My top 5 piano method books for young beginners

Affiliate disclaimer:

I, Victoria Worthington, owner of www.pianotoyou.com earn commissions as an affiliate marketer for recommending products on this website. This means I might earn a small commission if you purchase one of the items listed in this post after following the link directly, at no extra cost to you. A big thank you to anyone who does purchase through one of these links – it really helps support me to be able to continue to create more content to share here.

When I head out for a day’s teaching at a primary school these are usually the books I have in my bag (yes, I cart a lot of books around because kids forget and families are busy. It’s great if they have their own book with them but I want a copy of everyone’s book in my bag in case that hasn’t happened this week, so we can still move forward.)

These are the 5 piano books I feel are best for my young beginners who are usually in year 2-4 (around age 6 to 9). If you are a teacher with new piano learners this term or if you are thinking of teaching your little one at home this is a useful post. A method book is really vital in my opinion even if you do also teach other repertoire and do lots of ‘off-book’ activities. It ensures no gaps in learning and a steady pace. Most of my choices have been around for a pretty long time but with a subject like music I don’t think that matters a jot. Why change what works! It’s only as we get a bit further into the piano journey that we thinking carefully about up-to-date repertoire for youngsters becomes much more important.

I often use my own ‘Piano Success’ booklet before any of these with young piano learners because I feel most books presume too much prior knowledge, which we often cannot expect from the small amount of music teaching learners get in the national curriculum. If you are interested in getting a digital copy of ‘Piano Success’ which teaches basic keyboard layout, how to play with a steady pulse and begin to understand rhythmic notation, as well as building a repertoire of fun and simple piano tunes, click here.

The following method books are a great follow on from it as you begin to teach how to read pitch.

5. Tunes for 10 fingers by Pauline Hall

£7.50 on Amazon at time of writing

The prelude to the very popular ‘Piano Time,’ this user-friendly book introduces pupils to reading one note at a time and begins with tunes using just one hand, but keeps swapping from right hand to left hand/ treble clef to bass clef every couple of pages before using the grand staff for tunes using both hands (but still one at a time with one tiny exception) later on. I like that concept as it keeps both right and left/treble and bass fresh in the mind.  It has a lovely layout with pictures but enough white space not to distract. The notation is smaller than some books but still readable for children with typical eyesight. There are some nice accompaniments playable by teacher or a pianist in the family. The only slight draw-back I find is that the wordiness of the book can be a bit counter-productive and mean pupils don’t in fact take as much in. Overall, a great piano book for young beginners at the piano though.

4. John Thompson’s Easiest Piano Course book 1

£9.21 on Amazon at time of writing

A very popular choice amongst teachers. It features large notation with use of the grand staff from the start. Great for use with a specialist teacher rather than for learning at home because of the great accompaniments. They are available online though, if you want to play along with them at home and you have a digital piano or your acoustic piano is well-tuned.  The early stages move quite slowly and methodically so, again, I find using this book with a specialist teacher might be more effective as they will be able to give more scope to each short piece of music – introducing new and creative ways to enjoy and learn from them. The challenge increases quicker later on, including using hands together. Learners have covered quite a lot by the end of the book.

3. Alfred’s Basic Piano Course, Lessons, Level 1A

£7.95 on Amazon at time of writing

This is one of the best piano books for really young beginners. It has nice big graphics, notation and text, inviting colour layout but not so much as to distract the eye. It teaches to play and read without a stave at first. Once the notes are placed on the stave, learners read music that moves by step and gradually increases the interval you must jump. I find that a very good method in the long-run. Rhythm is also introduced at a really manageable pace. As well as being great in structured lessons it is suitable for learning without a teacher but with help of a parent. Using both hands from start, but not simultaneously, it then has learners doing simple hands together work by the end of the book. I really love it.

2. Jonh W Schaum Piano Course Pre-A

£6.25 on Amazon at time of writing

A firm favourite of mine. Slightly faster paced, perhaps better suited to learners aged 8 to 10. Some off-stave pages at the very start then uses both hands from early on, but not simultaneously until later in the book. By the very end pupils are beginning to coordinate simple hands together work. A few different hand positions are used. ‘Keyfinders’ at the top of the page make this really manageable and encourage good reading skills. Nice layout, very little text, just pieces and pictures mainly.

1. Me and My Piano Part 1 by Fanny Waterman

£10.44 on Amazon at time of writing

My personal number 1 for so many of my learners. Small notation but I have never found this a problem with learners age 6 and upwards. Inviting colour layout. This kids’ piano method book sticks to one hand at a time for the majority of the book starting with the right first and introducing just one note at a time. Left hand only pieces then progress in the same way before a few two hand pieces at the end with limited hands together playing. I do still find there is a bit of a jump when it comes to this point and I usually provide some additional pieces to bridge the gap. If using this one without a teacher then two highlighters, one associated with each hand is a good tool once you get to the hands together pieces because there is a lot of swapping from one hand to the other quite quickly.
Its biggest shortcoming is that it encourages a bit too much reliance on finger numbers. Combat this by being sure to keep asking pupils to read the note names and sometimes erasing or hiding the finger numbers somehow. Some easy accompaniments are provided that can be played by a teacher or by anyone at home with a little music-reading ability.