Easy piano notes for beginners with letters

Beginners Notes

It's hard to know where to start when learning a new instrument, but Musicnotes makes the process better with a vast collection of beginner piano sheet music. Created specifically for new musicians, Beginner Notes are sheet music arrangements featuring large notes with the letter corresponding to each note indicated in the head. These piano notes for beginners with letters are designed to make it easy and fun for anyone to learn to play.

Plus, this could be the start of your personal sheet music collection. Sync your beginner piano sheet music to our free iOS, Android, or desktop apps for easy organization, markup, transposition, and access anywhere on the go.

Browse All Beginner Notes Sheet Music

What Are Beginner Notes?

Beginner Notes are sheet music arrangements for beginning musicians, featuring large notes with the letter of the note name indicated in the note head. They are designed to make it easy for anyone to learn to play a song.

New to reading music? Follow our free step-by-step intro.

The early stages of a beginner pianist's foray into the world of music can be crucial. Those who are new to the piano may become unnecessarily frustrated if they're forced to learn from sheet music that wasn't designed for their skill level. That's why Musicnotes offers beginner piano sheet music designed specifically for new learners. These arrangements feature large notes which are easy to see and follow, with each note's name written on the note head. This makes it easier for the learner to follow both the music on the page and instructions from the teacher with little trouble. The easier it is for a beginner to learn, the more likely they are to face new challenges and try new arrangements.

One of the drawbacks of most piano music for beginners is the lack of variety. Students hear the same classical songs over and over, to the point where they lose interest in learning to play those songs at all. We understand the importance of variety, so our piano sheets for beginners come in a wide range of categories to keep things interesting. Whether you're looking for beginner piano sheet music for yourself or for students, you're sure to find something you'll like.

Musicnotes is the best choice if you’re planning to build a collection of piano music for beginners. From our large selection and easy printing process to our free app to store, organize, and access your music on the go, Musicnotes is the simplest, most cost-effective option for new students and their teachers. As always, don’t hesitate to reach out to our customer service team if you have any questions.

It’s never too early (or late) to start learning the piano! Whether you have an illustrious grand piano or a funky techno-beat electronic keyboard, you can teach your child several easy songs to play on piano in a fun and encouraging fashion.

Introducing your child to the fundamentals of music can help them in many different ways. Studies have shown that there’s a substantial correlation between music and language skills. It turns out that learning new scales, chords, and songs is much like learning new words, sentences, and stories. This makes their formative years a perfect time to start learning music!

Whether you’d like your child to be the next Mozart or you’re just looking for a way to build up their cognitive skills, these keyboard songs for beginners are a great place to start. As they grow older, you’ll both be glad they got the music fundamentals down at a young age, as this can be the beginning of a lifetime of musical enjoyment! And the best part of all is that learning easy piano for kids can be a fun bonding activity for you and your little one.

Getting the Basics Down

Some parents are hesitant to teach their children basic music skills because they don’t know where to begin. The good news is that you don’t need to be a professional player to teach your child easy keyboard songs like the ones below. In fact, you don’t need any musical experience to get started — you can even learn alongside your child!

First off, you’ll need to learn the location of the notes on the piano. Start by finding C — it’s the white key directly to the left of the group of two black keys. Using only the white keys, the notes continue in alphabetical order up to G, and then they restart at A.

You can label the notes C, D, E, F, G, A, and B with stickers to make it easier for your child. Most easy piano song notes will all fall on the white keys, so there’s no need to worry about labeling sharps and flats just yet. Once you’ve found where these seven notes are, you and your kids can start learning basic kids piano songs!

Below, we feature 10 easy piano songs for kids and the song notes that go along with them, and tutorials to help you see it all in action. Start with our selection of basic kids piano songs with letters, and your kid will be playing up a storm before you know it. 

1. Mary Had a Little Lamb

This is often one of the first keyboard songs for kids that instructors will teach new students. The song has additional verses about the adventures Mary and her lamb have, to keep the fun going while you sing and play together. Check out the verses and piano letters below.

Mary had a little lamb
E D C D E E E
Little lamb, little lamb
D D D E G G
Mary had a little lamb
E D C D E E E
Its fleece was white as snow
E D D E D C

Here’s an excellent video tutorial, showing all the notes labeled:

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2. Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star

Any beginner will love playing this children’s classic on the piano. One of the great things about this song is that almost every note is played twice in a row, meaning there are fewer notes for your child to locate.

Twinkle, twinkle, little star
C C G G A A G
How I wonder what you are
F F E E D D C
Up above the world so high
G G F F E E D
Like a diamond in the sky
G G F F E E D
Twinkle, twinkle, little star
C C G G A A G
How I wonder what you are
F F E E D D C

Here’s a helpful video tutorial from Mahalo.com for more practice:

3. If You’re Happy and You Know It

This is one of the most fun keyboard songs for beginners. The tune gives your little musician the chance to clap and dance while playing. The only tricky part of this song is the inclusion of B flat.

