Top 200 Easy Violin Songs for Beginners to Play

There are very few instruments that capture the imagination of music lovers, like the violin. The violin and its cousin, the cello, are instruments for the romantics. For six hundred years, it has charmed us, and for some, has introduced them to a whole new world of music.

It crosses genres easily. And while it is still essentially an instrument for Classical music, it makes its contribution everywhere, even in Rock music.

Some have brought those genres together whilst still maintaining the violin’s Classical heritage. World-class superstars like Vanessa-Mae and Nigel Kennedy stay true to their classical roots. But they bring in more than a little of the “rock” world to their performances.

Starting Out

In the early days of learning, things can be tough. That is why finding some easy violin songs for beginners is important. Whatever people may say, this is a hard instrument to master, especially at first. 

Stringed instruments can be challenging at the best of times. But with the Violin and others like it, you need to consider the bowing action as well. It can be a complex instrument with many things to consider. And ensuring the instrument, the bow, and associated fittings work well is just a part of it.

So let’s take a look and find some great music and songs to play for those just starting this great journey. We can divide it up into sections.

Nursery Rhymes and Children Songs

Early in the musical education of the young violinist should be songs that they are very familiar with. The advantage of songs like this is that they don’t have to “learn” them. They already know them and have more than likely sung them countless times.

Another advantage is that they are very simple to play and ideal for a starter. And as the players are so familiar with the tune, it allows them to concentrate on the fingering positions and the bowing techniques.

So let’s take a look at some easy violin Nursery Rhymes and Children’s songs. We start with “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star.” The tune was purportedly composed by Mozart when he was very young. There are some disagreements about that, but I don’t need to go into that here. Regardless, here are some simple violin tunes.

1 Mary Had A Little Lamb.

2 Happy Birthday to You. 

3 Twinkle Twinkle Little Star.

4 London Bridge Is Falling Down. 

5 Old McDonald Had a Farm

6 The Wheels on the Bus Go Round and Round.

Christmas Songs

The next group of songs revolves around Christmas. Always a time of people spending time together. The young violinist gets a captive audience to show off their developing skills.

I have tried to take a varied approach and included three up-tempo songs, a Christmas standard, and a western hymn. They all help the young player to begin to create different atmospheres as they play. The two up-tempo songs allow the student to begin to play at a faster speed. Although they might have to play them slowly to start with. 

The much-loved “Silent Night” by Gruber allows the student to begin to play with feeling and allows room for personal interpretation. The hymn “We Three Kings” can be played at various speeds. Therefore, it allows the student to choose their own tempo.

1 Jingle Bells. 

2 Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. 

3 Frosty the Snowman.

4 We Three Kings.

5 Silent Night.

Folk Music

Although it has always been a Classical instrument, either in a full orchestra or string quartets, the Violin is incredibly versatile, and it has appeared in some far-ranging circles, especially in Folk or Celtic music. There it is affectionately known as the “Fiddle.” 

From the Charlie Daniels Band to Shania Twain and even The Eagles, it has embedded itself in American country music. But it was around long before the first immigrants brought it to America and was a popular instrument in many countries.

1 Ashokan Farewell

2 The Devil Went Down to Georgia

3 Turkey in the Straw

4 Cripple Creek

Easy Violin Songs from the US

1. Old Joe Clark.
2. Sally Goodin.
3. Oh, Suzanna.
4. The Star-Spangled Banner
5. America the Beautiful
6. Yankee Doodle
7. Oh Susanna
8. Turkey in the Straw
9. Home on the Range
10. The Yellow Rose of Texas
11. Shenandoah
12. Dixie
13. Camptown Races
14. When Johnny Comes Marching Home
15. Battle Hymn of the Republic
16. I’ve Been Working on the Railroad
17. Buffalo Gals
18. Skip to My Lou
19. Simple Gifts
20. Aura Lee

Easy Violin Song from England

1. Scarborough Fair.
2. Scarborough Fair
3. Greensleeves
4. Early One Morning
5. English Country Garden
6. Loch Lomond
7. The Ash Grove
8. The Last Rose of Summer
9. The Water is Wide
10. Danny Boy
11. Londonderry Air
12. All Through the Night
13. Over the Hills and Far Away
14. The Skye Boat Song
15. Bonnie Banks O’ Loch Lomond
16. Auld Lang Syne
17. My Bonnie Lies Over the Ocean
18. Cockles and Mussels
19. Molly Malone
20. The Parting Glass
21. Whiskey in the Jar

