In a hurry? 

At a glance, these are our top five violin songs for beginners:

1. “In Dreams” from Lord of The Rings by Howard Shore
2. Game of Thrones theme tune by Ramin Djawadi
3. “Spring” from The Four Seasons by Antonio Vivaldi 
4. “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” from The Wizard of Oz
5. “Summertime” by George Gershwin 

Why we’ve chosen these songs  

We’ve chosen these songs for a few reasons. One is how easy they are to play – obviously, we want to make sure these songs are fairly simple for a beginner to master!

Another is recognisability. The key to learning a song is to know how it sounds – if you’re already familiar with it then learning will be easier.  

We’ve avoided the most common and simple songs like “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star” or “Hot Cross Buns” as these are usually included in tuition books and are among the very first tunes you’ll play. 

Our hope is that this list will provide you with more inspiration and motivation to keep learning and mastering the violin. You might discover some new pieces of music that you love as well!

Some of these pieces are featured in ABRSM grades but don’t worry if you haven’t reached this grade yet, learning pieces that pose a challenge is very beneficial to your development as a musician.  

Easy violin songs for beginners 

1. “In Dreams” from Lord of The Rings by Howard Shore 

“In Dreams” was composed by Howard Shore for the first Lord of the Rings movie. Its musical themes bring back the memories of the beginning of the film with the Shire/Hobbits theme being the main focal point of the melody. A brief appearance of the iconic Fellowship theme is also seen towards the end.

This piece is great for really focusing on the sound you’re making – the melody is both simple and recognisable, freeing you to get the timbre of your violin perfect.

2. Game of Thrones theme tune by Ramin Djawadi 

The Game of Thrones theme is a popular piece for beginners of many instruments thanks to its simplicity. There’s a lot of repetition in it, so you can really focus on perfecting the music without needing to worry about complex passages of music.

Pay attention to the opening bars as they’re the most recognisable part of the tune. After a few bars, the Eb becomes an E natural, making it sound more major. The overall piece is in C minor, although you might be able to find a version in another key. C minor is pretty easy though, just remember there are no open A or E strings!  

3. “Spring” from The Four Seasons by Antonio Vivaldi 

There aren’t many classical pieces more well-known than this. The violin of “Spring” from Vivaldi’s Four Seasons has the honour of playing the main melody in this piece, and it’s not too difficult either.

There are semiquavers later on which may be intimidating at first, but they’re repeating the same few notes over again so there’s not too much shifting or complicated notes. You can always keep revisiting this piece as you improve at the violin.   

4. “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” from The Wizard of Oz

Famously sung by Judy Garland in the film The Wizard of Oz, “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” is a great entry point for those learning the violin. Its legato style lends itself perfectly to the violin and it’s quite easy to pick up – especially since its simple melody is so well known. There are a range of YouTube tutorials to help you, with arrangements covering various keys such as A major and D major, allowing you to get a feel for the right one for you. 

5. “Summertime” by George Gershwin 

Jazz doesn’t often spring to mind when you think of the violin, but the two can go together! “Summertime” from the opera Porgy and Bess, is a very common piece to learn when you first start playing jazz. It’s nice and simple and gives you lots of room to play around with the tune and put your own spin on it.   

6. “He’s a Pirate” by Klaus Badelt

“He’s a Pirate” is a classic tune that many musicians will have played throughout their careers. It’s simple and very recognisable, and there aren’t that many accidentals to worry about. Plus, the key is very easy on the violin – you can use all your open strings! Something to watch out for, though, is the time signature; it’s easy to play in a 3/4 feel rather than its intended 6/8 signature. 

7. “Hedwig’s Theme” by John Williams for Harry Potter

If the Harry Potter franchise is more up your street, you’ll probably want to master “Hedwig’s Theme”.

Capturing all the magical eerieness of Harry Potter, this piece by John Williams is written in G major and features many expressive techniques that are great for beginners to practise. There’s legato phrasing for the main melody as well as flurries of quaver notes in quick succession. As the theme carries on, you’ll also come across some staccato work – helping you develop your skills even further.

8. “Greensleeves” 

Often attributed to Henry VIII (although it’s believed to have actually been written after his time), “Greensleeves” is a traditional English love song. This piece is in a minor key and is written in 6/8. You can find loads of arrangements of this online with varying difficulties, and there will definitely be a few which match your current abilities quite well.  

9. “Amazing Grace” by John Newton

“Amazing Grace” is a beautiful song to learn to play. A traditional hymn, it’s popular in church services and other gatherings, so it’s a great one to have up your sleeve. And thanks to its slow tempo, the song is easy to learn – though it does require some good technique to master it completely!

Despite the long-held notes sounding quite simple to play, they’re actually a great exercise for learning good form. They teach you to hold the bow correctly and balance moving your arm slowly – so as to not run out of bow – whilst maintaining a consistent sound with no creakiness.

