Mary Had a Little Lamb — Free Piano Sheet Music for Kids, With a Play Button

Mary Had a Little Lamb

Free beginner piano sheet music: C major, 4/4, 8 bars. The right hand alone in C position, thumb on middle C, with the finger number above every note and its letter name underneath. Press Play to hear it on a real piano or slow it down; click any note to start from there; print it for the music stand.

The notes in this piece

Your right hand plays four notes in this piece: C, D, E, G. The thumb sits on middle C and each finger has its own key, so the hand never moves. The left hand rests in your lap. The shaded keys are the notes, and the numbers under them are the fingers (1 is the thumb). The same finger numbers are printed above every note in the music, with the note’s letter name underneath. What is C position? →

Where your hand goes

C – D – E – G

About this arrangement

Sarah Josepha Hale published the poem in Boston in 1830; the tune sung today is the traditional one also used for Merrily We Roll Along. It is played with the right hand alone in C position: thumb on middle C, fingers 1 to 5 on C D E F G. The tune starts on E with finger 3 and walks down to C and back up again. It only needs four of the five notes: F never comes up, and the little finger plays G at the end of bar 4. The last bar is a long C, a semibreve (whole note) of four beats, to finish at home.

Practice tip: Watch the long notes on “lamb”: they are minims (half notes) and last two beats. Keep counting through them.

The words

Mary had a little lamb, little lamb, little lamb, Mary had a little lamb, its fleece was white as snow.

A short history

Sarah Josepha Hale, a Boston editor, published the poem in 1830 in Poems for Our Children. It is said to be based on a real girl, Mary Sawyer of Sterling, Massachusetts, whose pet lamb followed her to school, though Hale herself never confirmed that.

Lowell Mason, the Boston music teacher who also arranged the music for Joy to the World, set the poem for schoolchildren in the 1830s, but his tune has fallen out of use. The one everyone sings now, with the repeated “little lamb, little lamb”, is a traditional American tune, the same one as Merrily We Roll Along and the chorus of Goodnight, Ladies.

In 1877 Thomas Edison recited the first verse into his new phonograph as a test, which made it the first words he recorded.

Quick facts

Tune: Traditional (American, 19th century; the tune of Merrily We Roll Along)
Words: Sarah Josepha Hale, 1830
Key: C major, C position
Time signature: 4/4
Length: 8 bars
Tempo: Brightly, crotchet = 108
Difficulty: Level 1: Right hand, C to G (piece 3 of 201)
Type: Children's song
Hands: Right hand only, thumb on middle C
Notes: C, D, E and G (diagram above)
Copyright: Public domain tune; arrangement by Digital Greenhouse, free for personal and classroom use

Questions and answers

Which notes does Mary Had a Little Lamb use?

It is in C major, in 4/4 time, for the right hand alone in C position: thumb on middle C and fingers 1 to 5 on C, D, E, F and G. The finger number above each note and the letter name under it tell you which key to play.

How long is it?

C major, 4/4, 8 bars. The tempo marking is Brightly, crotchet = 108.

Is Mary Had a Little Lamb out of copyright?

Yes. The tune is traditional (American, 19th century; the tune of Merrily We Roll Along); the words are by Sarah Josepha Hale, 1830. Our piano arrangement is free for personal and classroom use.

What is the hardest part?

Watch the long notes on “lamb”: they are minims (half notes) and last two beats. Keep counting through them.

Can I print it?

Yes. Press Print above to put this piece on its own page, or choose Save as PDF as the printer for a file. It prints on A4 paper; if yours is US Letter, choose US Letter in the box beside Print. The notes are the same size as a printed music book.

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