If you want to play something extraordinary on the piano this Christmas but aren’t sure where to start, here are some beginner-level Christmas songs for novice pianists!

Christmas isn’t Christmas without the music, and this year you can join and add to the atmosphere in a new way. Instead of just singing, beginner piano players can play along when friends and family want to have a sing-along.

Our shortlist shows you which popular festive season songs are easy enough, even without advanced knowledge or experience. We promise some of your favorites are on this list!

1. Jingle Bells

Jingle Bells is a typical Christmas song, but James Pierpont, the composer, didn’t write it. He published it as ‘One Horse Open Sleigh.’ People placed bells on sleigh horses during winter, so it doesn’t refer to Christmas. 

The simplicity of the sheet music makes it an excellent song to gain confidence. Your left hand mostly plays a single clef note while your right hand handles the melody. 

2. Silent Night

Silent Night, which tells the story of Jesus’ birth, is a famous hymn. Franz Xaver Gruber composed the melody, using lyrics from Joseph Mohr. Within a few decades, it was popular in New York. Bing Crosby recorded it in 1935 and sold 10 million copies.

It’s popular with beginner players because it mostly requires playing white notes. Also, use it to practice using the pedal during longer phrases. 

3. Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer

The Rudolph in this song is a fictional character. Writer Robert May published booklets with his story in 1939. 

In 1949, Gene Autry released a single of this song which Johnny Marks–Robert May’s brother in law–wrote. It rose to the top of US charts that year and in 2018.

This song has challenging elements, including the rhythm that changes when you transition from the introduction to the verses. Use it to challenge yourself, and use the SimplyPiano app to practice if you struggle. 

https://www.letsplaykidsmusic.com/easy-piano-music-rudolph-the-red-nosed-reindeer/

4. O Holy Night

This song started as a French poem by Placide Cappeau, and Adolphe Adam wrote the melody in 1847. Later, John Sullivan Dwight created the English lyrics. 

To be comfortable playing this hymn, sharpen your knowledge of piano chord structures. It challenges beginner players’ skills because of chord inversions, but once you master it, the rest is easy.

The song’s time signature is 3/4. Use your metronome and aim to play it at 164 bpm.

https://musescore.com/user/278331/scores/520771

5. We Wish You a Merry Christmas

Here is another easy song to help build your confidence. Because the chorus repeats the same words and notes, you’ll master it quickly. It’s a fun song that people love to sing, and the audience’s enthusiasm helps new players play with more bravado.

The origin of this song isn’t known, but it became popular around 1935 when conductor Arthur Warrell included it in a university singing group’s repertoire. It’s relevant for Christmas and New Year, so you only have to learn one song to be your family’s star performer on both occasions. 

https://musescore.com/user/1011626/scores/492771

6. What Child is This?

This song is easy to master because of the well-known melody, ‘Greensleeves.’ In 1865, William Chatterton Dix combined it with his new lyrics to form a Christmas carol. 

https://www.8notes.com/scores/1577.asp

7. Let it Snow

Beginner piano players who love jazz can use ‘Let it Snow’ to practice their skills in this genre. The piece helps you practice playing half notes on the left and eighth notes on the right. 

The correct name is ‘Let it Snow! Let it Snow! Let it Snow!’ Don’t confuse this with Boyz II Men’s version. Although there’s no mention of Christmas, we associate it with the festive season. The classic melody dates back to 1945, and it performed well on Billboard charts, with different recordings all reaching the Top 10. 

https://sheetmusic-free.com/let-it-snow-sheet-music-christmas-carol/

8. Frosty the Snowman

This song is super fun to sing and great for entertaining kids. It requires some practice because it’s one of the trickier melodies on our list. Start off playing it slowly to become comfortable with the movements. 

When using simpler versions, an advantage is that you’ll only play the following chords in most of the song:

• C major
• F major
• G major

You can use 1st inversion for G major and 2nd inversion for F major to keep finger movement to a minimum.

Walter Rollins and Steve Nelson wrote the song in 1950. It’s another song Gene Autry recorded. The singer and his team wanted another hit after Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer, and it reached the top 10 on multiple US charts that year.

9. Santa Claus is Coming to Town

Here’s one of the more complex songs on our list, but use a simple version, and you’ll get it after sufficiently practicing each hand on its own before putting it all together. When performing, people will likely clap along, helping you keep rhythm. 

If you struggle a lot, a handy method is to destupefy your left hand with intentional exercises. 

