Download free Waltz No. 2 violin sheet music and learn this well-known piece with my tutorials and practice tips!

Piano Accompaniment

My arrangements of Waltz No. 2 for violin will sound best with a piano accompaniment. You can download the beginner and intermediate versions (.mp3 tracks) over here:

Violin Tutorial

Waltz No. 2 by Dmitri Shostakovich is a great piece for everyone to play! If you enjoy the sound of this song, I know you’ll love playing it on your violin.

Check out my video tutorials with play-alongs and sheet music shown in the videos below to get a jumpstart on your practicing!

Beginner Tutorial

In the video above, I share a play-through with piano accompaniment.

Intermediate Tutorial

In the video above, I play along with the piano accompaniment at performance tempo.

Practice Tips

Before you begin, let’s go over a few practice tips!

Key Signature: D minor and C minor

My beginner arrangement of Waltz No 2 is in D minor, and the intermediate version is in C minor. Before learning any new piece, it’s so helpful to play through the corresponding scale and arpeggio to warm up your fingers and to get an idea of where you might need to play on the fingerboard.

Download the scale and arpeggio booklet below to prepare for the song:

Staccato

Although parts of this waltz are very smooth, or legato, there are a few sections in both versions that are played staccato: short and disconnected.

Each staccato note should have a clear, strong beginning, and a clean release at the end.

To play staccato, lean your first finger into the bow to grab the string. When you’re ready to end the note, release the bow from the string ever so slightly. This will create a resonant staccato sound without any harsh stops.

Shifting

The intermediate arrangement of Waltz No. 2 uses 2nd, 3rd, and 4th positions.

Shifting allows you to play more notes on the violin, but we can also use shifts to create expressive slides, similar to how we might sing a melody. Shifting can also help you to play notes on the fingers that you feel more comfortable using vibrato on.

Practice the shifts in this song back and forth to learn exactly where the notes are. You’ll feel so much more confident when you put it all back together!

Learn More

Looking for more violin sheet music and piano accompaniments with practice insights and lessons? Check out my Sheet Music Library here or consider joining Julia’s Violin Academy, where you can learn your favorite songs and essential techniques through video lessons and personalized feedback. Hope to see you there!

Remember to download your copy of Waltz No. 2 by Dmitri Shostakovich and free scale warmups before you go. Happy practicing!