Getting started with the piano can initially seem like a daunting task, with so many titles out there and for the most part being unable to physically see the book for yourself, many players struggle to determine which pieces are the best to help get them started on their journey, learn the basics and develop those crucial initial steps into falling in love with the piano.
Thankfully though, thanks to our good friends at Presto Music, we have culminated a series of tried and tested books that we would recommend for getting started with the piano. This list is not only composed of titles suitable for children or young learners, but also for adults who have returned to the piano in later life or are looking to get started.
We believe that learning the piano is an incredibly satisfying experience that should be fun and rewarding from the word go, and we’re sure that with these titles, you’ll soon agree!
Ideal Books For Young Learners
Kicking things off, we’re going to begin with a few titles that are ideally suited for children, using either bright colours, characters, games and tunes that are best suited to keep the learning experience fun, rewarding and engaging from start to finish.
Lang Lang: Mastering The Piano Level 1
Lang Lang has inspired countless children to take up the piano or be keen to develop their skills, despite being a classically trained pianist, this book offers and incredibly accessible and fun way to learn.
Mastering the piano is the first series of books to be launched in the Lang Lang Piano Academy. Comprising five progressive books, mastering the piano captures Lang Lang’s passion, drive and extraordinary mastery of the piano.
Jennifer Linn: Hal Leonard Piano for Kids
Bringing forth popular pieces that kids love such as Let It Go, Beauty and the Beast, Over the Rainbow, Heart and Soul, We Will Rock You and more famous tunes to keep young learners motivated, Piano for Kids is a fun, easy course that teaches children to play piano or keyboard faster than ever before.
Using a clean and simple page layout, this book places an emphasis on not overwhelming when introducing new concepts and is designed to help young learners progress with confidence - The method can be used in combination with a teacher or parent. To learn more about how to keep your child motivated whilst practising, read our guide here.
Dame Fanny Waterman & Marion Harewood - Me And My Piano
Me and My Piano is the best-selling series by the distinguished authors Fanny Waterman and Marion Harewood, that has sold over 2 million copies worldwide. Designed especially for the needs of the younger beginner and delightfully illustrated throughout, the series makes learning the piano an enjoyable experience for both pupil and teacher.
Engaging Books For Teenagers And Young Adults
When it comes to learning, those who have outgrown the childishness of the younger book series, but still need a little encouragement than those that titles aimed at adults receive are often left out in the cold. However, thankfully, especially as the piano continues to grow in popularity across the worlds of social media and in schools, more and more of these titles are coming to fruition.
The following titles are ideally aimed at keeping teenagers and young adults intrigued in learning the piano by providing supportive, relevant and modern engaging titles that mean something to the student.
Full of step by step guides with pictures and analogies to make the learning process as easy as possible. Full of iconic classical repertoire that you will recognise, this book will appeal to both young and older adults through its creative way of learning the basics of piano technique.
The AB guide to music theory provides an introduction to the basics of harmony and musical structure whilst also teaching the likes of musical essentials such as rhythm, temp, dynamics, transposition and many other key factors to assist your piano playing.
User Friendly and Accessible Books For Adult Learners
Ideally suited to adults who have perhaps either never played piano before but wish they had as a child or those who are returning to the instrument after a lengthy hiatus, these titles make learning accessible and engaging without feeling juvenile or childish.
Pam Wedgwood: It's Never Too Late To Play Piano
So many players who learn in later life wish they had started when they were younger or those who wish they hadn’t given up. It’s Never Too Late To Play Piano targets this demographic and introduces a truly grown-up approach to learning the piano.
Pam Wedgwood, author of many popular piano series, takes you through the rudiments of piano technique and music theory in her own friendly style that’s guaranteed to get results. Organised into clearly structured progressive units with a fabulous array of music to get you playing straight away, including Pam’s own jazzy pieces, plenty of well-known classics and a smattering of pop and show tunes make this book an ideal starting point for any newcomer to the piano!
Pam Wedgwood - The Rusty Pianist
This is perhaps one of the bestsellers in our showroom on this list, so we simply had to include it! Ideal for those who perhaps dabbled with piano playing earlier in life but gave up, the rusty pianist assumes nothing but delivers everything to the returning player!
Rediscover the piano with this exciting collection of easy-to-learn piano solos. The Rusty Pianist combines beautiful arrangements of well-known piano favourites with exciting pieces by best-selling composer Pam Wedgwood, sure to get all rusty pianists playing again with ease. The pieces progress from late-elementary to intermediate level, ideal for returning players. With Pam’s unique commentary alongside each piece, her specially recorded demonstration tracks, and a handy Rusty Reminders insert to refer to whenever you play, you’ll have everything you need to get straight back into playing.
Roskell, Penelope: The Complete Pianist
Those looking for a one stop shop book that delivers absolutely everything the aspiring pianist needs to know when it comes to piano playing, look no further!
The Complete Pianist: from healthy technique to natural artistry offers a new and unique approach to piano playing, in which Penelope Roskell shares a lifetime's experience of teaching, performing and groundbreaking research into healthy piano playing. Containing more than 500 pages of text, 300 videos and 250 exercises newly devised by the author, this is the most comprehensive book ever written on piano playing. The book has something new to offer to all pianists and keyboard players - student and teacher, professional and amateur.
There you have it! A comprehensive kickstart list to get started with the piano, no matter your age or ability! We hope you’ve enjoyed this list and it’s at least given you some inspiration to get started. If you’re looking for more inspiration to make the most from your piano playing, why not read our piano goals article, or how to better structure your piano practice here.
For those looking to start their journey on a real acoustic piano, why not visit our showroom today or contact our experts to learn more! Or explore our full range of sheet music using the link below!