27 Easy Violin Songs for Beginners (2024 With Videos)

So you are interested in learning how to play the violin? You may have been told that learning to play the violin is one of the most difficult things you can do. While this may be true to some extent, there are many people that learn how to play the violin well in a reasonable time period.

Unless you have set your sights on playing Vivaldi, Mozart, or the Bruch Violin Concerto, there are many things that you can play on the violin as a beginner. The trick is to ensure that you are choosing the right songs for your level and songs that will make you feel accomplished and motivated once you have learned them. However, finding a repertoire of easy to play violin songs can be tricky also! Where to begin looking for these songs? How do you know what song will be easy or difficult before you play it?

Don’t Worry! That is what we are here for. In this article, we have detailed our top choices for easy violin songs for beginners to learn quickly and practice their playing with. You will be impressing your friends and family in no time! These songs are not only easy to play, but they are all so well known that you can’t help but feel proud of yourself once you have mastered each of them.

If you are keen on performing in public as soon as possible then this article is for you! These songs will be easy to learn in a very short time frame, and are also so famous that you will have everyone at the gig dancing or singing along!

Here is a List of Easy Violin Songs for Beginners

1. Ode To Joy by Beethoven

This one is for anyone interested in playing classical music but who is definitely not at the level to play any symphonies or concertos yet!

Ode to Joy by Beethoven is one of the most famous classical music pieces in the world, so you can be assured that everyone will know what you are playing when you are playing this tune!

Ode To Joy is based upon very simple arpeggio style riffs and everything is played in the first position, making it the most ideal song for beginner violinists to learn.

There is an option to play this as a soloist or in a group, for example in a string quartet. So, if you are searching for something that you could also play with some friends, then Ode To Joy could be for you!

2. Over The Rainbow

Over The Rainbow is one of the most popular songs on the planet and really is a beautiful song for beginner learners to play on the violin.

What makes this song so perfect for beginner players is the fact that there are plenty of opportunities for playing on open strings. This is a rare, but great thing to find in pieces, especially for beginner players!

There are some tricky string crossing passages in this song, however, but nothing that a beginner couldn’t handle after practicing a few times. In fact, if you are looking for a song that you can play that will allow you to practice the technique of string crossing in a beginner format, then Over The Rainbow could be a fantastic choice for you!

Due to the highly melodic and beautiful songline of this piece, it is also a great tune for practicing tuning, tone production, and vibrato.

This choice will definitely have your listeners engaged throughout!

3. Stairway to Heaven by Led Zeppelin

This one is for all the heavy rock fans out there!

There is no doubt that Stairway to Heaven by Led Zeppelin is an iconic rock song everyone around the world knows.

Why not adopt this to play on the violin? If you are an aspiring rock violinist, then Stairway to Heaven would be a great tune to begin on.

The tempo for Stairway to Heaven is slow, meaning that you can really take your time and focus on your tuning and tone production, without feeling the need to rush! The tempo is one of the things about this song that makes it perfect for beginners.

The great thing about Stairway To Heaven is that you can also practice your bowing arm with this song. As it is slow in speed, it will give you time to really focus on what your bow is doing. There are many opportunities for slurring with your bowing arm in this song, making it a great choice for beginners who would like to practice this technique.

4. She Loves You by The Beatles

She Loves You is a great choice for any fans of the Beatles. Not only is it highly recognizable so it is a great tune to play at parties, but the melody is very easy to play meaning that you can master it in a very short time – Even if you are a beginner player!

One drawback of She Loves You is the fact that it is a little bit faster than the other tunes mentioned so far. However, with a bit of practice, there is no reason why you wouldn’t be able to master it as a beginner player!

Due to the faster tempo, She Loves You is perfect for anyone that wants to practice their speed and bringing their playing up to higher tempos.

In order to ensure that you can play the song properly before playing it at higher speeds, you must practice at much slower speeds first. This will allow you to focus on the tuning and other techniques before focusing on the speed.

