When you’re learning a new instrument, it’s natural to have lots of questions. Beginner pianists often wonder what the best songs to start with are, where to find sheet music, and when they can begin playing their favorite tunes. These questions are part of the learning process. Skoove offers a carefully curated selection of songs suited for all skill levels, helping you have fun learning piano and help you progress at your own pace. Whether you’re focusing on basic chords or going for more advanced pieces, this list will give you a great starting point. No matter where you are on your journey, you’ll find songs on this list that challenge and inspire you. Dive in, enjoy the process, and let your love for music grow!
Table of Contents:
- Angela Lansbury – Beauty and the Beast
- Journey – Don’t Stop Believin’
- Leonard Cohen – Hallelujah
- Patty and Mildred Hill – Happy Birthday
- Hoagy Carmichael – Heart and Soul
- John Williams – Hedwig’s Theme
- James Pierpont – Jingle Bells
- Erik Satie – Gymnopedie No 1
- The Beatles – Let it Be
- Celine Dion – My Heart Will Go On
- Klaus Badelt and Hans Zimmer – Pirates of the Caribbean
- Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart – Twinkle Twinkle Little Star
- Benj Pasek and Justin Paul – A Million Dreams
- Christina Perri – A Thousand Years
- Elvis Presley – Can’t Help Falling in Love
- Mykola Leontovych – Carol of the Bells
- Justin Hurwitz, Benji Pasek, Justin Paul – City of Stars
- Alan Walker – Faded
- Frank Sinatra – Fly Me to the Moon
- The Beatles – Hey Jude
- Yiruma – A River Flows in You
- Idina Menzel – Let It Go
- Tears for Fears – Mad World
- Michael Giacchino – Married Life
- Billy Joel – Piano Man
- A Great Big World – Say Something
- Adele – Someone Like You
- Lewis Capaldi – Someone You Loved
- Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart – Rondo Alla Turca
- Edvard Grieg – In The Hall of the Mountain King
- Greensleeves
- Yugo Kanno – Giorno’s Theme
- Toby Fox – Megalovania
- Joe Hisaishi – One Summer’s Day
- Toby Fox – Undertale
- Scott Joplin – The Entertainer
Beginner piano songs
Starting your learning journey with easy piano songs can help you build confidence. You can work on developing essential skills like finger placement and basic rhythm. These classic examples of piano songs have simple melodies, straightforward chord progressions and are great for getting comfortable playing the piano.
1. Angela Lansbury – Beauty and the Beast
This timeless Disney classic offers a gentle introduction to piano playing. It has a flowing melody and simple chord progressions. It’s a great way to practice right-hand position changes while enjoying this iconic tune.
- Key: C major
- Difficulty: Beginner
- Techniques: Right hand position changes
2. Journey – Don’t Stop Believin’
A rock anthem, this song’s catchy progression and energetic chords make it a fun challenge for beginner pianists. Focus on broken chords keeping them steady in the right hand as you play this iconic melody.
- Key: E major
- Difficulty: Beginner
- Techniques: Broken chords in right-hand
3. Leonard Cohen – Hallelujah
A deeply moving piece that pairs simple chords with a haunting melody. This song is perfect for beginners working on coordination between hands. This song is a gentle introduction to playing in the key of Gb major, helping you get to grips with flats.
- Key: Original C major (Gb major Skoove lesson)
- Difficulty: Beginner
- Techniques: Single note in each hand, coordination. Play in the key of Gb major.
4. Patty and Mildred Hill – Happy Birthday
The go-to song for celebrations, this simple melody is a great choice for beginners learning how to play piano. With single bass notes and hands together, it’s one of the best songs to learn on piano for practicing basic coordination and timing.
- Key: C major
- Difficulty: Beginner
- Techniques: Hands together with single bass notes
5. Hoagy Carmichael – Heart and Soul
A familiar tune that’s great for beginner duets. One of the most famous piano pieces, it’s great for beginners with its repetitive left-hand pattern, allowing the right hand to play the melody while also giving you the chance to practice playing with a partner.
