Internet music classes, lectures and a bunch of free music sheets make music learning much easier, and what’s best you can do it from your home, so we have listed here the 10 easiest fiddle tunes for children which they can master easily.
Learning to play violin, or fiddle is surely not the easiest choice of musical instrument, as you can see from our list of 10 Easiest Instruments to Learn how to play. Although the two terms refer to the same instrument, the common difference is being made between fiddle and the violin only in terms of different music styles. Therefore, fiddle being used mostly for country, bluegrass, and traditional kinds of music, while violin is primarily referred to classical music. That is why we decided to primarily (but not solely) focus on fiddle kinds of music, which are, luckily, easier to play at the start. Nevertheless, even the easiest fiddle tunes can get way too complicated in the hands of virtuosos.
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And although used for “simpler” kinds of music, that music is often very fast, like Irish jigs and reels or polkas for example. Interestingly, most of the traditional music played on fiddle was written down in 18th and 19th century containing a bit of a romantic spirit of those times. Some of them, Like Johnny I Hardly Knew Ya, Rocky Road to Dublin or Amazing Grace, apart from being the highlights of their time, remained so popular that the number of adaptations and variations of these songs grows in popular music even today.
We explored some of the music and violin/fiddle/string instrument oriented websites and forums in order to find some of the easiest fiddle tunes for children. Some of them are the Fiddle Jam Institute, the Session, Fretless Finger Guides, Artist Works. There are also some good fiddle teaching websites, such as Online Fiddle School with Darol Anger, and also websites where you can get some sheet music for free, like the Violin Sheet music. And also, never miss the YouTube, as an unlimited source for finding great fiddle lessons and easy song adaptations.
There is plenty of choice for fiddle beginners of jigs, dances, cartoon music, lullabies and other fun music for children. But in order to start from somewhere, and chose the simplest ones, let’s see which are the easiest fiddle tunes for children:
10. Little Brown Jug
This song was composed by Joseph Winner in 1869. As a drinking song it became very popular during the Prohibition, so the thematic might not be the most appropriate one for children. Nevertheless, the instrumental version is quite easy to play, and probably the most famous instrumental adaptation of this song was by Glenn Miller.
9. My Darling Asleep
My Darling Asleep, and in Irish the Mo Muirnin ‘Sa Codlad, is one of the traditional Irish songs written down in the late 19th century. This is one of the famous traditional Irish tunes, a jig played on fiddle, whistle accordion and other instruments and it is a great song to learn.
8. Foggy Dew
This is one sad Irish ballad, firstly written down in the 19th century in The Ancient Music of Ireland by Edward Bunting. Among many popular adaptations probably the most famous one is by Sinéad O’Connor.
7. Amazing Grace
The lyrics for Amazing Grace, or better put the words for a Catholic hymn were written by John Newton in the 18th century, but the melody that they are sang to is actually called New Britain which origin is unknown. Today most people recognize this song as Amazing Grace.
6. Loch Lomond
Loch Lomond is short from The Bonnie Banks o’ Loch Lomond, a traditional Scottish song. There are many performances and adaptions of this songs nowadays, but the simple version surely is one of the easiest fiddle tunes for children to learn.
5. Brahms Lullaby
This is a very famous lullaby, known also as the Cradle song originally composed by German Romantic composer Johannes Brahms as Wiegenlied: Guten Nacht, Gute Nacht. Today it is world widely recognized but probably not many people know its origin.
4. Scarborough Fair
Scarborough Fair is an old traditional English song. It is a ballad placed in the town of Scarborough and probably the most famous version of this song was performed by Simon & Garfunkel.
3. My Bonnie Lies Over the Ocean
This is a rather sad themed old Scottish traditional song, but since it is slow and the tune is pretty much simple, it is one of the great songs for kids, to begin with.
2. Au Clair de la Lune
This is an 18th-century French song. Au Clair de la Lune, or translated as By the Light of the Moon is very easy to learn and nowadays sang as a lullaby.
1. Twinkle Twinkle Little Star
Now, one of the most recognizable melodies in the world is a variation of an old French song named Ah! vous dirai-je, maman (Oh! Shall I tell you, mommy). The name under which it is most recognizable was first published in the 19th century by English poets Jane and Ann Taylor. It still remains a beginners’ favorite and the first among the easiest fiddle tunes for children on our list.
