Best Piano Books For Beginners

17 Best Piano Books For Beginners of 2024 | Reviews + Tips

Hey piano lovers, welcome to Blue Buzz Music!

Learning how to play the piano can be both time-consuming and frustrating at times. However, don’t let this scare you. If you are searching for the best piano books for beginners, you’ve come to the right place.

A little piece of mind before we start.

The famous pianists on the TV look like they love it. And most likely they are. However, before getting to that point, they’ve worked hard for years!

If you want to get places, you’ll have to work hard and practice lots. The success and skills won’t come overnight.

Don’t stop trying.

The books we have on this list will definitely help you a lot, but they can’t make an all-star out of you. They will sure help you learn the fundamentals and build upon them!

Here are the top 5 picks of best piano books for beginners.
The full list is just down below!

Best For Kids
John Thompson's Easiest Piano Course Part 1
Best Song Selection
100 of the Most Beautiful Piano Solos Ever
Top Pick
Piano Book for Adult Beginners: Teach Yourself How to Play Famous Piano Songs, Read Music, Theory & Technique (Book & Streaming Video Lessons)
Best For Music Theory
Keyboard For Dummies
Best For Practice Lessons
A Dozen a Day Book 1 (A Dozen a Day Series)
John Thompson's Easiest Piano Course Part 1
100 of the Most Beautiful Piano Solos Ever
Piano Book for Adult Beginners: Teach Yourself How to Play Famous Piano Songs, Read Music, Theory & Technique (Book & Streaming Video Lessons)
Keyboard For Dummies
A Dozen a Day Book 1 (A Dozen a Day Series)
Best For Kids
John Thompson's Easiest Piano Course Part 1
John Thompson's Easiest Piano Course Part 1
Best Song Selection
100 of the Most Beautiful Piano Solos Ever
100 of the Most Beautiful Piano Solos Ever
Top Pick
Piano Book for Adult Beginners: Teach Yourself How to Play Famous Piano Songs, Read Music, Theory & Technique (Book & Streaming Video Lessons)
Piano Book for Adult Beginners: Teach Yourself How to Play Famous Piano Songs, Read Music, Theory & Technique (Book & Streaming Video Lessons)
Best For Music Theory
Keyboard For Dummies
Keyboard For Dummies
Best For Practice Lessons
A Dozen a Day Book 1 (A Dozen a Day Series)
A Dozen a Day Book 1 (A Dozen a Day Series)

Let’s get to the article already! You don’t have to go over each single piano book as they can be repetitive as the fundamentals stay the same, but combining them can make things a lot easier for you!

1) PianoForAll

PianoForAll is One of The Best Piano Courses for Beginners

PianoForAll is One of The Best Piano Courses for Beginners

This is not just an e-book, but a complete step-by-step piano training course.

It starts you off with famous rhythm style piano. Something you would hear in The Beatles and Coldplay songs. This would already be enough for a beginners piano course.

And there is a lot more.

As you keep learning more about playing the piano, you expand into Blues, Jazz, Improv, Ragtime, and, of course, Ballad style.

PianoForAll teaches you how to read music while simultaneously learning how to play by ear.

Are you set yet?

Well, too bad, because you will also find out how to create your own melodies and even classical pieces.

What Does The Course Include?

pianoforall piano course for beginners

PianoForAll Piano Course For Beginners

PianoForAll course includes 9 step-by-step ebooks with interactive audio and video links built into them. On top of that, you get 200+ video lessons and samples.

Any other perks?

Well, when you buy and download the course, it’s readily available for download on any device. And you don’t even need online access after you’ve set everything up. It’s a one-time fee course with all the future updates coming for free. And, of course, great support.

The best bang for the buck out there!

2) Piano Book For Adult Beginners

Piano Book For Adult Beginners is one of the best piano books for beginners

Is Piano Book For Adult Beginners The Best Piano Book For Beginners?

Have you heard of Damon Ferrante?

Well, he is a famous music composer with over twenty-five years in teaching various musical instruments such as piano, guitar, etc.

The piano is not easy to teach, especially in writing, but Damon managed to score an outstanding score of 4.5 of Goodreads.

Could it be a good read after all?

The easiest thing here is to say “find out yourself,” but that’s not the reason you came here. Advice and a genuine overview would be a lot more beneficial.

It fits beginners who have little prior knowledge the best.

Why?

Because it breaks down chords progressions, finger patterns, and both right and left-hand songs into easier terms and smaller pieces. So you don’t overwhelm yourself.

Moreover, Mr. Ferrante hasn’t forgotten how important practice is on the top of theory and included a bunch of sweet songs to follow along and play.

How about visual learners?

These days people consume more stuff in video form than ever. And most writers and teachers realize that.

The author has included a few videos for visual learners for them to stay involved better.

