Independent learning and practice are essential whether you’re taking lessons or not. Here are nine of the best piano books for beginners.  

Writing plays a vital role in the development of society and the human race. Through reading, we can learn about virtually anything.

Reading about the piano can offer insights about the instrument that you may not find anywhere else.

However, there are thousands of piano books. As a student, you want to be effective with your time, so finding the right piano book is vital.

Here are the nine best piano books for beginners.

1. Alfred’s Basic Adult Piano Course 

Alfred’s Basic Adult Piano Course provides piano lessons for beginners. The ‘Alfred’s brand has been publishing piano books since 1922. The series is popular for people of all ages and breaks ideas down into small, easy-to-follow steps.

The book teaches basic techniques and provides beginners with the necessary information to practice correctly.

Additionally, it offers a ton of information about chords–teaching you everything from learning how to form and play them. Additionally, the book provides some sheet music for various well-known songs, including ‘Happy Birthday’ and ‘Greensleeves.’

2. Alfred’s Basic Piano Library

Some of Alfred’s books are for kids. This book, in particular, offers lessons for children as young as five. 

There’s an art to capturing a child’s attention and relaying information. Alfred’s Basic Piano Library presents piano techniques for kids. This book makes learning the piano fun with eye-catching illustrations, simple text, and catchy tunes. 

And should you have a child prodigy on your hands, there are many more books in the series to move on to next.

Handy tip: These books and many others on our list are available on Kindle. Easy on your budget AND portable.

3. Primer Level – Lesson Book: Piano Adventures

Learning to play piano is an adventure, and Primer Level – Lesson Book: Piano Adventures helps you make the most out of it.

This book’s lessons are strategically designed to help you improve your skill. You start with basic techniques and review concepts from the previous lesson, so you can keep moving forward consistently. 

This one is also part of a wide range of piano lesson books created by Nancy and Randall Faber, both respected pianists and teachers in the industry.

These books are also kid-friendly and a great tool to improve your note-reading skills.

4. Piano Scales, Chords & Arpeggios Lessons with Elements of Basic Music Theory

Damon Ferrante is an accomplished composer who has performed in many famous concert halls throughout North America. His book Piano Piano Scales, Chords & Arpeggios Lessons with Elements of Basic Music Theory offers valuable lessons about scales, chords, and arpeggios. 

Ferrante’s book can be a potent tool. It contains 140 lessons and 30 additional classes via video streaming. 
If you’re learning on your own, this is a resource you want to have. However, you don’t necessarily need books to find the necessary information. For instance, there are tons of blogs that go over basic piano techniques. Check out our blog, Quickly Learn Piano Notes and Chords, and get started!

5. Easy Piano Sheet Music for Kids

Another powerful piano book for kids, Easy Piano Sheet Music for Kids, offers a collection of 40 popular songs to learn from. 

Of course, you must convey information in a digestible way to your audience. Easy Piano Sheet Music for Kids does this perfectly! Each note of every song has clear labels, helping kids learn to read sheet music while having fun.

Kids rarely know what they want. This book is ideal because it also covers both piano and keyboard playing–this is a must-have!

6. Piano for the Young Beginner

A ‘best of’ list for books on learning piano is incomplete without the famous name ‘Bastien.’ This piano primer helps children five years or older learn to play. 

It takes them through the basics and prepares them to read and play proficiently. Additionally, the book offers various popular songs for them to learn, and their stunning illustrations keep their exuberant minds engaged.

If your child enjoys the book, the brand has many more on playing piano for beginners. Add them to your collection, so your little Mozart can keep learning.

7. Lang Lang Piano Academy.

Another fantastic book for kids is The Lang Lang Piano Method: Level 1. The series has five books, each more advanced than the last. 

These books get beginners progressing quickly. With clear illustrations of keyboards and detailed descriptions of which notes to play, understanding what you need to do is easy! However, what’s interesting about these books is the illustrations–they merge comic strips with piano lessons (speech bubbles and all). Lang Lang is a superhero pianist, and you, the student, join him on his adventures. 

Overall this book is very active and, therefore, ideal for people looking to be creative. You can learn about music theory, how to play notes and chords, and how to perform.

8. A Dozen A Day.

Sometimes simplicity is what you need. If you already have your bearings and are looking to sharpen your skills, this book is for you. 

A Dozen A Day is an exercise book that offers beginners many fun and easy-to-play songs. However, this book isn’t designed to be your primary source of learning. You can practice your sight reading and test your hand speed and precision.

9. Hanon Virtuoso Pianist.

Hanon Virtuoso Pianist is ideal for pianists at the beginner and professional levels.

A staple in the industry, this book is full of essential information, teaching you everything from the basics to advanced techniques. While the information is incredibly helpful, one of its criticisms is that it can be a bit of a dry read. There are no illustrations, just you and pages of notes about how to play the piano. 

Blandness aside, the book offers students quality techniques they carry throughout their piano journey.

The magic of reading.

