Mary Had a Little Lamb

Three notes, one hand position, a tune everybody already knows.

Level:
1 of 6
Hands:
Right hand
Key:
C major
Notes:
26
Range:
C4 to G4
One run:
about 25 seconds at 80 bpm

The notes, in order

26 notes, one at a time.

  1. E4
  2. D4
  3. C4
  4. D4
  5. E4
  6. E4
  7. E4
  8. D4
  9. D4
  10. D4
  11. E4
  12. G4
  13. G4
  14. E4
  15. D4
  16. C4
  17. D4
  18. E4
  19. E4
  20. E4
  21. E4
  22. D4
  23. D4
  24. E4
  25. D4
  26. C4

How to practise it

  1. The whole tune fits in C position, the hand never moves
  2. Fingers 3-2-1 carry most of it
  3. Sing along the first time so you hear where the beats fall

The scale behind it

This one is built on the C Major scale: C D E F G A B (no sharps or flats). Its right-hand fingering runs 1-2-3-1-2-3-4-5, and the scale page has the full diagram if you want to hear the shape on its own first.

How to play it here

Play along on the keys with your mouse, your computer keyboard, a touch screen, or a MIDI keyboard you have plugged in. Every key can show its own name, and the metronome will hold the tempo while you work through the 26 notes.

What it trains

  • folk
  • hand position
  • first tune

More melodies

Real tunes, so there is something to play once the drills have paid off.

All piano exercises