The violin is such a versatile instrument that it provides the melody to all music genres, including jazz and pop. You might already know and love the haunting violin solo in Kansas' Dust in the Wind or recognise the fiddling in Ed Sheeran's Galway Girl, based on a traditional Irish folk tune. But did you know you could play all these pop songs on the violin1, too? If you would like to learn how to play these songs yourself, violin lessons near me can help you build the necessary skills.
| 💽 Song title | 🎤 Artist | 😍 Why it's great for the violin |
|---|---|---|
| Perfect | Ed Sheeran | It's slow and repeating, allowing the player plenty of room for interpretation. |
| All of Me | John Legend | Mostly one string and one-finger action, with a slow pace. |
| Shallow | Lady Gaga / Bradley Cooper | Moderately paced, it gives intermediate violin players a bit of a challenge. |
| Someone like you | Adele | A great piece to practise your finger placements! |
| Blinding Lights | The Weeknd | Fast-paced and exciting, it's perfect for advanced violin players to work on their precision. |
| Can't Help Falling in Love | Elvis Presley | A nice ballad to practise bow work and fingering. |
| Viva La Vida | Coldplay | Repetitive and mildly paced, this is a fantastic practice tune ahead of a more strenuous workout. |
| A thousand Years | Christina Perri | Don't stop at that lovely violin bridge; the sheet music for this anthem features many lovely hooks to explore. |
| Let It Be | The Beatles | This tune lets the violin player show both their soft and fierce sides. |
| Take On Me | A-ha | Best played as a duet, an advanced player could also take it on as a solo project. |
What Do We Consider Violin Music Pop Songs?
Plenty of pop songs feature violins; a few in the table above feature violins in the background (can you tell which ones?). And some, like the Kansas tune we mentioned in the introduction, make no secret of their violins. But that's not exactly what we mean by 'pop songs for the violin'.
Violin players keen to play their favourite songs find sheet music for many popular tunes online or at their music store. The songs' arrangement is slightly different than the original melody you hear on the radio, but that's only to accommodate your instrument's unique qualities and features. The songs themselves don't change.
Each of the songs listed in this article has violin sheet music available.
Most of them have simplified arrangements for beginner violin players, too.
So, while you might not hear any violins in some of these songs, rest assured that you can find sheet music and tutorials to play them on the violin. With that made clear, let's indulge ourselves with the music we love, and plan how we might play it on the violin.
More Pop Songs for the Violin
The ten songs in the table above are a mish-mash of titles from different eras, when pop music tastes differed from today's preferences. Here, we expand on that idea a bit, presenting tunes that sound great in their original but would be divine on the violin. To develop the technique needed to transform pop tunes into expressive violin arrangements, consider exploring violin lessons near me.
| 💽 Song Title | 🎤 Artist | 📊 Difficulty level | 😍 Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| There Must Be an Angel (Playing With My Heart) | Annie Lennox & Dave Stewart | moderately difficult | The intermediate player who prefers upbeat, joyful tunes. |
| Take On Me | A-ha | moderately difficult | For the early intermediate player who has a precise fingering style. |
| Firework | Katy Perry | easy | Beginners |
| Our Song | Taylor Swift | easy | Beginners |
| Love You More | Celine Dion | difficult | intermediate to advanced players |
| Billie Jean | Michael Jackson | easy | Beginners |
| Skyfall | Adele | moderate - lots of long notes and vibrato | Beginners looking for a challenge |
| Sweet Home Alabama | Leonard Skynard | moderate - lots of room for fingerplay | intermediate players |
| I See Fire | Ed Sheeran | easy | Beginners |
| Another One Bites the Dust | Queen | moderately easy | Beginners looking for a challenge |
| Dance the Night | Dua Lipa | challenging | intermediate to advanced |
| Good Luck Babe | Chappell Roan | moderately challenging | intermediate players looking for a challenge |
| Bruises | Lewis Capaldi | moderate - demands quick finger action | intermediate players |
| Yesterday | The Beatles | easy | beginners |
| Candle in the Wind | Elton John | moderately challenging | intermediate to advanced |
Easy Pop Violin Songs for Beginners
Once you've advanced far enough in your violin lessons to master posture, some finger positions, and how to hold your bow correctly, you may start looking for more challenging songs to play. When you do, keep these points in mind2.
In all, songs for beginner violin players wanting a challenge should have a moderate tempo, a melody they're familiar with, and a repetitive pattern. They should be easy to count - find and hold the rhythm, and not tax their fingers too much. These songs all fit the bill and come with simplified arrangements.
- A Thousand Years (Christina Perri)
- Love Story (Taylor Swift)
- All of Me (John Legend)
- I Can't Help Falling in Love (Elvis Presley)
- Thinking Out Loud (Ed Sheeran)
- Video Games (Lana del Rey)
- Viva La Vida (Coldplay)
- Don't Start Now (Dua Lipa)
Pop Violin Songs for Every Purpose
Full disclosure: one of my neighbours plays the violin. They practise each day for around two hours, treating us to a variety of music styles. I once asked them what their mainstay genre was; they answered, "Whatever my clients want me to play." That's as good a reason as any to build an expansive, diverse catalogue.
