Songs · Beginner
How to play Auld Lang Syne on violin
The New Year's Eve tune. It sits comfortably in first position in D major and is one of the friendliest pieces for a beginner's first performance.
- Composer
- Traditional (Scottish)
- Key
- D major
- Time signature
- 4/4
- Tempo
- 72–88 bpm
- Strings used
- D, A and E
- Level
- Beginner
The notes
A — D D D F# — E D E — F# E D D — F# A B
Finger numbers
- D string: D = open (0), E = 1st, F# = 2nd
- A string: A = open (0), B = 1st, C# = 2nd, D = 3rd
Why this piece is worth learning
Auld Lang Syne is built from a handful of stepwise moves plus one bigger leap, which makes it perfect for practising accurate string crossings under pressure.
Step by step
1. Pickup note
The tune begins on an upbeat A. Start up-bow so the first downbeat lands down-bow.
2. Learn phrase by phrase
Four bars at a time, hands together, before joining anything.
3. The leap to B
The rise from D to high B crosses to the A string. Prepare the arm level before the note, not during it.
4. Play it for someone
This is a tune people recognise. Use it as your first low-stakes performance.
Common mistakes and how to fix them
Starting down-bow
The pickup is up-bow. Getting this right fixes the bow direction for the whole tune.
Rhythm flattened out
The dotted rhythms are what make it sound Scottish. Count in eighths.
Scooping into the leap
Place the finger before the bow arrives, so the note speaks in tune from the start.
A 15-minute practice plan
- •2 min — D major scale, one octave
- •3 min — first four bars, pizzicato
- •5 min — bowed at 72 bpm with correct bow directions
- •3 min — full tune at 88 bpm
Practise Auld Lang Syne with real-time feedback
Violin AI listens while you play and scores your intonation note by note — free to start.
Questions
What are the violin notes for Auld Lang Syne?
In D major: A (pickup), D D D F#, E D E, F# E D D, then rising to B. All first position.
Is Auld Lang Syne copyrighted?
No — the melody is a traditional Scottish tune in the public domain.
Next songs: twinkle twinkle little star · ode to joy · amazing grace · canon in d
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