Piano Blog by Skoove – Piano Practice Tips
Everyone loves a good piano cover song. Learning a favorite tune is certainly fun, but it is more enjoyable to perform well-loved songs for friends and family. Many hit tunes of the last decades were not originally written solely for piano, but with a few small changes they become great popular piano covers.
This week, we will take a look at some of the most popular piano cover songs. From Queen to Adele to Coldplay, Skoove has piano cover songs for all ability levels and interests. Take a look at some of these piano cover songs and enjoy practicing this week with Skoove!
Another One Bites the Dust
“Another One Bites the Dust” by Queen is a fantastic practice for your left hand bass playing skills. With one of the most instantly recognizable riffs, you can be sure to impress your friends and family with this one.
The tune was originally composed by the band’s bassist, John Deacon, and appeared on their eighth studio album, The Game. “Another One Bites the Dust” went on to become a world-wide hit and Queen’s best-selling single. Imagine what such a catchy, simple riff can do! Learning this tune is fun and easy with online piano lessons.
Autumn Leaves
One of the most classic jazz standards, “Autumn Leaves” has been covered by all the greatest jazz pianists. Whether you prefer the styles of Bill Evans, Hank Jones, or Chick Corea, you will surely find something to love with “Autumn Leaves.”
The song was originally composed in the key of E minor by Joseph Korma in 1945. However, most musicians perform the song in the key of G minor after the famous Cannonball Adderly recording on his album Somethin’ Else, which coincidentally also features the wonderful pianist Hank Jones. Check out the Skoove lesson on “Autumn Leaves” and brush up your skills of harmony in music!
Bohemian Rhapsody
Another major hit from the British rock band Queen, “Bohemian Rhapsody” was originally composed by the band’s lead singer Freddie Mercury. The track was featured on the band’s 1975 album A Night at the Opera and topped the UK single’s chart for 9 weeks – a major success for such an unusual song!
The song is a six-part suite that is unusual for its lack of a traditional song structure. There is no repeating chorus section. Instead, the song is a combination of six different vignettes that take the listener through several different moods, feelings, and rhythms.
While the song received mixed reviews initially, it has gone on to become one of the most successful rock songs of all time and, as of December 2018, was the most streamed song in history.
Canon in D
Johann Pachelbel’s “Canon in D” is one of the most frequently covered piano songs of all time. The song has an instantly recognizable chord progression and a distinct melody that sounds timeless and beautiful.
The piece was composed sometime in the 17th century and was lost to the aesthetic trends of history for centuries until the late 1960’s when a fresh recording emerged of “Canon in D.” The tune has since gone on to be used in many movies and TV shows and is a standard piece for pianists to learn. “Canon in D” is a great song to learn with Skoove!
Clocks
“Clocks” by the British rock band Coldplay features one of the most iconic piano riffs of the last two decades. Composed as a collaboration between the members of the band, “Clocks” is considered one of Coldplay’s signature songs and the piano riff has been widely sampled by other artists.
Originally appearing on Coldplay’s second album, A Rush of Blood to the Head, the repeating ostinato riff of the piano has become a sort of standard progression and rhythm for Coldplay, influencing many of their later songs. Grab a hold of these awesome piano notes with Skoove today!
Hallelujah
Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah” was originally composed in 1984 and appeared on his Various Positions album. The song achieved little commercial success, until the musician John Cale recorded a cover version that inspired Jeff Buckley to record another version. The Jeff Buckley version of “Hallelujah” helped make the song a smash hit. The song is still one of the most covered tunes of all time.
The song was introduced to a new generation of younger listeners thanks to the hit movie Shrek in 2001 and later experienced another wave of interest following Cohen’s death in 2016. The song has also been featured in many movies and TV shows. Explore this beautiful and timeless melody in music with Skoove this week!
Rollin’ in the Deep
“Rollin’ in the Deep” is one of the most powerful songs of the 2010’s and one of the most fun piano covers for the advancing piano student. The combination of bluesy, pentatonic riffing in the right hand with solid bass motion in the left combines for a worthy challenge that is both exciting and satisfying.
“Rollin’ in the Deep” was a near instant hit at the time of its release in 2011. The song won top awards at the 54th Grammy Awards including Record of the Year and Song of the Year. Join in the magic of “Rollin’ in the Deep” now with Skoove!
Bringing it all together
Piano covers are a great way to have fun learning the piano. Learning recognizable chords and melodies is a great way to connect and share music with friends and family as well. Whether you enjoy classic soul and RnB hits, rock and pop covers, or classical melodies, Skoove has popular piano covers for almost every taste and ability level. Check out a 7 day free trial this week and have some fun!
Author of this blog post:
Eddie Bond is a multi-instrumentalist performer, composer, and music instructor currently based in Seattle, Washington USA. He has performed extensively in the US, Canada, Argentina, and China, released over 40 albums, and has over a decade experience working with music students of all ages and ability levels.
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