There are many syncopated rhythm sections in She Loves You, which makes it a highly interesting piece to learn as a beginner! Perhaps you have never played syncopated rhythms before, then She Loves You will help you with that!

5. All About That Bass by Meghan Trainor

All About That Bass has become one of the most popular pop tunes right now. The melody and bassline have become iconic, so you will never have to worry about listeners at your performance not knowing the song! In fact, this is a real party pleaser and probably most of your audience will be singing along to it!

In the video above, you can see that this is being played as a violin duet. All About That Bass can be played as a soloist or with your friend if you fancy it!

There are also backing tracks for this tune online that you can download for free and further impress your audience!

One thing that is great about this song for beginners is that the melody is so well known and easy to remember, that it definitely makes playing it a lot easier. In fact, this may be one of the easiest songs to memorize on the list!

There are some syncopated rhythms in this song so this is definitely a great choice to practice more complicated sections with as a beginner learner!

6. Amazing Grace

Amazing Grace is a very well known tune throughout the entire world and would definitely please the majority of your audience in a live performance!

The speed of Amazing Grace makes it perfect for beginner players as it is not too fast and you can really focus on your intonation, tone production, and bowing arm technique. If you are hoping to choose a slow song that will allow you to really practice your vibrato then Amazing Grace would be a great choice!

You can see in the video here that Amazing Grace also provides you with plenty of opportunities to customize this tune and really make it your own. If you wish to choose a song that you could make even more difficult and virtuosic then Amazing Grace could be that song! In the video, the player uses double-stopping to develop this easy to play song into a much more dazzling piece.

Amazing Grace is also a fantastic piece to play along with a piano or a soloist singer, making it a great tune to choose if you hope to play with other musicians at some point. Overall, this is one of my favorite easy violin songs for beginners to learn.

7. All Of Me by John Legend

This song is definitely for those that are interested in huge, pop hits and wish to play them on the violin! This is a very popular song by singer, John Legend.

This ballad is extremely beautiful when played on the violin and you can be assured that you will definitely have your audience pleased after playing this at a live performance!

The tempo in this piece is slow enough to make it great for a beginner player to play, but also it is fast enough so that you won’t become bored or feel like it is too easy for you!

All Of Me is in the key of Aflat major, giving beginner players an exciting opportunity to play pieces in half position. As a beginner, you will probably have never played in this key before, so All Of Me is a fantastic, easy to play, song that will give you the opportunity to practice playing in a variety of keys.

8. Little Liza Jane

Little Liza Jane may be the most iconic and famous violin tunes out there! It is an extremely popular beginner tune for all violinists to learn, and there are many reasons why!

This tune is a fantastic piece to choose as not only is it easy to play and you will pick it up very quickly, but it is also a lot of fun to play!

With quirky rhythm sections and the ability to play it to very fast speeds, Little Liza Jane is a great piece to show off your newly acquired violin skills.

As this is traditionally a Blue Grass tune, Little Liza Jane would make for a great tune to expand your overall repertoire and musical genre knowledge on the violin.

If you are particularly interested in Blue Grass or folk violin then why not try and play LIttle Liza Jane?

9. Star Wars Theme Song

This one is for all the movie geeks out there! The Star Wars theme tune is one of the most iconic movie theme tunes of all time, and now you can learn it on the violin!

As the theme tune is very repetitive, it makes for an easy piece to learn. If you are short on time and want to learn a piece to play in front of a live audience, or even just family and friends, then the Star Wars theme tune could be a great choice!

This tune also has the ability to be made more difficult with improvisational techniques and double-stopping. So if you are trying to impress your friends even further, take a look at the Star Wars theme tune!

10. William Tell Overture

This is another one for all you classical music lovers out there! The William Tell Overture by Rossini is one of the most famous pieces of classical music written so you can be sure that if you begin to play this at a party or in front of friends and family then they will definitely recognize the tune!

The beat of this tune is particularly catchy and is sure to delight all your listeners – no matter their age!

Because of the particularly fast speed of this piece, it can be seen as a tricky piece to play at first. However, with enough practice, you will have this piece perfect in no time, even if you are a beginner player!

