Top 25 Cello Arrangements
Check out our top 25 cello arrangements, including songs from Bach, The Piano Guys, 2CELLOS, and more!
Play the classics, movie themes, and pop hits with our top 25 picks for cello! From Johann Pachelbel to Ed Sheeran, this list highlights the variety of cello music we offer on our website. Check out our top 25 list, and be sure to check out our cello page for all our latest offerings!
1. “Hallelujah” by Brooklyn Duo
This beautiful arrangement of the Leonard Cohen classic comes from our Signature Artist Brooklyn Duo. The melody serves as a perfect pairing with the full sound of the cello.
2. “Cello Suite No. 1, BWV 1007: I. Prelude” by Johann Sebastian Bach
One of the most well-known classical pieces for cello, this piece is a must for your collection. Check out the performance by Yo-Yo Ma to get a feel of the ebb and flow of the piece.
This Ed Sheeran hit was arranged for cello by our Signature Artist GnuS Cello. This is a great song for weddings and other special events.
4. “The Swan (Le Cygne)” by Camille Saint-Saëns
This classical piece comes from The Carnival of the Animals, which is a 14-movement suite featuring hens, roosters, tortoises, kangaroos, and of course, the swan! “The Swan” was originally written to include two pianos as the accompaniment, but one piano is the more common accompaniment today.
5. “Wednesday Plays the Cello (Paint It, Black)” from Wednesday
This popular arrangement comes from the Netflix series Wednesday, based on the daughter from The Addams Family, and it features Wednesday Addams playing her version of “Paint It, Black” by The Rolling Stones.
6. “Canon in D” by Johann Pachelbel
Another widely popular classical piece, this was originally written for three violins and basso continuo, but the melody works well for a variety of instruments. It was originally paired with a gigue, but the canon became the most popular part of the piece.
7. “A Thousand Years” by The Piano Guys
This Christina Perri tune is arranged for cello and piano by The Piano Guys, a musical group that combines classical and pop music elements into their songs.
8. “Song for Sienna” by Brian Crain
This gorgeous contemporary instrumental piece is for cello and piano, but there are also arrangements for solo piano and violin & piano.
9. “Gabriel’s Oboe” by Silvio Caroli
Originally from the 1986 movie The Mission, this arrangement comes from our Signature Artist Silvio Caroli. This song is used in the movie when Jesuit Father Gabriel wants to befriend the natives, so he plays his oboe for them.
10. “Summer from The Four Seasons” by Antonio Vivaldi
This Baroque standard comes from the full suite The Four Seasons. Vivaldi created a piece for every season of the year, and he also created sonnets to describe what sounds the music represents, including a cuckoo, a turtle dove, and fierce thunder.
11. “Hedwig’s Theme” from Harry Potter
This is the most well-known theme from the Harry Potter movie franchise, and it is based on Harry’s owl named Hedwig.
12. “He’s a Pirate” from Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl
Another popular film theme, this song is played in the beginning credits of the film. Pirates of the Caribbean focuses on the adventures of Captain Jack Sparrow, and it has been quite a successful film series for Disney.
13. “Suite No. 2 in D Minor, BWV 1008” by Johann Sebastian Bach
This full suite from Bach begins with a recurring theme in the Prelude, and the Allemande strays away from the strict dance form with some cadenzas to ornament the piece.
14. “The Imperial March” from Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back
May the force be with you with this dark Darth Vader theme! It works quite well with the register and tone of the cello.
15. “River Flows in You” by Yiruma
Originally written for piano by South Korean pianist Yiruma, this is one of his most popular pieces. It starts out with a simple theme and then develops into more complicated motives as the piece progresses.
This Croatian cello duo created a unique arrangement of this Coldplay hit. They specialize in melding pop and rock standards with a classical feel.
17. “Clair de Lune” by Claude Debussy
This flowing classic, originally composed for piano, works well for cello and piano. The cello sings the beautiful melody, while the piano fills in with the accompanying chords.
18. “Cello Suite No. 1, BWV 1007: V. Menuet I-II” by Johann Sebastian Bach
Another movement from this well-known cello suite, this is written in the style of a minuet.
19. “Theme from Schindler’s List” from Schindler’s List
The main theme from this heartbreaking but important movie works well with cello instrumentation.
20. “Game of Thrones” from Game of Thrones
This arrangement is a great option for the beginner cello student to play a well-known movie theme.
21. “Après un rêve” by Gabriel Fauré
Originally written for voice and piano, this cello and piano arrangement highlights the haunting melody. It is about a dream of a romantic flight with a lover, but the person wakes up and is disappointed that it was only a dream.
22. “Over the Rainbow” from The Wizard of Oz
This is an accessible arrangement for a beginner player. Once made popular by Judy Garland, this soaring melody will be a joy to perform.
23. “The Prayer” by Josh Groban
This inspirational classical pop arrangement is a song that can be performed for all occasions. A cello interpretation gives the listener a fresh perspective on the song normally sung as a duet.
24. “Eleanor Rigby” by The Beatles
The cello gets the opportunity to play the melody line in this arrangement! Check out the full string quartet collection here.
25. “All I Ask of You” from The Phantom of the Opera
This cello and piano arrangement of a Broadway classic brings out the dramatic elements of this love duet.
Click here to access sheet music for our top cello hits, and don’t forget to download our free Musicnotes app!