3) Easiest Piano Course

Easiest Piano Course is one of the best piano books for beginners

Is Easiest Piano Course The Best Piano Book For Beginners?

Ever heard of John Thompson?

A fantastic pianist and educator, he passed away over half a century ago. His piano books, however, keep living and are very popular among beginner pianists.

“Easiest Piano Course” is one of those “all-timers” that is perfect for children and beginners.

The book’s the most popular among kids.

That’s why it has this cute cover, right? Don’t let it trick you into thinking that it won’t bring any value to an older pianist-wannabe.

Even though it includes a lot of pictures, it’s also full of informative content in the form of reading and writing exercises and sight reading practice.

One of the best bangs for the buck!

If you are looking into something more fun than just plain text and pictures of notes and riffs, this book will definitely do.

Don’t get tricked.

It is in some sense a book for younger piano players. However, the knowledge that this book offers is outstanding.

Moreover, lessons are short and engaging so that you can practice playing your favourite songs and melodies after. One of the best books to learn the fundamentals of playing the piano out there!

4) Piano For Adults

Piano For Adults is one of the best piano books for beginners

Is Piano For Adults The Best Piano Book For Beginners?

Introduced by Bastien, “Piano For Adults” is one of the two books that were written by professional composers and pianists of their musical team.

As the name states, it’s straight to the point. Easily written and engaging, it’s great for beginners who don’t know much about playing the piano.

Any particular features?

Well, it’s not filled with endless text, which is definitely a plus. If you see endless chapters full of music theory that you don’t understand, you likely won’t stick around for too long.

With “Piano For Adults,” it’s easy to follow and stay engaged while learning tons of interesting stuff along the way. Definitely a good read.

5) 100 Of The Most Beautiful Piano Solos Ever

100 Of The Most Beautiful Piano Solos Ever is one of the best piano books for beginners

Is 100 Of The Most Beautiful Piano Solos Ever The Best Piano Book For Beginners?

As you could’ve guessed from the title, it’s a piano songbook.

This book is not quite the fundamentals builder, but more of an add-on to another book or a course.

How about the Internet?

That’s true, these days you can find anything online. However, sometimes you just get lost in the infinite number of songs that are clustered all over the web.

This book comes as a solution. The 100 solos are handpicked for you by educator and professionals. They will help you build your skills, while you are having fun playing a beautiful piece of a melody.

What’s the solos’ central thematic?

It’s mostly the classics and the “all-time” pop songs. Every track just fills you up with nostalgia.

However, if you want to play something more modern, you won’t be able to with just this book in hands. It’s full of Broadway musicals and is arranges nicely, but it doesn’t provide the variety, which is a tiny drawback.

Is this for all-level piano players?

The songs in the book are intermediate level and up, but it’s never hurt anybody to aim high.

It’s rated above four on Goodreads and 5/5 on Sheet Music Plus. It’s a fantastic add-on to a piano fundamentals book to spice up the learning a little.

6) Music For Little Mozarts

Music For Little Mozarts is one of the best piano books for beginners

Is Music For Little Mozarts The Best Piano Book For Beginners?

Well, this book is for kids and preschoolers.  No questions asked here.

However, if you are looking for something for your child, stick around.

Why “Music For Little Mozarts”?

Alfred Music Publishing has been around for ages producing educational music content for kids.

It’s full of pictures and illustration but don’t let this throw you off. You get a lot more than a handful of high-quality education and engaging material.

What else?

It teaches the kids simple concepts such as how to sit when playing the piano and where to keep your hands. As you manage to settle this down, it goes a little bit into theory, high and low notes, riffs, etc.

It keeps the young piano players entertained and waiting for the next lesson with its fun and colourful contents. Worth every penny you’d spend on it!

7) Beginning Jazz Keyboard

Beginning Jazz Keyboard is one of the best piano books for beginners

Is Beginning Jazz Keyboard The Best Piano Book For Beginners?

You can play pretty much anything on a piano.

And jazz is one of the most popular genres to play out there. So if you like jazz, why not start learning how to play jazz specifically?

That’s who this book is for. Even though published in the late nineties, the quality material this piano book is full of hasn’t outdated at all.

Who is it for?

“Beginning Jazz Keyboard” is clearly for everyone who loves jazz and want to play it on a piano. If you’re going to narrow the range, the book was specifically designed for beginners who are new to jazz and playing the piano in general.

The book is straightforward, yet still interesting and engaging. It provides both visual and written content. Jazz is not an easy genre to play, but if explained right, you’ll master it in no time.

What are the songs like?

The songs provided in this piano book are incredibly catchy and well-known. It seems like the author knew what he was doing when writing this piano book for beginners.

Sometimes the book comes with a CD, which is really helpful. Unfortunately, not all the resellers provide you with one. Therefore, your best bet would be double checking each listing to make sure it has one.

