There are so many books out there, it can be hard to pick which one to get!
To help you out, I went through my music book shelf and picked out what I consider to be the best piano books for kids. I stand behind each book, because I have used all of them with my students over the years.
Each one is a great book, but you should read through the whole list to find which book would be best for the particular pianist you have in mind. To make things easy, I’ve divided them into categories.
Method Books
Methods are typically comprehensive and include everything a student needs to learn to play as they progress from level to level.
Theory Books
Theory books contain more writing work than playing. They focus on why and how music is written the way it is, rather than how to play it.
Technique Books
Technique books focus on growing a pianist’s technique.
Repertoire Books
Repertoire books mostly contain pieces to play.
What makes a piano method book high quality?
Reading
A method book should teach a beginner pianist how to read music fluently. Pedagogical approaches include: Middle C, multi-key, and intervallic.
Ear-Training
Learning to play the piano should never be only about pressing the right keys. Even the most absolute beginners should be developing their aural skills. Listening activities should be sprinkled in among the other learning activities.
Theory
In the early levels, theory work focuses on reading notation. Later on, learning chords will help students to understand why music is written the way it is. Theory is also foundational to learning “practical” keyboarding skills.
Practical Skills
Recent updates to method books have included a focus on composition, improvisation, and playing from chords. These skills go beyond the typical classical instruction styles and open up the worlds of pop lead-sheets and jazz fake books.
High Quality Repertoire
The whole point of learning an instrument is to play music. That means the pieces need to be pleasing to listen to and play. This will keep students motivated and having fun!
Best Method Books for Younger Students
Each age group learns differently, so there are different books written with them in mind. Children under 7 typically have less developed hands and often aren’t fluent readers yet.
Methods for children in this age group tend to include more “off-the-bench” activities to manage their shorter attention spans.
#1 My First Piano Adventure
This series includes 3 books (Levels A, B, and C) and is intended for children 5-6 years old. These 3 books cover the same content as the primer level book in the basic series.
The approach to reading is slow, which is appropriate for this age. The 3 levels use a directional reading approach to bring children from pre-reading to the staff.
The online audio recordings encourage singing. Singing helps the student to connect the sound of the music to the keys, which supports improvisation activities!
Piano Adventures is one of the most popular methods in use, because it is so comprehensive and contains clear explanations for each new concept. After My First Piano Adventure, students are ready to head into level 1 of the basic series.
#2 Celebrate Piano!
The intervallic approach encourages students to see the patterns and distance between notes. This is the most effective way to read music. Professional musicians read music in this way.
This approach allows students to play anywhere on the piano from their early lessons. Once given a starting note, they can find the rest of them by following the intervals.
It’s good to be aware that the treble clef and bass clef are not introduced until a bit later. It makes sense to wait to change books or add supplemental material until you have gone far enough through the book series to cover all aspects of basic notation.
Students who already tend to see the world in patterns will enjoy this method. Reading music will feel intuitive, instead of like an exercise in memorization.
#3 Piano Safari
This method combines intervallic reading with guide notes. Unlike many methods, students are introduced to individual staves before the grand-staff. Thai makes reading music more approachable for students who are slower to read.
Sight reading flash cards are an important aspect of this series. They correlate with each unit and are vital to providing sufficient practice to develop strong readers.
Rote pieces balance this slower approach to reading. Rote pieces allow beginner students to use both hands to play beautiful music that goes across the whole keyboard – all without reading a single note.
The use of rote pieces recognizes that beginner pianists are capable of playing much more complex music than they can read. They get to explore this capability, all while using their ears and growing their musical memories. The composers have a YouTube channel with an online video for each song, so that students can get daily reminders on how to play if they need them.
The rote repertoire are particularly high quality pieces. Even resistant students ask to play them!
#4 A Thousand Stories for a Little Pianist
Russian pianists are famous for their expression. It becomes obvious why this is the case, when you see the types of teaching methods they write!
Don’t take the name literally. A Thousand Stories for a Little Pianist doesn’t actually contain a thousand stories, instead it contains examples for you to use and inspiration to come up with your own stories.
Unlike the rest of the books on this list, a large portion of this book is dedicated to the author’s teaching philosophy. The goal is to provide other teachers with a framework to use with their students.
Each aspect of music is taught through a story to engage the pianist’s imagination. Some stories are provided, and they should serve as examples for the teacher to continue developing their own stories.
This book presents a method that will work quite well with young students.
It is my top recommendation for the piano teacher who wants to develop their own signature beginner curriculum, rather than follow a method step-by-step. It is ideal for students with strong imaginations (the ones that tend to try to talk through their entire lesson!).
Most importantly, it is a method that focuses on a healthy technique and develops a love for music.
