I recommend to practice singing with easy songs. But why? Why choose a song that you can already sing? Shouldn’t you take a difficult song and improve yourself?

But no. Easy songs are the best when you are learning a new vocal skill. For example, if you are working on closing your vocal cords properly (which is later essential for belting), you want to take something super easy, where you don't have to focus on big jumps in the melody or super complicated riffs or high notes. Then you can focus on the skill you need, not on how hard the song is.

Criteria of an easy song

What is an 'easy' song is often misunderstood. Many lists with easy songs have a range of well over an octave and/or big jumps. These songs might still be easy to remember - but they can be hard on your vocal cords, especially for beginners.

So here are my criteria

  • A short range
  • Few or no big jumps
  • Not too slow nor too fast
  • Catchy! If the song is catchy enough it might be easy enough to sing even if it doesn’t meet the other criteria.
  • Not chromatic: so songs with notes that 'make sense' in the major or minor scale of the song. No 'odd' notes.
  • No growling or screaming

No longer a little mouse...

Maybe you feel it's time to stop shushing your own voice. My weekly 'Belting Mouse' mail shows you how to. It gets you on track with stories and insights from my life as a singer and that of my students. 

For 'little mice' who are tired of squeaking and want to start belting...

A list of easy pop/rock songs

With my students I often use the following five songs with a short range: less than an octave. So if you're a beginner, or if you have vocal issues like a cold - which I had when I recorded below video - you don't have to worry about high or low notes. You can simply focus on the technique you want to practice.

Extremely short range songs (pop/rock)

All the below songs are under an octave, some have only three notes!

Song

Artist

Range (notes)

Knockin' on heaven's door

Bob Dylan

3

Sweet Home Alabama

Lynyrd Skynyrd

3

Da Doo Run Run

The Crystals

4

Losing my religion

REM

4

sweet dreams

Eurythmics

4/5 (keep the vocalizing parts in the same octave)

only wanne be with you

Hootie and the Blowfish

4/5

The roof is one fire

Bloodhound gang

5

I want love

elton john

5

bohemian like you

the dandy warhols

5 (without the whoo hoo part)

all the small things

blink 182

5

the times they are a'changing

bob dylan

5 (don't do as Bob, but sing in the middle of your range, not the top 🙂

pure shores

all saints

6

chasing cars

snow patrol

6

This is the life

Amy MacDonald

6

here comes the rain again

Eurythmics

6

michel

anouk

6

take my breath away

berlin

6

mad world

gary jules

6

californication

red hot chili peppers

6

here comes the sun

the beatles

6 (major/minor changes are hard)

Back to black

amy winehouse

7

One Octave pop/rock songs

One octave songs can be easy enough range-wise, to build new habits, to practice on, to learn new technique. As long as the other criteria listed in the beginning of this article are met - no big jumps, not chromatic. etc. Here's a short list with one-octave songs that are good for practicing.

Song

Artist

range

Karma Chameleon

Culture Club

1 octave

Hurt

Johnny Cash

1 Octave

Sing for you

Tracy Chapman

1 Octave

Banana pancakes

jack johnson

1 octave

A little help from my friends

The beatles

1 octave

Kiss me

Sixpence

1 Octave

And find out why you're closer to being a great singer than you think

Easy karaoke songs (men and women)

It can be tricky to sing a karaoke song that is orginally sung by a woman if you are a man - and vice versa. Even if you have the same gender, it can be tricky to sing it if the singer has a different vocal range. For example, if you're a bariton and they're tenor.

That doesn't mean you can't sing the songs. You can make it easy. Two hacks:

  1. Go on YouTube and type: '[name of the song] + karaoke + female/male version'. Or '[name of song] + karaoke lower / higher key'.
  2. Use software that changes the key of a song. Karafun and MagicSing do that (see my review of karaoke apps). Second option: x-minus.pro. A website that is free.

Which key is best for you? Check with your teacher.

Easy classical songs

Below classical songs are sometimes not easy to remember - but the range is short. Curious for more short range classical songs of under an octave? Check out my course.

Song

composer

book/piece

range

o cessate di piagarmi

scarlatti

28 italian songs and arias

7 notes (melody chromatic and bit difficult)

nun wandre maria

wolf


6

delizie contente

cavalli

28 Italian Songs And Arias

7 (long, might be hard to memorize. Chromatic. But beautiful!)

o leggiardi occhi belli

anonymous, 17th century

28 Italian Songs And Arias

7 (Long, Might Be Hard To Memorize. Chromatic. But Beautiful!)

der gärtner

wolf


7

die ihr schwebet

wolf


7 (difficult melody)

die forelle

schubert


7 (B section extends song over octave, but still relatively simple

alma del core

caldara

28 Italian Songs And Arias

7

Easy musical songs

Below musical songs are within the range of one octave. Curious for more short range musical songs of under an octave? Check out my course. I also have a list of jazz/soul songs.

Song

musical

range

Edelweiss

the sound of music

7 notes

stay awake

merry poppins

7 notes

all that jazz

chicago

1 octave

Do re mi

the sound of music

1 octave (some jumps but catchiness makes up for that)

Part of Your World

The Little Mermaid

1 Octave

I teach singing online

Let me find your bright spot.

Easy songs for learning how to sing in tune

When you want to learn how to sing in tune, you want to stay in your lane. You want to focus and train your mind to control the vocal cords. Fewer notes in a song makes this easier. Also, sometimes the out-of-tune singing is a vocal cord issue: they don't have the range. So it's not a mental thing, and that's were the short range songs come in handy.

The five easy songs I use most often in my singing lessons are:

  • Wind of change by The Scorpions: 7 note range
  • Hotel California by The Eagles: 7 notes
  • Michel by Anouk: 6 notes
  • Take my breath away by Berlin: 6 notes
  • I want love by Elton John: 5 notes

If you have any issues with singing in tune - either on an occasional note here and there, or it's a core problem - here's what you do:

Go to my article on how to sing in tune, learn what you have to do to work on it, and when it comes to working on a song - definitely choose an easy song. Don't sing difficult songs in the beginning, just don't go there. Again, you are building a skill, in this case, singing in tune. So focus. 

Tips to practice the easy song

  1. Unless you know the original key of a song suits you - try to sing without the original recording. Rather start singing where it’s comfortable for you.
  2. Another important tip: you know it's an easy song if you can singing while feeling little to no strain in your throat. If strain is something you struggle with constantly, my above easy songs video is your place to start. Choose the song that bothers you the least.

I also made a formula to learn a song. It partly depends on which type of learner you are.

Now that you have your song - how can you sing it better?

Well, you can probably use some vocal technique, and there's nothing like an easy song to practice new technique with. There are even shorter range songs.

Where to start? I made a course that hunts for the vocal exercises that work best for you.

What is your favorite Easy Song?

Let me know in the comments what song you would want me to add in this list.