It is also a little bit tricky as you will need to use a very fast, staccato bow. This makes it one of the best pieces to learn if you are trying to perfect your staccato technique!

11. When The Saints Go Marching

When The Saints Go Marching is another highly well known tune throughout the entire world, making it a perfect choice to play for family and friends.

One of the best things about this particular piece is the fact that it gives you lots of opportunities to improvise and customize this piece to really make it your own. If you want to learn the basics of Jazz violin, then When The Saints Go Marching would be a great piece, to begin with.

When The Saints Go Marching features basic quarters and halves, making it perfect for beginners. Once you get to a certain standard, you can also improvise on top of the basic chord progression to really shine! This will definitely impress all your family and friends!

It is also a great choice for anyone just starting out on the violin as you can easily adjust the tempo to suit your individual needs at the time!

12. Yesterday by The Beatles.

Number 12 is another one from The Beatles. Yesterday is a fantastic tune to learn if you are just starting out on the violin!

Yesterday has a simple chord progression making it easy to customize the tune until you get up to the speed you wish.

As the melody in Yesterday is so memorable and follows a simple note pattern, even learners who are at the very start of their learning journey on the violin will find this piece easy to learn!

Not only is it an easy piece to learn, but all your friends and family members will love listening to this beautiful and famous piece. With this one, you will be sure to really wow them!

13. Twinkle Twinkle Little Star

Well, number 13 is one that everyone knows and doesn’t need any introduction! You may be thinking that you do not want to play a ‘children’s’ song while learning the violin, but you shouldn’t underestimate Twinkle Twinkle as it can be a great choice of a piece when you are just starting out and looking for easy violin songs!

The tune in Twinkle Twinkle Little Star is so memorable that after one playthrough on your violin you will probably be able to play it again and again with no troubles!

It is considered one of the easiest pieces to play on the violin, so if you are just beginning and are looking for a piece to play to your family and friends to show them how far you’ve come, you should definitely check out Twinkle Twinkle Little Star.

It is easily adapted so you can slow down and then build up the speed until you are ready to play at your desired tempo. It is also a great piece for practicing pressing your fingers down on the string and practicing your bowing technique. As you will not have to think too much about the tune (it will already be in your head from childhood) you can concentrate on your violin technique!

14. Summertime

Summertime by George Gershwin is a beautiful tune to learn when you are first starting out playing the violin.

The melody in Summertime is one of the easiest to play on this list and, as the song is so memorable, you will have learned it in no time! This song is also great at a very slow speed, so you do not need to worry about slowing it down when you are first learning it.

Summertime is also a Jazz violin classic, so it is a great choice for anyone who is hoping to learn more about this style of violin playing. As a Jazz piece, Summertime is easy to improvise over. This means you can really impress your audience with your own creative flairs within the song!

Summertime works well as a solo violin piece, a violin and piano piece (as is included in the YouTube video above), or as a violin duet. This means that there is plenty of opportunities for you to play with other musicians too!

15. La Bamba

La Bamba is definitely one that you should choose if you are looking for an incredibly upbeat, fun classic that everyone will know!

La Bamba is a party favorite so it would be a good piece to choose to play at someone’s wedding or other events, without being too difficult to master.

The tempo on La Bamba is upbeat and lively, which makes it a little tricky as you can’t really customise the speed on this one. Obviously, while you are practicing this song you can bring down the speed until you get everything perfect. But once it comes time to perform, you will want to have this as upbeat as possible to ensure that the audience can dance along!

La Bamba is also a great piece to choose to practice different rhythms when you are at the beginning stages of playing the violin. It includes triplet groupings which is a great thing to learn as a beginner.

16. Silent Night

We couldn’t write an entire article on violin pieces and miss out on the Christmas tunes!

Silent Night is one of the most popular songs to play at Christmas so it would be a great choice for anyone starting out learning the violin.