#5 Tales of A Musical Journey
This is the method for those who love the sound of the Russian method, but aren’t interested in compiling their own materials.
Every lesson includes a story and they are fully written out.
It is important to note that quite a few of the early lessons focus on the theory of music notation and don’t include any or much playing. Instead, they cover general music topics that are an important basis for learning to play the piano. It might be good to think of the first lesson, or even the first few as general music lessons rather than piano lessons. Learning the piano will come soon enough!
This approach is pedagogically sound, especially for young children. But if your kid is dying to play, you can always add some rote songs to the mix.
Best Method Books for Kids
7 years old is a more standard age for starting piano lessons. Many of the methods for this age group have been around for decades.
#6 Piano Adventures – Basic Method
The first book of the basic method, the primer level, covers the same material as My First Piano Adventure A, B, and C. Because it’s intended for older students, the primer level moves a little faster than MFPA.
Nancy Faber is a talented composer and most of the pieces in this series are her original compositions. Each level focuses around a lesson book that introduces new concepts. The series works the best, though, if you get the whole set – Lesson book, Technique & Artistry book, Performance book, and Theory book.
This series includes a lot of repertoire and moves fairly slowly through new concepts. It is best for students who need a slower pace. It provides lots of material to reinforce concepts, and the student will always have new and exciting pieces to move on to.
If you use this book with a student who is capable of learning faster, they should probably skip some pieces.
The second edition puts this method above other books in this list. They made significant changes to the theory books to include more improvisation and playing from chords. For that reason, this is my book of choice for students who want to move towards playing more popular music.
#7 John Thompson’s Modern Course for the Piano
John Thompson has been around for decades. It moves more quickly than more recently composed methods. This can be a blessing.
For example: In Piano Adventures, compound meters like 6/8 time aren’t introduced for years. John Thompson includes 6/8 time in the very first level.
Students who go through older methods like this don’t run as much risk of feeling like beginners forever.
#8 Michael Aaron Piano Course
The music in this method trends towards using chords for accompaniments early on. From a classical perspective, this isn’t ideal. From a pop perspective, it’s wonderful!
This is another method I would use with students interested in moving quickly into pop arrangements.
The Technique book is dry. It focuses on exercises in reading and playing chords more so than techniques like wrist and arm motion. This is good for students who need more focus on finger dexterity and sight reading.
#9 John W. Schaum Piano Course
I love that Schaum uses a multi-key approach. The first level covers several different keys using 5-finger hand positions.
A great way to practice transposition is to have students go back and play each of these short pieces in each key that they have learned.
Each level uses a single book. I have use this method with students who prefer to play 2-3 harder pieces each week, instead of 4-8 easier pieces. The pacing of this book allows students to work on fewer pieces while still progressing.
Best Theory Book
#10 KITS (Keynote Independent Theory Service)
These are my go-to when I don’t like a method books theory component, or if I am choosing to use repertoire books with a student instead of a method.
KITS has 7 steps or levels that turn students from absolute beginners into college level music theorists. KITS includes general theory work, ear training, and playing chord progressions and scales.
Students might find the annual examinations motivating, as well. Each level culminates in a test. All students receive a certificate. High-achieving students will be placed on the honor roll. Enough years on the honor roll and they can earn a medal and then a trophy!
Best Stand-Alone Technique Book
#11 A Dozen A Day
These short exercises explore a variety of techniques related to scales and chords.
Students can go through them quickly, which keeps them engaged.
Best Repertoire Books for Kids
What makes a repertoire book good?
Repertoire books are all about the music. It has to be wonderful to play, or no one is interested. They don’t have to make compromises to conform to a pedagogical vision. So it makes sense that they often have more interesting music than method books. If your kid wants fun songs, look no further than this list!
If you are looking to get a special extra book for a young pianist in your life, this is the list for you!
#12 Pageants for Piano – Donald Waxman
These pieces are a joy to play. Waxman is a modern composer and includes interesting modern tonalities in his pieces. All his pieces have cute titles that are clearly reflected in the piece.
They are ideal pieces for encouraging students to express the story in their performance.
The initial levels focus on repertoire, but this series contains an extensive library of progressive graded pieces, folk-song arrangements, recital pieces, and exercises/etudes.
#13 Piano Safari: Pattern Pieces
One of the strongest elements of the piano safari series is the rote pieces. They have compiled their rote and technique pieces into a separate book to make it convenient for students who aren’t using the whole method.
These make great recital pieces for beginners.
There are even video lessons on YouTube to help with learning at home.
#14 Celebration Series!
The Celebration Series is a graded set of pieces from each era of classical music – including modern composers. They publish a new edition every few years, and keep up with adding modern pieces.
The easiest books are suitable for students who have already covered the first few levels of a method book. The higher levels of this repertoire collection advance beyond the level of method books.
