5 Easy Pieces for Violin Beginners
September 18, 2019
In this article, Metronaut team has curated some easy songs for violin beginners, pieces that are not so difficult to read and play. It can be a little bit challenging to master them but really rewarding and enjoyable in the end. You can find these pieces on Metronaut App adapted for violin and with simplified versions of music sheets for beginners.
Amazing Grace
Amazing Grace is a Christian hymn of the 18th century, and is a must-learn song for violin beginners. The song was composed with the words of the English poet John Newton. This calm and beautiful piece became a classic song in the American culture, and is frequently played at funerals and memorials services. The song is manageable for inexperienced violinists as the melody is easily sung and falls into a narrow range of notes. Generally, it is performed in G major which is a violin friendly key that doesn’t require large leaps, and the piece doesn’t have complex rhythmic patterns. You can also learn this piece from memory like many other players, or play it in duet with another violinist or instrumentalist to harmonize with you.
Silent Night by Franz Xaver Gruber
Silent Night (originally: Stille Nacht Heilige Nacht) is a popular Christmas carol composed in 1818 by Franz Xaver Gruber. This piece is so famous that it was declared as an intangible cultural heritage in 2011 by the UNESCO. Silent Night is written in D major, an easy key for beginners, and has a time signature of 3/4. The whole song is very slow and several short phrases are repeated in each verse, which makes it easier to manage and memorize.
Jingle Bells
Here is another famous winter holiday song, and probably the most commonly sung American piece in the world. Long story short, this song was originally composed for the Thanksgiving season and has no connection with Christmas, but it became associated with Christmas music with time and is performed worldwide during this period. The piece is written in the key of A, and it is easy to find sheets for beginners, with the whole piece in first position played with four fingers. The original melody follows the same chord progression as Pachelbel’s Canon, which is also a must-learn for violin beginners. It is also the occasion to practice your bowing technique by adding some swing effect by pressing it upon the strings. You should be able to play it even if you’ve started violin really recently.
Minuet in G Major by JS Bach (BWV 114)
This piece is harder than the first ones presented and constitutes a big step toward mastering from easy folk songs to playing real pieces. The composer is Johann Sebastian Bach, one of the most appreciated classical composers of all time. Even if you play an adapted version of his composition, it’s a great leap in your learning process. This piece is one of the most famous pieces from the Baroque Era, and is a realistic goal for beginners who need to be challenged. This piece introduces some difficult concepts for beginners, such as using the fourth finger to play notes, slurs (it is two notes connected and played with one bow stroke) and also complex note sequences on three of the violin strings.It’s interesting to note that even if the piece is longer and more challenging, many parts are repeated, which may help as you go along.
Gavotte by JF Gossec
To finish, here is probably the most difficult piece of this selection: Gavotte by the french composer François-Joseph Gossec. This piece is studied at the end of Suzuki Book I (the most recommended book for those who learn the violin). That’s why this piece represents a step for many violin beginners at the end of their first year. Gavotte adds new and complex rhythms with sixteenth notes, and is a must-learn to work on rhythms and your playing speed. Do finger exercises and scales regularly without your sheet music to work on the fast finger gesture that you will need to perform this piece well. This piece is really challenging but is a big step when you can master it.
Beginner, here are some tips to improve your violin skills
Music being the best stress reliever ever, it's not surprising that many of you are getting into it, especially violin playing which is considered to produce a range of melodious songs. Whether you are trying to play "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star" or another easy song from the list above, learning violin is indeed a challenge for every beginner. As a matter of fact, mastering the violin and playing any music from this instrument requires a huge amount of work and time. Even if each beginner has his own way to play or to hold the violin, there are some tips that can bring your music skills to another height. Here are tips that each and every beginner needs to know in order to improve his skills while learning to play music with violin.
Beginner should have in hand essential violin equipments
Even if Metronaut app provides digital sheet music, we advise every beginner to have in hand some essential materials. Think about the elements below for your next visit to a music store :
- Rosin
- Extra strings
- Music stand (for example, the music stand's size and stability)
- Shoulder rest for violin
- Wipe
- Clip-on tuner
These couple of materials will help you as a beginner while you are learning to play violin.
Beginner, tune your violin
It is crucial to tune your violin carefully before you start to play. Why is it so important ? Simply because most violins are made of wood and, as you might know, wood is extremely sensitive to shifts in temperature and humidity. These two can impact your tune negatively. In this context, it is better for a beginner to make use of a clip-on tuner to keep his violin perfectly in tune. Furthermore, even if you just start learning to play this musical instrument, try to train your hearing. For that, the best solution is a tuning fork.
Beginner, keep a good posture while playing music
Every music player should adopt a good posture from the beginning. Indeed, the right playing posture will enable you to play your violin in a more comfortable way, thus preventing any kind of injury. It has been observed that a beginner tends to clutch his/her violin too tightly, as a consequence, it is more difficult for the latter to play the instrument even on easy songs. A shoulder rest is for sure a great help as it will relieve the pressure on your neck. In addition, a music stand will help you to maintain the appropriate posture since you can put your digital sheet music on it.
Beginner, always remember that practice makes perfect
In order to play the violin perfectly, there is no secret formula. All you need is to practice as much as you can. At first, try to play the five easy songs above, keep on playing till you play them perfectly. It is always good to start playing the violin on easy songs, then when you feel more comfortable, why not trying to play music that has another level of difficulty. Also, try to explore different genres of music to improve your hearing and your violin skills. Violin is not only a beautiful instrument, but also a complex one ! Play violin on a regular basis, and you will be able to play any music with your violin.
To end this article, don’t forget that you can use Metronaut app to enjoy practicing every piece presented here with music accompaniments. Additionally, you can set the tempo at your convenience to make your practice sessions easier. Also, you can check our article given tips to find time to practice!