- Key: F major
- Difficulty: Beginner
- Techniques: Playing a duet with a friend
6. John Williams – Hedwig’s Theme
🎼Hedwig’s Theme piano sheet music
From the Harry Potter films, this magical melody is perfect for beginners looking to practice intervallic playing. The song’s enchanting qualities make it a fun piece to bring to life on the piano.
- Key: E minor
- Difficulty: Beginner
- Techniques: Intervallic playing
7. James Pierpont – Jingle Bells
🎼Jingle Bells piano sheet music
A festive favorite, this song is great for practicing hands-together coordination. The cheerful melody and simple rhythm make it easy to learn and the repetition helps build confidence when starting learning piano songs.
- Key: C major
- Difficulty: Beginner
- Techniques: Playing hands together
8. Erik Satie – Gymnopedie No 1
🎼Gymnopedie No 1 piano-sheet-music
This piece’s slow, reflective melody makes it a perfect opportunity for beginners to explore classical piano songs. Blending major and minor harmonies provides a unique challenge in creating mood and tone.
- Key: D major
- Difficulty: Beginner
- Techniques: Blending major/minor, developing expressive dynamics
9. The Beatles – Let it Be
A beloved Beatles classic, this song uses three-note chords that are easy to play and repeat throughout the piece. It’s one of the best piano songs as a choice for beginners working on chord transitions and hands-together playing.
- Key: C major
- Difficulty: Beginner
- Techniques: 3-note chord playing in each hand
10. Celine Dion – My Heart Will Go On
The iconic theme from Titanic. This piece blends simple, flowing melodies with basic bass notes, making it a perfect choice for beginners looking to add some emotional depth to their playing.
- Key: C major
- Difficulty: Beginner
- Techniques: Melody with bass notes
11. Klaus Badelt and Hans Zimmer – Pirates of the Caribbean
🎼Pirates of the Caribbean piano sheet music
This adventurous tune has a rhythm that captures the excitement of the high seas. The focus here is on playing tied notes and maintaining a steady rhythm with long-held notes in the left hand.
- Key: D minor
- Difficulty: Beginner
- Techniques: Tied notes, long held notes in left hand
12. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart – Twinkle Twinkle Little Star
One of Mozarts more famous piano pieces, a simple yet essential piece for beginners. Its repetitive pattern and basic five-finger position make it ideal for building familiarity with the piano and mastering the basics of hand coordination.
- Key: C major
- Difficulty: Beginner
- Techniques: Basic 5-finger position
Intermediate piano songs
At this level, piano learning songs introduce more challenging techniques like hand independence, more complex rhythms and extended chords. These intermediate piano songs help bridge the gap between beginner and advanced playing.
13. Benj Pasek and Justin Paul – A Million Dreams
One of the most famous piano songs from The Greatest Showman. This piece has a beautiful, flowing melody that is enhanced by arpeggiated chords. Perfect for intermediate players looking to work on their chord arpeggiation while capturing the song’s dreamlike quality.
- Key: G major
- Difficulty: Intermediate
- Techniques: Chord arpeggiation
14. Christina Perri – A Thousand Years
This song challenges players to navigate a compound time signature. With its emotional and sweeping melody it is great for intermediate pianists aiming to develop their rhythmic understanding and expressive playing with popular piano songs.
- Key: Bb major
- Difficulty: Intermediate
- Techniques: Playing in compound time signature
15. Elvis Presley – Can’t Help Falling in Love
🎼Can’t help falling in love piano sheet music
A timeless classic, this song’s gentle melody is supported by simple bass notes in the left hand. This is a wonderful piece for intermediate players who want to practice melody with supported bass lines.
- Key: C major
- Difficulty: Intermediate
- Techniques: Melody with bass notes
16. David Foster – Carol of the Bells
A perfect choice for piano learning songs. This festive piece is perfect for intermediate pianists who want to challenge their dexterity. The repeated 4-note pattern in both hands creates a lively, almost hypnotic rhythm.