Books are powerful companions for learning any skill. We can record essential information and pass it on to readers. As a beginner, you can pick the brains of highly skilled pianists in your home. 

Learning the piano can be a lifelong journey. Your teachers can come in many forms. For instance, in addition to reading a book, you take private lessons from someone who’s been playing much longer, you learn online or from CDs, and you can also learn from apps. 

Simply Piano is an app designed by music teachers. It’s a powerful tool that teaches everything from basic hand techniques and reading sheet music to playing your favorite songs.

FAQs

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While learning with a teacher is a great option, it’s not always an alternative. It can be expensive and can be more time than you’re able to commit. However, that doesn’t mean you can’t be more serious about playing the piano. You can find the best solution for you, and make sure to optimize your learning. If you’re trying to decide what way works best for you, check out this guide and find the best method for you to become a musical pro!

The Academic Route:  Piano Lessons

Studying with a qualified teacher is one of the best options!

Nothing beats a good teacher in terms of formalizing your education. Instructors can help you master technique as well as good posture and other musical fundamentals. Depending on your location and your desired level of expertise, the cost of piano lessons can vary between 30 and 70 dollars.

You can also take group lessons, which are great for beginners. It can be great to work with other musicians at your level to help you grow together. Group lessons can cost slightly less than private lessons, between 25 and 50 dollars. However, the most important thing to keep in mind is that you should find the right teacher for you and your skill level.

The Mobile Way: Apps

If you’re not afraid of technology, try out a great iOS pieano learning app, Simply Piano.

Thanks to our awesome mobile technology today, learning things on the go is an easy option for those with less time on their hands. Apps can be a great way to learn a whole variety of music-related skills that make the difference when starting on the piano. There are great apps to learn musical notation such as Music Tutor (which has a free, ad-supported version for iOS) or Note Perfect (for iOS). You can also find great tools for ear training, and great apps to learn popular songs and improve your playing skills. The best thing about apps is that they are quick and much lighter on your wallet when you look at this relative to the cost of piano lessons.

The Online Way: Sites and Video

Hit the World Wide Web and learn from tutorials on your own.

If you’re more into learning on your own and do not have the budget to support the cost of piano lessons, then the internet is the place for you. For those who feel they are better suited to self-learning, they can find a wide variety of different options. There are online learning tools that help with notation, such as musictheory.net, which also helps you with ear training and other important fundamentals. If you’re a more visual learner, then you can find a great treasure trove of content on YouTube, which features a ton of great lessons and tutorials that can help you master invaluable skills.

Find the best path for your piano learning journey! 

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A lot of time has passed since those childhood classes, and now you’re ready to tackle this wonderful skill with newfound enthusiasm. The only thing standing in your way is…well…everything. Where do you start? How do you start? What do you do to get yourself on track to start playing piano again?

For starters, relax! The best student can only learn so much without a good teacher, so finding the right one is the best place to start. Different folks learn in different ways, and learning how to play the piano is no exception.

Naturally, there are a variety of ways to learn this new instrument. This step-by-step guide will help you get a handle on the what, where, how, and whys of modern day piano classes.

Use a Human Teacher

Learning the piano from a teacher is the most traditional method. Either an instructor will come to your home or you will go to a studio or your teacher’s home, depending on your arrangement, and you learn directly from the teacher. The teacher imparts whatever knowledge s/he has available.

The benefit of this type of piano class is that you are learning with a human being who understands human nature, inhibitions, and concerns. The teacher can tailor the speed of the classes, vary the style of the music, and stop to answer questions about nuances.

The downside to a human teacher is that you are limited to their breadth and scope of knowledge. Anything beyond these parameters you will miss out on. It also means you will learn any errors that the teacher has trained himself into, picking up any unusual idiosyncrasies of the teacher as well.

Turn to the Web

Others opt to learn piano online, and there are a number of advantages to this approach. The breadth of knowledge is endless, you can find a tremendous variety of resources, and you can work at your own pace and on your own schedule.

On the other hand, becoming an online pianist is sort of a WYSIWYG (what you see is what you get) service, meaning it’s harder to tailor lessons to what you need to know or want to discover.

Additionally, there is nobody to correct the flaws in your playing, though you will be learning from a computerized – and therefore nearly flawless – teacher.

Install an App

Finally, there are smartphone and web applications that combine the best of both worlds into one easy to use resource for learning piano.

Apps let you tailor your learning style and pace. The technology also monitors your progress and makes changes to the classes according to your current level. You can start with piano lessons for beginners and progress through the ranks to become as accomplished a pianist as you like. In the world of piano apps, the world is your oyster. 

If you want to go in the app direction, we recommend trying our latest app Simply Piano. It will guide you step by step giving you instant feedback as you play. You can choose from various courses depending on your level and taste.

So, learning to play the piano can be as fast or as slow, as basic or as challenging, and as intensive or as easygoing as you’d like. That’s the beauty of modern day piano classes. You choose the level, pace, and depth.

So pick a learning method, and start down the path to piano fluency today!

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