Easy Pop Songs to Learn on the Keyboard for Beginners

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Looking for a good list of easy pop songs for the piano? If so then you've come to the right place. I've compiled a huge list of 21 easy pop songs to play on the piano. Every song on this list has a simple structure that can be learned quickly. Whether you're a novice or experienced pianist, these pieces will add a bit of fun to your list of repertoire.

If you don't have a piano, it might be a good idea to get a beginner keyboard like this one. That way you can practice all of these songs whenever you want! Also, if you're just starting out on the piano, make sure to read my free guide on how to read sheet music here.

I'll talk briefly about each piece. Each piece will have a breakdown of the musical structure, some chord analysis, and practice tips. I'll also share some helpful video tutorials to help you get started as well as where to pick up great sheet music arrangements for each song.

Let's start off with one of my favorites, Titanium!

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1. Titanium – Sia

This popular song by Sia is one of the easiest pop songs to learn on the piano. It has a very simple chord structure, so once you get a grip on that it's pretty straight forward. The song is easy to play in E flat major.

While reading sheet music is great for most pop music, Titanium is actually quite easy to learn if you understand the chord structure.

Starting in E flat, it follows a simple chord structure of I V vi for the verses. During the transition section before there is a lot of basis on IV chords. When the chorus comes in the chords move to IV V iii vi. The bridge section just before the last entrance of the chorus also follows the same chord structure as the chorus.

The melody is all controlled by the right hand. Depending on your playing level, you can decide to do this as simple chords, or single note melody lines.

Below is a Titanium chord chart along with one of the best titanium piano tutorial videos to learn from.

Titanium Chord Chart
Verses Eb Bb Cm Ab Eb Bb Cm Ab (REPEAT)
Chorus Ab Bb C Gm Ab Bb C Gm Ab Bb C Gm Ab Bb C Gm C Gm C Gm
Bridge Ab Bb C Gm Ab Bb C Gm

2. If I Aint Got You – Alicia Keys

A song that needs very little transcription is If I Aint Got You by Alicia Keys. It was produced in 2003 and has an interesting backstory. It's definitely something you can play for special occasions such as a wedding. You can find this and other wedding piano songs in this post.

This song is entirely piano-based, and the triplet riff is easy to remember. Because that riff is a sequence you can use the same finger pattern of pinky, index, and thumb and just move down by intervals of a second.

To accompany that introductory sequence are downward stepping notes in the left hand. When combined with the right hand, this creates a series of seventh chords in stepwise motion. The left-hand starts with C followed by B A G in the bass line. The hands take those same chords and move them back up in the reverse.

The song eventually settles in G minor and moves along pretty consistently. Start with a G major chord, followed by E minor, A minor, and D major. The transition at the end of the verse is a simple move of G A B and back down to A.

When the chorus enters, the same sequence and chord structure from the introduction returns. The song ends with a doubling of the chorus, and then a repeat of the introduction again.

This is a really fun song that's easy to learn. Not only is it easy to remember, but it also has some more advanced piano technique involved with the triplets int he right hand. It's a soulful song that everyone will enjoy!

Below is a chord chart for If I Aint Got You along with a quick tutorial video on how to play this.

If I Aint Got You Chord Chart
Intro C7m Bm7 Am7 GM7 (REPEAT)
Verses G Em Am D G G# Am D
Bridge G Am Bm7 Am G Am Bm7 G Am Bm7 Am G Am Bm7
Chorus C7m Bm7 Am7 GM7 (REPEAT)

3. One Call Away

This 2017 hit by Charlie Puth is one of the most played on YouTube. This is an easy song to turn into a piano arrangement because the chord structure is so simple.

The bass line and melody move sequentially with each other. The first three notes of the bass D flat, C, and B flat. Then it moves up an interval of a second to E flat, D flat, and C. The harmonies that are formed are basically D flat major, an inverted A flat major chord and a B flat minor chord.

The same sort of idea follows with the chord pattern now being ii, I, V. The chords can be formed completely in the left hand, or you can choose to use the melody of the right hand and play this as single notes.

In the verse, the chord structure is B flat minor, A flat major, D flat major, and G flat major. An easy way to remember that in numerals that would be vi, V, I, IV.

The bridge sections where things get a little interesting. It's still based on a three-chord structure though. It's simply a movement from IV I V in the overall key of D flat major.

Have a look at the One Call Away chord chart, and tutorial video below to get an idea of how the whole song is put together.

4. A Thousand Miles

Released in 2000, this song has possibly the most famous piano riff in all of pop music. It's got a really repetitive sequence of notes, however, it takes a bit of finesse to get it just right. The harmonies, however, are very easy to digest, and they repeat the entire song.

