10 easy piano pieces to start with!

Hum, I can still see myself during my first years of piano, searching for pieces to start my learning journey… Are you also in this struggle? In that case, I’m pleased to announce that you’re in the right place!

Indeed, I’m going to share with you here 10 easy piano pieces that should allow you to get started with ease. I’ll sort them by increasing difficulty (in my opinion), so there will be something for everyone! The first ones can thus be tackled even if you’re starting piano today. As for the last ones on the list, they’ll require slightly more advanced mastery, especially in terms of interpretation. Well, shall we go?

The easy piano pieces

Before anything else, don’t forget that this list of easy piano pieces is exhaustive. This means that the difficulty may vary according to each person. I’ve given you here a personal version based on my experience, but nothing prevents you from learning these pieces in the order you wish. However, don’t try to learn the tenth piece before the first one!

1: Beethoven – L’ode à la Joie (simplified version)

The first candidate in the list of easy piano pieces is undoubtedly the simplified version of Ode to Joy by Ludwig Van Beethoven. This piece will indeed be ideal for a pianist starting from scratch! This simplified version allows you to familiarize yourself with the keyboard and learn to play with both hands.

To start easily with a piece of music known by everyone, there’s nothing better.

And when you master this easy part, you can move on to a slightly more advanced version…

That was a joke, I assure you! Even I’m not certain I could learn this version rearranged by Liszt and reviewed by the formidable pianist Kassia!

2: The Beatles – Let It Be (simplified version)

One of my favorite of all easy piano pieces! Let’s stay with an easy repertoire with the famous song Let It Be by The Beatles. Here too, the version will be greatly simplified to allow for easier learning. More notes here, and a slightly more active left hand. An excellent exercise in sum that will allow you to test yourself if you’ve already mastered the first piece!

When you master this easy version, you can switch to more elaborate versions (with more chords and notes for example).

3: Bach – Prelude in C Major

What, Johann Sebastian Bach for beginners?! But of course! This genius of counterpoint and fugue also thought of you with much simpler pieces. This Prelude in C Major is one of them, and it’s actually one of the first pieces I learned when I started piano myself. The main difficulty will be managing to properly connect your two hands to make the melody smooth and linear. This prelude will also be an excellent exercise for learning to memorize notes!

Here played by the pianist from the Rousseau channel, this video is a good learning point.

4: Erik Satie – Gymnopédie no. 1

We continue our stop with Gymnopédie No. 1 by Erik Satie. Very well known for its accessibility, don’t be fooled by appearances nonetheless. While it’s very slow, it still remains an interpretative challenge for beginner pianists. Indeed, the main difficulty of this piece lies in bringing out the melody without drowning it in the accompaniment. Therefore, learning this piece will be a superb exercise to teach you dynamics and left hand stretches.

Once again, it’s Rousseau who delights us with this wonderful piece of music.

5: Ludovico Einaudi – Una Mattina

Let’s continue with our easy piano pieces with this famous music by Ludovico Einaudi. It surely means something to you, as it’s indeed the music from the film The Intouchables. At this stage, you’re going to start impressing those around you! Here again, interpretation will be the main difficulty. You’ll indeed need to make it emotional and sensational.

Excerpt from a live performance by Ludovico Einaudi playing his own composition.

6: Schumann – “Rêverie” de Scènes d’enfants op. 15 no. 7

You’re improving, I’m impressed. In that case, this beautiful melody by Schumann shouldn’t frighten you! It will once again require great interpretative demands from you, as gentle pieces of this style are often far from being the easiest to play. But I feel this will be just a formality for you, won’t it?

Here’s a version performed by Vladimir Horowitz, a brilliant musician considered one of the greatest pianists of all time.

7: Chopin – Prelude in E Minor op. 28 no. 4

Wow, I see that nothing stops you! Very well, some Chopin, how does that sound? This well-known Prelude in E Minor will be a beautiful gateway to the Romantic Universe of this genius composer. This piece actually comes up quite often in easy piano pieces. And enjoy it, because Chopin is rarely easy, believe me…

This prelude is a very good exercise for learning, memorization and interpretation.

8: Yann Tiersen – Comptine d’un Autre Été

Here’s a piece of music that should give you a run for your money! Among the easy piano pieces to learn, this nursery rhyme comes up very often. You’ll see that it won’t be as straightforward as it seems, with the main difficulty being managing to separate the left hand from the right hand. Beginning pianists indeed have a lot of trouble with this, so this work will be a superb exercise.

Take your time to desynchronize your hands, play slowly and break down the movements so you don’t skip steps.

9: Ludovico Einaudi – I Giorni

So, you want more? Very well, let’s return to Ludovico Einaudi and his famous title I Giorni. It’s getting technical, isn’t it? Here, you’ll need to manage the length of the piece (over 6 minutes), hand independence and interpretation. This will therefore be a substantial exercise to improve your memory and your performance. Go at your own pace!

Don’t forget, the gentlest pieces of music are rarely the simplest to interpret.

10: Yann Tiersen – La Valse d’Amélie Poulain

This list of easy piano pieces ends with the very famous Valse d’Amélie Poulain by Yann Tiersen. This one, believe me, you won’t get through easily! However, if you master the 9 previous easy piano pieces, there’s no reason you shouldn’t be able to master it. This piece will be somewhat like the final boss of this list… It will combine all the difficulties mentioned previously, namely hand independence, left hand technique, interpretation, length, memorization… Come on, get to work!

Be methodical in learning this music. Work slowly, take the time to master each hand independently, and you’ll succeed!

What piano pieces should you learn next?

There you have it, you’ve finally mastered all these easy piano pieces perfectly? OK, I have to say I’m impressed. Congratulations, you are now officially an intermediate pianist!

Now, you’ll need to tackle heavier material. I’m going to write an article soon to suggest pieces suitable for intermediate pianists, so stay tuned! Of course, you can also research on the Internet to find pieces suited to your situation. Don’t hesitate to test what appeals to you either. Indeed, if a piece of music attracts you, try to learn it! Hopefully it’s not Liszt’s Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2…

I hope this article about easy piano pieces has helped you get started. If you don’t have a piano for that yet, let me help you finding one on this page. Happy browsing on Best-pianos.com, and see you very soon!