Easy Piano Notes for Popular Songs

by john aschenbrenner November 2, 2020

While some pop songs are very simple (King of the Road, for example) others can be quite complicated (Yesterday, for example.) We make it easy for anyone to get started playing easy piano and the notes for popular songs by using the Piano By Number system.

The right hand plays numbers (the melody). The left hand plays “chords,” which are groups of keys played with the left hand. (See also CHORD PIANO METHOD.)

Pop Songs By Number

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SAMPLE PAGE:

Try a bit of the melody on our online piano below

#4 (sharp four) is the black key in between 4 and 5

#5 (sharp five) is the black key in between 5 and 6

Yesterday

| 2 1 1 * * * * * | * * 3 #4 #5 6 7 8 | 7 6 6 * * * * * |

| * * 6 6 5 4 3 2 | 4 * 3 3 * * 2 * | 1 * 3 2 * * * 6 | 8 * 3 * 3 * * * |

Start Learning Chord Progressions

Most popular songs consist of as few as three or four chords. When chords are played in a certain order, that is called a "chord progression." Here's a chord progression used by thousands of songs:

C Am F G

Since many songs share the same progressions, or portions, it is easy to learn one song after another. This is because most songs share a few bits of chord progressions.

The Hardest Part

It's easy to figure out chords. The hardest part is to read the melody, because unless it is expressed in numbers you will have difficulty deciphering it. That's why trying popular songs by number is a good solution to the question of how to start piano. With this simple method, you can delay reading music until you are ready.