There are some sheet music arrangements of this piece available, but the best way to learn it is by rote. This video breaks down the right hand first starting with the octave B and adding in the A and F sharp to it.

Then it adds in the left-hand line of E F sharp, D and back to E. It also breaks down lining everything up as this is rhythm is very syncopated. Through subdividing the rhythm and counting, its easy to get the rhythm down in a few practice attempts.

5. Despacito

Despacito was one of the biggest pop hits in 2018. It's been covered on piano, guitar, and basically any instrument you can think of.

The chords repeat throughout the entire song. It's in B minor, so that will be the first chord. After that, it moves to a major VI, major III, and major VII chord. This gives us B minor, G major, D major, and A major.

The chorus section uses the same chord structure, however, there's much more energy and variety here. In the right hand, single-note melodies should become full chords and the dynamics should be more intense in this section.

To get the melody down takes a really good ear. There are a lot of embellishments you can do with the right hand. To make it sound really good on the piano, make sure to accent certain parts of the melody. This is a fun song with Latin flavor!

Here's a chord chart for Despacito

6. All Of Me

John Lends all of me is another piano-based song just like Alicia Keys' If I Aint Got You. It was recorded in 2013. While the song is written in A flat major, it has a strong sense of F minor in the verses. In each verse, the chord structure follows quite simply. It goes from I, VI, III, VII.

In the transition section, the song alternates between B flat minor, A flat major, E flat major. The E flat minor is actually the dominant of the next key area which is the A flat major chorus.

The bridge section shows a return to the B flat minor material from the earlier transition. It's quite short though and eventually returns to several repetitions of the chorus. Like most pop songs, there's a tag on the end.

Here's a chord chart for All Of Me

7. Thinking Out Loud

Ed Sheeran nailed it with his chart-topping hit Thinking Out Loud in 2014. Originally a tune for guitar, this is a great one to learn on the piano. The song has a lot of blues style music influence moving at a similar pulse and style as Marvin Gaye's "Let's Get It On".

This song is in D major which is one of the easier keys to play a pop song on the piano in.

Like most pop songs, it's got a repetitive harmonic structure. The first two chords are D major, with the second being an inversion of it starting on F sharp.

Next, it goes to the IV in G major, and then to the V in A major before returning. While all of that is happening, the melody starts on F sharp and goes from there. The best way to get the melody is to see it done by rote.

The transition bridge area briefly goes between E minor and A major before settling in D major for the chorus.

Here's a chord chart for Thinking Out Loud

8. Firework

Katy Perrys Firework was a huge success during its release in 2010. It's a great starter piece if you want to learn a simple accompaniment for piano. In this case of this song, I recommend checking out a sheet music arrangement like this one.

Most arrangements start out with the left hand playing the constant quarter chords. The song is in A flat major. In some arrangements, the left-hand plays broken triads using the same chords from the introduction.

In other versions, the left hand continues to play blocked chords. Depending on if you're an intermediate or novice player should help you determine which way to play this piece.

The rhythm of the melody is consistent in all the versions I've come across. It starts off with a rest on beat one, followed by grouped eighth notes. The chorus has a bit of syncopation, but overall it's really easy to line up with the left hand.

Here's a chord chart for Firework along with a tutorial video.

9. Happy

Pharells Happy is one of the most popular songs of all time. It was part of the Despicable Me soundtrack, so it's a fun piece to play for kids too.

This is a jazzy sounding piece, featuring some elements of blues chords. It's based primarily in F minor for all of the verses but quickly shifts to F major when the chorus comes in.

The left-hand doesn't have to play very much in the verses as the melody dominates most of the song. In the chorus, you can hold down the chords as they change. This song also has some counter melodies in the original track that the pianist can play as well.

There's the option to play some of the counter melodies in the left hand and sustain the chord with the pedal. Another option is to play the melody and leave out the counter melody altogether.

Most people play this song by singing the verses and simply supporting themselves with the chord progressions. Check this video out to get an idea of how that can be done.

What I like about this song is that there are plenty of ways you can play it and still make it sound good. Below is a super helpful chord chart for Happy to get you started.

10. Let It Go

This list of easy piano songs would not be complete without something from Disney! Kids everywhere loved "Let It Go" from the movie Frozen.

This is a song that is primarily piano-based, so learning to play it can be as simple as listening to the track and copying it. There are also plenty of good piano arrangements available for it.

The best sheet music for Let It Go from Frozen is this one by Hal Leonard. Hal Leonard along with Faber make really great arrangements of Disney music. To help with the difficulty, it's written in a different key than the original tune.

11. I Just Can't Wait To Be King

Another Disney tune worth looking into is I Just Can't Wait To Be King form the Lion King movies. While there are a lot of great arrangements of this one available, my favorite is from the Faber piano books.