 

8) Adult All-In-One Course

Adult All-In-One Course is one of the best piano books for beginners

Is Adult All-In-One Course The Best Piano Book For Beginners?

This book is not the most fun (it’s hard), but it’s a goldmine.

I mean, there is a reason it’s the #1 bestseller in the “Music Appreciation” category.

It offers you a lot of knowledge about every single aspect of learning how to and playing the piano. You’ll understand music theory and music, in general, a lot better after going over every lesson.

However, there is a catch.

The author doesn’t spend his time telling you about how you will enjoy playing the piano and all other inspiring stuff. It’s all concise and straight-to-the-point.

You can’t have a TV running in the background. In order to get the real value, you’ll have to put all your focus and energy towards this book. This includes the fundamentals of theory and practice, good habits, exercises and a lot more.

You don’t need to worry.

It’s not as scary as it sounds. The book actually provides a tremendous value and lets you learn different music genres such as blues, pop, classical, jazz, and a lot more.

Let the Amazon rating and great reviews to speak for themselves. Again, it’s a goldmine. And to get to the gold, you’ll have to put in a lot of work first. Worthy purchase!

9) The Complete Idiot’s Guide To Music Theory

The Complete Idiot's Guide To Music Theory is one of the best piano books for beginners

Is The Complete Idiot’s Guide To Music Theory The Best Piano Book For Beginners?

This kind of title attract the most customers’ attention, don’t they?

This may even actually be a turn off to some people. However, don’t let it fool you into thinking it’s not a worthy book to buy.

It’s not entirely dedicated to the piano solely, but by now you should know that music theory applies to all instruments out there.

Is this book a must-have?

Well, it depends on how much prior knowledge you have when it comes to music theory. If you’ve gone to a musical school or played guitar before and want to switch to a piano, you may already know all this stuff.

On the other hand, if you are a beginner who wants to learn the piano, having music theory broken down into smaller portions for more accessible and better understanding is essential!

Don’t hurry.

Being in a rush, especially when learning something new, has never led to anything good. The foundation has to be built carefully and slowly, so the entire thing doesn’t collapse later.

This book lets you build learn things gradually as opposed to just stuffing you with too much information too fast.

What’s in the book?

It’s full of crucial music knowledge about chords and chord progressions, rhythms, harmony, arranging everything, composing your own music, and a lot more.

This piano book is efficient and great for the beginners with strong self-control. It’s not fun to study something, but it pays off in the long run.

Is music theory something a beginners needs to know?

Definitely consider getting one if you are a beginner without any or with limited prior knowledge of music theory as it will help you get a better understanding of not just the piano, but all music instruments out there.

10) It’s Never Too Late … To Play Classics

Its never too late to play piano is one of the best piano books for beginners

Is It’s Never Too Late To Play Piano The Best Piano Book For Beginners?

For some reason, this incredibly popular and trendy book doesn’t have any reviews on Amazon. It’s because it only comes as a paperback.

These days most people prefer to instead have a PDF or a Kindle version, as opposed to a traditional “book.”

Is the book decent?

It’s been written by Pam Wedgwood, so this may tell you something. If you don’t know who Pam is, she is a musical artist and has written 45+ books about music theory and various musical instruments.

It covers both the theory and the technical skills, so you shouldn’t be worried about not getting enough quality material. Moreover, the book is full of facts about fantastic composers and their masterpieces.

How are the lessons taught?

When you purchase a book, you mostly get all the information in writing or visually through illustrations. However, it’s also important to hear the music you are learning how to play.

That’s why this book usually comes with a CD that has many engaging activities and backing tracks. To sum up, every beginner can benefit a lot from this book, by learning the piano fundamentals and practicing.

11) Suzuki Piano School

Suzuki Piano School is one of the best piano books for beginners

Is Suzuki Piano School The Best Piano Book For Beginners?

This piano book is designed to bring value to people who want to play piano all around the world.

It’s been translated into different languages such as Spanish, Italian, French, Deutch, etc.

The book is made like a directory. Each music piece gets its own page dedicated to it. Therefore, it’s good to be used as a practice book once you nail the music theory and find your way with pianos.

Is it suitable for beginners?

Depends on how much of a beginner the person is. If you don’t know anything about music theory and the piano in general, it could be hard to wrap your head around it.

However, if you already know a thing or two and don’t feel intimidated by playing the piano, it’s the right book for you. I guess you can say it’s intermediate level of difficulty and is for both teens and adults.

12) Piano & Keyboard For Dummies

Piano & Keyboard For Dummies is one of the best piano books for beginners

Is Piano & Keyboard For Dummies The Best Piano Book For Beginners?

This book offers you a lot of valuable material all put together in a friendly and straightforward manner. You will learn the basics of music theory.

Moreover, the piano lessons inside are engaging and fun so that you won’t get bored fast. It’s good for beginners to learn the fundamentals and for more advanced players to dust off what they’ve learned in the past and forgotten.

