There are many facets included in learning to play the violin, some of which are not even directly related to the physical aspect of the instrument. One important part of learning violin is acquiring repertoire. There are various ways to gain violin repertoire, including learning by ear, tablature, sheet music, or a combination of multiple methods.
The most common way for classically trained violinists to learn is by sheet music. This begs the questions: How do you learn to read sheet music? Is it hard?
Learning to Read Sheet Music is Simpler Than You Might Think
Learning to read sheet music is quite a simple process, starting from learning the logic of how sheet music is read, and then applying it.
When the learner’s brain is first taking in the information, it can be slow and difficult to read a short, simple piece of music. But, with consistent repetition and a little bit of patience, it is a fairly straight-forward concept to master, and can be done in a relatively short amount of time.
Many beginner sheet music readers use sheet music with the note name (letter) written in the note head. This helps with the process of learning to associate the placement of the note on the music staff to where the note is found on the violin. There are a few online resources with violin songs for beginners with letters, and these can be very useful for taking your sheet music reading to the next level, especially with the guidance of a teacher.
For folks that are looking for some good beginner violin repertoire, you can find lots at Fretless Finger Guides. The sheet music on the website at the above link has several aids for learning how to read sheet music. These include letter names, color coding, and string name/finger number. With all of these tools, the process of learning to read sheet music could be a little smoother, especially in the initial phases.
Learn Songs That Are Slightly Above Your Current Level
It may be nice to know about this online tool for learning to read sheet music, but it can also be overwhelming, and hard to choose the best songs to learn. It’s important to learn songs that are slightly above your current level, and from a variety of genres.
This way, the learning process will stay interesting and challenging. It’s also valuable to have a teacher who can assess your level and progress and assign you music that will be beneficial to your learning. That being said, there are some songs that many beginner students learn (and these can all be found on the website I linked to earlier).
Violin Songs For Beginners (With Letters):
You can find the following violin songs for beginners with letters at Fretless Finger Guides, and remember, if you need a hand getting your violin playing to the next level, it’s always wise to get the help of an instructor.
1. Twinkle Twinkle Little Star
This is a great melody for a beginner on the violin, but I would especially recommend it for younger learners.
Many people learn it as one of their first songs on the violin, not only because it is very simple in terms of rhythm and notes, but also because it’s a very recognizable tune, which can lead to a burst of motivation when a student masters it.
2. Amazing Grace
A beautiful song that many people grew up hearing and singing in church, Amazing Grace is a perfect beginner song for anyone, but especially for those who have a strong connection to the classic church repertoire.
When choosing beginner violin songs, it’s important that they are recognizable, and if you have a personal connection to them, that’s even better, because you will feel and hear your progress in a concrete way.
3. Oh Susanna
This is a short and upbeat fiddle tune, which would be fun for anyone to learn, particularly people who love bluegrass and old time music.
With this tune under your belt, you could go to any beginner bluegrass jam and impress everyone!
4. Tennessee Waltz
This is for all the beginners who love slow songs. The Tennessee Waltz is also popular in the bluegrass and country music repertoires, so you also would be ready to go if you brought this to your local jam session.
5. House Of The Rising Sun
Surely everyone has heard of this classic rock song that has made its way into several different genres of music over time. Like a lot of popular music, it has a relatively short and simple form, making it accessible to beginner musicians.
Don’t Use These Aids as a Crutch!
Although it may be helpful at first to learn violin beginner songs with letters, numbers, and colors as aids, I must caution you to not use them as a crutch. One common challenge is realizing when you are ready to move on to reading music without this support, and many students think it will take a lot longer than it really needs to.
Don’t sell yourself short! It’s good to try to push yourself a little bit farther than you think possible for your current level, and you might surprise yourself. In fact, many people do, and when you learn how to push yourself just enough past your limits, you will start to see how much you are really capable of. Happy practicing!
Alani Sugar