This version is written in C major, but it holds true to the original tune. The rhythms are a bit simplified as this is an intermediate level book. Everything is reduced to either quarter notes for the most part.

There are some occasional E flats that do appear. In a few areas, there are also eighth notes and tied rhythms. While this version does not feature as much syncopation as the record, it still sounds great and it's easy to play.

12. Aint No Mountain High Enough

This is an old classic that caters to adult pianists needing some true soul. The rhythms are really simple, and the notes in the melody line are easy to remember too.

The chords move at a nice slow pace, although there are some dotted rhythms there. Those syncopated rhythms are easy to line up though. I find the left hand to be a little complex because it drives so much of the song with it's pulsing. There are some specific jazz runs in there, and it's full of seventh chords.

The video below is a good demonstration of what I mean about that. Certainly, you could find some arrangements that are simpler than this video. However, if you're trying to achieve an authentic sound, I would try to mimic this version.

13. Respect

Respect was one of the biggest songs of the late 1960s. Its sang by Aretha Franklin, and a popular song to play on the piano this day. There's a lot back and forth between IV and V in the verses.

The chorus is simply I to V chords. This is written in C major, so it's a fairly easy song to memorize. The melody is based on the blues scale. You can expect to play E flat, B flat throughout the melody line.

14. Mmm Bop

If you're a fan of Hansen, then Mmm Bop is going to be a no brainer. The whole song is based on three simple chords. Play them with a bit of pulse in your rhythm, and it's a hit. This song works best when it's played and sung! Have a look below to see how to play Mmm Bop on the piano.

15. Party In The USA

Miley Cyrus' "Party In The USA" is a classic worth learning on the piano. Overall it uses the same 3 chord riff throughout, so it's something you can learn quickly. The chords aren't overall complex either.

The song is in G flat major. It's a song that the pianist will play primarily on the black keys which is a nice switch-up from the white keys.

16. Uptown Funk

Uptown Funk was a huge success in 2014 for Bruno Mars. This is a classic funk song. There's a lot of accented rhythms and an ostinato bass line that keeps coming back again and again.

When learning it, it's best to get that down first so you know what the intervals are between each note of the bass line are. This is also a great chance to lock down the rhythm and to place the accents in just the right spot.

For the most part, the melody line is going to be the same three notes with a few occasional outliers. Check out this tutorial below for Uptown Funk.

17. Halo

Any piano pop song list wouldn't be complete without a mention of Beyonce! Halo was one of her most celebrated tracks in 2008. This song was widely covered on various instruments, but the piano arrangements by far sound the best for this tune.

18. Superstition

If you're looking for another blues funk tune, then look no further than Stevie Wonder. His song Superstition fits the bill and it's a fun one to play. It's in E flat, and once you learn the moving bass line the rest of the song falls into place.

The hands can actually share the bulk of the bass line between the left hand and the bottom fingers of the right hand. That'll actually make it easier to play. Have a look at the video below to see what I mean about using the hands to help each other.

Unlike some of the other songs on this song, this is a great song for working your improvisation skills. Because it's so repetitive, it works best if you can mix up the melodies, and how you voice the different chords.

19. What A Wonderful World

This old tune by Louis Armstrong has been a staple of American culture. It's been featured in many movies, and it's always a joy to play for friends and family.

Because the song is so old and well covered, there are tons of arrangements available. Take your time searching through what's there.

A couple of things to note in your search. This song was recorded in F major. There's also lots of variance in the rhythm, so be sure to not get a reduced version if you want it to sound authentic.

Keep in mind that even if you can't find notated sheet music, simply having the chord charts can work well too. In that style, this allows you to play and sing at the same time.

20. Human Nature

An easy piano pop song list would not be complete with a song by sung by the "King Of Pop". Michael Jacksons Human nature is one of his more Jazz influenced works. The combinations of the chords are what makes this song so unique compared to most of the other songs he's well known for.

The song starts off with an introduction that an instrumental interlude. In between all of the verses and choruses, that instrumental keeps coming back, so I would learn that first. There are four chords that make up all of the verses and chorus sections.

Overall the left hand is quite stationary and can be played with the bottom and top fingers of the hand for the most part.

Take a look at the video below to see what hand positions work best.

21. Don't Let Me Down

This collaboration between Halsey and Chainsmokers is pretty straightforward. The entire song is in E major and follows a basic progression. The progression is E major, B major, F sharp major, G sharp minor.

In the original track, the chorus section is just an instrumental that plays on a pedal chord of G sharp minor. The bridge at the end also follows the same progression from the opening material.

This is a really upbeat song. The overall rhythm is syncopated in the melody line. It's easy to digest as it follows the harmonic structure of the left hand.

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Source: https://joshuarosspiano.com/easy-pop-songs-to-play-on-piano/