Is your child showing interest in learning to play the piano? Learning the piano or any musical instrument is a great way to teach kids to focus. The practice, patience, and memory skills your child learns can be transferred to other parts of their life.
However, trying to find the perfect piano songs for your child to play can be tricky. If the pieces are too complicated, your child may become discouraged and want to give up altogether. So, let’s look at a few easy piano songs for kids that they are sure to enjoy playing.
Contents
Learning the Basics
Before getting started, it’s essential to make your child comfortable with the piano. Allow them to simply sit in front of the piano and play around with the keys and get a feel for them. Just listening to the sounds of different keys will help to make the music flow more easily later.
Locating the keys
Your child needs to find the place of all the notes on the keyboard. Rather than trying to make them learn the notes straight away, it is best to start with letters for each key. You can name the keys with the corresponding letters and place letter stickers on each of the keys.
Comfort is key
Many young children find it really difficult to sit still for long periods of time. Therefore, it is essential to make sure that they are as comfortable as possible. Choose a seat that is padded and perhaps with a backrest, and make sure their feet reach the floor.
Choosing the Right Piano Songs
It is likely to take your child several attempts to learn their first piano songs. Therefore, it is essential to choose simple piano songs that kids can have fun with. Try playing some of the following songs for your child to see if they enjoy them.
Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star
The note progression is repeated twice in this simple song, making it easier for kids to locate the notes. This is the perfect piano song for beginners of all ages to get to grips with. Once your child has mastered the melody, you can teach them how to sing along as they play.
Itsy-Bitsy Spider
The actions that go along with this song help to make it stick in the memory more efficiently. You can perform the actions while your child plays along to help make it more engaging. The cliffhanger ending of the song also helps to make it especially fun and memorable.
Row, Row, Row, Your Boat
This simple tune sounds good on even the cheapest instrument and is fun for children to master. The note progression is relatively simple, and the notes flow together relatively smoothly. You can prepare your child for playing this song by singing it together during long car journeys, or better still, when out on a boat.
If You’re Happy and You Know It
By the time kids start to play this song on the piano, they are likely to have learned to sing it already. You can help to encourage your child as they learn by clapping along while they play. The tune is simple to learn with just one or two tricky notes that can easily be skipped at first.
Old Macdonald Had a Farm
Playing this song and making the different animal noises can be a lot of fun. This is an excellent way to teach your child about different animals while they learn to play, too. The repetitive chorus of the song makes it easier to learn this classic nursery rhyme quickly.
Happy Birthday to You
This is one of the first songs that most children learn to sing, and the melody is straightforward to master. Learning to play this well-known song on the piano is sure to be very quick and easy for most kids. As an added bonus, they will be able to show off their skills at a child’s birthday party and impress their friends!
Where to Find the Easiest Piano Songs for Kids
By now, you are likely to have identified some fun songs that you want your child to start playing. If your kid is ready to start making sweet music, they will need some music sheets to get them up and running. Here are some great music books that children are sure to enjoy working through.
Piano Book for Kids 5 & Up by Damon Ferrante – Best Foundational Piano Music Book for 5 Years and Up
This book has been created by Professor Damon Ferrante and is highly recommended for children and beginners. The book includes links to music streaming videos that help to make music theory fun and simple. In addition to Christmas carols and nursery thymes, there are some cool yet simple rock songs to master.
Easy Piano Songs for Kids by Thomas Johnson – Easiest Piano Music Book for Kids
The cute and colorful illustrations that are scattered throughout this book help to make it appealing to kids. Plus, the music notes include letters to make it easier for kids who are just getting started. Kids will also be guided through music theory in this fun yet informative piano music book.
Disney Super Easy Songbook by Hal Leonard Corp. – Best Disney Piano Book for Kids
Bring a little Disney magic to your home with this fun and easy songbook. There are sixty popular songs from various Disney movies for your child to work through. The book features accessible arrangements for the piano with a simple right-hand melody and basic left-hand chord diagrams.
If Your Child is Showing Real Musical Talent…
We have more recommendations for you when planning how and where to get your kids started on their musical journey.
If you’re not at all familiar with the ins and outs of pianos, start by looking at the Types Sizes of Pianos Explained. Then depending on your child’s age, here are the Best Piano for Toddlers, the Best Digital Pianos Under 500 Dollars, and the Best Piano Bench to keep your child comfortable while playing. Also, take a look at the Best Roll Up Pianos as excellent teaching aids for your kids in 2023.
Specific model recommendations for the more serious learner?
No problem! Read our in-depth review of the Roland FP 90, as well as our Schoenhut 30 Key Fancy Baby Grand Review. And for an innovative learning method for kids, check out our Melissa Doug Learn to Play Classic Grand Piano Review.
If your kid is a little older or easily bored with the above suggestions, also check out these 10 First Easiest Songs You Should Learn on Piano. And finally, for listening to music, make sure you have the Best Earbuds for Kids to protect their precious eardrums!
OK, back to easy piano songs for children…
Easy Piano Songs for Kids – Final Thoughts
The key to getting kids to play the piano is making sure that they have fun. While more intricate piano songs will teach them new skills, you also need to change things up once in a while. Being able to master some fun and easy songs will help to keep the kids interested.
Moreover, these easy piano songs are an excellent way for the little ones to show off their skills. Playing for family members and friends during a gathering will help to build their confidence. The positive feedback that they receive is sure to inspire them to tackle more challenging piano pieces.
Have fun with your budding piano player!
