14 Top Piano Lesson Books for Beginners

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Are you curious to know what the most popular piano lesson books and supplementary books are, for adult beginners?

This is a list of top-selling adult piano books at Amazon by our visitors during the last few months. I have also added my own suggestions. Maybe you can find something useful for yourself?

The best piano book for returning adults

If you are returning to the piano after years of not playing (which is more common than you might think), here is another and a newer gem of a book: Returning to the Piano: A Refresher Book for Adults

It contains lovely arrangements of great pieces and is great to use to "smooth" your way into playing the piano again.

Piano Lesson Books for Beginners

If you're an adult beginner, it's important to get a piano lesson book written for adults. This is because adults learn in different ways and speeds than children and need other exercises.

My suggestions: 

• You only need 1 method/lesson book.
• If you teach yourself to play, try nr. 2.
• If you work with a teacher, choose anyone from nr. 1, 3, or 4.

Great Piano Lesson Books for Adult Beginners

1. Alfred's Adult All-In-One Course Bk 1

Alfred's Adult All-In-One Course Bk 1 

This is my first choice among piano lesson books for adult students. It's not too easy and not too hard. It moves ahead at a good pace but doesn't focus so much on how to play with a beautiful tone and expression.

It's meant to be used with a teacher, so make sure you have at least occasional lessons to stay on the right path!

2. Alfred's Self Teaching Adult Piano Course

Alfred's Self-Teaching Adult Piano Course: The new, easy and fun way to teach yourself to play, Book & Online Audio 

This book is made for adult beginners who want to work on their own. I STILL recommend taking a few lessons here and there!

3. Adult Piano Adventures All-in-One Course

Adult Piano Adventures All-in-One Piano Course Book 1: Book with Media Online 

This is my second choice for my own adult students. It's a method where more attention is directed to musical detail and expression. It progresses slower than Alfred's All In One above but goes more in-depth.

4. Hal Leonard Adult Piano Method

Adult Piano Method - Book 1: Lessons, Solos, Technique, & Theory 

This method has great backing tracks to play along with! It must have been very popular with my students since it "walked out" of my studio library several years ago, never to be seen again! :) But, seriously, a good lesson book.

The Best Piano Scale Books & Piano Chords Books

You also need supplementary books in addition to piano lesson books!

Every serious pianist should have a piano scales book for beginners as a reference in the music library. Also, learning about chords is really useful. The best piano chord book for beginners should also teach you how to play chords.

These books are the most popular with our readers this year. All 4 books here are great, complement each other, and are really useful. Pick what you like.

5. The Complete Book of Scales, Chords, Arpeggios & Cadences

The Complete Book of Scales, Chords, Arpeggios: & Cadences 

Yup. You need it. Even if the goal is to not need it! (Learn all scales by heart.) But every pianist needs a scale book as a reference.

6. P. A. Johnston: Scales Bootcamp

Scales Bootcamp: The fastest, clearest way to get to know your scales, and then master them. 

When you're bored playing scales....! Tips and tricks that are very useful for music scales practice.

7. Piano & Keyboard Chords (Pictures)

Piano & Keyboard Chords: Easy-to-Use, Easy-to-Carry, One Chord on Every Page 

A useful book for the beginner pianist to use as a reference.

8. The Easy Fake Book (Chord Piano)

The Easy Fake Book 

I love this book! I think it's the best book to learn piano chords by playing well-known songs. It's great fun to use your newly acquired chord skills with easy chord progressions and famous pieces. In the same series, you can choose between any style you like!

Piano Technique & Exercises

Good piano exercises for beginners book with technique drills are an important aspect of daily practice. There's no surprise really that you'll find Hanon's Virtuoso Pianist here!

My suggestions: Beginners could start with piano exercise books like Junior Hanon and the Czerny op.599, more advanced beginners/intermediate players could pick either the first Hanon book or the last book of Burgmuller, Czerny, and Hanon.

9. Hanon: The Virtuoso Pianist in Sixty Exercises

Hanon: The Virtuoso Pianist In Sixty Exercises For The Piano, Vol. 925, Complete 

If you would get only one piano finger exercises book...this is the one. You can find free PDFs online, but I believe a Hanon book belongs in every serious pianist's library.

10. Czerny: Practical Method for Beginners, Op. 599

Practical Method for Beginners on the Piano, Op. 599 

A true classic! Gives you the basic, classical technical exercises for piano.

11. Junior Hanon

Junior Hanon: The Virtuoso Pianist in 60 Exercises Arranged in a Simplified and Condensed Format 

Great for beginners, as the notes are larger, simpler, (and not so intimidating) as the original Hanon above.

12. Burgmuller, Czerny and Hanon

32 Piano Studies Selected for Technique and Musicality 

This book (1 of 3) is great, and I use it all the time. 3 famous composers of exercises and etudes in one. For the intermediate player and up.

Practice & Performance

Other popular piano music books purchased by our readers about practice or performance are: (All are really great books! I use nr. 14 and 15 extensively.)

13. G. Klickstein: The Musician's Way

The Musicians Way

One of my favorite books. How to organize and structure your practice. Intended for more advanced students, but also beginners have a lot to learn. I return to it again and again for inspiration and ideas.

14. P.A. Johnston: The Practice Revolution

The Practice Revolution

This one's amazingly fun and hilarious! BUT one of the best books on practice ideas out there! It's in my favorite section of my personal library. I have used the practice games a lot with my students. (All ages!)

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