Learning the violin can be difficult much the same as any other stringed instrument. When first starting out with beginner violin music you want to find the most simple options possible that use basic chords which will strengthen your foundations as a musician. We’ve put together some of the best violin songs you can play when you are just starting out.
A great benefit of the songs we have included in this list is that they are popular, so should be familiar to you and anyone you play for. Knowing the song already means it will be much easier to identify the right sounds and rhythms, even as a beginner.
We’ve put together this list without violin sheet music but with the main chords. It’s much easier to learn easy violin songs in this way. You can still find the easy violin sheet music to these pieces if you want to improve your music theory and sight-reading. We have included instructional videos for each song so you can learn how to play these at home. Let’s get started.
1. Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star
This is probably the easiest violin song to play for a beginner out there, plus who doesn’t know Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star? It only involves three chords and these are easy for beginners to learn as well. The finger movements you will use should flow naturally as you get used to playing your instrument. As violin songs for beginners go this is definitely one of the easiest songs to play when you are brand new to the strings.
2. When the Saints Go Marching
When you talk about the first songs you learned when you began to play on the violin, this song always comes up. It can be sped up or slowed down to suit your playing needs so you don’t have to compromise on the overall quality of the music. The finger movements shouldn’t be too complicated for a beginner to get hold of and the rhythm is easy to adapt to as you progress with your violin playing.
3. Hot Cross Buns
Another entry in our list of violin songs for beginners is Hot Cross Buns. This is another classic that everyone should know and can give you a great lesson in the basics of how to play your instrument. Kids love learning this song but adult learners can play along too. It involves three chords that repeat throughout the song which makes this an ideal song to practice and warm up with.
4. Amazing Grace
Amazing Grace has the feel of more classical music so you can take this one to play at church or for more formal family gatherings. It’s a great song for beginners but it will challenge your skills a bit more than our previous entries in the violin songs for beginners list. You get an extra bonus if you can find someone to sing along with you as you play.
5. Ode to Joy
Beethoven is a staple in classical violin music so learning one of his compositions right from the start will make you sound like a true professional. Classical pieces aren’t often considered to be easy violin songs because it’s a very challenging genre of music. Ode to Joy can help you build your basic understandings of how classical music like this will work on your violin. It’s also great at developing your bowing and fingering skills. As you become more skilled on the violin try adding in the more complicated eighth notes or try an easy arpeggio to make it sound much more tricky than it actually is.
6. Wedding March
The Wedding March is very easy to play and is also popular for violinists everywhere. If you would want to go on to play as part of an orchestra or at important events then this song definitely has to be in your repertoire. The tune is easy to pick up on the strings and can help you improve your violin playing with bowing and finger techniques.
7. Jingle Bells
We can jump into the festive season now with Jingle Bells – one of the most popular Christmas songs out there. This is a great song for your violin and for violin students because it’s in common time and is in the key of G major. These two things combined make it ideal for a beginner to start out their playing career.
8. Mary Had a Little Lamb
Most lessons for a beginner violinist will start out with learning this old folk tune. It’s brilliant to learn because it’s so easy and it will allow you to begin working your way up to your first ever violin scale. It has the same chords you learned in Hot Cross Buns and repeats the chords in much the same pattern. These three chords are used a lot throughout violin music so they’re a basic you’ll definitely want to commit to memory.
9. Happy Birthday
Whenever you play an instrument there’s always a family member that wants you to crack it out when it comes to celebrating their special day. Showing off your skills with Happy Birthday is the perfect way to do this. It only involves a few chords and the notes can be followed easily. You can play it at pretty much whatever tempo you like and then speed it up as you become more confident in your skills. It’s a fun song to learn and a lot of students enjoy playing it as part of a group as well.
10. La Bamba
Most of the songs we’ve mentioned on this list so far have been pretty generic so let’s add some spice into the mix with La Bamba. This is an upbeat song for violinists and it’s fun to learn as well. Many violin teachers will add this into their lessons because it keeps learning fresh, especially for children who can sometimes get bored with the same old thing.
La Bamba definitely isn’t a traditional folk song that every fiddle player knows. However, it is still very popular and the tune is something most people should know. Along with all of these plus points, being able to play it will also make you sound super impressive. There are some tuplet groupings involved in the music which make this on the harder side of the scale. We’re hoping that an arrangement like this will help to push you and your skills so you become better at playing your violin.
11. Somewhere Over the Rainbow
A slow song can really help you get to grips with basic chord progressions and finger movements which is why Somewhere Over the Rainbow is featured on our list. The song was featured in the hit film the Wizard of Oz so it will be fun for both adults and children to play and listen to. As well as being great for the fiddle, if you know someone who plays the ukulele this song translates perfectly onto these strings as well.
Whichever of these songs you choose to explore on your violin or fiddle, make sure that you keep in mind that you want to build your basic skill. Regardless of how far along you are in your violin playing career, these songs are a good base to help you start creating a repertoire of songs. As these songs become easier and easier, you will be ready to move on to the next level of songs to play. Most of all, have fun and be confident and you’ll have these songs mastered in no time.
FAQs
What is the easiest song to play on the violin?
We would say that Twinkle Twinkle is probably the easiest song you could find to play as a violinist. We’ve included it in our list so you can learn to play it here.
What song should I play on violin?
There isn’t a set song list that you should play on violin. To become a well-rounded musician you want to take a song from every genre so that you can pick up on a wide array of skills and techniques.
Is 30 too old to learn violin?
It’s never too old to learn any instrument. While being older may make the learning process a bit longer, you’re much more likely to develop a passion for the instrument at this age and be able to commit more readily.
Is violin good for beginners?
Violin is a tricky instrument for any beginner instrumentalist but it all depends on what instrument you want to play.
