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Old MacDonald Had a Farm

Old MacDonald Had a Farm uses five keys that aren't all neighbors, G, A, C, D and E, so each gets its own finger. It sits higher than the first tunes, around treble C, and its 'here a moo, there a moo' measures bring quick eighth notes.

Play it in Octotune

The opening, as the app engraves it: C5, C5, C5, G4

The melody in letters

Measure by measure, as the app’s melody version has it; the small numbers are the fingers.

  1. Measure 1C3C3C3G1
  2. Measure 2A2A2G1
  3. Measure 3E5E5D4D4
  4. Measure 4C3G1
  5. Measure 5C3C3C3G1
  6. Measure 6A2A2G1
  7. Measure 7E5E5D4D4
  8. Measure 8C3G1G1
  9. Measure 9C3C3C3G1G1
  10. Measure 10C3C3C3
  11. Measure 11C3C3C3C3C3C3
  12. Measure 12C3C3C3C3C3C3
  13. Measure 13C3C3C3G1
  14. Measure 14A2A2G1
  15. Measure 15E5E5D4D4
  16. Measure 16C3

At a glance

ComposerTraditional
DifficultyStarter pieces: grades 1–2 of 8
KeyC major (no sharps or flats)
Time4/4
Tempo108 quarter-note beats a minute, as the app starts it (it can go slower)
Length16 measures, about 36 seconds
Handsone hand or both, by version
Right handG4 to E5
Left handC3 to G3
On the pathUnit 6, Steps and skips, Kids, Steps and skips, up to E

Versions in the app

VersionGradeLevels
Old MacDonald Had a Farm — melody1 of 8Full
Old MacDonald Had a Farm — with bass2 of 8Melody, Full

Practice notes

Old MacDonald sits a little higher than the first tunes, around the C in the treble staff's third space. It uses five keys, G, A, C, D and E, and skips B altogether. So the right hand spreads out with one finger for each key: G 1, A 2, C 3, D 4, E 5. Every note always has the same finger, which makes it easy to learn by feel.

The verse goes C C C G, A A G, E E D D, C. The same phrase comes back to end the song.

The tricky part is the animal-noise section, "with a moo-moo here and a moo-moo there". It is a run of repeated Cs, several of them eighth notes, two to a beat, with a pair of quick Gs leading in. Count "one and two and" and keep finger 3 light and bouncy on the C.

Reading tip. C and E are both spaces (the third and top spaces); G and D are both lines. The skip from C to E, and the jump from G up to C, are easiest read by shape.

Practice plan

  1. Learn the verse phrase in Wait for me.
  2. Clap the "moo-moo" rhythm before playing it.
  3. Play the whole song with Play along at a slow speed, then build up.

In the path: Unit 6 for grown-ups, where it reaches up to E5, and the Kids unit Hop and skip.

Questions

What are the piano notes for Old MacDonald Had a Farm?

C C C G A A G, E E D D C (the C above middle C). The tune uses only G, A, C, D and E, so the right hand keeps one finger on each: G 1, A 2, C 3, D 4, E 5.

Credits and license

  • Music: Traditional
  • Arranged for Octotune
  • License: Arrangement © Octotune; melody public domain

The Octotune team · Updated