This note is the small black key located directly between the A and B keys. If you are using a toy piano or xylophone, you may not have this key and can leave it out.

If you’re happy and you know it, clap your hands
C C F F F F F F E F G
If you’re happy and you know it, clap your hands
C C G G G G G G F G A
If you’re happy and you know it
A A Bb Bb Bb Bb D D
Then your face will surely show it
Bb Bb A A A G F F
If you’re happy and you know it, clap your hands
A A G G G F E E D E F

Here’s another helpful tutorial:

4. The Itsy Bitsy Spider

Children love singing this song and it’s pretty simple to play, too. One fun idea is for you to play the song while your child does the motions, then switch roles.

The itsy bitsy spider went up the water spout
G C C C D E E E D C D E C
Down came the rain and washed the spider out
E E F G G F E F G E
Out came the sun and dried up all the rain
C C D E E D C D E C
And the itsy bitsy spider went up the spout again
G G C C C D E E E D C D E C

Here’s a super slow tutorial that is easy to follow along with:

5. Old MacDonald Had a Farm

This is another classic children’s piano song that your son or daughter will love playing over and over again so they can sing about every animal on the farm.

Old MacDonald had a farm
G G G D E E D
E-i-e-i-o
B B A A G
And on that farm he had a cow
D G G G D E E D
E-i-e-i-o
B B A A G
With a moo moo here and a moo moo there
D D G G G D D G G G
Here a moo, there a moo
G G G G G G
Everywhere a moo moo
G G G G G G
Old MacDonald had a farm
G G G D E E D
E-i-e-i-o
B B A A G

Here’s a tutorial for this easy piano song:

6. Row, Row, Row Your Boat

This song is a great place to start when it comes to easy things to play on the piano. Encourage your child to play it in a round using the song notes we provided, and they’ll never want to stop!

Row, row, row your boat

C C C D E

Gently down the stream

E D E F G

Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily 

C C C G G G E E E C C C 

Life is but a dream 

G F E D C 

Press play on this tutorial to help you get the hang of it.

7. Happy Birthday to You

You never know when this tune will come in handy! Whether you’re celebrating someone’s birthday or just looking for a piano song for kids to practice, this one will do the trick. 

Happy birthday to you

G G A G C B 

Happy birthday to you 

G G A G D C 

Happy birthday dear (name)

G G G E C B A 

Happy birthday to you

F F E C D C 

This handy tutorial shows you how to play this number at a slow tempo. Once you get comfortable with it, you can speed it up.

8. Yankee Doodle Dandy 

Everyone is familiar with this catchy tune, but did you know “Yankee Doodle” is actually the state anthem of Connecticut? What’s more, the lyrics predate the American Revolution, but the melody is thought to date back to Medieval times! Encourage your little one to experiment with this patriotic piano song for kids. 

Yankee Doodle went to town

C C D E C E D

Riding on a pony 

C C D E C B 

He stuck a feather in his cap

G C C D E F E D 

And called it macaroni 

C B G A B C C

Play along with this tutorial, which includes printable kids piano sheet music, too. 

9. Jingle Bells

It’s always a good idea to know a festive song or two, and “Jingle Bells” is sure to get you in the holiday mood. Let your little one go wild on this easy piano song for kids, and before you know it, you’ll find yourself wanting to decorate the Christmas tree and hang the garland. 

(D^)  B – B     B       B – B     B      B-^D  G    A     B

(Oh) Jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle all the way

C C C C C B  B

Oh what fun it is to ride

B B B A A B A D

In a one horse open sleigh

B B B B B B B D G A B

Check out this tutorial for beginner keyboard songs.

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10. Baby Shark

No kid can resist learning to play “Baby Shark” on the piano. It’s practically a rite of passage these days. Once your child masters this kid’s pop song, you won’t be able to stop humming along!

Baby shark, doo doo doo doo doo doo 

D E G G G G G G G 

Baby shark, doo doo doo doo doo doo 

D E G G G G G G G 

Baby shark, doo doo doo doo doo doo 

D E G G G G G G G 

Baby shark

G G F#

Check out the easy tutorial to see this tune in action.

Sign Your Child Up for Beginner Piano Lessons Today!

These easy beginner piano songs will help your child learn the basics of music and have fun while doing it. Learning how to play the piano is a rewarding journey at any age, so if your child enjoys playing these easy songs to play on the piano, it might be time to turn to beginner piano lessons for kids. 

Here at TakeLessons, your child will receive private lessons from a certified piano tutor, who will provide them with the skills they need to move on to more challenging sheet music for kids.  It’s also a great way to improve their technique for years to come! There’s never been a better time to put your child on a path toward mastering this instrument. 

Do you and your child have another favorite easy piano song you like to play together? Let us know in the comments below!

Photo by Eduardo Merille

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