If you are just beginning to learn to sing but haven’t found a teacher yet, you may find it difficult to know which songs to try on your own. People often start by picking something from their favorite singer, but all too often this means that they are trying a song that is too difficult for a beginner. For example, stars like Mariah Carey or Leona Lewis are capable of singing very high notes and complicated rhythms, so these may not be easy songs for beginners. That is why I have compiled a list of great songs for beginners.
In my twenty years of teaching singing, I have found the following songs to be of great benefit to the student as he begins to learn to sing. The songs have been selected because they have the following characteristics:
Memorable melody
Not too high
Good length of sentences
No skipping or awkward intervals
Direct rhythm
In English
Here is the list:
- Amazing Grace (traditional)
- Blue Moon (Richard Rodgers)
- Summer (Gershwin)
- Autumn Leaves (Josef Kosma)
- Top of the World (The Carpenters)
- He has the whole world in his hands (spiritual)
- Oh, when the saints go marching (trad)
- I don’t know how to love him (from Jesus Christ Superstar)
- On my own (from Les Miserables)
- My Bonnie lies on the ocean (Scottish trad)
- Swing Low Sweet Chariot (trad)
- You are my sunshine (Jimmie Davis and Charles Mitchell)
As you can see, some of these songs are traditional songs. Generally speaking, traditional songs can be a good option, as they tend to be simple without a lot of variety. So once you’ve mastered part of the list above, you can easily find more traditional songs to try by searching the internet or going to a music library.