- Key: F minor
- Difficulty: Intermediate
- Techniques: Repeated 4-note pattern
17. Justin Hurwitz, Benji Pasek, Justin Paul – City of Stars
From La La Land, this romantic piece features a simple but powerful left-hand chord outline, paired with brilliant melody. It is great for intermediate players looking to refine their left-hand technique.
- Key: G minor
- Difficulty: Intermediate
- Techniques: Left-hand chord outlining
18. Alan Walker – Faded
This modern electronic ballad is a great challenge for intermediate players. The song’s atmospheric sound requires players to read flat keys and maintain a smooth flow throughout the piece.
- Key: E♭ minor
- Difficulty: Intermediate
- Techniques: Playing and reading flat keys
19. Frank Sinatra – Fly Me to the Moon
🎼Fly Me to the Moon piano sheet music
One of the best jazz songs to play on the piano. This classic features seventh chords, making it a fun challenge for intermediate players to master. Perfect for those looking to add a little swing to their playing.
- Key: C major
- Difficulty: Intermediate
- Techniques: Seventh chords
20. The Beatles – Hey Jude
A beloved Beatles anthem, this song uses chord variations in different positions across both hands. It’s perfect for intermediate players interested in piano pop songs working on shifting between chords with ease.
- Key: F major
- Difficulty: Intermediate
- Techniques: Chord playing in different positions
21. Yiruma – A River Flows in You
🎼A River Flows in You’ piano sheet music
A beautiful, emotional piece, this song challenges intermediate pianists to master both parallel and contrary motion, while maintaining a smooth and flowing melody throughout the piece.
- Key: A minor
- Difficulty: Intermediate
- Techniques: Parallel and contrary motion
22. Idina Menzel – Let It Go
This Disney classic is a great song to learn on piano. A massive hit and fan favorite, this piece offers an opportunity for you to practice syncopation while playing a timeless melody. I
This piece is a must learn for any disney fan or any pianist wanting to impress their friends.
- Key: E minor
- Difficulty: Intermediate
- Techniques: Syncopated melody
23. Tears for Fears – Mad World
A hauntingly beautiful piece, this song uses broken chords and a natural minor scale to create its melancholic mood. Intermediate players will enjoy the emotional depth and rhythmic complexity. No wonder this iconic piece is one of the most popular piano songs for intermediate players.
- Key: E minor (A minor on Skoove)
- Difficulty: Intermediate
- Techniques: Natural minor, broken chords
24. Michael Giacchino – Married Life
From Up, this playful yet emotional piece challenges players to master broken chords in the left hand while maintaining the melody in the right. One of the most famous piano songs on screen in recent years its great for intermediate pianists looking to work on hand coordination.
- Key: F major
- Difficulty: Intermediate
- Techniques: Broken chords in the left hand
25. Billy Joel – Piano Man
🎼Piano Man piano sheet music
An iconic song, this piece is known for its walking bassline and catchy melody. Intermediate players will enjoy practicing the bassline with the right-hand melody, giving them the chance to explore a classic rock piano sound with a jazzy twist.
- Key: C major
- Difficulty: Intermediate
- Techniques: Walking Bassline with right hand melody
26. A Great Big World – Say Something
This heartfelt ballad uses an odd time signature, making it a great challenge for intermediate players who want to work on rhythm and timing in less conventional patterns. Try it out and have fun embracing a new time signature.
- Key: B minor
- Difficulty: Intermediate
- Techniques: Odd Time Signature
27. Adele – Someone Like You
This is a powerful ballad with a simple yet emotional chord progression. This song is perfect for intermediate pianists looking to work on chord transitions while keeping the melody intact. YOu can also experiment with more emotion in this beautiful heartfelt piece.
- Key: A major
- Difficulty: Intermediate
- Techniques: Chord playing
28. Lewis Capaldi – Someone You Loved
A poignant and emotional song, this piece features a repeated chord pattern that provides an opportunity for intermediate players to develop consistency in their left-hand playing. In the key of Db major this piece is also perfect for players looking to familiarize themselves with flat keys.
