Play Piano Like Elton John & John Legend With These Beginner Piano Learning Books

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From Elton John and Billy Joel to Stevie Wonder and Charlie Puth, the piano has become the backbone of some of music’s most popular acts.

The instrument has shown up on a slew of top tracks in genres galore, from R&B and hip-hop to rock and pop, delivering melodies that boast longevity, whether as earworms or hits on the Billboard charts. Take John’s track “Bennie and the Jets,” which peaked on the Billboard Hot 100 at No. 1 in 1974 for a week, and lasted a whopping 18 weeks on the chart in total.

The toe-tapping tune features an iconic staccato jazz-inspired piano melody that you’ll likely recognize instantly, even without John’s vocals. You’ve also got 2013’s “All of Me” by John Legend, which held a peak position of No. 1 for three weeks and spent a total of 59 total weeks on the Hot 100. The piano in the track is soulful and emotional, with a building and flowing chord progression that takes you on a journey.

If you love the way piano adds to any track and want to give the instrument a try for yourself, pick up these beginner piano books from Amazon. The set of three is currently in the top five on Amazon’s bestselling books in music and ranges from $9.99 to $19.99, depending on the book’s composition.

Each book is suitable for all ages, allowing you to learn at any stage of life. We’ve included Primer Level books that will teach you the fundamentals of piano, along with higher-level but still beginner options once you’ve got the basics down. These books aim to teach key skills and concepts to deepen their understanding and musicianship, and come with sheet music segmented into easy to follow chapters.

According to Piano Adventures, these beginner books will help users set the foundation for reading sheet music, understanding rhythm and developing confident hand coordination. We’ve also included the Adult Piano Adventures: All in One Course – Book 1, which comes with an audio guide for further instructions if you’d rather be led by example.

These books are said to make it easy to grasp an understanding of a new instrument, and they’re all affordable for less than $25. If you’re looking to learn the piano in the new year, these books are a great place to start. Looking for a piano or keyboard to play on? Check out our list of beginner-friendly electric keyboards here.