The Best Way to Learn Spanish
How to learn Spanish using music to speak like a native speaker
I have a confession to make — I hate studying Spanish.
Opening up a grammar textbook and committing to a few hours of intense study it is at the bottom of my to-do list.
Without context, I would quickly forget what I had learned.
So how did I learn how to speak Spanish?
It’s really pretty simple. I discovered the richness of Latino culture and, most importantly, the music.
I fell in love with the rhythms and the sound of the language. This was the driving force that propelled me to learn more Spanish.
I had a desire to understand the meaning behind the music.
This is when I learned a key lesson: learning Spanish does not have to be boring.
There are fun and fascinating ways to learn Spanish without relying only on textbooks and flash cards.
Music is one of them.
Can You Really Learn Spanish with Music?
Music has this magical ability to worm its way into our brains and cement itself there.
Whether you want to admit it or not, you still know all of those nursery rhymes you learned as a child.
Luckily, this powerful property of music is universal, which makes it a great tool for acquiring a second language.
Here are some tips for using music to learn Spanish:
Step 1: Choose music you like
This may seem like a no-brainer, but you are going to learn much more from music you enjoy listening to than music you hate.
With the diversity of types of music in Spanish, you should have no trouble finding a favorite genre and/or artist.
Here’s a list of popular genres and artists to help you get started:
Latin Pop
A combination of Latin sounds and American pop music, this genre is super catchy and bound to get stuck in your head.
Popular artists:
- Juanes (Colombia)
- Enrique Iglesias (Spain)
- Reik (Mexico)
- Ximena Sariaña (Mexico)
- Shakira (Colombia)
- Belanova (Mexico)
- Paulina Rubio (Mexico)
- Chino y Nacho (Venezuela)
- Camila (Mexico)
- Diego Torres (Argentina)
Latin Rock
A combination of Latin American folk music and traditional rock.
Popular artists:
- Maná (Mexico)
- Manu Chao (France)
- Ricardo Arjona (Guatemala)
- Café Tacuba (Mexico)
- Julieta Venegas (Mexico)
- Carlos Santana (Mexico)
Reggaeton
A mixture of hip-hop and reggae, this music is popular in Latin America and comes from primarily urban areas.
Popular artists:
- Wisin y Yandel (Puerto Rico)
- Calle 13 (Puerto Rico)
- Don Omar (Puerto Rico)
- Daddy Yankee (Puerto Rico)
- Henry Mendez (Dominican Republic)
Salsa
Salsa is used to describe a mix of upbeat Latin music genres (son, rumba, mambo, jazz, etc.). Its roots can be traced to 1920’s Cuba where “son” originated; however, the salsa sound developed throughout Latin America and the Caribbean.
Eventually the music became branded as “salsa” during the rise in popularity of the New York record label Fania in the 1970s.
Popular artists:
- Marc Anthony (Puerto Rico)
- Celia Cruz (Cuba)
- Ruben Blades (Panama)
- Hector Lavoe (Puerto Rico)
- Oscar D’Leon (Venezuela)
Bachata
My favorite genre, bachata, originated in the late 1960’s in the Dominican Republic. It has its roots in “bolero,” a slow, romantic genre of Latin American music known for its melodramatic ballads. Bachata incorporated a distinct bass line and high-pitched guitar riffs that differentiated it from bolero.
Later, smoother rhythms from US-based artists would make the genre resemble something closer to American R&B music.
Popular Artists:
- Juan Luis Guerra (Dominican Republic)
- La Familia Soriano (Dominican Republic)
- Antony Santos (Dominican Republic)
- Luis Vargas (Dominican Republic)
- Raulin Rodriguez (Dominican Republic)
- Aventura (USA)
- Romeo Santos (USA)
- Hector “El Torito” Acosta (Dominican Republic)
- Prince Royce (USA)
Merengue
Merengue is a type of dance music that originated in the Dominican Republic. It’s upbeat music with a march-like melody.
Popular Artists:
- Eddy Herrera (Dominican Republic)
- Johnny Ventura (Dominican Republic)
- Elvis Crespo (USA)
- Juan Luis Guerra (Dominican Republic)
Tejano
Basically the Spanish version of country music. Most of the artists are Texans with Mexican roots.
Popular Artists:
- Selena Quintanilla-Perez (USA)
- La Mafia (USA)
- Intocable (USA)
- Emilio Navaira (USA)
- Ruben Ramos (USA)
Step 2: Start Slow
Slower paced music is the best starting point when you are a beginner.
You can also use the “slow playback” feature on YouTube or on any mobile apps you use to listen to music. This is especially helpful with fast-paced genres like salsa and reggaeton.
Children’s music can also be an excellent resource if you are just starting out, since you will learn basic vocabulary and pronunciation.
Step 3: Look up the words
Don’t make the mistake of listening to a song over and over again without understanding it.
This is fine in the beginning so you get used to the singer’s voice and pronunciation, but eventually you will need to look up the words.
Learning language with music is only effective if you know what you are listening to.
If you listen to a song a million times and understand nothing, your Spanish skills won’t improve too drastically. To use songs as a learning tool you need to familiarize yourself with the lyrics.
Here are some resources I recommend based on your current Spanish level:
- All Levels — Spanish Con Salsa provides lyrics to Latin music in Spanish with English translations and explanations of colloquial phrases. The site also features slow-speed audio of songs broken down by section, interactive quizzes, and private Facebook community.
- Beginner — Rockalingua is an online resource to help children and beginners learn Spanish with music-based lessons.
- Intermediate — Earworms offers audio lessons of Spanish words and phrases with catchy tunes.

- Advanced — Lyrics Training provides songs with lyrics in Spanish in a game format with video. It does not provide translation for the lyrics, so I recommend this resource for more advanced learners.
There you have it — a simple, fun, textbook-free way to learn Spanish. Start singing along and immerse yourself in Spanish music and culture.
Want more details on how to learn Spanish with music? Check out this free class How to Learn Spanish with Latin Music and get the step-by-step method I use to improve my Spanish with music.