Easy Violin Song from Scotland

1. Soldiers Joy.
2. Auld Lang Syne
3. Scotland the Brave
4. Skye Boat Song
5. Loch Lomond
6. Wild Mountain Thyme
7. The Bonnie Banks o’ Loch Lomond
8. The Water Is Wide
9. The Irish Washerwoman
10. The Mingulay Boat Song
11. Amazing Grace
12. My Bonnie Lies Over the Ocean
13. Flower of Scotland
14. The Parting Glass
15. The Road to the Isles
16. The Bonnie Earl o’ Moray
17. The Barren Rocks of Aden
18. The Braes o’ Balquhidder
19. The Atholl Highlanders
20. The Keel Row
21. The Skye Boat Song (Outlander Version)

Easy Violin Sing from France

1. St Anne’s Reel.
2. La Vie en Rose by Edith Piaf
3. Je Ne Veux Pas Travailler by Pink Martini
4. Comptine d’un autre été: L’après-midi by Yann Tiersen
5. Sous le Ciel de Paris by Edith Piaf
6. Les Feuilles Mortes by Yves Montand
7. La Mer by Charles Trenet
8. J’attendrai by Tino Rossi
9. C’est Si Bon by Yves Montand
10. Les Champs-Élysées by Joe Dassin
11. Padam Padam by Edith Piaf
12. Que Reste-t-il de Nos Amours by Charles Trenet
13. La Valse d’Amélie by Yann Tiersen
14. Non, Je Ne Regrette Rien by Edith Piaf
15. La Javanaise by Serge Gainsbourg
16. La Foule by Edith Piaf
17. Jardin d’Hiver by Henri Salvador
18. Les Parapluies de Cherbourg by Michel Legrand
19. La Complainte de la Butte by Rufus Wainwright
20. Les Amants d’un Jour by Edith Piaf
21. La Fille aux Cheveux de Lin by Claude Debussy

Easy Violin Song from Canada

1. Whiskey Before Breakfast.
2. The Log Driver’s Waltz – Wade Hemsworth
3. Barrett’s Privateers – Stan Rogers
4. Four Strong Winds – Ian Tyson
5. Farewell to Nova Scotia – Traditional
6. The Hockey Song – Stompin’ Tom Connors
7. The Weight – The Band
8. The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald – Gordon Lightfoot
9. Northwest Passage – Stan Rogers
10. If You Could Read My Mind – Gordon Lightfoot
11. Home for a Rest – Spirit of the West
12. O Canada – Calixa Lavallee
13. Canadian Railroad Trilogy – Gordon Lightfoot
14. Wheat Kings – The Tragically Hip
15. Steal My Sunshine – Len
16. Tom Sawyer – Rush
17. Run to You – Bryan Adams
18. Life is a Highway – Tom Cochrane
19. Roll on Saskatchewan – Don Freed
20. Ahead by a Century – The Tragically Hip
21. Song for the Mira – Allister MacGillivray.

Easy Violin Song from Ireland

1. The Concertina Reel.
2. Whiskey in the Jar
3. The Irish Rover
4. The Rocky Road to Dublin
5. Danny Boy
6. Galway Girl
7. The Wild Rover
8. Star of the County Down
9. Red is the Rose
10. The Foggy Dew
11. The Parting Glass
12. The Black Velvet Band
13. She Moved Through the Fair
14. The Fields of Athenry
15. Molly Malone
16. Carrickfergus
17. The Lark in the Clear Air
18. The Rising of the Moon
19. The Wind That Shakes the Barley
20. Si Bheag Si Mhor
21. The Rose of Tralee

Some Standards

It is always good to be able to play some music considered as standard. Most of them were not conceived as violin pieces, of course. But many of them have melodies that make them easy violin songs for beginners that are quite fun to play as well.

As with nursery rhymes, they make great songs to learn for a starter. As there are so many, the student can choose whichever are their favorites. Being familiar with them and actually liking them is a great incentive for the student to learn them.

Here are a few suggestions for great songs for violin beginners.

1. Somewhere Over the Rainbow.
2. Amazing Grace.
3. Moon River.
4. A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square.
5. Summertime.
6. Hello (Adele).

