Children's songs for learning to play an instrument

Why start with songs your child already knows

When children play an unfamiliar melody, they rely on the score or their teacher to know whether they're getting it right. With a song they've sung a thousand times, their ears become the teacher: they know when a note doesn't fit and try to correct it. That speeds up learning and gives them something invaluable at the start: the feeling of “I can do it now.”

These songs also have short phrases, plenty of repetition, and few notes. That's exactly what someone still learning where to place their fingers needs.

Children's songs and what each one teaches

The order matters less than matching the child's level: the teacher chooses a song based on the notes and rhythms the child already knows, then returns to it when it can teach something new.

On recorder

The recorder is often a child's first melodic instrument at school, and children's songs are its natural repertoire. Three tips from a teacher:

• Choose the key to suit the fingerings. Estrellita in C major requires low C, which means covering every hole without leaks; in G major, the melody uses notes that are much easier for beginners.
• Start with songs that use few notes. Many teachers begin with the first left-hand notes and find melodies that fit within them before adding the right hand.
• Blow gently and tongue each note. The repeated notes in Estrellita or Los pollitos dicen are a great articulation exercise: each starts with a gentle “tu”.

If you don't have a recorder yet or are unsure about Baroque versus German fingering, see how to choose a recorder. And if your child wants to go beyond school music, explore our recorder lessons.

On piano or keyboard

The piano has an advantage: children can see the notes arranged from low to high. Children's songs help them progress from playing with one finger to using the whole hand, in this order:

1. One hand, five fingers. Oda a la alegría fits almost entirely in C position, with one finger per key from C to G, and teaches children to play without looking at their hands.
2. Small stretches. Estrellita goes beyond that position when it reaches A: a first exercise in moving the hand without losing the pulse.
3. A family round. Martinillo can be played as a round: the child starts, and an adult joins with the same melody a few measures later.
4. The left hand. With Arroz con leche or Cumpleaños feliz, the left hand can play a single note for each chord on the first beat of each measure.

In children's piano lessons, these songs often go hand in hand with reading exercises from very early on: what children can already play by ear helps them understand what they see on the score.

On violin, guitar, and voice

Violin

Estrellita is the starting point for countless violinists: the Suzuki method begins with rhythmic variations on this melody. Each variation changes the bowing rhythm over the same notes, so the child focuses on the sound rather than remembering the melody.

Guitar

On guitar, children usually begin by accompanying songs rather than playing melodies. Martinillo is perfect because a single chord supports it: the child strums while the family sings, and the chord still works when the voices enter as a round. Then come two- or three-chord songs, such as Arroz con leche, to practice the first chord changes.

Voice and introductory music lessons

Before the instrument comes the voice. In introductory music lessons, circle-game songs such as Arroz con leche or El patio de mi casa are sung, danced, and clapped. Singing a melody in tune is the first step toward playing it.

One song, many ways to learn

A teacher rarely “finishes” a song and moves straight on to another. The same melody can be useful for weeks if you change how you work on it:

1. Sing it using note names.
2. Clap the rhythm without the melody, or use body percussion.
3. Play it phrase by phrase, slowly at first.
4. Read it from the score once the child starts reading music, connecting what they hear with what they see.
5. Vary it: change the rhythm, play it louder or softer, or move it to another key.
6. Play it with others, as a round or with an adult accompanying.

The idea of variations isn't new: Mozart wrote twelve piano variations on the French melody we know as Estrellita. If your child already plays the simple version, listening to those variations together is a lovely way to show how far a simple song can go. For more ways to play with these songs' rhythms at home, see musical games for children.

Common mistakes when choosing and practicing songs

• Moving on to the next song before the first one flows smoothly.
• Insisting on “baby songs” with a 9- or 10-year-old who no longer relates to them; at that age, mix them with music the child enjoys.
• Keeping the songbook's key even when it doesn't suit the instrument or voice.
• Correcting every note as the child plays, instead of letting them finish the phrase and commenting afterward.
• Always learning by ear without ever looking at the score, or the reverse: the two approaches reinforce each other.

Frequently asked questions