[Children’s Song] Easy Even for Piano Beginners! Introducing Nursery Rhymes with Simple Chords
Familiar nursery rhymes that everyone sang at least once in childhood.
With simple melodies, easy-to-remember lyrics, and straightforward chords, nursery rhymes are perfect for piano beginners to practice! So this time, we’re introducing easy, playable nursery rhymes recommended for children who have just started piano lessons and adults who are beginning to learn on their own.
We’ve selected songs that meet the following conditions: a relatively narrow range, few notes in the melody, and simple chords.
Give them a try!
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[Children's Songs] Easy for Piano Beginners! Introducing Simple-Chord Nursery Rhymes (21–30)
Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Starfuransu min’yō
The French folk song “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star,” also known as the source for Mozart’s “Ah, vous dirai-je, Maman” (Twinkle Variations), is a quintessential piano piece that’s easy even for beginners to play! With a narrow range and few notes in the melody, it’s ideal for those just starting the piano.
Not only is the melody easy to remember, but its simple chord progression—built from just three chords—is another reason it’s popular as a practice piece and recital selection for beginners.
Mastering such a familiar tune is sure to boost your motivation to sit down at the piano.
rainbowNakagawa Hirotaka
Composed by Hirotaka Nakagawa, a picture-book writer and singer-songwriter with experience as a childcare worker, “Niji” is a song that has been covered by various artists as an uplifting tune and is also highly regarded as a choral piece.
While it includes elements that can be a bit challenging for beginners at the piano—such as dotted rhythms, triplets, and ties—simplifying the accompaniment into chords and practicing while humming the melody can help develop an understanding of these rhythms.
It would be great to express the song’s upbeat atmosphere with a bright tone.
Puppy March
Included in multiple beginner piano textbooks and beloved as a recital piece, “Puppy March.” When you hear the melody “Mi Do Mi Do Mi So So,” it brings to mind an adorable little puppy toddling along.
Because the mood shifts between the first 8 measures and the latter 8, one of the charms is that you can experiment with expression even within a short piece—such as “play the first half quietly, then build a little in the second half.” Aim not for the mere task of pressing the written keys, but for performance that expresses the music, adding dynamics to create a richer sense of character.
The chords that appear are simple, too, so if a complex accompaniment is difficult, it’s perfectly fine to just hold the chords and play the melody!
Mountain MusiciansDoitsu min’yō
Learn the names of instruments and the characteristics of their sounds while singing! The children’s song “Yama no Ongakuka” (The Mountain Musicians), based on a German folk tune, is perfect for beginner piano practice because of its narrow range and frequent repetition of the same phrases, and it’s actually included in many piano method books.
It’s also very popular as a piece to perform at recitals! At first, it may be difficult to coordinate the bouncy rhythm in the right hand with the accompaniment, but since the piece is built on just two chords, you should be able to master it smoothly if you start with an arrangement using only the bass line and the melody.
Gradually add chords and rhythm, and aim to express the animals enjoying their instruments.
aye-ayeUno Seiichirō
There are many nursery rhymes that feature animals as the main characters, and among them, “Ai Ai” is probably the first that comes to mind for many people.
This song, which is almost always sung in preschools and kindergartens, has a narrow vocal range and uses few chords, making it an ideal piece for beginning piano learners.
Being able to read notes fluently is an important element in improving at the piano, but to keep learning enjoyable, it’s also very important to experience the joy of being able to play a song you already know! While reading the sheet music, try practicing by relying on the melody and harmony of “Ai Ai” that you remember.
The Spinning SongKomori Akihiro
Originally based on a Danish folk song, “Itomaki no Uta” was composed by Akihiro Komori, a composer known for creating numerous children’s songs.
Many people may remember singing it while doing hand-play as a child.
With its easy-to-remember melody and rhythm—and being built on just three chords—it’s also recommended as a practice piece for piano or for singing with self-accompaniment.
Try getting used to playing with both hands by changing up the accompaniment: hold one chord per measure, keep time with quarter notes, or use broken chords, and so on.
Piglet-raccoon dog-fox-catYamamoto Naozumi
‘Kobutanukitsuneko,’ whose title strings together familiar animal names in a word-chain, is a popular children’s song that’s also loved as a hand-play song.
In fact, with the simplest arrangement, you can play it using just two repeating chords! For example, if you play it in C major, you only need to repeat the progression “C–G–G–C.” It’s perfect not only as a practice piece for young children and piano beginners, but also for practicing singing while playing.
Once you’re somewhat comfortable with two-handed playing, try adding touches like turning the accompaniment into arpeggiated chords.