Pop Songs You Can Play on the Violin

Looking for some pop songs you can play on the violin? We’ve got you covered with our top 10 list of chart-toppers that are perfect for violinists of all levels.

Introduction

Though the violin is often thought of as a classical instrument, it can be used to play a wide variety of music genres, including pop. If you’re a beginner on the violin, you may be wondering what pop songs you can play.

Here are a few popular songs that are perfect for beginner violinists:

1. “A Thousand Years” by Christina Perri
2. “All of Me” by John Legend
3. “Hallelujah” by Leonard Cohen
4. “Hey Soul Sister” by Train
5. “I Will Always Love You” by Whitney Houston
6. ” Jar of Hearts” by Christina Perri
7. “Just the Way You Are” by Bruno Mars
8. “Mustang Sally” by Wilson Pickett
9.”Smells Like Teen Spirit” by Nirvana
10.”Someone Like You” by Adele

“Shape of You” by Ed Sheeran

“Shape of You” is a song by English singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran. It was released as a digital download on 6 January 2017 as one of the double lead singles from his third studio album, ÷ (2017), along with “Castle on the Hill”. The lyrics address the theme of finding love in unexpected places.

The song debuted at number one on the UK Singles Chart, becoming Sheeran’s first chart-topping single in his home country and spent fourteen non-consecutive weeks atop the chart. In June 2017, “Shape of You” became the longest-reigning number one single in the UK by a male artist. In February 2018, it became the longest-reigning number one single ever in Ireland, surpassing Bryan Adams’ “Everything I Do (I Do It for You)” and deservingly so. This seductive tune is perfect for the violin, with its sultry melodies and intoxicating rhythms.

“Havana” by Camila Cabello

“Havana” is a song recorded by Cuban-American singer Camila Cabello featuring guest vocals from American rapper Young Thug. It was released on August 3, 2017, as the lead single from her debut studio album, Camila (2018). The song was written by Cabello, Starrah, Brian Lee, Ali Tamposi, Young Thug, Pharrell Williams and Andrew Watt, with the production handled by Watt and Williams. A tropical house track with elements of R&B and hip hop, its instrumentation consists of a steel drum, synths and clean guitar lines. Lyrically, the song is about Cabello’s relationship with someone who she cannot forget.

The song received generally positive reviews from music critics, who praised its production and called it one of the album’s best tracks. Commercially, “Havana” peaked at number one in Australia, Canada and the United States; it also became Cabello’s first number-one single on the US Billboard Hot 100 as a solo artist. The single also attained top-five positions in Denmark, Sweden and the United Kingdom. In February 2018, “Havana” received nominations for Record of the Year and Best Pop Solo Performance at the 60th Annual Grammy Awards.”

“Despacito” by Luis Fonsi

“Despacito” by Luis Fonsi is a pop song that you can play on the violin. The song has a very catchy melody that is sure to get stuck in your head. The lyrics are in Spanish, but the meaning is very easy to understand. The song is about a man who is trying to win over a woman’s heart.

The song starts out with a slow and sensual beat, but soon picks up the tempo and becomes more upbeat. The chorus of the song is very catchy and will have you singing along in no time. “Despacito” is a great choice for anyone who wants to learn how to play pop songs on the violin.

“Attention” by Charlie Puth

“Attention” is a song recorded by American singer Charlie Puth for his second studio album, Voicenotes (2018). The song was released on April 21, 2017, as the lead single from the album. It was written and produced by Puth, with additional writing from Jacob Kasher. “Attention” peaked at number five on the US Billboard Hot 100 and number one on the Mainstream Top 40 radio chart.

“Perfect” by Ed Sheeran

“Perfect” is a song by English singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran from his third studio album, ÷ (2017). The song was released as a digital download on 26 September 2017. The lyric video was released on YouTube the same day. The song peaked at number one on the UK Singles Chart and the US Billboard Hot 100, becoming Sheeran’s sixth and seventh number-one single in those countries, respectively.

