Mary Had a Little Lamb
Mary Had a Little Lamb uses four notes, C, D, E and G, in the right hand's C position from middle C. Its new challenge after Hot Cross Buns is the skip from E up to G.
The melody in letters
Measure by measure, as the app’s melody version has it; the small numbers are the fingers.
- E3D2C1D2
- E3E3E3
- D2D2D2
- E3G5G5
- E3D2C1D2
- E3E3E3E3
- D2D2E3D2
- C1
At a glance
| Composer | Traditional |
|---|---|
| Difficulty | Starter pieces: grades 1–2 of 8 |
| Key | C major (no sharps or flats) |
| Time | 4/4 |
| Tempo | 100 quarter-note beats a minute, as the app starts it (it can go slower) |
| Length | 8 measures, about 19 seconds |
| Hands | one hand or both, by version |
| Left hand | F3 to C4 |
| On the path | Unit 2, Up to G, Unit 3, Down to bass F, Unit 5, Two hands, Kids, F and G, and the staff, Kids, Down to bass F, left hand, Kids, Two hands |
It reaches past the staff: see ledger lines explained.
Versions in the app
| Version | Grade | Levels |
|---|---|---|
| Mary Had a Little Lamb — melody | 1 of 8 | Full |
| Mary Had a Little Lamb — with bass | 2 of 8 | Melody, Full |
| Mary Had a Little Lamb — left hand | 1 of 8 | Full |
Practice notes
Mary Had a Little Lamb is the natural next tune after Hot Cross Buns. It uses the same three keys, C, D and E, and adds one more: G. Keep the right thumb on middle C and let each finger own its key: C 1, D 2, E 3, G 5.
Piano letters, finger numbers and rhythm
Put your right thumb (1) on middle C, index finger (2) on D, middle finger (3) on E and little finger (5) on G. Your ring finger rests over F, which this melody skips. Finger numbers describe your hand, not numbered piano keys.
The table follows Octotune's right-hand melody in C major. It is in 4/4 time: count four beats per measure. Each number in the last column is the number of beats to hold the corresponding note.
| Measure | Notes | Fingers | Beats |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | E D C D | 3 2 1 2 | 1 1 1 1 |
| 2 | E E E | 3 3 3 | 1 1 2 |
| 3 | D D D | 2 2 2 | 1 1 2 |
| 4 | E G G | 3 5 5 | 1 1 2 |
| 5 | E D C D | 3 2 1 2 | 1 1 1 1 |
| 6 | E E E E | 3 3 3 3 | 1 1 1 1 |
| 7 | D D E D | 2 2 3 2 | 1 1 1 1 |
| 8 | C | 1 | 4 |
In measures 2, 3 and 4, hold the last note through counts 3 and 4. Hold the final C for all four counts. If counting note lengths is new, learn quarter, half and whole notes.
Practice this right-hand melody in Octotune. Start with the mode that waits for your notes, then try playing in time.
The skip from E up to G ("little lamb") is the new skill. On the page it goes from the bottom line to the next line up: line to line, with F skipped in between. On the keys, finger 4 is left out. Read it as a skip, not as two letters.
Watch the last line. It starts like the first, but has four Es in a row, not three, and ends on a whole note C. Count the Es.
Practice plan. Wait for me first, reading. Then play "E G G" on its own a few times. When the tune is secure, try the version with bass, where the left hand holds a C or G under each measure.
In the path: Unit 2 for grown-ups, with a left-hand version in Unit 3 (moved down to A G F, with middle C for the top note) and a version with bass in Unit 5. In the Kids path, Mary is played on colored circles and then on the staff in Up to G, with the left hand in Down low, and with bass in Two hands together.
Questions
What finger numbers do I use for Mary Had a Little Lamb?
With your right thumb on middle C, use C = 1, D = 2, E = 3 and G = 5. The opening is 3 2 1 2 3 3 3. These are finger numbers for this arrangement, not numbers naming the piano keys.
What are the piano notes for Mary Had a Little Lamb?
E D C D E E E, D D D, E G G; E D C D E E E E, D D E D C. Right thumb on middle C: E is finger 3, G finger 5.
Credits and license
- Music: Traditional
- Arranged for Octotune
- License: Arrangement © Octotune; melody public domain