The Best Beginner Piano Books to Buy Today
Whether your little one is looking to begin to learn piano, or you’re an adult who has always put off their musical dreams, finding easy-to-understand and high-quality beginner piano books is essential. Piano books made specifically for those looking to learn a new skill are a core piece of mastering the piano and using them regularly empowers individuals to become self-taught musicians. This cost-effective method gets rid of the need to invest in expensive lessons and puts the power back in your hands.
Product FAQ
1. What Are Beginner Piano Books?
Unlike “normal” piano books that simply include sheet music for specific songs, beginner books have the specific purpose of teaching. So, the books include brief educational parts and simple songs that are especially easy to play and help you learn as you go. Oftentimes, the songs that are featured in beginner piano books are simpler versions of popular songs.
2. What Kinds of Songs Are in Beginner Books?
It depends on the book! Some beginner books have themes. Many are made with children in mind, and so, they utilize common nursery rhymes and children’s songs. These kinds of beginner piano books are just as good for teaching adults as they are for teaching children, but adults may favor books that have different content.
3. Do You Need a Beginner Book to Learn to Play the Piano?
Absolutely not! Plenty of people learn to play the piano without having a book. Some people don’t even have to learn sheet music to play the piano! But, for most people, beginner piano books make learning the instrument far easier, especially for when you’re practicing alone. Piano books for beginners are also a great addition to piano lessons for you or your little one because they help you practice at home throughout the week while you aren’t at lessons. It’s not mandatory that you use a beginner book, but if you have access to one, why not? It will certainly make the process easier and likely help you develop more quickly into a musician.
How We Reviewed
When it comes to finding the best beginner piano books, there are a lot of phenomenal choices available. The best beginner book for you will be the one that has the features you like. To help you make an informed decision, we’ve gathered some of the best options on the market and will compare them based on key features.
Overall Price Range
Depending on several factors, you can expect to spend anywhere from around $6 to around $30 on a beginner piano book.
What We Reviewed
- John Thompson’s Modern Course for the Piano – First Grade
- Big Book of Beginner’s Piano Classics: 83 Favorite Pieces
- Bastien Piano for Adults: A Beginning Course
- Piano Lessons – Book 1: Hal Leonard Student Piano Library
- The Complete Book of Scales, Chords, Arpeggios & Cadences
- Adult Piano Adventures All-in-One Piano Course Book 1
- Alfred’s Essentials of Music Theory
- Piano and Keyboard All-in-One For Dummies
- Hanon: The Virtuoso Pianist in Sixty Exercises
- The Music Tree Student’s Book: Part 1: A Plan for Musical Growth at the Piano
John Thompson’s Modern Course for the Piano – First Grade
Approach & Ease of Use
This is one of the best beginner books out there because it is part of a series. The Modern Course is a series that provides a clear and complete foundation for piano players that enables the student to think and feel musical. This book isn’t just a great teacher by itself, but it’s also part of a larger series. Once you finish with this book, move on to the Second Grade and then Third Grade editions. This series allows you or your little one to utilize a seamlessly constructed curriculum specifically created to teach the foundations of music theory and piano playing. And, if your little one isn’t quite ready for the First Grade book, try starting with the “Teaching Little Fingers to Play” series, which will teach them a more age-appropriate version of music theory to help them lay a strong musical foundation.
Price $
Where to Buy
Best For:
This book is great for beginners of all ages.
Big Book of Beginner’s Piano Classics: 83 Favorite Pieces
Approach & Ease of Use
This compilation of beloved classics will please young and old alike! Each piece of music is hand-picked and simplified to help students develop their skills. This is one of the best beginner piano books because it utilizes special arrangements of simplified classics that give novice musicians the satisfaction of playing music beyond their reach. Before you know it, you will be playing all your favorites and impressing all your friends!
Price $$
Where to Buy
Best For:
This is one of the best beginner’s piano books for students.
Bastien Piano for Adults: A Beginning Course
Approach & Ease of Use
This improved course by Bastien is specifically designed for adult beginners. It is perfect for teaching adults new skills by using lessons, theory, technique, sight-reading, and other supplemental materials to gradually help students gain confidence and success. This book uses a wide variety of music, making it perfect for adults who like all kinds of music. It also is a great option for gift giving because it has such a large selection of music that anyone looking to learn will be delighted with!
Price $$
Where to Buy
Best For:
This book is great for adults who want to learn the piano.
Piano Lessons – Book 1: Hal Leonard Student Piano Library
Approach & Ease of Use
This is a great beginner book because it is part of a series. Once you finish Book 1, you can move on to Book 2, and all the way to Book 5. And, for more learning, there are additional Music Theory books that Hal Leonard has put together. This beginner piano book is great because it introduces finger numbers, the black-key and white-key groups, and basic rhythm patterns, as well as directional reading, staffs, and bass and treble notes. All of the basics are right at your fingertips!
