Stephen Foster wrote over 200 songs in his short life. I’ve picked out 7 of my favorite Stephen Foster Songs for violin. You’ll find all 7 of these Stephen Foster songs are relatively easy for violin since I transposed the sheet music into easy key signatures for the fiddle. Scroll down for free Stephen Foster fiddle sheet music, but first…

Who Was Stephen Foster?

We’ve all heard of “Camptown Races” and “Oh Susanna” since we were children. You’ve probably become familiar with some of his beautiful tunes like “Jeanie with the Light Brown Hair” or “Beautiful Dreamer.” Stephen Foster may be one of America’s most popular songwriters, but his short 37 years were filled with contradictions. He’s known as “the father of American Music” even though he never took any formal composition courses. Many of his songs feature Southern themes even though he only visited the South once. His compositions remain popular today and are played on nearly every instrument in both classical and country settings. You might argue he’s the most successful American songwriter, and yet, he had no formal training in music and taught himself to play the many instruments he knew.

I love those contradictions. I think they add to the beauty of these simple, yet timeless tunes.

Let’s jump right in and talk about my 7 favorite Stephen Foster songs for violin!

All of these songs are available for download on my Sheet Music Library as part of my online studio membership. Click here to learn more.

Camptown Races for Violin (Free Sheet Music)

Let’s start with the easiest Stephen Foster song for violin, Camptown Races.

Camptown Races is in the key of G major, which means you’ll have “low 2s” on the A and E strings. If you can do 4th fingers on the A string for those E’s, great. That will save you a string crossing. If not, using open E is fine too.

(If you’re confused about key signatures and low 2s and high 2s and all that confusing fingerboard “stuff,” check out my scales course! Trust me, it will all make sense!)

Join my membership to download the Violin Sheet Music for Camptown Races.

Oh! Susanna Free Violin Sheet Music

Next up on our list of easy Stephen Foster songs for violin, “Oh! Susanna.” I’ve always enjoyed this song since I’m from Alabama, although I’ve never played banjo. This song doesn’t have a lot of “gotchas.” It’s in the key of D major, the favorite key of every violinist. So sit back, and enjoy playing this easy Stephen Foster fiddle tune!

Old Folks At Home (Swanee River) Free Violin Sheet Music

“Old Folks at Home,” a.k.a “Swanee River” is another easy Stephen Foster song for violin. You’ll notice a lot of repletion which makes this an easy fiddle tune. Once you get that first line down, you’ve got most of the song learned. We’re in D major again so that mean’s “high 2s” on the D and A strings.

The only thing to note is that you should “swing the 8th notes.” I could have written this song with the 8th notes written as dotted 8th/16th notes, but that would have made it look more confusing. If you know this song, you’ll recognize that the 8th notes in that first measure aren’t all equal. You’ll need to swing them, which means making the first 8th note longer and the second 8th note shorter. Long-short-long-short. Sometimes hearing the rhythm in your head is so much easier than seeing all those dots and extra lines when it’s printed.

Enjoy this easy violin tune!

Angeline the Baker Violin Sheet Music

Angeline the Baker is a classic Stephen Foster tune for fiddle. It’s popular in bluegrass playing for good reason. Once you get this fiddle tune down, you can really let it fly. It’s in D major so after you’re through repeating it as many times as you like, just play a “D” at the end you’ll be set.

Beautiful Dreamer Free Violin Sheet Music

Now we’re getting down to my real favorites. I think Stephen Foster’s slow, lyrical songs sound absolutely breath-taking on the violin. Add a little vibrato and you can turn this simple song into something that can literally make you shed a tear.

(New to vibrato? Check out my vibrato course here!)

Let’s talk about the few “gotchas” in Beautiful Dreamer for violin. First off, look at that C# in measure 4. That’s probably the most awkward note in the song. It’s a “high 3rd finger” on the G string. Stretch for it, no I mean really stretch for it! It’s usually higher up there than you think. I wouldn’t worry about 4th fingers for those D’s that bookend the C#, just play open D. But use the open D to allow you the time to stretch for that C#.

We’re in C major which means low 2s all around. And those long tied notes? Yep, just asking for a little vibrato!

Jeanie with the Light Brown Hair (Free Violin Sheet Music)

Another one of my favorite Stephen Foster songs that sounds absolutely beautiful on the violin. This lyrical tune is smooth and flowing and perfect for vibrato practice.

Alright, let’s talk about Jeanie with the Light Brown Hair for violin. First off, I really struggled with what key to put this fiddle tune in. G major is the best fit for the left hand but I hate that first note is on an E. You have two options, neither of which are great. Start on an open E, but just don’t play it super loud or it will sound shrill. Or play it with a 4th finger on A. But take your time. Set up the 4th finger and test it by lightly plucking before you play with the bow.

Since we’re in G major, your finger pattern will be “High 2, High 2, Low 2, Low 2.” That’s my mantra for G major: high 2s on the G and D strings, low 2s on the A and E strings.

Jeanie with the Light Brown Hair is very free-flowing with a lot of ritards and fermatas (where you hold the note for however long you see fit—like the first note). Imagine yourself singing this song and you will instantly hear where you need to slow it down and speed it up again.

Other than that, sprinkle in some vibrato and enjoy!

Hard Times Come Again No More Free Violin Sheet Music

Lastly on our list of Stephen Foster fiddle tunes, my absolute favorite, “Hard Times Come Again No More.” I think this one always gets me because the lyrics are so poignant and memorable. Add to the lyrics the heart-wrenching, plaintive quality of the song and you have a timeless classic.

This song always makes me realize, no matter how bad I think I have it, I really don’t have it that bad. It takes me back through the years and makes me imagine all the heart ache of previous generations. It makes me incredibly grateful for the wonderful quality of life I enjoy.

I’m not a great harmonica player. In fact, I know two songs and this is one of them. But I love playing it on harmonica. It fits the instrument so well. (Side note: don’t ever try to play harmonica while flying on a long cross-country by yourself a couple thousand feet in the air. I’ve tried it. Not a good idea…)

Let’s get into “Hard Times Come Again No More.” Like the song says, this is a dirge. You can let the rhythm ebb and flow, no need to be super exact. Think of it like an a cappella singer and you’ll paint the right picture. I like to add a little ritard at the end of each phrase (before the rests) for a nice semi-ending before continuing on. We’re in good ole D major here so you can focus more on bow and tone quality for this slow, lovely tune.