Learning a language is a tough task for anyone to accomplish. What is even tougher, is when you are not immersed in the language. If you are learning Spanish as a beginner or as an advanced speaker, finding Spanish songs that will boost your language skills is one of the best ways to have fun while learning.
Here are some advantages to learning Spanish through music, ways to learn more effectively, and also some of the best Spanish songs for beginners that I think you will enjoy and learn from.
Why Listen To Spanish Songs
Like many people, I grew up learning Spanish in school. But when I tried to use it with native speakers, not only did they have a hard time understanding me, but I also had a hard time understanding them. Having conversations with people who spoke Spanish as their first language made me realize that I speak very formally and that my years in a classroom had not prepared me for a real conversation.
Common Language
In reality, people who speak Spanish do not speak the way I was taught. Like many others, I learned how to say things in the most direct way, and it resulted in me using phrases that no native speaker ever uses. Listening to songs gives learners examples of how to say things in a more common and casual way.
Comprehension and Pronunciation
Listening to Spanish songs is a great way to become more comfortable and capable of listening to people speaking Spanish and understanding it. You can not only use songs to learn Spanish grammar and strengthen comprehension, but it also improves pronunciation. It is easy to start pronouncing a word incorrectly to the point where you can’t recognize it when it is pronounced correctly. While learning, it is important to get in the habit of listening for words and repeating how they are actually pronounced. Practicing pronunciation will be very helpful next time you have a conversation.
Tips for Learning Spanish with Songs
Learning Spanish through songs can be really helpful if you know how to do it productively. Someone who is an advanced speaker will be able to simply listen to the songs and easily practice word recognition and pronunciation. But for many people who are still learning, there are many other techniques that you should implement in order to learn Spanish songs with lyrics.
Learn Spanish with Lyrics
The following tips are focused more towards beginner learners but can be beneficial for people at any level. The thing that has helped me the most is reading the subtitles while the music is playing. Not only does it help increase your vocabulary, but it helps recognize what you already know and follow along with the song. Having a music service such as Apple Music or Spotify is really helpful because the subtitles sync to the song. Some songs will not have subtitles available, so it is important to look for songs that do. If you don’t have access to these platforms, another great option is to google the song lyrics. If you start using this tip, you will start improving at a much faster rate.
Translators are There to Help
Not only should you be reading the subtitles, but it is also important to have a translator open. As the song plays, identify words or phrases that you are unfamiliar with and use WordReference or another online translator to help you better understand the lyrics. While doing this, I found that there were many words I recognized but didn’t realize that they had multiple meanings.
The great part about songs is that there is a lot of repetition, so you will usually hear phrases multiple times which will help your memory. Paying close attention to each word is one of the most beneficial things you can do to learn from music. Although it can be annoying to stop the song, taking the time to learn about unfamiliar words will help build your vocabulary.
Finding the Right Speed
While initially learning Spanish, one of the biggest struggles can be how fast the language sounds. While learning through music, keep this in mind and choose songs where you can distinctly hear each word. If the song is too fast, it is likely that you won’t learn much from it. The best Spanish songs for beginners will be slower, which will allow you to differentiate words as you listen. While searching for Spanish songs that will boost your language skills, use descriptors such as indie songs or love songs to find artists with slower paced music. As you become more confident and can challenge yourself more, you can start picking faster paced songs.
Choose a Region
Just like there are different accents and phrases in English depending on where someone lives, Spanish has different dialects depending on the country. If you are traveling to a particular country, choose an artist that aligns. Listening to any kind of Spanish speaker will be helpful, but this tip will make it much easier to understand the dialect and become familiar with phrases that are unique to the given area.
How Music can Help You Constantly Learn
One of the toughest things about learning a language is that it is not an overnight process. This means that if you want to become fluent, you must practice frequently. One advantage of listening is that you can learn at different levels of focus. It is clear that at high levels of focus you will learn the most. But even if you listen to the music casually, your brain will still hear how words are pronounced and the order that they are said. Learning through songs provides a great opportunity to consistently learn by making it easy to implement into your day to day life.
Another thing that will help you stay consistent is to choose songs that you actually enjoy. It is easy to start adding any song you hear to your playlist just because it is in Spanish. I did this when I first started listening and because of this I became very uninterested in learning. This would result in me switching back to songs in English and giving up. One of the most important steps to choosing Spanish songs that will boost your language skills is picking songs that you can see yourself really wanting to hear will help increase the time you spend practicing.
The Best Spanish Songs to Learn the Language
Carla Morrison
Carla Morrison is a Mexican artist that makes songs that are an indie-pop mix. She is one of my personal favorites not only because I love her songs, but also because I think she has some of the best Spanish songs for beginners. In most songs, the words are easy to hear which makes the lyrics very understandable and easy to follow along with. Carla Morrison’s top songs are Disfruto, Mañana Será Bonita and Te Regalo. If you are looking for an artist that primarily puts out calmer music, Carla Morrison is someone to check out.
Rosalía
Rosalía is a Spanish pop artist that is known for her upbeat music. She has collabed with a few American artists like Travis Scott on the song TKN and Billie Eilish on Lo Vas a Olvidar. Having collaborations with artists that I was familiar with was exciting and led to finding a lot more songs I liked. Rosalía is most known for her songs BESO, DESPECHÁ, and LA NOCHE DE ANOCHE. Because most of these songs are faster paced, it will be harder to comprehend and best for more advanced learners. If you want music that is fun and energizing, Rosalía will have lots of songs that you will like.
Kevin Kaarl
Kevin Kaarl is a Mexican artist that makes folk music. His songs are slower paced and have the sweetest lyrics. The most popular songs from Kevin Kaarl are San Lucas, Vámonos a Marte, and Colapso. These songs are not only great to listen to, but also great to learn from. He uses a variety of vocabulary that is easy to understand throughout his songs. If you like the Lumineers, there is a good chance that you will really enjoy Kevin Kaarl.
Kali Uchis
Kali Uchis is a Colombian-American singer who makes R&B and soul music. She has songs that are solely in English, Spanish, or a mix between Spanish song lyrics and English lyrics. I find that having songs that switch between English and Spanish is really helpful because it keeps me more engaged with the song. Some of her most popular songs include Igual Que Un Angel which is a collaboration with a Mexican Singer, Peso Pluma. Other songs include Moonlight, which switched between Spanish and English as well as telepatia. If you want to discover a unique music style, definitely check out Kali Uchis.
There are many methods to learning Spanish, but listening to music has been one of my favorite ways. Using songs to learn Spanish grammar, pronunciation and more can be really effective and enjoyable. Remember that learning Spanish takes time, so be patient with yourself and remember to have fun. Hopefully now you know how to learn Spanish through music and have found some Spanish songs that will boost your language skills.
If you’re looking for other ways to boost your language skills here are some of the best Spanish podcasts for advanced learners and some of the best places to study a language abroad.