Price $
Where to Buy
Best For:
This series is perfect for students and kids.
The Complete Book of Scales, Chords, Arpeggios & Cadences
Approach & Ease of Use
The Complete Book of Scales, Chords, Arpeggios & Cadences is phenomenal because it accommodates the learning pace of younger kids. It gives an in-depth explanation that helps kids have a complete understanding of the fundamentals of major and minor scales, chords, arpeggios, cadences, and scale degrees. And, once your little one is done with the first book in the series, they can move on to the next one! The beginner piano book series grows with your little one!
Price $
Where to Buy
Best For:
This beginner piano book is best for young students.
Adult Piano Adventures All-in-One Piano Course Book 1
Approach & Ease of Use
This phenomenal beginner piano book is so great for adults because it allows them to play music for pleasure while developing a musical understanding. This book has an “all-in-one” design that includes lessons, techniques, and theory in a single volume. The book comes in a new layout that has an improved information hierarchy that puts focus on key concepts and utilizing step-by-step learning.
Price $$
Where to Buy
Best For:
This book is perfect for adult beginners.
Alfred’s Essentials of Music Theory
Approach & Ease of Use
Alfred’s Essentials of Music Theory is practical and easy to use. It’s perfect for anyone who wants to self-study and improves their musical ear. This all-in-one beginner piano book teaches the essentials of music through 75 concise lessons that help you practice your music reading and writing skills as well as your listening skills. This book includes two CDs that help with ear training.
Price $$$
Where to Buy
Best For:
This beginner piano book is best for adults.
Piano and Keyboard All-in-One For Dummies
Approach & Ease of Use
Piano and Keyboard All-in-One For Dummies is one of the best beginner piano books because it makes it easier and more fun than ever to learn how to play the piano. If you don’t know how to read or write music, this book is perfect for you because it explains music theory in a friendly and uncomplicated way that helps you easily apply what you learn to play the piano or keyboard. This book is also perfect as a refresher course for those who may have played the piano before, but haven’t in a long time. This beginner piano book has a wealth of easy-to-apply piano exercises that will give you confidence.
Price $$
Where to Buy
Best For:
This is one of the best beginner piano books for adult beginners or adults who need a refresher course.
Hanon: The Virtuoso Pianist in Sixty Exercises
Approach & Ease of Use
This is one of the best beginner piano books because it comes from Schirmer, a longstanding manufacturer of piano books. This was the first American edition released of this music, and it is still a classic to this day. What’s great is that Schirmer Library has many more books for you to learn from. From specific composers to scales and finger exercises, there is a perfect book out there for you.
Price $
Where to Buy
Best For:
This book is perfect for adults.
The Music Tree Student’s Book: Part 1: A Plan for Musical Growth at the Piano
Approach & Ease of Use
The Music Tree Student’s Book is one of the best beginner piano books adapted for English and Australian students. It’s part of a larger series that offers continuous development of complete musicianship. The book addresses technical aspects, including blocked intervals and chords, greater facility, and more hands-together playing. The book uses guided training steps to encourage intelligent practice skills. The student learns a variety of idioms of different kinds of music. This is one of the best beginner piano books because it helps encourage the creativity of budding musicians by giving them musical segments to rearrange, transpose, complete, or use as a foundation for a new composition.
Price $
Where to Buy
Best For:
This is one of the best beginner piano books for students.
The Verdict
When finding the best beginner piano books for you or your little one, there are many great options. The best one for you will depend on the answers to several important questions you should ask yourself.
First of all, are you looking for beginner piano books for an adult, or for a child? If you’re looking for a book for adults, try one of the following:
- Hanon: The Virtuoso Pianist in Sixty Exercises
- Piano and Keyboard All-in-One For Dummies
- Alfred’s Essentials of Music Theory
- Adult Piano Adventures All-in-One Piano Course Book 1
- Bastien Piano for Adults: A Beginning Course
If you are looking for beginner piano books that are more appropriate for kids, try one of these:
- The Music Tree Student’s Book: Part 1: A Plan for Musical Growth at the Piano
- The Complete Book of Scales, Chords, Arpeggios & Cadences
- Piano Lessons – Book 1: Hal Leonard Student Piano Library
- The Big Book of Beginner’s Piano Classics: 83 Favorite Pieces
- John Thompson’s Modern Course for the Piano – First Grade
Another important question to ask yourself is: do you want beginner piano books that are part of a larger series? There is a distinct advantage to using educational books that are part of a larger series because the books tie together seamlessly and let you expand your skills and understanding in one fluid effort. Once you finish working through a book, you simply move on to the next piano book in the series. There’s no wondering about what comes next. That being said, standalone beginner piano books are still great.
If you try a book and find that it isn’t the right one for you, simply try another; there are so many beginner piano books available! In no time, you’ll be playing the piano like you’ve been doing it your whole life.
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