Perhaps you will be playing at a school Christmas concert, or maybe you simply want to brighten up your family’s Christmas day with some tunes on the violin. Whatever your reasoning, Silent Night is a beautiful song to be able to play on the violin at Christmas time.

The melody is one of the most famous melodies around the world so you won’t have any issues memorizing it!

As the tempo is very slow for this piece, it makes it perfect for beginner players who will need extra time to play all of the notes and work on their bowing arm!

This works great with a piano or guitar accompaniment, making it the perfect choice if you wish to play along with some of your family members on Christmas Day!

17. Jingle Bells

Number 17 is another choice for Christmas, except this one is much more upbeat than the previous! Jingle Bells is a wonderful piece to learn for Christmas to keep your entire family engaged, no matter their age!

As the tempo is upbeat in this piece, and there are a lot of staccato bowing parts, you may find Jingle Bells tricky to play in the beginning. However, putting in the hard work and dedication will be worth it!

We advise you to start practicing this one slowly and then you can gradually build up the speed once you become comfortable playing it. Take time to really practice the staccato bow because once you perfect this then you will have a great sounding Jingle Bells!

This song works perfectly when played with other instruments, such as the piano, guitar, and other violins. This means that if you want to have a family play-along on Christmas Day you have the perfect piece ready for it!

18. Clair De Lune

This is one of the most emotional and beautiful pieces on the list mentioned here. If you are in the market for an easy violin song for beginners that will have your own family with tears in their eyes then Clair De Lune could be for you!

This Debussy tune is one of his most popular, especially on piano. However, when adapted to the violin the piece is still just as beautiful and rich.

This piece works especially well with a piano accompaniment so it would suit anyone with a pianist friend who they are hoping to play with.

As this piece is in D major, there are no major tricky sections in terms of tuning, making it perfect for beginners to learn!

As the tempo is slow and each section is legato, you will not have to work too hard on your bowing arm which is great for a beginner player!

19. Wabash Cannonball

Number 19 may be a tune that you have not come across before. Wabash Cannonball is a simple folk tune that was composed by Johnny Cash.

Wabash Cannonball is a simple tune, making it perfect for beginner learners who are eager to play full length songs but have not quite mastered the tricky techniques of the violin just yet.

This song requires you to know the same few notes and includes many open strings, so you don’t have to be too stressed about moving around the fingerboard too much. Wabash Cannonball also requires little effort in the bowing arm which is a nice addition for a beginner player!

Although this may not be a tune that everyone will know, it is a fantastic one to play at parties or performances and will definitely impress everyone there!

20. Bile Them Cabbage Down

This one may be one of the trickiest to master in the list provided here, but it is still written with beginner players in mind.

Bile Them Cabbage Down is the perfect choice for anyone looking to practice their folk or Celtic violin playing. It includes the typical double stopping and triplets so you will definitely have to practice this piece a lot before you can get it up to performance standard. But once you do the hard practice will be totally worth it!

Bile Them Cabbage Down is a very famous piece and will really wow your audience members as everyone loves a fast, folk, fiddle tune!

With the techniques such as double stopping, this piece will give your performance an edge that will really impress your listeners!

21. Game of Thrones Theme Song

This beautiful piece is a wonderful way to begin playing the violin. As Somewhere Over The Rainbow is so popular, it makes for a great tune to play for family members and friends as you know everyone will be able to enjoy it!

Somewhere Over The Rainbow can be played in a variety of keys, but usually, they are keys that are very appropriate for a beginner player.

This piece is also beautiful when it is slowed right down to a very slow tempo. This means that even if you are finding it tricky to play it at the average speed, you can still perform this song and it will be great!

Somewhere Over The Rainbow is a piece that will work for solo violin or with any other instrument you can think of! So if you have friends that play the piano, cello, guitar, violin, or ukulele, you could all play together!

22. A Thousand Years

This song was extremely popular when it was first released by Cristina Perri, and now many are choosing to cover it on all different instruments!

This song has a simple melody with a very slow tempo, making it ideal for beginner players who are not quite used to moving their fingers quickly.

If you have a violinist friend then you could make a beautiful cover of A Thousand Years – Like the video, we have provided!

