistently pleasing.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong><a class=\"standard-card-new__article-title\" href=\"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/works\/christmas-violin-music\/\">Easy Christmas music for the violin<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>And of course, there are some great songs out there for beginners (and improvers) to test their skills on.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong><a class=\"standard-card-new__article-title\" href=\"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/works\/best-classical-music-for-beginners\/\">Best classical music for beginners<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>With that in mind, here is our selection of some of the easiest songs to learn on the piano.<\/p>\n<h2>Easiest piano songs<\/h2>\n<h3>Happy Birthday<\/h3>\n<p>Not for nothing is \u2018Happy Birthday\u2019 one of the world\u2019s best-known and best-loved melodies. Of course, the fact that it\u2019s sung on joyous occasions is part of its appeal: but it also owes its popularity to the fact that it\u2019s also one of the easiest songs to play on the piano.<\/p>\n<p>The <i>Guinness Book of World Records <\/i>tells us that \u2018Happy Birthday\u2019 is the most recognised song in the English language, followed by \u2018<span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><a title=\"For He's a Jolly Good Fellow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/articles\/for-hes-a-jolly-good-fellow-lyrics\/\"><strong>For He\u2019s a Jolly Good Fellow<\/strong>\u2018<\/a><\/span>. The tune comes from the song \u2018Good Morning to All\u2019, <sup id=\"cite_ref-2\" class=\"reference\"\/>traditionally attributed to American sisters Patty\u00a0and\u00a0Mildred J. Hill in 1893.<\/p>\n<p>\u2018Happy Birthday\u2019 has had some famous performances \u2013 perhaps none more so than\u00a0Marilyn Monroe\u2019s, sung to American U.S. President\u00a0John F. Kennedy in May 1962. Elsewhere, pianist and comedian Victor Borge famously used to play the familiar melody in the styles of various composers. On other occasions, he would start out playing <a href=\"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/composers\/ludwig-van-beethoven\/\"><strong>Beethoven<\/strong><\/a>\u2018s \u2018Moonlight\u2019 Sonata before effortlessly transitioning into \u2018Happy Birthday\u2019.<\/p>\n<iframe title=\"Happy Birthday - Beethoven - Victor Borge\" width=\"200\" height=\"150\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/OxlBFss-YBI?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen=\"\"\/>\n<ul>\n<li><a class=\"standard-card-new__article-title\" href=\"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/recordings\/best-recordings-beethovens-moonlight-sonata\/\"><strong>The best recordings of Beethoven\u2019s \u2018Moonlight\u2019 Sonata<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>Jingle Bells<\/h3>\n<p>You\u2019re probably very familiar with this festive classic: but did you know its origins? The song was created by American composer James Lord Pierpont, as a Thanksgiving song in 1857. It\u2019s now a favourite the world ever, cropping up in shopping centres, on doorsteps, at children\u2019s carol concerts and much more.<\/p>\n<p>We named \u2018Jingle Bells\u2019 one of the\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/articles\/christmas-songs\/\"><strong>best Christmas songs ever<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0and one of the\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/works\/christmas-songs-for-children\/\"><strong>best Christmas songs for children<\/strong><\/a>. We\u2019re also including it here as one of the easiest songs to play on the piano.<\/p>\n<h3>Let It Be<\/h3>\n<p>The Beatles classic is a nicely manageable number \u2013 whether for an a cappella choir, solo pianist, or piano and voice combination.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong><a class=\"standard-card-new__article-title\" href=\"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/articles\/the-best-cathedral-and-abbey-choirs-across-the-uk\/\">The best cathedral and abbey choirs across the UK<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>\u2018Let It Be\u2019 owes some of its enormous popularity to its very recognisable, four-chord progression. That progression (1-5-6-4, for example C major-G major-A minor-F major) crops up in many other classics including Bob Marley\u2019s \u2018No Woman No Cry\u2019, Journey\u2019s \u2018Don\u2019t Stop Believin\u2019, Lady Gaga\u2019s \u2018Poker Face\u2019 and \u2018With or Without You\u2019 by U2.<\/p>\n<iframe title=\"Let It Be - The Beatles | VERY EASY Piano Tutorial\" width=\"200\" height=\"113\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/9co96nkM5to?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen=\"\"\/>\n<h3>Twinkle Twinkle Little Star<\/h3>\n<p>The much-loved lullaby \u2018Twinkle Twinkle Little Star\u2019 is now more than 200 years old. It was written in 1806 by poet Jane Taylor and first published in Jane and her sister Ann\u2019s book <i>Rhymes for the Nursery.\u00a0<\/i>Its tune is the late 18th-century French melody \u2018Ah! vous dirai-je, maman\u2019 which has been used for a number of different songs. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/composers\/mozart\/\"><strong>Mozart<\/strong><\/a> also used it in his <em>Twelve Variations on \u2018Ah vous dirai-je, Maman\u2019.