How to Choose the Best Violin Songs for Your Recital

Do you have a big recital coming up? Below, violin teacher Julie P. shares some tips on how to choose the best violin songs and nail your next performance…

If you’re a beginner violinist preparing for your first big recital, you’re probably wondering how to pick the best violin songs that will showcase what you’ve learned throughout your violin lessons.

Chances are you’re also nervous about how you’ll play in front of people. While it’s good to have some butterflies in your stomach, there’s no need to be overly anxious, as your violin lessons have prepared you for this exact moment.

To ensure that you choose the best violin songs for your performance, follow the tips and tricks below. There’s also a short list of suggested violin songs for beginners.

Tips for Choosing the Best Violin Songs

Not too easy, but not too hard

You want to choose a recital piece that is difficult enough to keep you engaged in the learning process, but not so challenging that you can’t play it well.

Pick a piece that looks about as difficult as other music you’ve played well in the past. When in doubt, err on the side of picking an easy violin song.

For your first recital experience, you want to be as comfortable and confident as possible.

Appropriate for the setting

Is your recital a formal event or more causal? Will the other performers be playing strictly classical music, or will there be a mix of musical styles like pop and rock? Are you expected to perform with piano accompaniment?

These are all questions that you should be asking yourself to determine the overall performance setting.

A song from Pirates of the Caribbean performed with CD accompaniment, for example, may be appropriate for one recital, while a more classic song will be best suited for another performance.

Enjoyable for you

Choose a song you enjoy playing. There is nothing worse than spending hours and hours learning to play a song you don’t even like.

The more you enjoy playing and listening to your recital piece, the more you will end up practicing it.

Plus, your enjoyment will radiate on stage and will put you more at ease while performing.

Your comfort level

Some students feel perfectly comfortable performing alone in front of an audience, while others are terrified of being on stage alone.

If you’re one of those people who prefer to play with someone else, here are some options you might want to consider:

• Perform a duet with another student or your violin teacher