23. Photograph

No song recommendation list would be complete without an Ed Sheeran song! Photograph is one of his most famous songs so you can be assured that everyone in the audience will know this one!

Photograph is in a simple key with a simple, easy to follow melody, making it a great choice for anyone to learn in a short amount of time.

As this piece works well in a slow tempo, you can feel free to slow it right down to the speed that you are most comfortable with. It is more important to play a song well than to play it faster and make mistakes!

This particular song is also great if you are hoping to practice your vibrato as the long notes and slow speed ensure that you can take your time with your bowing arm, leaving more time for vibrato practice!

You could even perform this with a singer to make a unique and wonderful performance!

24. Love Me Like You Do

This Ellie Goulding song may not seem like the most appropriate song for a beginner violinist, but trust us, it works!

It has a surprisingly easy melody to it so you won’t have trouble memorizing this. As this song is quite upbeat there are a few tricky sections. However, once you practice through these a few times you will have mastered this song perfectly!

This is a fantastic song to play to younger audiences so it would work as a piece for a school concert or an event similar to this.

The most important thing in this piece is to try and keep it lively, even in the slower sections! This will keep your audience engaged and keep you focused too!

25. Wake Me Up

If you are a hardcore lover of dancefloor tunes and are finding it difficult to adopt these songs onto the violin then take a look at this cover!

Wake Me Up by Avicii will satisfy all those raving cravings when you are learning to play the violin.

This song is one of the most upbeat songs on the list here, but it is not necessarily any harder to learn how to play. In fact, once you have mastered the main notes of the verse and chorus, then you have basically learned the entire song! As always, feel free to slow the song down and gradually build up the speed until you are comfortable with your playing.

As Wake Me Up was originally a dance song, this piece is perfect to play at parties to impress all your friends!

As you can see from the cover we have posted, this song can easily be adapted to play with other musicians also. So, if you have a group of friends that are all musicians, why don’t you all get together at the next party and give this song a go? We promise you will have all your friends up dancing in no time!

26. We Will Rock You

Number 26 is for all the hardcore rock fans out there! Did you ever think you would be able to play We Will Rock You on the violin? Now you can!

We Will Rock You sounds surprisingly good on the violin and is an appropriate level for even beginner players to master.

As you can hear from the recording that we have posted, you can even try this on an electric violin and add some distortion in there!

This is the perfect song to choose if you are performing live in front of rock fans. You will blow the crowd away!

27. Smooth Criminal

The next piece needs no introduction from us! Why not impress your friends and family at the next party with an impressive Michael Jackson cover on the violin?

This song has a fast tempo so it can be a little tricky to master in the beginning stages. However, if you really work at it, you will have this song to perfection in no time!

The actual notes and bowing techniques are not too tricky. You must ensure that you keep your bow light and bouncy to really imitate the original guitar sound on the track!

As you can hear from the video that we have provided, this piece sounds fantastic on an electric violin! If you have access to an electric instrument we would advise playing this on it. You won’t regret it! You could even add some distortion to really get that classic ‘Smooth Criminal’ sound!

More Tips on Choosing Easy Songs to Play on the Violin

First, we have compiled a shortlist of things you should think about when deciding what is the best beginner tune for you to learn. This is an important step as it is vital that you understand your current playing style and what kind of song will be appropriate for this. It is important that you find a piece that is fun to play and makes you feel like you are playing to the absolute best of your ability!

What to look for:

Choose a song that you like:

There is no point in choosing a song just because you think it is easy but that you don’t actually like it. If you choose a song that you do not like then a few weeks into practicing it you will hate it so much that you will give up! You must choose a song that you know you will love playing over and over again, but this is what you are going to have to do when you are practicing it! To get a song perfect, especially when you are a beginner player, you must practice it many times over. By choosing a song that you love you will keep things enjoyable and this enjoyment will shine through in your performances!