As versatile an instrument as the violin is, talented players might find themselves fiddling at a festival one week and serenading at a wedding the next. Naturally, they wouldn't play the same selections at both venues. In this section, we present famous songs for the violin that you can play on different occasions.
Violin Songs for Weddings
Today's weddings tend to be expressions of the marrying couple. Some ceremonies are wild and upbeat, while others keep to the traditional romantic angle. Here, you'll find selections for both extremes.
Romantic wedding
- Canon in D Major (Pachelbel)
- Jesus, Joy of Man's Desiring (Bach)
- La Vie En Rose (Edith Piaf)
- Die With a Smile (Lady Gaga/Bruno Mars)
Upbeat Wedding
- Perfect (Ed Sheeran)
- Crazy in Love (Beyoncé)
- Happy (Pharrell)
- I Gotta Feeling (Black Eyed Peas)
Social Media and Pop Songs for the Violin
Some violin players like to cover popular songs at their local café and advertise their playing skills on social media. Whether you're a busker or a social media star, these tunes are tailor-made to grab listeners' attention.
Violin Music Pop Songs for Events
Often, event planners present their entertainers with a list of songs suitable to the occasion they're planning. However, they typically leave room for the artist to include a few pieces from their own catalogue. And occasionally, they leave music selection entirely to the artist.
You needn't choose the hardest violin pieces you can play. Depending on the event, you might include a few simpler, upbeat pieces like these.
- Wake Me Up (Wham!)
- Uptown Funk (Bruno Mars/Mark Ronson)
- Manchild (Sabrina Carpenter)
- Shut Up and Dance (Walk the Moon)
As noted above, the violin is a versatile instrument, well suited to play all these songs. However, even the most capable violinist might need to enhance their performance if playing to a large crowd. If you have a pickup and a loop pedal, you can boost your instrument's sound and effects by pre-recording short loops. And then, you work the recordings into your live performance for a fuller sound.
How To Choose the Right Pop Songs for the Violin
Your emotional connection is the #1 factor that should influence your choice of violin music pop songs. To be sure, any technically competent violinist can play any piece they place on their music stand. However, if they can't feel it, they can't play it with the heart and passion every good piece of music deserves.
Beyond that essential factor, you have a few practical considerations to reflect on as you pick your violin song catalogue. These are the aspects to consider as you review titles of pop songs for the violin.
Tips for Playing Pop Songs on the Violin
Your violin tutor likely has a long list of suggestions to help you find and hit your performance stride3. We add our voice to their wisdom and, should we echo their advice, that only reflects how sound their suggestions are.
Above, we insisted that a musician must have an emotional connection to their music to play it credibly.
Our first tip is in the same vein: learn the vocal melody first. As you surely know, violins typically carry the song's melody, so that's the part you'll be playing.
As you hum this tune, you might imagine where you can insert flourishes or pauses to make the piece more dramatic. That is an excellent idea!
Experiment to your heart's content but let your final version's ornamentation remain spare. Otherwise, you risk distorting the original melody.
That implies that adding dynamics and vibrato isn't necessary at every note or bar. The best use for these enhancements is when you wish to make a particular phrase more expressive. You'll lose the effect if you apply them throughout the piece.
When you have an idea how you'll interpret the song, it's time to begin practising. Start slowly, letting your metronome count the beats. Increase the tempo until you reach the ideal measure for your song. Once you're comfortable with your interpretation, see how it sounds when you play it against a backing track.
Where to Find Sheet Music for Pop Violin Songs
The internet boasts a vast collection of sheet music for violin on various sites, including simplified arrangements for beginners. However, unless they're licensed to download, consider them off-limits. Fortunately, plenty of web pages offer licensed downloads for free or just a small fee.
It's a bit more work to find sheet music for beginners, though. Furthermore, if you are a beginner violin player, you might not have the skills needed to assess arrangements you find online. In your case, it's best to shop at your music store so you can get immediate feedback on your selections. That way, you won't waste time, energy and, perhaps, money in your search for music to learn.
As long as you're shopping around, why not bookmark a few good sites that offer play-alongs and backing tracks? You might not need them right now, but you will, eventually. They will come in handy once you begin to play intermediate-level violin selections.
References
- CodaBow. “Violin Vibes: 118 Pop Songs With Violin | CodaBow.” CodaBow, 16 Dec. 2024, https://blog.codabow.com/news/pop-songs-with-violin/. Accessed 9 Sept. 2026.
- Heath, Jennifer. “Beginner Violin Tips: What Every New String Player Should Know.” Tunelark, 18 May 2026, https://www.tunelark.com/blog/beginner-violin-tips/. Accessed 9 Sept. 2026.
- Howes, Christian . How to Play Pop Music on Violin without Sounding Soo Classical. 2025, https://christianhowes.com/2021/10/11/how-to-play-pop-music-on-violin-without-sounding-soo-classical/. Accessed 9 Sept. 2026.
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