These books are great for pianists who enjoy classical music and want to play a variety of music without having to track down each individual composer.
#15 Connections for Piano – Christopher Norton
Christopher Norton writes pieces in several modern styles. Character, Swing, and Latin. They offer fun variety and take a more modern approach to rhythm.
Many method books focus on simple rhythms for far too long. This can be a dis-service to students who want to work towards more rhythmically complex popular songs. Connections for Piano can help balance that and move students towards their goals.
Pieces like this are fun and appealing to students interested in music with a Spanish feel.
#16 Piano Repertoire – Keith Snell
This is another graded series of classical pieces. The preparatory level starts out with easier music than a lot of classical series.
This is a good option for pianists who are interested in classical music, but don’t yet feel advanced enough for a lot of the other resources.
Of course, there are many levels, so pianists who like this series will have plenty of material to use as tehy advance.
#17 Mikrokosmos – Bela Bartok
Bartok is a 20th century Hungarian composer. Like many composers of his time, he was exploring beyond traditional tonality. He was also heavily influenced by Hungarian folk tunes.
He wrote Mikrokosmos for his son to learn to play the piano. Beginners will find the earliest pieces accessible. There’s plenty of music for every level across 6 volumes.
This is a great set of pieces for students who like to think outside the box. Sometimes, the correct note might sound to more traditional ears like a wrong note! Which sounds are “right and wrong” is a fun concept for inquisitive pianists to explore.
#18 Teaching Little Fingers to Play… – John Thompson
This is John Thompson’s series for young beginners. I prefer to skip the method book and go straight to the supplemental library.
There are numerous books on different genres, from patriotic tunes, to christmas, to jazz and rock.
The arrangements are simple and accessible for beginners with small hands. Perfect for the young pianist who wants to get out of his method book and play “real” music.
#19 Simple Songs – The Easiest Easy Piano Songs
Not all “easy” piano arrangements are written in a pianistic way. This is my favorite book of pop songs, because the arrangements are actually easy as promised!
This is often the first book of popular arrangements that I give students. The book is full of pop, musical, jazz, movie themes and more. With so many pieces, the pianist will have a lot of options to choose from!
My most common request from students is Star Wars, so I’m happy to say that Simple Songs includes the Star Wars main theme.
#20 Masterworks Classics
This is another popular series of classical pieces.
#21 Bigtime to Showtime – Faber Supplemental Library
The Faber supplemental library goes along with the Piano Adventures series. It is easy to pick levels, because it correlates to a student’s normal lesson books.
Each book covers a different genre. Some stand out, because there aren’t a lot of books for kids that cover those genres. In particular: Music from China, Jewish Favorites, Hymns, and Ragtime.
These make great gifts, because all you need to know is which level the pianist is in to pick the right book for them!
#22 Celebrated Piano Solos – Robert Vandall
Robert Vandall is a 20, and 21st century American composer. He has written a vast library of beautiful piano solos.
He has Celebrated Piano Solos, Celebrated Jazz, Solos, Celebrated Christmas Solos, Celebrated Virtuoso Solos, etc.
These pieces are great motivators for students who want to feel the accomplishment that comes with playing beautiful music. Without feeling like it is a struggle to learn the piece!
#23 Jazz, Rags, and Blues – Martha Mier
This was one of my favorite books as a student.
Students in the classical style may not have the skills to play standard jazz.
I, personally, prefer to have all my notes written out! This book, and others like it, allow young pianists to explore the style without having to learn a whole new way of making music.
#24 Diversions
These 2 books of etudes are best learned by rote. Each etude focuses on a different technical pattern. That pattern will be used over and over, making it an easy piece to learn by ear.
Songs like these are wonderful for families that like to make music together.
One of my favorite early memories was playing easy pattern based pieces with my grandfather. That was before I started piano lessons!
Diversions can keep that tradition going in musical families.
#25 A Very First Piano Book – Tony the Pony
This book is a story told by song. Every piece sets a different scene in the story of Tony the Pony! It starts out very easy and progresses towards playing in different keys by the end of the book.
As students learn, they unlock the ability to play more of the story.
This is a good extra book for kids who are using one of the more traditional method books that use a multi-key approach, like John Thompson or Schaum Piano Course. This way they won’t get stumped by the material at the end of the story.
This is one of my favorite books to give as a gift. Not to mention, it is the perfect book for the horse-enthusiast young pianist!
Which book is the best?
It’s a bit of a trick question, because the answer is different for each kid!
My goal was to include enough options that you can pick the best books for your kid. If you’re still not sure don’t hesitate to ask their music teacher! A good piano teacher will be familiar with a variety of piano courses and will have an idea about what your child would enjoy.
If you get one of these books for your young pianist, please let me know which one and how they like it in the comments!
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