- Key: Db major
- Difficulty: Intermediate
- Techniques: Repeated chord pattern
29. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart – Rondo Alla Turca
🎼Rondo Alla Turca piano sheet music
This lively and dynamic piece is a great challenge for intermediate players. With its chromaticism and sequential thirds, it’s perfect for improving finger dexterity and rhythmic accuracy.
- Key: The third movement is in A minor, but the piece is titled in A major
- Difficulty: Intermediate
- Techniques: Chromaticism, sequential thirds
30. Edvard Grieg – In The Hall of the Mountain King
🎼In The Hall Of The Mountain King piano sheet music
This piece’s thrilling march tempo and constant use of accidentals create a dramatic, suspenseful atmosphere. It’s a great piece for intermediate players who want to challenge their dexterity and dynamic control while telling an iconic story through music.
- Key: B minor
- Difficulty: Intermediate
- Techniques: March tempo, accidentals
31. Greensleeves
Allegedly composed by King Henry VIII, but no evidence, this beautiful piece uses piano chords and pedal techniques to create its flowing, expressive sound. Intermediate players can enjoy the blend of historical charm and expressive dynamics while having fun with piano pedals.
- Artist: Unknown
- Key: E minor
- Difficulty: Intermediate
- Techniques: Pedals, piano chords
Advanced piano songs
Looking for advanced songs to learn on piano? These famous piano pieces demand precision, speed and mastery of many piano techniques. They push players to refine their skills, develop expressive phrasing and navigate complex harmonies. These examples are some of the hardest piano songs but they are the most impressive pieces and are very rewarding to learn.
32. Yugo Kanno – Giorno’s Theme
🎼Giorno’s Theme piano sheet music
Known for its powerful, sweeping melody from JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure, this piece features rapid, intricate playing that requires strong coordination. With both hands playing complex rhythms and fast note sequences, it’s a perfect choice for advanced pianists looking to master speed and synchronization.
- Key: B minor
- Difficulty: Advanced
- Techniques: Fast playing, hands together
33. Toby Fox – Megalovania
🎼Megalovania piano sheet music
From Undertale, this high-energy piece challenges advanced pianists with its use of octaves, fast tempos and rhythmic drive. Perfect for players who want to push their dexterity and speed, this piece brings a sense of urgency to the piano.
- Key: D minor
- Difficulty: Advanced
- Techniques: Octaves
34. Joe Hisaishi – One Summer’s Day
A beautiful, emotional piece from Spirited Away, this song challenges advanced pianists with its use of the F Lydian mode and quartal harmony. It requires precision in handling modal playing, creating a bright, ethereal sound that matches the film’s enchanting atmosphere.
- Key: F Lydian
- Difficulty: Advanced
- Techniques: Modal playing
35. Toby Fox – Undertale
Another piece from Undertale, this theme requires advanced technique with fast playing and hands-together coordination. The fast-paced sections demand precision and skill, making it a rewarding challenge for those looking to develop their agility and rhythmic accuracy.
- Key: Eb Major
- Difficulty: Advanced
- Techniques: Fast playing, hands together
36. Scott Joplin – The Entertainer
🎼The Entertainer piano sheet music
One of the most impressive songs to play on piano, this ragtime classic is full of syncopated rhythms and jazzy piano chords. Advanced pianists will need to master the intricate syncopation and smooth stride transitions between chords and melody, all while maintaining the playful, bouncy feel that defines this iconic tune and ragtime style.
- Key: C major
- Difficulty: Advanced
- Techniques: Syncopation, piano chords
Whether you’re learning to play beginner, intermediate or expert piano music from this list there’s more to it than just hitting the right notes. Every piece you learn, whether it’s a basic beginner tune or a more advanced hard one, enhances your piano skills. The journey is not always easy but that is what makes it so rewarding when you learn another of your favorite tunes.
As you progress from simpler to more complex songs, you will find your hands becoming more confident and your playing will become more expressive and accurate . The Skoove app can help make learning piano fun, with interactive lessons that guide you through your favorite tunes. From timeless classical pieces to modern pop hits, our lessons help you build confidence and technique at your own pace. Keep researching, challenging yourself and most importantly, enjoying your time playing the piano. Happy practicing!
