How to choose a first song
- Find your comfortable notes. The free vocal range test takes about a minute.
- Pick a small span that you already know. Knowing the tune leaves your attention free for your voice.
- Put it in your key. The song key finder works out how far to move it.
Each span is measured from the song’s notated melody, using the same public-domain versions Singbud teaches in the app. For songs you may know from the radio, see easy karaoke songs and where well-known singers’ songs sit. For what makes a song easy, read easy songs to practise singing.
Under an octave
The gentlest melodies here. A good first song if you’re nervous about high notes.
| Song | Style | Span |
|---|---|---|
| Abide with Me | Hymn | 9 semitones |
| For He's a Jolly Good Fellow | Celebration | 9 semitones |
| Now Thank We All Our God | Hymn | 10 semitones |
One octave
The most common size. Move the song to suit you and all of it should sit in a comfortable place for most people.
| Song | Style | Span |
|---|---|---|
| A Mighty Fortress Is Our God | Hymn | 12 semitones |
| Amazing Grace | Hymn | 12 semitones |
| Away in a Manger | Holiday | 12 semitones |
| Come, Thou Fount | Hymn | 12 semitones |
| Crown Him with Many Crowns | Hymn | 12 semitones |
| For the Beauty of the Earth | Hymn | 12 semitones |
| Guide Me, O Thou Great Jehovah | Hymn | 12 semitones |
| Holy, Holy, Holy | Hymn | 12 semitones |
| It Is Well with My Soul | Hymn | 12 semitones |
| Jesus Loves Me | Hymn | 12 semitones |
| Joy to the World | Holiday | 12 semitones |
| Las Mañanitas | Celebration | 12 semitones |
| O Come, All Ye Faithful | Holiday | 12 semitones |
| Red River Valley | Folk | 12 semitones |
| Rock of Ages | Hymn | 12 semitones |
| Skye Boat Song | Folk | 12 semitones |
| The First Noel | Holiday | 12 semitones |
A little over an octave
One or two notes reach further. Learn the rest first, then come back to them.
| Song | Style | Span |
|---|---|---|
| Let Me Call You Sweetheart | Celebration | 13 semitones |
| All Through the Night (God, That Madest Earth and Heaven) | Hymn | 14 semitones |
| Auld Lang Syne | Celebration | 14 semitones |
| Drunken Sailor | Folk | 14 semitones |
| God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen | Holiday | 14 semitones |
| Hark! The Herald Angels Sing | Holiday | 14 semitones |
| Keep On the Sunny Side | Folk | 14 semitones |
| Nearer, My God, to Thee | Hymn | 14 semitones |
| O Little Town of Bethlehem | Holiday | 14 semitones |
| Praise to the Lord, the Almighty | Hymn | 14 semitones |
| What a Friend We Have in Jesus | Hymn | 14 semitones |
| Blessed Assurance | Hymn | 15 semitones |
| What Child Is This | Holiday | 15 semitones |
The bigger ones
These travel a long way. Save them until the others feel easy, or sing the far notes lightly.
| Song | Style | Span |
|---|---|---|
| Be Thou My Vision | Hymn | 17 semitones |
| Silent Night | Holiday | 17 semitones |
| Danny Boy | Folk | 19 semitones |
Questions
What is the easiest song to sing?
If you measure by how far the melody travels, the smallest here are Abide with Me, For He's a Jolly Good Fellow and Now Thank We All Our God. Span isn’t everything: a slow song you already know by heart is often easier than a shorter one you don’t.
What does the span of a song mean?
It’s the distance from the lowest note of the melody to the highest, counted in semitones, the step between neighbouring piano keys. Twelve semitones is one octave. A smaller span asks less of your voice.
Why don’t you list a key for each song?
Because any song can be moved. What stays the same is how far the melody travels. Once you know your comfortable notes, you can place the song in them with the song key finder.
Can I learn songs that aren’t on this list?
Yes. These are the songs built into Singbud because they’re free to use everywhere. In the app you can also bring a song of your own as a file, and Bud teaches it line by line.
Last reviewed November 2026.