As a beginner pianist, you not only want to find the best songs to learn on piano but ones that are easy for you to play as well. If you’re interested in playing pop songs on the piano but don’t know where to start, we’re here to help. Below you will find a list of some easy songs that only use a handful of chords to be able to play. We start the list with some easier tunes and then will slowly increase the difficulty level so that you can improve upon your playing skills.
Find all of the chords for the piano below and the notes that make them so you can play these 3, 5 and 4 chord songs we’re about to list.
Major chords
- C major. C – E – G
- C# major. C# – E# – G#
- D major. D – F# – A
- Eb major. Eb – G# – B
- E major. E – G# – B
- F major. F# – A# – C#
- F# major. F# – A# – C#
- G major. G – B – D
- Ab major. Ab – C – Eb
- A major. A – C# – E
- Bb major. Bb – D – F
- B major. B – D# – F#
Minor Chords
- C minor. C – Eb – G
- C# minor. C# – E – G#
- D minor. D – F – A
- Eb minor. Eb – Gb – Bb
- E minor. E – G – B
- F minor. F – Ab – C
- F# minor. F# – A – C#
- G minor. G – Bb – D
- Ab minor. Ab – Cb – Eb
- A minor. A – C – E
- Bb minor. Bb – Db – F
- B minor. B – D – F#
Now that you have all of the notes you need to play some of these 4 chord songs we can start off with the songs you can play on the piano.
1. Meghan Trainor – All About That Bass
We’re starting out our list with a fun song to play that topped the charts upon its release. You will be using four chords to make up this song which includes A, B minor, E and then A again. Remember that we’ve provided you with all of the chords you need to play these songs at the beginning of this article.
Each chord featured in this song is played for two bars, while the entire chord progression is made up of eight bars. The chord progression is so easy because it’s repeated over and over again throughout the entire song. You should start by practicing those chords as the bassline using your left hand and then add in the right hand to play the melody.
The melody in the verse will differ from the chorus so make sure you keep an ear out for this change. At the end of the song you will be playing the chords using constant eighth notes. We’ve given you a tutorial video below so you can learn to play this piece on the piano.
2. Adele – Someone Like You
Adele has made some of the best songs to play on the piano known today and this song was taken from her debut album, 21. It’s an incredible piece that managed to reach the top of the charts in just under ten countries when it was released. Most of the song can be played by repeating four chords over and over again which are A, E, F# minor and D. The left hand will keep playing constant arpeggios with these chords while your right hand masters that melody.
3. Coldplay – Clocks
All the way from 2002, this song still remains one of Coldplay’s most well-known and biggest hits to this day. It’s instantly recognizable to many people and it makes for a fun song to play on the piano. You will want to tackle this song in sections if you want to learn the entire piece. For the purposes of our article, we’re just going to focus on the chorus.
Your right hand will play an arpeggio pattern and it’s the left hand that takes over those chords so that they line up in rhythm with the right-hand arpeggios. To make up the verses and the chorus you will use Eb, Bb minor and F minor chords. Eb is used for only one bar, B minor features for two and then changes to F minor for a bar to finish. In the bridge, you will need to change up the chord progression to Gb, Db and Ab, and these are chords that use constant eighth notes.
4. Sam Smith – Stay With Me
Sam Smith is a brilliant artist for piano and guitar players because he only uses a few simple chords to create his songs. The same rhythm is usually repeated throughout the piece as well which is perfect for beginner pianists. You’re going to need you A minor, F and C chords to be able to play this one. Once you know these chords in your left hand you can place the melody over the top using your right hand.
5. Michael Jackson – Billie Jean
While you may not relate Jackson to great piano songs, this one is actually a really fun song to play on the piano. It’s simple enough because we’re actually using the synth parts which feature heavily throughout the song. Take your right hand and play the 4 chord progression of F# minor, G# minor, A and then G# minor again. These four chords make up the bassline for the piece so you will be playing these with your left hand. After a while the chord progression changes up to Bb minor to form a second bassline. You can place these chord sections over one another to make up the two basslines you can hear with the synth in both the chorus and verses.
6. Alicia Keys – Fallin’
Alicia Keys first appeared on this scene with this debut song in 20021. The song made her a success thanks to the beautiful melody and the real R&B feel. What’s so uncommon about this song is that Keys wrote, song and played all of the instruments for the recording. This is incredibly unique and almost unheard of with popular music today. The lyrics have a great meaning to them and the piano part will challenge you with some new skills and genres. Even though you will only need a B minor and E minor chord, the melody is what will challenge you a new player. You will have to incorporate techniques used in R&B as well as pop and jazz, with a smidge of blues as well. It’s a great song to take your playing to the next level.
7. Five for Fighting – Superman
This song was released in the early millennium and became a hit thanks to the powerful chorus and the melody that drives the entire piece. The lyrics are also good because they take you through a story. The song may be familiar to you because it has been used in numerous shows and movies for either the theme song or in the ending credits. It’s a truly easy song to play on the piano because it is in the key of C which is every pianists dream. You will follow the chord progression C major, G, A minor F in your left hand and then play the melody over the top to nail this coffeehouse classic.
