What Popular Songs Can I Play on The Cello?

Learning to play the cello can be a challenging process. Once you’ve mastered the art of basic bowing techniques and fingering positions for the notes on the bass clef (F-clef), you can expand your practice. Many new students find that repeating the same old exercises over and over can become a little stale.

Therefore, even if you’re still a beginner cellist, finding music that helps inspire practice will help you make advancements quicker. Although you may not have learned to produce the higher treble and tenor clef notes, there are plenty of easy cello songs that you can learn to play. Many online sites offer free sheet music for the cello in a variety of music genres, ranging from popular songs to classical compositions.

This list of easy cello music links can help you increase your playing precision and encourage you to sit down for longer practice sessions. Plus, all of the following titles are perfect for beginner cellists who’d like to increase their range.

C.C. Rider Blues (See See Rider) Trad. Version—an unknown author created this 12-bar blues song before 1923, but it’s a great toe-tapping tune. Renditions have been done by Rock legends such as Elvis, Chuck Berry, The Who, and Janis Joplin. Free Download.

Li’l Liza Jane c. 1910—This classic jazz tune is also a popular bluegrass staple, but it can adapt to practically any genre. Free to download.

Ave Maria, Bach, Gounod—This beautiful melody is a standard piece used at weddings. Interestingly, it was “designed to be superimposed over the Prelude No. 1 in C major, BWV 846, from Book I of J.S. Bach's The Well-Tempered Clavier, written some 137 years earlier.”

Star Wars (Theme) by John Williams—Fun to play and learn, this instrument solo’s range is from D4 to A5. $3.99 to download.

Let It Go (Movie Version) Frozen—This instrument solo never gets old. $3.25 to download, $1.99 for a digital copy.

Eleanor Rigby, The Beatles (Lennon, McCartney)—A must know for cellists, this download is $5.25 but includes a digital copy for your library.

Because of You, Kelly Clarkson—The solo for this popular cello sheet music is $2.99 to download.

Finding Resources

Naturally, all artists have their own unique musical preference, and it’s nearly impossible to list every piece of free music available in one article. So, if you don’t find exactly what you’re looking for in the previous examples, here are some resource links that will provide access to thousands of other titles.

• FreeScores.com has over 4000 cello and violoncello sheet music downloads available. Grouped in categories for string quartets, solos, ensembles, chamber orchestras, and more, cello students can download a variety of scores in various genres and aptitude levels. You can search by artist, composer, or other filters such as new music or most popular downloads.
• MusicNotes.com also includes a myriad of cello sheet music to download. Some of the pieces are available for free, but the most popular ones require a small purchase, typically less than $3.00. Along with easy cello songs to play, this site offers a number of country and western, pop, and classical music scores, as well as compositions from the latest Disney movies.
• 8Notes.com is another site that contains thousands of free cello sheet music downloads. With categories like latest additions, jazz, cello lick and riffs, and others, the selection is expansive. The site also includes a tuner, metronome, lessons, and forums so that you can get help from other cellists (just make sure that you conform to the forum rules and receive permission—if necessary—before participating). One other great feature, this site allows you to both print and play along with the music, changing the tempo as needed.
• Celloonline.com offer free easy cello songs to play, delivering sheet music through PDFs. The selection includes a number of classical composers with their most beloved tunes, and you may browse through a variety of holiday sections. This site also offers tutorials, lessons, and cello exercises to supplement your practice routine.
• Capotastomusic.com offers tons of easy cello music to download for free. The list is alphabetized for easy searching, but you can find everything from well-known songs like “The Farmer in the Dale” and “Yankee Doodle.” This site is perfect for new learners who want quick, free access to easy cello songs to play.

Finding effective ways to improve your cello skills is easier when you practice with music that you like. By exploring around a bit online, you can locate all of your favorite music and build practice sessions that are both challenging and fun. Most music can be purchased for under $5.00 per song. Don't forget to search Amazon for other great collections that you can purchase.