Humpty Dumpty is a very popular nursery rhyme in the western world. It has a very nice melody that is quite catchy and even young children love to sing this song. It’s also a great children’s song to learn on the ukulele! We will first discover the history of the song and then learn how to play an easy version of the song using fingerpicking and some basic chords. We also offer some free PDF downloads like the sheet music for your practice at the end of the article!
History of Humpty Dumpty
The origins of the nursery rhyme Humpty Dumpty are somewhat mysterious, with the earliest known version appearing in the English nursery rhyme collection “Juvenile Amusements” in 1797. The character of Humpty Dumpty is traditionally depicted as an egg, although this connection wasn’t explicitly made until the 19th century in Lewis Carroll’s Through the Looking-Glass.
The rhyme itself is much older, however, and may have originally referred to a large cannon used during the English Civil War in the 1640s that was stationed on a wall in Colchester. When the wall was damaged and the cannon fell, it couldn’t be put back together, much like Humpty Dumpty in the rhyme. Over time, the character evolved into the egg figure we know today, and the rhyme became a staple of children’s literature, symbolizing something fragile that, once broken, cannot be repaired.
Ukulele Tabs for Humpty Dumpty
Let’s start by learning how to fingerpick the melody of Humpty Dumpty. You can play any song in a very simple way, just plucking one string at a time, or in a more advanced way, sometimes plucking several strings at the same time and combining it with strumming. Since we are focusing on beginners and children, we will learn a very simple version.
Here are the ukulele tabs for playing the nursery rhyme on three strings:
Listen to the recording below to see how it should sound. You can also slow it down and play along as you practice.
Ukulele Chords for Humpty Dumpty
Fingerpicking is a good way to learn how to play the melody of a song and to get familiar with it. But let’s also learn how to play the song with some basic chords. Because if you want to sing and play at the same time the song with your students, you will see that most people prefer to strum a song with chords. You can play a song in different keys. We will play the song in the key of C.
And to play the song we only need three chords! The chords that you need for Humpty Dumpty in the key of C are the basic chords C, F and G.
Here are the chord diagrams for the required chords:
Guitar Chords are illustrated in guitar chords diagram. They are a simplified illustration of the guitar neck and it tells you where to put which finger on which string. Learn more about how to read guitar chords!
Do you already know how to play these basics ukulele chords and you don’t have any difficulty while changing between them? Then you are good to go and to play the Humpty Dumpty with chords! If not, practice the chords C, F and G first individually and try to play the sequence C-F-G over and over with simple down strokes until you can play it without any mistakes. In that way, you will develop a feeling for the chord sequence that you need for the song.
The difficulty of this version is the fast chord changes. That’s why beginners should start to play the song slowly. This will greatly reduce the chance for potential mistakes and frustration. Concentrate on playing a simple down strum for each chord change. This will give you enough time to switch between the ukulele chords without the pressure of complex strumming patterns. Also, singing along is easier when you only strum down once per chord change. Once you’re comfortable, you can play the song at full speed and try different strumming patterns.
Ukulele Sheet Music for Humpty Dumpty
If you can read sheet music, you should take advantage of it. It’s a fantastic tool for learning a song, providing you with all the notes, rhythms, and chords in detail. However, if you’re new to music, sheet music might seem quite challenging because it requires some understanding of music theory and practice in reading it. That’s why many beginners and children find it easier to start with ukulele tabs or lyrics that have chords written above them. They simplify the learning process and make the music more accessible.
Guitar Chords are illustrated in guitar chords diagram. They are a simplified illustration of the guitar neck and it tells you where to put which finger on which string. Learn more about how to read guitar chords!
Here is the sheet music for Humpty Dumpty:
Free Ukulele Printables Humpty Dumpty
Feel free to download the chords, tabs, and sheet music as a free PDF for your practice sessions or ukulele lessons!
Interested in instruments other than the ukulele? You can also find a free lesson on how to play Humpty Dumpty on the guitar and piano.