The violin part for “Perfect” is actually not too difficult, and it’s a great choice if you’re looking for a pop song to play on the violin. The melody is mostly in the first position, with a few higher notes towards the end of the song. You can find the violin part for “Perfect” in any good pop music book or online.

“All of Me” by John Legend

“All of Me” is a ballad John Legend co-wrote with Toby Gad. It was released on August 12, 2013, as the third single from his fourth studio album Love in the Future (2013). The song peaked at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 receiving triple platinum certifications as of October 2014, becoming Legend’s first and only single to date to reach that position.
It briefly became the longest-running number-one song of 2014 in the United States until placed second by “Fancy” by Iggy Azalea.
The song’s music video was directed by Nabil Elderkin and features Legend and his wife Chrissy Teigen. The video gained popularity on YouTube for its simple, yet romantic and intimate storyline. As of June 2017, the music video has accumulated over 690 million views on YouTube.

“Closer” by The Chainsmokers

“Closer” is a song by American DJ duo The Chainsmokers, featuring vocals from American singer Halsey. The song was released on July 29, 2016, through Disruptor Records and Columbia Records. It is the second single from the duo’s debut studio album, Memories…Do Not Open. It entered the US Billboard Hot 100 at number seven and has peaked at number four, making it their highest-charting single in the US to date.

We arranged “Closer” by The Chainsmokers for beginning violinists. This arrangement can be played on violin with or without accompaniment.

“Stay” by Rihanna

“Stay” is a song recorded by Barbadian singer Rihanna for her seventh studio album, Unapologetic (2012). It features guest vocals by Mikky Ekko, and was released as the second single from the album on January 7, 2013. “Stay” was co-written by Ekko and Justin Parker. The song’s lyrical content speaks of temptation and the inability to resist true love. Upon the release of Unapologetic, music critics praised the power of the chorus on “Stay”. Commercially, the single peaked at number three on the US Billboard Hot 100 and became Rihanna’s 23rd top ten single, thus surpassing Whitney Houston’s record for a solo female artist with most top ten entries. Furthermore, it gave Rihanna her sixth number one single in Switzerland.

An accompanying music video for “Stay” was directed by Sophie Muller and filmed in February 2013. It depicts Rihanna in two scenes; one in which she is alone in a hotel room reflecting on her life, and another where she is singing in a bathtub filled with rose petals. Critics were divided in their opinions of the video; some praised it for its vulnerability while others criticized it for being too simplistic. Additionally, an alternate black-and-white clip was directed by Tom Munro and released on March 28, 2013. In June 2013, Nabil Elderkin shot a supplementary music video in Todos Santos that shows Rihanna enjoying her time while staying at Hotel California.

Rihanna began working on the new sound for her seventh studio album in March 2012, even though she had not yet begun recording.” Stay” was written by Mikky Ekko and Justin Parker. For the song’s composition Parker stuck with a piano as his instrumentation choice because he wanted to keep things simple so that nothing detracted from Rihanna’s vocals.” Ekko told MTV News about their team-up during Composer Citation ceremony at ASCAP Awards last year:We were talking about love—about how sometimes you see somebody from across an entire room and you feel this electric thing,” he said of their meeting [with Park]. And that night we got together we just kind of speaking about life—about how nothing else matters but this moment between us right now.” When asked if he initially noticed how special their musical connection was at that point?He shook his head to indicate no but recalled telling his manager Colin Farmery that night: “‘This girl is really special.’ And when I looked over at my manager while we were writing … watching him watch her while we were writing this song ’cause they have this writing session going on between them …”Ekko said he eventually realized Park saw something very different than him: what ‘Stay’ turned out to be dominated by piano over any other instrumentation.”

“Something Just Like This” by The Chainsmokers

One of the most popular songs of 2017, “Something Just Like This” by The Chainsmokers is a great choice for beginner violinists. The melody is simple and repetitive, making it easy to learn, and the overall tone of the song is fairly light and cheerful. If you’re looking for a pop song that’s a little more challenging, try ” shape of You” by Ed Sheeran.