Piano Arrangements Explained
Since its invention in the late 17th century, the piano has been one of the most widely played musical instruments. It's one of the few instruments that can be played solo or in a group across such a wide range of settings and genres. And it is accessible for any skill level too.
But knowing what to play, or even where to start, can be a real challenge for many musicians.
Pianists everywhere take heart. We have broken down the different piano arrangement types, catering for total beginners, accomplished players, and everyone in between. Plus, we have selected a few of our favorite titles for each difficulty to get you started.
Check out our Vocal Arrangements Explained blog for a breakdown of our vocal formats.
Piano, Vocal & Guitar Chords
Our most popular arrangement type, and our most versatile too. In addition to the piano staff, these arrangements feature a vocal line with complete lyrics and full guitar chord diagrams. For piano-based songs, the piano stays relatively true to the piano part in the original recording. In less piano-centric songs, the piano part provides a condensed version of what is going on in the band.There are two different variations of this arrangement:
1. Piano, Vocal & Guitar Chords (Right-Hand Melody) arrangements are ideal for the pianist who wants to play their favorite songs without the need to sing along, since the vocal melody is incorporated into the right-hand of the piano part.
Perfect, Ed Sheeran
Hold My Hand (from Top Gun: Maverick), Lady Gaga
We Don't Talk About Bruno (from Encanto), Lin-Manuel Miranda
You Are the Reason, Calum Scott
This Is Me (from The Greatest Showman), Pasek & Paul
Browse All Piano, Vocal & Guitar Chords (Right-Hand Melody) Sheet Music
2. Piano, Vocal & Guitar Chords arrangements are ideal for pianist-singers or accompanists. The vocal melody exists only in the vocal line and the piano is designed to accompany the singer. Our Piano & Vocal arrangements are very similar, but without guitar chord frames.
Recommended Piano, Vocal & Guitar Chords Sheet Music:
All of Me, John Legend
Hallelujah, Leonard Cohen
Someone Like You, Adele
A Thousand Years, Christina Perri
Thank You For the Music, ABBA
Browse All Piano, Vocal & Guitar Chords Sheet Music
Piano & Vocal
These arrangements feature a vocal staff, a piano staff and simple chord names above the staff. The piano part acts as an accompaniment to the vocal line. This arrangement type is perfect for solo gigging musicians who want to accompany themselves while singing. They are also great for piano and vocal duos and for auditions. Most of our Piano & Vocal arrangements are interactive, meaning that they can be transposed into the key that best suits the singer's voice.
Recommended Piano & Vocal Sheet Music:
Shallow (from A Star Is Born), Lady Gaga & Bradley Cooper
Easy On Me, Adele
A Million Dreams (from The Greatest Showman), Pasek & Paul
She Used to Be Mine (from Waitress), Sara Bareilles
You Say, Lauren Daigle
Browse All Piano & Vocal Sheet Music
Piano Solo
Encompasses a very wide range of difficulty—everything from "just a little more difficult than Easy Piano" to quite advanced. Sometimes the arrangements are literal transcriptions, other times they are intentionally "creative."
Comptine D'un Autre Été (from Amélie), Yann Tiersen
I Giorni, Ludovico Einaudi
River Flows in You, Yiruma
Perfect (arr. The Piano Guys), Ed Sheeran
Bluebird, Alexis Ffrench
Browse All Piano Solo Sheet Music
Super Easy Piano
Our most accessible arrangements, comprising simple right-hand melody, letter names inside each note, basic left-hand chord diagrams, and no page turns! If you've never played piano before, or are just getting started, these abridged arrangements are a perfect place to begin.
Recommended Super Easy Piano Sheet Music:
All of Me, John Legend
Let It Be, The Beatles
Dance Monkey, Tones And I
Hallelujah, Leonard Cohen
Let It Go (from Frozen), Idina Menzel
Browse All Super Easy Piano Sheet Music
E-Z Play Today
Similar to Super Easy Piano in terms of accessibility, the E-Z Play Today format offers complete and accurate song arrangements with minimal page turns. The arrangements contain authentic-sounding chords and melody lines with letter names inside each note. Individual song rhythm suggestions are also included for today's electronic keyboards and organs.
Download our free reference card that matches piano keys to their note names and staff positions.
