Growing up, I took piano lessons—as many of us did—and learned how to read music, look at notes, etc. Since then, I have forgotten most of these invaluable skills, and as a result, resort to YouTube tutorials whenever I want to learn a new song.
The great thing about these tutorials is that you can be an expert or a novice and still master these songs (of course, without practice, you won’t get far).
Here are 11 tutorials of songs that will make you feel like the next Beethoven…or at least like someone competent with a piano:
1. Steve’s Theme (From the Last Song)
Feel free to skip about 30 seconds; she is a little chatty…
2. My Heart Will Go On (Titanic)
This one is actually a digital tutorial so you might have to pause it a few times to really follow the lit up notes, but it’s a great version of the song.
3. Arrival of the Birds (Cinematic Orchestra)
I love this song. The tutorial is a little slow at parts, so feel free to speed up the actual timing, but this is a great song to know.
4. Kiss Me Slowly (Parachute)
This tutorial must have had 12 red bulls, and is way too fast, but the notes are right. Just slow it down, A LOT.
5. A Thousand Miles (Vanessa Carlton)
He is a little chatty as well, and this is the simple version, but if you know the song you can pick up the rest.
6. To Build a Home (Cinematic Orchestra)
This tutorial is just the intro to this song because I couldn’t find the full thing. However, it’s too beautiful not to include, so here it is anyways.
7. Lost Stars (Adam Levine)
From the movie ‘Begin Again,’ this song is a tear-jerker, but it’s worth knowing.
8. Canon in D (Pachabel’s Canon)
This classic is a must know for any self-proclaiming pianist.
9. Halo (Beyoncé)
Seriously concerned that this tutorial assumes humans have three hands, but since we don’t…I would just stick to the upper two hands’ parts.
10. Be Be Your Love (From Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants)
How could anyone forget this love song from the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants? If you don’t get to live that moment in Greece, at least you can play this song. We can’t all be Lena…
11. River Flows in You (Yiruma)
I saved the best for last with this song. By far one of my favorite songs ever, this song is beautiful and the tutorial is really easy to learn.
