First violin songs for kids: 12 tunes to start with

A beginner on the violin starts with open strings, then three-note tunes, then the songs every young violinist knows. These 12 tunes are in a sensible order. Each one adds a single new skill. Your child’s teacher will choose the real order, so use this list to know what is coming.

Before the first tune

Most children spend a few weeks on the basics before they play a song.

• How to hold the violin and the bow
• The names of the four strings, from low to high: G, D, A, and E
• Plucking the open strings
• Short bow strokes on one string

Read how to hold a violin bow and how to rosin a violin bow.

The 12 tunes

Tune	Notes it uses	What it teaches
1. Open string rhythms	No fingers	A steady bow, and crossing from one string to the next
2. “Hot Cross Buns”	Three notes on one string	Putting fingers down and lifting them in order
3. “Mary Had a Little Lamb”	Three notes, with one more at the top	Repeated notes with clean bow changes
4. “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star”	Six notes across two strings	Moving between two strings in the middle of a tune
5. “Lightly Row”	Five notes across two strings	Skips, where the fingers do not move in order
6. “Song of the Wind”	Two strings	Lifting the bow and setting it down again in time
7. “Go Tell Aunt Rhody”	Two strings	Playing a whole tune with a clear start, middle, and end
8. “Boil ’Em Cabbage Down”	A few notes	A fiddle shuffle rhythm with the bow
9. “Ode to Joy”	Five notes that move by step	Long, smooth bows
10. “May Song”	Two strings	A long note followed by a quick one
11. “Long, Long Ago”	Two strings	A slower tune with a singing sound
12. “Allegro,” by Suzuki	Two strings	Short, crisp notes, and a pause near the end

Seven of these tunes are in Suzuki Violin Book 1. Read Suzuki Violin Book 1 songs in order.

Why “Twinkle” comes first for so many

Suzuki students learn “Twinkle” as a set of rhythms before they play the tune plain. Each rhythm trains the bow arm in a new way. Read the Twinkle variations explained.

“Twinkle” is a good first song in any method.

• The child knows the tune already and can hear a wrong note.
• It uses the two highest strings, which are the easiest to reach.
• It has repeated notes, so the left hand has time to get ready.

Which key?

Most first violin tunes are in A major or D major. In those keys, the first three fingers fall in the same simple pattern on each string. A teacher may put small tapes on the fingerboard to show where the fingers go.

How long does it take?

Children move at different speeds. A four-year-old may spend many months on “Twinkle.” An eight-year-old may play it in a few weeks. Both are normal. Ask the teacher what pace to expect.

Tips for parents

• Listen first. Play a recording of the tune every day for a week before your child tries it. A child who can sing a tune knows how it is meant to sound.
• Pluck, then bow. Learn the notes by plucking. Add the bow when the fingers know where to go.
• One line a day. Learn a tune in small pieces. Join them at the end of the week.
• Keep the old tunes. Play every tune your child has learned at least once a week. Suzuki teachers call this review.
• Tune the violin first. A tune sounds wrong on a violin that is out of tune. Read how to tune a child’s violin.
• Keep it short. A few minutes on one tune is enough for a young beginner. Read how long should kids practice.

Make it a game

• Stand up, sit down. Sing the tune. Stand on every high note, and sit on every low one.
• Play it for a toy. Line up the stuffed animals and give a concert.
• Mix the order. Write the tune names on cards. Draw one, and play it.
• Tick the chart. Mark each day’s practice on the weekly practice chart.

What comes after

After these tunes, a student is ready for longer pieces with three or four lines: “Perpetual Motion,” three minuets, “The Happy Farmer,” and Gossec’s Gavotte. Read Suzuki violin books 1 to 10 and violin method books compared.

To hear what the violin can do in the hands of a master, read famous violin pieces for kids to hear.