<\/em><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong><a class=\"standard-card-new__article-title\" href=\"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/works\/counting-songs\/\">Counting songs: 10 of the best<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong><a class=\"standard-card-new__article-title\" href=\"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/works\/popular-nursery-rhymes\/\">10 most popular nursery rhymes<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>It\u2019s also, happily for our purposes here, one of the easiest tunes to play, relying on three simple melodies played in a ABCCAB repetition. In fact, learning this simple but attractive tune would make a great way of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/articles\/how-can-i-get-my-child-into-classical-music\/\"><strong>getting your child into music<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a class=\"standard-card-new__article-title\" href=\"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/works\/christmas-songs-for-children\/\"><strong>Christmas songs for children: our top 10\u2026<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>Hallelujah<\/h3>\n<p>Originally penned in 1984 by the great Canadian singer-songwriter Leonard Cohen, \u2018Hallelujah\u2019 is a wonderful song \u2013 a hauntingly simple and insistent melody, overlaid with some truly moving lyrics. Small wonder it\u2019s been covered hundreds of times since \u2013 most notably by John Cale, formerly of The Velvet Underground, in 1991 and by Jeff Buckley in 1994.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong><a class=\"standard-card-new__article-title\" href=\"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/articles\/does-listening-sad-music-actually-make-you-happier\/\">Does listening to sad music actually make you happier?<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>The good news for us here is that it\u2019s a fairly easy song to learn on the piano.<\/p>\n<iframe title=\"Leonard Cohen - Hallelujah (Easy Piano Tutorial)\" width=\"200\" height=\"113\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/PdvCZEwVB_o?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen=\"\"\/>\n<h3>Imagine<\/h3>\n<p>John Lennon\u2019s seminal 1971 peace-love-and-understanding manifesto makes a great easy piano piece. For one thing, the verses have a nice easy chord progression in the C major <a href=\"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/musical-terms\/musical-keys-explained\/\"><strong>key<\/strong><\/a>, with the bottom C always anchoring the progress the rest of the right hand. Better still, the left hand\u2019s bass line (a sequence of C to F in repetition) could hardly be easier.<\/p>\n<p>Not forgetting, of course, that it\u2019s such a well-known and much-loved song that there will always be someone ready to take on singing duties.<\/p>\n<h3>Lean On Me<\/h3>\n<p>Another much-covered classic, Bill Withers\u2019 eloquent 1972 single \u2018Lean On Me\u2019 has a nice shifting chord progression that\u2019s actually fairly easy to get on top of.<\/p>\n<p>Start in the key of C major, and you\u2019ll find yourself mostly using the C major scale \u2013 E, G, C \u2013 both up and down the keyboard.<\/p>\n<p>\u2018Lean On Me\u2019 also has the advantage of being one of the most uplifting songs in the musical firmament.<\/p>\n<iframe title=\"Lean On Me - Bill Withers | BEGINNER PIANO TUTORIAL + SHEET MUSIC by Betacustic\" width=\"200\" height=\"113\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/zbpsk5lyVlw?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen=\"\"\/> <\/body><\/html>\n<hr class=\"no-tts wp-block-separator\"\/>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p> Here are some of the easiest songs to learn on the piano <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":24,"featured_media":32644,"template":"","categories":[1],"acf":{"readingTimeMinutes":"4"},"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2023\/08\/easiest-piano-songs-best-tunes-for-piano-beginners-to-play.png",1118,748,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2023\/08\/easiest-piano-songs-best-tunes-for-piano-beginners-to-play-150x150.png",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2023\/08\/easiest-piano-songs-best-tunes-for-piano-beginners-to-play-300x201.png",300,201,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2023\/08\/easiest-piano-songs-best-tunes-for-piano-beginners-to-play-768x514.png",768,514,true],"large":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2023\/08\/easiest-piano-songs-best-tunes-for-piano-beginners-to-play-1024x685.png",800,535,true],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2023\/08\/easiest-piano-songs-best-tunes-for-piano-beginners-to-play.png",1118,748,false],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2023\/08\/easiest-piano-songs-best-tunes-for-piano-beginners-to-play.png",1118,748,false]},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"importmanagerhub@sprylab.com","author_link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcmusicmagazine\/author\/importmanagerhubsprylab-com\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"Here are some of the easiest songs to learn on the piano","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcmusicmagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/rss_feed\/32643"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcmusicmagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/rss_feed"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcmusicmagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/rss_feed"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcmusicmagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/24"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcmusicmagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/32644"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcmusicmagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=32643"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcmusicmagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=32643"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}