Movie Classics

If you are looking for some simple songs for a violin starter, then the movie themes are a great place to take a look. Some of the greatest music we have had over the years has been included in films. It isn’t hard to select a few for a young player to help with their development.

Once again, a few suggestions for movie songs that help learn the violin.

1. My Heart Will Go On (Titanic Theme).
2. Concerning Hobbits (Lord of the Rings).
3. Edelweiss (The Sound of Music).

Modern Classics

You can get a bit carried away when selecting some music from the modern era. We all have our favorites, of course, but when selecting for a starter in violin, they have to be suitable. The first on my list might be a strange selection in some people’s eyes. But I have heard this played on the violin, and it was stunning. 

As a piece of music, it demonstrated how complex chord structures can be made to fit so easily. The genius of The Beatles, I suppose. Nothing like them before, and nothing since.

Also included is John’s “Imagine.” Well, it had to be. Far from making up the numbers, some other classics and a hymn that also became a pop classic, courtesy of Cat Stevens.

1. Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds.
2. Stairway to Heaven.
3. Morning Has Broken.
4. Imagine.
5. House of the Rising Sun.

Ready For Some Classical?

To finish off our look at some easy songs for beginners on the violin, let’s take the instrument home. As we have seen, it has a wide range of applications across a variety of genres. But, it is Classical music it was built for. And it is Classical music where it reigns supreme.

This is always a daunting process introducing a new player to the masters. And, of course, you may want to leave the likes of Paganini and most of Tchaikovsky alone. Except for one possibility I have included here. But there are plenty of other great options.

But Beethoven?

Yes, you can. The very name will sound intimidating to a young student, but the German master wrote plenty of music that a beginner can play in a simplified form. I have included one here that is impressive and not too difficult.

You will often see pieces that have been adapted for the beginner, like the “Minuet in G” by JS Bach. These pieces introduce the new student to extra techniques like performing a “slur.” Two notes played with a single stroke of the bow.

As the final suggestion, I have included one of Mozart’s favorites. A little more technical, but certainly not out of the reach of a developing young player with practice. Let’s go back to the 16th century to make a start.

1. King Henry VIII for Anne Boleyn – “Greensleeves”.
2. Beethoven – “Ode to Joy”.
3. JS Bach – “Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring”.
4. Schubert – “Ave Maria”.
5. Mendelssohn – “Wedding March”.
6. JS Bach – “Minuet Number 2 and Number 3”.
7. Tchaikovsky – “Finale from Swan Lake”.
8. Mozart – “Eine Kleine Nachtmusik”.

Thinking of Taking Up the Violin?

Unfortunately, you just can’t pick up a Violin, and away you go. There are things you will need to have to go with the instrument. Violins can be very expensive, but you can find budget models for beginners that are reasonably priced. 

For example, this Mendini By Cecilio – Beginners Violins Kit. It includes a case and two bows. There is some Rosin for treating the hair on the bow, a tuner, and a lesson book. Great value. If you do just want to buy the Violin, a very good instrument is this Yamaha V3 Series Student Violin Outfit. Or maybe a good tutorial, such as Violin for Beginners.

Interested in All Things Violin?

Then we can help you find what you need. Check out our in-depth reviews of the Best Violin Rosins, the Best Violin Cases, the Best Cremona Violins, as well as the Best Electric Violins. Or take a look at my reviews of the Best Student Violins, the Best Violin Bows, or the Best Violin Strings that you can buy in 2023.

You might also enjoy our informative guides on How to Replace Your Violin Strings, Tips For Tuning Your Violin, How Are Violin Strings Made, How Can I Learn to Play the Violin on My Own, A Guide to Choosing the Right Violin Strings, and The 5 Best Apps to Tune Your Violin for more useful information.

Easy Violin Songs for Beginners – Final Thoughts

Make your learning fun. That is something that applies to just about everything. But it is particularly applicable to something like learning the violin. As I said earlier, stringed instruments can be very difficult, and the violin especially so.

It is a sad fact that many young students drop out for a variety of reasons. That is inevitable, but that number can be reduced if the emphasis is placed on fun and enjoyment first. 

The technique will come later once they have come to love their instrument. Choosing the right songs to practice is a very important part of finding that enjoyment.

Until next time, let the music play.