A gentle guide
How to choose funeral songs
Choosing music when you're grieving is hard. Here's a simple way to decide: where music happens in a service, traditional choices, and songs for different generations. If no existing song feels like them, we can write one that is.
Skip to making a song about themWhere music happens in a service
- As people arrive: something calm that lets the room settle.
- A moment of reflection: after the eulogy or during a slideshow, the song that means the most.
- As everyone leaves: often warmer or more hopeful, so the service ends on who they were.
Traditional hymns many families choose
These hymns are old and widely shared. TuneGiver didn't write them.
Amazing Grace
An 18th-century hymn of comfort and redemption, recognized across many traditions.
Abide with Me
A 19th-century hymn asking for presence and steadiness at the end of life.
It Is Well with My Soul
A 19th-century hymn about peace in the middle of grief.
In the Garden
An early 20th-century hymn often chosen for people who loved quiet faith and nature.
Songs for an older generation
Think about the music from their teens and twenties, the records played at family gatherings, or the hymns from their church. Ask a sibling or old friend what they always sang along to. A song they loved will mean more than one that's popular at funerals.
Modern and contemporary choices
For someone younger, or anyone who didn't want anything solemn, choose a song they had on repeat or one tied to a shared memory: a road trip, a wedding dance, a kitchen radio. Check the lyrics all the way through, because a chorus can mean something very different out of context.
Songs for a celebration of life
A celebration of life can be brighter. Upbeat songs, their favorite band, or a mix of joyful and tender work well. Pick music that would make people say, "That was so them."
Practical checks before the day
- Ask the venue how audio is played, and test the exact file.
- Keep each song to about 3–5 minutes unless it's for a slideshow.
- Bring a backup copy on a phone or USB drive.
Or create a song that's actually about them.
Tell us their name and the memories you hold. We write an original memorial song from them. Hear a short preview privately and free, and decide later.
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