J. Fred Coots and Haven Gillespie wrote this classic. Early recordings come from 1934, and over the years, over 200 artists have included it in their albums, including Mariah Carey. 

https://pianosheetmusic.writtenmelodies.com/Seasonal/Sheets/Santa-Claus-Is-Comin-To-Town.pdf

10. Deck the Halls

This melody comes from a 1500s song, ‘Nos Galan’, which translates to ‘New Year’s Eve.’ Thomas Oliphant wrote the words we know today in 1862. The catchy phrase ‘Fa la la la la la la la la’ is synonymous with Christmas and easy enough for kids to sing along to.

Deck the Halls is also easy to add to a beginner piano player’s festive repertoire because of all the repetition. Line one, two, and four are very similar, so you have fewer details to practice. The third line only has minor differences, so beginners can feel comfortable performing this melody faster than in some other songs. 

https://musescore.com/user/27997005/scores/5347261

So many many Christmas songs.

Using your music, help create that Christmassy atmosphere and enjoy the season even more than before. You can find more songs for special occasions online, and if you have suggestions of songs other beginners can try, please share in the comments section.

FAQs.

The post Top 10 Christmas Songs on Piano for Beginners appeared first on Learn to Play an Instrument with step-by-step lessons | Simply Blog.

If you’ve had a baby in your home recently, then you know they are not big fans of loud noises. While this usually means that TV and other sounds are off-limits, for musicians it means that playing time will be strictly out-of-bounds. That’s bad news when you’re trying to get started and improve your skills.

Fortunately, there’s a loophole! Babies aren’t always averse to sounds. As this little guy will attest to, some songs can be quite soothing to a baby’s ears. If you truly want to continue with your piano learning, then try a different route. Thanks to the wonders of the internet, you can find great lullaby sheet music and piano tutorials online. Check out these great lullabies that are easy to learn and guaranteed to help your young ones get to slumberland!

1. “Lullaby” by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

A beautiful piece by one of history’s most amazing musical minds. Mozart’s Lullaby–or “Wiegenlied” in German–is a short and simple tune that is easy and fun to play. The melody is played at a calm and quiet pace, and features a very simple arrangement. It’s also a great way to practice learning how to play scales, chords, and arpeggios.

[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XOUpEeCMxTw[/embedyt]

2. “Rock-A-Bye, Baby”

“Rock-A-Bye, Baby” is the quintessential lullaby. It’s a traditional song and everyone has heard it in one form or another. The song is simple to learn, easy to play, and a great way for you to practice singing and playing at the same time. The melody is based on a straightforward scale and is a fantastic way to practice playing the piano with two hands at the same time.

[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cfztbon4KnQ[/embedyt]

3. “Golden Slumber”

Another traditional lullaby, this song is a beautifully arranged piece. The melody is constant and easy, using basic chords that don’t vary a whole lot, but sound extraordinary together. It’s a great way to practice your chords and is a wonderful song to help calm down a little one that’s having some trouble getting to bed.

[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KlnOK-PlMvg[/embedyt]

4. “All the Pretty Horses”

This track is a traditional folk song from the US that’s fun to play. The song is a little on the more complex side but that doesn’t mean you should be discouraged. It’s a magnificent piece that’s sure to be a hit with your kids and is a fantastic way to dip your toes into some more complicated tunes.

[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j03ZrHnK98U[/embedyt]

5. “When You Wish Upon a Star”

It’s tough to argue with the magic of the mouse. This classic song is a great way to both help your baby get to sleep and have the best dreams. The song itself is likely the most complex in this list, but it’s also a highly satisfying piece to learn, if only to be able to say you know such a timeless track! With a great combination of scales and techniques, it’s a superb way to practice!

[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0SSs3h7ZiiA[/embedyt]

Learn these songs today, and practice your music while improving your parenting points!

The post 5 Easy Piano Lullabies to Put your Baby to Sleep appeared first on Learn to Play an Instrument with step-by-step lessons | Simply Blog.

Not everything has advanced as much, though. Some skills still require us to sit and learn them the old fashioned way. When it comes to music, we must learn several separate skills to be able to be even okay at them. That does not mean we cannot try and make the process a little simpler. These high-tech tools will help you on your way to mastering the steps to becoming a great pianist!

1. Piano Gloves

These piano gloves take advantage of a process called “Passive Haptic Learning”.

While these piano gloves are unfortunately not for sale at the moment, they could revolutionize piano learning in the near future. While they look like a computer is hitching a ride on your hand, the tiny box on top is actually a robot that sends vibrations to your fingers to signify which keys to press, taking advantage of a process called “Passive Haptic Learning”.

