Mary had a Little Lamb is one of the old-time classics when it comes to nursery rhymes. But it is not only a popular nursery rhyme to sing with children, it is also very popular in music lessons. It’s often one of the first tunes young children learn in piano lessons. It follows a very simple and very catchy melody, which makes it very beginner-friendly. In this free lesson we will learn a little more about Mary had a Little Lamb and show you how to play it on the piano. You can also download the lyrics with piano notation and sheet music for your practice or piano lessons with young beginners.
Origin of Mary had a Little Lamb
Mary had a Little Lamb originated in the United States in the 19th century. The lyrics were written by Sarah Josepha Hale and first published it in 1830. The poem was inspired by an actual incident involving Mary Sawyer, a young girl from Sterling, Massachusetts, who one day brought her pet lamb to school and caused quite a stir among her classmates. The story was later set to music by Lowell Mason, which helped the rhyme gain widespread popularity. Its enduring charm has made it a staple of children’s literature and music for generations.
Piano Letter Notes for Mary had a Little Lamb
Mary had a little Lamb is a famous song for the first piano lessons. But when getting started with the piano most of the young students don’t know much about music theory nor they know how to read sheet music. Therefore, it’s a good idea to take lyrics with letter notes. In that way young pianists know which key to play on the piano for which word or syllable.
I would also recommend labeling the piano keys for kids, so that they know how to identify the right keys. However, in order to reduce the student’s dependence on the piano key labels, you should remove them after the child can confidently play a few songs.
And be sure to check out our article on how to read piano notes, where we explain how to easily remember and find the piano keys on the keyboard, and how they correspond to the notes on the sheet music.
Here are the keys on the keyboard that you have to use for the song Mary had a little Lamb:
The following chart with the lyrics and the letter notes enables you to learn and play it in a easy way:
You can also check the recording below in order to play along or to see if you got it right.
You can also play the song by using piano chords instead of the single notes. This is a bit more challenging for a beginner but an excellent exercise. Immediate players can also combine right and left hand playing. But when you just get started it’s better to concentrate first on one hand playing.
Piano Sheet Music for Mary had a little Lamb
You can actually find all the information about a music piece in the sheet music. However, sheet music is not very beginner-friendly since it requires some knowledge and learning in order to read it. That’s why lyrics with letter notes are used for young beginners. But when you or your students know how to read sheet music then the proper sheet music is the right thing for you! And Mary had a little Lamb is a very simple melody. This makes it perfect for practicing with sheet music.
Here are the music notes for Mary had a little Lamb:
Free PDF Printables for Mary had a little Lamb
We try to provide you as many free resources as possible on our site! Feel free to download and to share the lyrics with letter notes and the sheet music of Mary had a little Lamb for your practicing or piano lesson!
Interested in instruments other than the piano? You can also find a free lesson on how to play Mary had a Little Lamb on the guitar, ukulele and recorder.