8. Train – Drops of Jupiter
Train always delivers with their Grammy award winning songs and this one is a really fun piece to play on the piano. It allows you to truly let go and get into the rhythm and lyrics of the song while enjoying the melody that drives the piece forward. As a musician you may be considering playing along with a band and this will be the ideal song to do that. You’ll be using the key of C again and it comes into our 4 chord songs list because it uses C, G, D and F, with one chord being changed to a D minor in the chorus. This is such a fun 4 chord progression to play and it’s so simple because of the dominant fifth motion that takes you from G over to D, then F-C and C-G to finish.
9. Bruno Mars – When I Was Your Man
Bruno Mars always comes out with some deep and emotional power ballas that are great to play on the piano thanks to their strength. It’s one of those rare songs that sounds amazing even when you use the piano by itself. There’s no need to have a big band behind you because the chords coupled with the vocals make it powerful enough to stand on its own. Plus you really only need to know the basics for piano to play it properly.
You will be playing in the key of G and the song starts off with a G, F, G, C chord progression going through the verse. As you go into the chorus you will add in some more chords such as A minor, F minor and B. You will also be using root chords in your left hand with other chords placed over them which is a great skill you will need to know as a pianist.
10. Sia – Elastic Heart
Elastic Heart is one of the most well-known songs from the very popular artist, Sia. It has a real groove to it which can be felt mainly in the chorus. The strong rhythm and melody translate perfectly to play on the piano as another one of our 4 chord songs. Make sure you really get into this song and be in the moment because, once you have the chords down, you’ll realize what a powerful piece it actually is.
We’re starting out in the key of C here and using the chord progression of C, G, D and E minor. These are the only four chords you need to recreate the entire chorus so it makes this one an ideal piece for a beginner to learn.
11. Katy Perry – Dark Horse
Another artist who has some 4 chord songs that work well when transposed onto the piano is Katy Perry. You may be thinking hang on a minute – doesn’t this song include a rap? Well, rap and piano can work perfectly well with each other, as you will see when you give this one a try. The rap part compliments the piano rhythm well and the fun and fast intro will get your fingers working like never before.
The melody in your right hand is where all the work is happening. With your left hand you only need to master two chords which are G major and B minor. You can find all of the chords along with the notes that make them at the beginning of this article.
12. One Republic – Counting Stars
Counting Stars is a song that a lot of piano players love thanks to the constant rhythm that is used in the left hand. It’s a real feel-good piece that everyone can sing along too because it’s such a popular song that most people will know. It will also help you build on your piano skills and you can show these off to others, along with your vocals if you’re able to sing at the same time. Once you get used to the piece as a whole you can add in your own fun little embellishments and even some improvisations to make the song yours.
We’ve moved on from the more traditional keys because Counting Stars is in the key of A minor. For the verse you will follow a chord progression of A minor, C, G and F. This repeats over and over again to form the verses with only a slight change in the chorus. As far as 4 chord songs go, this one is super simple and ideal for anyone wanting to learn pop songs to play on the piano.
13. Ed Sheeran – Thinking Out Loud
Sheeran uses guitar as his main instrument in almost ever single song he has ever created. The beauty of his music because of his use of strings is that it can be easily transposed to play on the piano. This is a lovely soft and easy-to-listen-to piece that is ideal for a lazy afternoon in front of your keyboard. You may want to add in a bit of an extra challenge and try to re-harmonize the chords. You can also experiment with a range of inversions so that the song has a little bit more drama to it.
We’re back to the key of C again with Thinking Out Loud and all four chords you will need to know are D, F#, G and A. These repeat over and over again to make up the main rhythm of the song, which you can then add the melody to with your right hand.
14. Taylor Swift – Shake it Off
You should always have a funky song that has a good upbeat feel to it as part of your piano playing repertoire. Taylor Swift comes to use next in our list of 4 chord songs to add some excitement into your learning. Don’t be put off by how much the tempo changes and the different syncopation techniques. It’s going to be a song that allows you to practice and perfect your rhythm while still being able to have fun with your instrument. Three chords are included in this one which are D minor, F and C.
All of the songs we have listed here should be easy enough for beginners and fun so that you will want to continue learning. Make sure you keep track of all the songs you have learned by creating a list of the different chords you have mastered. Once you get used to play 4 chord songs you won’t even have to think about smoothly transitioning from one chord to the next. The more your memory grows, the easier these pieces will become until you can play songs that feature more than just four chords.
FAQs
What are the 4 chords for every song?
Important chords for you to learn that will appear in a lot of popular songs include C, G, D and A. While they won’t appear in every single song, they make up the basis for a lot of popular music so they’re definitely chords you will want to learn.
What songs can you play with 4 chords on piano?
There are so many songs you can play using only four chords on your piano. Make sure to check out the list we gave you above to find some examples of songs you can play with only four simple chords that are easy for beginners.
What are the 4 main piano chords?
The four main piano chords include C, G, D and A. You may also want to other chords like A minor and F because these are also used a lot in popular music.
What is the easiest song to play on a piano?
The easiest song to play on piano would be the simplest nursery rhymes you probably started out learning with. These are simple, one-handed melodies that build the base for all of your piano skills in the future. Make sure not to skip the easy steps because it’s these songs that will teach you what you need to know to become a skilled piano player.
