Love songs have long been the inspiration for a variety of different songs in all genres. From heartbreak to joyous celebrations of romance.
From Bon Jovi to the Beatles, there are so many different artists who have done their take on piano love songs over the years, and a lot of budding pianists yearn to play those beautiful piano love songs that speak to the soul.
In this guide, we run down some of the most impressive piano love songs and melodies to play on piano, perfect inspiration for learning a new song.
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The best piano love songs to learn
These seven piano love songs show how expressive piano can be. If you love romantic music or want to add some of these classics to your repertoire, our piano love songs list is a good place to start.
The Police – Every Breath You Take
Written in 1982, The Police’s Every Breath You Take is still one of the most famous piano love songs, plus it has a secret behind it. Sting wrote it when he had an affair with his wife’s best friend.
Trying to escape from the judging eyes of his family and friends, Sting went far away and created the song we all know today.
This is one of the iconic melodies found in one of the most sad, yet romantic piano love songs. Piano isn’t the main instrument on the recorded version, but the song can easily be adapted to play on your piano or keyboard.
Tips on playing the song
- The guitar melody can be translated to play using piano keys
- This is a simple song, played in 4/4 timing
- The piece is in A major key
- To play the iconic song in a way that is faithful to the original, you will play bass notes on the left hand and the melody on the right, with no chords
Celine Dion – My Heart Will Go On
Some of the best piano music for lovers and romantic songs on piano are made for movies with romantic stories within. One of the saddest films, Titanic, has an iconic soundtrack sang by Celine Dion.
It is not always easy to find easy piano songs about love, but this is one of the simplest you will come across.
Tips on playing the song
- Tempo of the song is 98bpm (nice and slow for beginners)
- This is one of the simplest love songs on piano, the vocal melody has just a few notes, many of which repeat
- If you wish to play the song’s piano chord progressions as well as melody, the chords for the verse are E—Bsus4—Aadd9—E—B.
- With the right app including details about managing, you can find piano chord progressions for this piece. “My Heart Will Go On” has 1/4 time signature. This data is relevant to practice and measure its effectiveness by playing it in piano learning apps.
Sinead O’Connor – Nothing Compares 2 U
This is seen time and time again on lists of greatest piano love songs of all time. A lot of people don’t realise that it was actually written by Prince. Beautiful piano love songs like this are timeless, and it is undeniable that “Nothing Compares 2 U” has had an impact on popular music.
The song was a big hit when covered by Sinead O’Connor in 1990. O’Connor’s version of this work, which featured her powerful and expressive voice, resonated with listeners worldwide.
The lyrics, which deal with the pain of lost love, also struck a chord with many people.
Tips on playing the song
- The song is in F major
- You can use either bass root notes or chords on the left hand, and it will sound great
- Quicker parts of the vocal melody require you to practice your finger positions on the piano
Ed Sheeran – Perfect
One of the more modern piano love songs on the list, Perfect is an ode to Sheeran’s now wife, Cherry Seaborn.
The song was inspired by Sheeran’s carefree days spent walking barefoot and listening to music with a friend in Ibiza. These happy memories are reflected in the lyrics.
Tips on playing the song
- Timing is 12/8, so it is a great song to learn a new time signature
- Originally written in the key of Ab
- Play it slowly, maintaining the rhythm with a metronome if needed. Many learning how to play piano aren’t confident with time signatures like 12/8 yet
Marvin Gaye – What’s Going On
Now onto one of the more classical piano love songs. Marvin Gaye’s What’s Going On is proof that a love song doesn’t have to be about a romantic partner, and this has been hailed as one of the greatest songs of all time. What’s Going On was a political statement calling for peace and understanding in a time of turmoil.
The song was inspired by the civil rights movement and the Vietnam War. Gaye himself was struggling with depression and health problems at that time.
Despite its dark subject matter, What’s Going On is a hopeful story that offers a message of love and unity. It is a timeless classic that continues to inspire new generations.
Tips on playing the song
- Split the song down into sections to help learning
- This is one of the quicker songs, but you can slow it down to help you learning
- The piece is written in E major
Stevie Wonder – You Are The Sunshine of My Life
Among the most popular piano love songs and best romantic piano music, “You Are The Sunshine of My Life”, is a worthy inclusion. This is a heartfelt ode to his then-wife, Syreeta.
The lyrics are imbued with love and admiration as Wonder sings about all the things that make his wife special. He declares her beauty “like a morning sun” and compares her smile to “a rainbow after the rain”.
Overall, the song perfectly encapsulates the deep love and affection that Wonder feels for his wife, and while the love song’s piano chords are a little complex, it is worth putting in the time to learn one of Wonder’s most beloved hits.
Tips on playing the song
- The key of this song is B major
- Though the chords may be a little complex, you can start by playing bass notes on the left hand and the simple vocal melody on the right
Whitney Houston – I Will Always Love You
Whitney Houston’s “I Will Always Love You” is another song you might not have known was a cover version. The song was originally written and recorded by country music legend Dolly Parton. Parton’s version was good, but Houston’s cover truly made it a global phenomenon.
“I Will Always Love You” is one of the greatest love songs of all time. One of the world’s best romantic piano songs that can enhance and measure the effectiveness of the music on the human soul.
Tips on playing the song
- The Whitney Houston version of the song is in E major
- It is a nice and slow song for beginners, at 68 BPM
- The piano chords are relatively simple to learn
- A great song for those who can sing as well as play piano
Some tragic stories behind piano love songs
Many love songs have a tragic history behind them. When you listen to a popular piano love song there is every chance it has come from a place of heartache.
Marvin Gaye’s story
Marvin Gaye’s What’s Going On was supposed to be a prayer for peace and lost lives.
Marvin wrote the song when his brother returned from war and was suffering from depression. Later Marvin lost one of the members of his group and suffered badly with mental health issues.
The Police’s mystery behind the piano melody
The Police’s Every Breath You Take was written during a messy affair and breakup, and if you listen carefully to the lyrics they tell a tale of a possessive lover.
Final thoughts
The best romantic piano music can share deep sentiments in chords and melody. They are amazing songs to have in your locker to play on your own or with others.
People love listening to music that makes them feel something, and piano learners are usually more motivated to learn songs that are deep and that they feel some connection to.
On our list of seven of the best romantic songs and love songs there are some that are simple, as many of the pieces tend to have relatively easy chords and melodies, this can be a great step in your piano journey.
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