If you're starting to play the piano or want to introduce your child to the instrument, there is no easier song than Mary Had a Little Lamb. The fundamental melody is a three-note motif that repeats and is played using just three fingers on the right hand. Start this song in the simplest key to play, C major. Chords can then be harmonized after that, and you can employ more intricate versions with other notes. This song can be played using both hands as well.
Play in C Major
1. Put your thumb in position C and the following two fingers
Use the white key at middle C (as the name implies, in the center of the fingerboard) along with two keys on the right side to play Mary Had a Little Lamb in C major. The notes D and E represent the two keys.
You can play the first five notes of the C major scale in C position, which are CDEFG. Your little finger is on G, and your thumb is on middle C.
You only need to play the aforementioned three notes to play the fundamental melody in C major. The tune may be played using just 3 notes in total. When you have mastered the fundamental melody, you can try more challenging versions.
2. Play the notes EDCDEEE.
The first line of the song's melody is made up of these notes. Sing the line's lyrics while you play the melody (" Mary had a little lamb "). One note is used to represent each syllable. If you have mastered this line, you already know the first half of the verse because these notes serve as the melody for the third line of the song as well.
Even though this song is simple to play with just one finger, it's best to practice using all three to become acclimated to it. You'll need those abilities if you wish to add chords or play more intricate arrangements.
3. A second line with the notes DDD/EEE should now be played.
Only the last two notes performed on the first line are used in the second line of the song, which bears the lyrics "small lamb, tiny lamb." Three times are repeated on each note. Play the notes DDD/EGG and push the G key with your little finger for an alternative rendition.
Play the third line, which you already know, after finishing the second line (since it has the same melody as the first line).
4. As you begin the verse's final line, play the notes EDD EDC.
"Its fleece was white as snow," read the song's concluding line of lyrics. Play one note for each syllable in the lyrics, just like you did with the other lines.
Try playing EDCDEEE / DDD EEE / EDCDEEE / EDDEDC without pausing after you've mastered the last line. The piano version of Mary Had a Little Lamb is now available.
5. For the subsequent verses, use the same melody once more.
The song Mary Had a Little Lamb does contain multiple verses. However, the same notes are consistently used in every verse. You can play the full song once you master the first verse.
The song has four verses.
Based on a genuine account of a 14-year-old American girl who carried her pet lamb to school in the late 1700s, the song Mary Had a Little Lamb was created.
Trying Different Iterations of the Same Song
1. To play the song in G major, change your hand position.
Move your hand over the fingerboard until your thumbs are on G if you wish to play Mary Had a Little Lamb in this key (previously occupied by your pinky when you play the song in C major).
While playing a song in G major technically requires the use of black keys, the basic melody of this tune doesn't. Use the same pattern as you would if you were playing the song in C major as long as you're only playing the song's main theme and not any of its variations.
2. When playing this song in the key of D major, use the note F sharp.
To play Mary Had a Little Lamb in D major, move your hand till your thumb is on the note D. You must strike the F sharp note, which is the black note to the right of the F, rather of the F note when playing the first five notes of the D major scale. Until you become accustomed to utilizing the black keys, practice these five notes a few times.
The first note to play on the melody is F sharp because the melody pattern for this song begins with the middle finger. Simply continue using the same finger pattern after that.
You can learn how to change a song's key by taking note of the names or letters of the notes when you swap notes.
3. Try to play this song's melody in the key of A major.
Move your thumb to the key of A as you would with the other chords. The remaining notes in the first five notes of the A major scale are played by the next four fingers. The black note next to middle C, C sharp, is one of the notes employed.
The song begins on the black key, just as in the key of D major, because the melodic pattern begins with the middle finger. The song then proceeds in the same fingering order as when played in C major.
4. Left-hand chords should accompany the melody of the song.
Playing harmony chords while playing the melody with your right hand will give your song depth and complexity.
Alternate between playing the C major and G major chords when performing this song in the key of C major. Slide your hand 4 notes (counting from the C key on the C major chord) left or down to play a G major chord. After that, while playing the music, simply change your hand position left and right on the finger pad.
The chords are displayed above the musical notes on sheet music (indicated by chord letters). You should typically play a harmony chord of accompaniment on the first note of each measure or bar for songs like Mary Had a Little Lamb. When playing a song, you should add chords to the notes you wish to stress and omit chords from the quieter sections that need to be played smoothly.
The capitalized words in the following lyrics can be accompanied by a harmonic chord: "MAR-y had a LIT-tle lamb, LIT-tle lamb, LIT-tle lamb, MAR-y had a tiny lamb, its FLEECE was white as SNOW."