Choose a song that pushes your level further:

While it is important that you choose a beginner’s song that is appropriate for your level, you should take the time to really think if it includes small sections of music that will challenge you also. By having a small challenge within each of the pieces, you will be pushing yourself to develop new techniques and skills which will, therefore, push your overall playing ability to the next level. As a beginner, you obviously want to learn more and take your playing to the next level, so you should choose a song that balances both playability and challenge!

Think about where you will be playing the piece:

If you plan to simply play this new piece of music in your living room for your parents and other family members, then it might not matter too much the style of music that you decide on. However, if you are performing in a public concert, say for example your school concert or community performance, then you will need to think carefully about the type of music you will be playing. You will want to make sure that it will be engaging and appropriate for the audience. For instance, if you are playing at your school Spring concert, you will probably not pick a Christmas song to play! Try and think about the overall theme of the performance and how your piece would fit in well with this.

Think about if you will want to play solo or with other musicians:

As a beginner learner, you may be only wanting to play solo violin which is great. However, many other players will want to play with other musicians as they are learning. Playing alongside other musicians can be great in developing your overall musical skills. If you choose to play with other musicians then you should think carefully about the songs you are deciding to play. Some songs will be more suited to playing with other musicians than others. You will also have to think about what kind of instruments you will hope to play with. For instance, some songs work really well with a violin and a piano, and other songs are perfect for violin and guitar. These are things that you should think about before making a final decision on what is the best beginner song for you to play in a performance.

Pick a genre to study:

As a beginner player, it may be tricky to know exactly what kind of music you would want to play on violin. As you move up through the levels of playing you will be able to switch between styles much easier. However, have a think about what motivated you to take up the violin in the first place. Was it a particular violinist? Was it a particular style of music that you saw live once? You should choose your first few pieces to play within a genre that you know you like and enjoy. Not only will choosing one genre that you like ensure that you will be able to practice more as you will never get bored, but it also means that you can spend more time studying one specific topic. For instance, perhaps you are very interested in learning Jazz violin. Jazz violin is a particularly difficult genre to grasp on the instrument. However, if you choose simple songs with jazz standard chords, you can become more and more accustomed to that style of playing. You can then also begin to incorporate some improvisation sections within the piece also. By choosing a genre that you are interested in studying, you will automatically be building upon the skills needed to play this genre. There is no point in choosing your first few pieces to be classical violin pieces if you have absolutely no interest in the genre! You will just lose patience and give up quicker than if you were to choose a genre you really loved.

Don’t feel disheartened!

Probably the most valuable piece of advice for you, when you are choosing your first few violin pieces to play, is to not feel too disheartened if they are a little bit tricky. Playing the violin to a high level takes a lot of time and practice. Even if you are choosing simple, beginner songs, it can take some time to be able to play them well. This is normal! Don’t give up hope even if you are finding the pieces difficult to begin with. If you really want to learn a song but it is a little bit difficult for your playing standard then don’t give up! That drive to learn the piece you really love will get you through those long practice sessions and will push your playing ability to much higher levels. Keep going and you will be able to play your favorite songs to perfection in no time at all! Now that we have discussed the top tips for choosing your first beginner pieces, we should look into some examples of the most popular pieces for beginner players. We have compiled an extensive list of these so you don’t have to spend too much time researching. These pieces are perfect for beginners and we have even included some YouTube videos of beginners playing these pieces to help you practice!

Conclusion:

And there you have it – A complete guide to choosing easy songs to play on the violin. If you are a beginner player we know how hard it is to choose songs that allow you to play to the best of your ability but that you also really enjoy playing and performing too! We have no doubt that you will find at least one song on our list provided here that can get you started with playing the violin. We have provided an entire range of genres to get you started on the violin, from folk, celtic, bluegrass, jazz, and rock, you are sure to find something that would suit every type of performance here! Don’t forget to always choose a song that you really enjoy playing. Otherwise, you will just become bored and give up! These songs are designed for beginner players in mind so once you put a few hours of work into each of them you will have them to perfect standard in no time! What an amazing way to impress your family and friends with your playing!

Good luck with your new violin learning adventure!