Does it work for the keyboard players too?

“Piano & Keyboard For Dummies” is for both piano and keyboard players, and opens a world of opportunities for those who decided to put the work in and finish the theory lessons along with the practice exercises.

Overall, the book is an excellent choice for most aspiring pianists and keyboard players out there!

13) Piano Adventures (Primer Level)

Piano adventures primal level is one of the best piano books for beginners

Is Piano Adventures The Best Piano Book For Beginners?

The book is written for different age audiences. It’s great for both people with tutors and piano self-learners.

The primer level walks you over all the fundamental you must know before mastering the piano. For example, you’ll learn note values, steps and skips recognition, grand staff, etc.

Is it only for beginners?

The first level is mostly the basics that help the beginners build the foundation of their musical path. It enables you to acquire the skill that you won’t need right away, but later in your journey.

The book is simple, but who wants to read the dry and complex theory that extends for tens of pages anyways? Nobody. It’s excellent as an introduction to every beginner.

14) Piano Adventures (Level 1)

Piano Adventures (Level 1) is one of the best piano books for beginners

Is Piano Adventures (Level 1) The Best Piano Book For Beginners?

As you could’ve guessed that’s the piano book that you should get to after finishing the primer level one.

It brings to the table a few new terms and skills to master, such as chord progressions and different types of notes.

What will students get from it?

The book guides you through staccato, legato touches, the skills you need to obtain in order to identify intervals, and a lot of other concepts which are crucial for every piano player.

You will also learn more about the five-finger approach that will increase your potential of succeeding dramatically. Everything is explained thoroughly at a slow pace so that the aspiring pianists won’t miss anything significant in the process.

15) Modern Course For The Piano

Modern course for the piano is one of the best piano books for beginners

Is Modern Course The Best Piano Book For Beginners?

Designed and written by John Thompson, this book is full of knowledge and experience that the John himself had to learn the hard way.

If you don’t know who the author is, he is an artist, musician, and composer who has also created the other piano book on this list.

Guess which one?

In “The Modern Course For The Piano” you will learn about different hand and fingers positions that will improve your proficiency in playing the piano.

It also lists the essentials of playing with two hands at the same time and how to make this learning process more tolerable.

Is it for beginners?

Everyone will find a lot of value in this piano book, but it was initially designed for piano amateurs that already know a thing or two about music theory, music reading, and different notes.

Therefore, if you feel confident enough, nothing is stopping you from mastering all the practice exercises that will help you build and master your skill even further.

16) Alfred’s Self-Teaching Adult Piano Course

Alfred’s Self-Teaching Adult Piano Course is one of the best piano books for beginners

Is Alfred’s Self-Teaching Adult Piano Course The Best Piano Book For Beginners?

The piano book for beginners is an easy read.

Of course, 190+ pages may not seem like one, but the material is put in such an engaging and friendly matter that it’s nothing but a pleasure to follow along with.

As the rest of the books on the list, it can be self-taught. And this means that it’s a good choice even for people with very little knowledge about how music essentially works.

What’s the content about?

Well, it’s a great guide to follow and learn-as-you-go. With over 65 pieces of music with a lot of “all-timers,” this piano book will teach you both fundamentals of theory and practice.

Moreover, sometimes it comes with a CD and even a DVD that shows you examples and leads you when you don’t know where to start and what to begin with. “Alfred’s Self-Teaching Adult Piano Course” is fantastic for any pianist-beginner.

17) A Dozen A Day

A Dozen a Day is one of The Best Piano Book For Beginners

Is “A Dozen a Day” The Best Piano Book For Beginners?

This piano book for beginners  is a fantastic choice for people who hate long introductions and  a lot of theory. A Dozen A Day piano book is straight to the point. It’s full of short lessons followed by exercises. Most beginners would rather learn this way instead of reading a ton without getting to actually play the piano.

It’s well-known that quick wins at the beginning of one’s journey keep the student motivated and excited. 

The piano book for beginners will do great as a supplement material to the main theory and practice piano book. Exercises will help you clarify things you’ve recently read and learned. If you ever want to practice your sight reading skills and muscle memory, A Dozen A Day is the book to go with, trust me!

Your skills will develop incredibly fast if you keep this piano book for beginners by your side at all times and practice daily!

Conclusion: Best Piano Books For Beginners

In order to become good at literally anything, you have to work hard. To put it in different words, nothing good comes easy.

Remember this.

Hard work always pays off. The real-time to shine and practice even more is after your enthusiasm is gone in a month or two. That’s when you either stick to playing the piano of call quits.

It’s that easy.

Any single book on the list above will teach you the fundamentals that you can build upon. At the end of the day, it really is up to you and you only. So keep up the hard work.

Last update on 2024-03-28 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API