See Also: Easiest Instruments to Learn With Your New iPad Pro

2. GoPro

A piano lesson is not quite the place you would usually think of using a GoPro, but you would be wrong. One of the best tools for any musician is the ability to watch themselves playing. You can work out kinks such as posture, breathing, and technique by simply observing your habits. A GoPro’s mobility, digital quality, and wearability make it a perfect accessory to boost your skills.

[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7JIiOgJWlcs[/embedyt]

3. Notation Learning

One of the most time-consuming parts of learning to play music happens far away from the keyboard. Learning musical notation can be a bore sometimes, as it requires us to essentially memorize a completely new language. New online resources and tools can help beginners master notation and make it much less tedious in the process. Applications and games can make it fun to learn notation, and help make you elevate skills to a professional level.

Here are some sites that will help you learn those notes and read sheet music:

• Read Music Free
• Teoria
• eMusicTheory

4. Ear Training Technology

One of a musician’s greatest tools is their ears. While Beethoven could get away with making awesome music without being able to hear, the rest of us rely on our listening skills to determine if we are playing the right notes, if we are making the right sounds, and also for learning new music. Technology today can help, by providing training specifically designed to develop a musician’s ability to improve their listening skills.

Here are some sites that will help you train your ear (some are for free):

• Theta Music Trainer
• Easy Ear Training
• EarMaster
• EarBeater
• Teoria

5. Digital Pianos

While this one might seem controversial, digital pianos can be an amazing tool for beginner musicians. It might feel nicer to play on a wooden grand piano, but space and money are not always readily available. Digital pianos and keyboards today have come a long way, adding tools like sound modification, illuminated keys, and even software to help teach skills. Plus, weighted keys also help with the feeling of playing a real piano. 

Discover what technology has to offer you, and kick start your musical skills!

The post Learn to Play Piano the Digital Way! appeared first on Learn to Play an Instrument with step-by-step lessons | Simply Blog.

This post will focus on the geography of basic sheet music to give you a better understanding of what all those lines, squiggles, and dots are trying to say.

Staves & Clefs

The first thing you’ll notice when you look at piano sheet music are lines in the background of the more confusing notes and symbols. These lines are called the staff or staves, and where the notes and symbols are placed on these lines will determine their pitch or function within the musical piece.

The symbol on the left-most side of the staff is called the clef, and it indicates the pitch of all the notes that will be placed on the lines to follow. There are three types of clef that you’ll find during your piano classes: F, C, and G. G is the curving “G” type symbol that many are familiar with. F is the backward “C” curve with two dots. C is an unusual “B” type character that many won’t ever see throughout their entire musical career. Treble clefs denote higher notes, while bass clefs signify lower ones.

Piano basics: learning what clefs and staves are

Key Signature

The key signature is the set of sharps and flats written out on the staff. These symbols tell a player which key they’re playing in. You’ll then stay in this key until the next key signature appears.

Sharps & Flats

Sharps and flats are the symbols that tell a piano player to raise or lower the pitch of the presented note. The sharp symbol is the hash sign (#) and tells you to go one pitch higher. The flat symbol is a lowercase italicized “b” and tells you to go one pitch lower. Sharps and flats usually end up being the black keys a half step up or down from the regular note.

ThIs is how you can tell what a sharp, flat, or natural is.

Bars & Repeat Signs

The bars are the lines at the end of a measure. If there are four beats to a measure, there will be a bar after four beats. Don’t confuse these with repeat signs which are bars accompanied by two dots and instruct a player to repeat the measure or set.

Sometimes a piece will have multiple endings that should be played one after the other. In this case, you would find a repeat sign at the end of the first ending, and then you would play the second ending after repeating the first half of the song.

Piano Sheet Music Glossary

Here are a few terms that’ll help you start to make sense of the piano classes you’re trying to master and will help while trying to figure out how to read sheet music:

• Adagio: Slow
• Allegro: Lively or fast
• Beat: The rhythm of the musical piece
• Bridge: Transitional passage
• Forte: Strong, powerful music
• Leggiero: Lightly
• Measure: One complete cycle of the time signature of a piece
• Meter: The pattern of the rhythm, represented as a fraction after the clef on the staff
• Notes: The size, shape, and shading of a note that implies how long and which note you need to play
• Piano: Gently
• Rest signs: Indicates when to take a break – there are whole, half, quarter, eighth, and sixteenth rests that tell you how long to take a rest during the set
• Tempo: The overall speed of the musical piece
• Time signature: How many beats are in each bar of music – the top and bottom numbers of the fraction mentioned in the meter

These are the basic terms and parts of the sheet music that you need to know.

Now what are you waiting for? Get out that music and learn to play piano like a pro!

The post How to Read Sheet Music 101 appeared first on Learn to Play an Instrument with step-by-step lessons | Simply Blog.