Recommended E-Z Play Today Sheet Music:We Don't Talk About Bruno (from Encanto), Lin-Manuel Miranda
Theme from Jurassic Park, John Williams
Imagine, John Lennon
What a Wonderful World, Louis Armstrong
A Whole New World (from Disney's Aladdin), Alan Menken
Browse All E-Z Play Today Sheet Music
Piano Chords/Lyrics
These arrangements use simplified keys and rhythms to provide accurate yet easy-level versions, suitable for players with 2-3 years of piano study. Lyrics and simplified chord symbols are included, and for players wanting to enhance their performance with accompaniment, easy-to-read keyboard diagrams are grouped together at the start of each piece, illustrating the recommended left-hand chord voicings.
Recommended Piano Chords/Lyrics Sheet Music:
Let It Be, The Beatles
Ave Maria, Franz Schubert
Your Song, Elton John
Yellow, Coldplay
Songbird, Fleetwood Mac
Browse All Piano Chords/Lyrics Sheet Music
5-Finger Piano
Abridged arrangements which feature single-note melody lines that stay in one position, indicated by small keyboard diagrams at the beginning of each song. Each song also includes lyrics and beautifully written piano accompaniments that can be played by teachers, parents, or more experienced students.
Beauty and the Beast, Alan Menken
Over the Rainbow, Judy Garland
Don't Stop Believin', Journey
Shake It Off, Taylor Swift
I Have a Dream, ABBA
Browse All 5-Finger Piano Sheet Music
Big-Note Piano
Presented in an easy-to-read, larger-note format designed for players with 2-3 years of piano study. Using simple keys, basic rhythms, and minimal syncopation, these appealing arrangements also include lyrics and simplified chord symbols.
Theme from Jurassic Park, John Williams
He's A Pirate (from Pirates Of The Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl), Klaus Badelt
I'm Still Standing, Elton John
You Raise Me Up, Josh Groban
How Far I'll Go (from Moana) (arr. Phillip Keveren), Lin-Manuel Miranda
Browse All Big-Note Piano Sheet Music
Very Easy Piano
Presented in a standard note-size format. Movement around the keyboard is limited, rhythms are simplified, and much of the time the melody is presented as a single line.
Star Wars (Main Theme), John Williams
All of Me, John Legend
River Flows in You, Yiruma
Imagine, John Legend
Rewrite the Stars (from The Greatest Showman), Pasek & Paul
Browse All Very Easy Piano Sheet Music
Beginner Piano
Abridged arrangements that include lyrics, chord symbols, and useful fingerings. As with Very Easy Piano, movement around the keyboard is limited and rhythms are often simplified.
Despacito (feat. Justin Bieber), Luis Fonsi & Daddy Yankee
Claire de Lune, Claude Debussy
A Thousand Years (from Breaking Dawn), Christina Perri
The Sound of Silence, Simon & Garfunkel
I See the Light (from Tangled), Alan Menken
Browse All Beginner Piano Sheet Music
Easy Piano
Musically satisfying arrangements for anyone with a few years of experience at the piano and beyond. These simplified presentations include original bass lines, chord progressions, syncopation, and lyrics.
Perfect, Ed Sheeran
Hallelujah, Leonard Cohen
We Don't Talk About Bruno (from Encanto), Lin-Manuel Miranda
All of Me, John Legend
Claire de Lune, Claude Debussy
Browse All Easy Piano Sheet Music
Educational Piano
These arrangements are developed by piano teachers specifically for piano students and teachers. This format covers every level and stage of the piano playing experience, and thus encompasses a range of difficulty levels.
The Pink Panther, Henry Mancini
Una Mattina, Ludovico Einaudi
A Million Dreams (from The Greatest Showman), Pasek & Paul
Heart and Soul, Hoagy Carmichaek
Lady Gaga Fugue, Giovanni Dettori
Browse All Educational Piano Sheet Music
Piano/Keyboard Transcription
Features authentic, off-the-record transcriptions of your favorite piano or keyboard parts so you can study and play some of the best songs of all time. Each song includes note-for-note parts, exactly as they were recorded. Consider these transcriptions "gold" for the gigging musician who needs to learn that impressive keyboard solo.
Summertime, Oscar Peterson
I'm Still Standing, Elton John
Bohemian Rhapsody, Queen
Superstition, Stevie Wonder
Jump, Van Halen
Browse All Piano/Keyboard Transcription Sheet Music
From the newest releases to award-winning bestsellers and everything in between, Sheet Music Direct provides accurate, affordable arrangements for all your favorite songs available to download and play instantly. Powered by Hal Leonard, the world's largest sheet music publisher.
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