Once you’ve grasped the basic melody, you can start adding ornaments.

10. “Happy Birthday”

If you’re a complete beginner, “Happy Birthday” is an excellent place to start on the violin – and it’s always in demand! It’s short, simple, and one of the most recognisable pieces you could play! Better still, there are only eight notes to learn!

11. “City of Stars” from La La Land

Want to add some swing to your playing? “City of Stars” from La La Land fits the bill perfectly. Written in G major, it features plenty of playing techniques that are suitable for beginner violinists and will help you grow as a player. As well as the swing feel, there are accented beats, triplets, and changing dynamics.

12. “Round Dance” by Bela Bartok 

Bartok is known for his Eastern European folk-inspired pieces. “Round Dance” comes from his series of short piano pieces called For Children. These were written for students to play so are ideal for this list! It’s even included in the ABRSM exam syllabus – so if you ever do grades, you might encounter this piece.  

13. “Do Re Mi” from The Sound of Music

Possibly one of the easiest and most beneficial pieces you could learn to play in the early stages of your violin journey, “Do Re Mi” is ideal for getting to know your way around the violin and its scales. This song from The Sound of Music really hones the détaché playing technique – the default bowing stroke.

14. “Ode to Joy” by Beethoven 

If you want to learn a classical piece of music that’s still incredibly easy, “Ode to Joy” is a great place to start. It’s steady, doesn’t require much reach across the frets, and you can play it as slow as you like to begin with.

15. “Hava Nagila” 

“Hava Nagila” is a Jewish folksong that’s quite well-known even outside of Jewish communities. It’s a celebratory tune in a mode known as the “Phrygian Dominant” scale and should be played upbeat.

This is quite a popular mode in traditional music across the world. Think of it like a major scale with a flattened 2nd, 6th, and 7th note. Often these sorts of scales have notes which give them their unique “flavour”, in this case, it’s the first three notes of the scale.  

16. “Jupiter” by Holst 

From The Planets suite by Gustav Holst, Jupiter is one of the most beautiful and recognised movements. Written for the violins of the orchestra, this piece has a very fluid, legato feel that’s a dream to play. It’s suited to more advanced beginners, so if you’re a complete novice, start with something easier and work your way up to this one!

17. “Libertango” by Astor Piazzolla 

Astor Piazzolla is considered one of the biggest names in tango music, and “Libertango” is a very popular piece with many different versions for various ensembles. It has exciting rhythms and is a great opportunity to practise syncopation. You can find multiple arrangements of this online in a range of difficulties, pick the one that looks best to you! 

18. “The Phantom of the Opera” by Andrew Lloyd Webber 

Finally, we have the title track from the world-famous 1986 musical, The Phantom of the Opera, by Andrew Lloyd Webber. You may have heard a violin rendition of this played by Victor in the opening scenes of Umbrella Academy.

This isn’t too tricky to play. It was originally sung – so it works nicely on many instruments as a result. The normal key is D minor without any accidentals other than a C#. If you play the whole piece through then you will be playing the same melody in a different key for each verse: the second verse is in G minor, the third is in E minor, and the final verse is in F minor.

G and E minor are quite easy on the violin, just remember there’s no open E in G minor and there’s an F# in E minor. F minor is more tricky; you can’t use your open D, A, and E strings so you need to rely on your fingering. 

Our favourite violins for beginners

FAQs 

What is the easiest song to play on violin for beginners? 

The easiest song to learn on violin is a simple traditional song like Twinkle Twinkle Little Star or Hot Cross Buns. They feature a limited selection of notes, have very basic rhythms, and are well-known enough that you should already know how it will sound before you learn it. As a result, they’re often amongst the first few tunes in tuition books.  

What is the most played song on violin? 

The most played song on violin is often said to be the Chaconne from Bach’s Partita No.2. It might sound like there are several violins playing but there’s just one. It plays double, triple, and even quadruple stopping notes to achieve four seemingly independent lines! This is a very complex piece that’s regularly played by professional soloists.  

Is 14 late to start violin? 

Age 14 is not too late to start violin. In fact, you can never be too old to learn the violin – whether you’re 14 or 40! If you’ve always wanted to learn then there’s no reason why you can’t start now!  

Final thoughts 

These easy violin songs for beginners are great for those just starting out because they’re all recognisable songs that students and professional musicians perform. Even if you can’t play these straight away, with some time and practice, you’ll be able to learn these pieces nicely.  

Remember to listen to recordings of them and analyse how they’re being played. Listen to multiple interpretations of the same song and think about which aspects you prefer and which you dislike. Not only will this inform your own playing of the piece, but it will help you develop tastes and your own unique artistic expression.