The ABC Song (also called the Alphabet Song) is a great song for children on the piano. It doesn’t only follow a simple melody but at the same time it teaches the Alphabet. This song is often used in the first music classes at school. And it’s also a great piece to learn on the piano! In this free piano lesson we will learn a little more about the Alphabet Song and show you how to play it on the piano. You can also download the lyrics with piano notation and sheet music for free as PDF printables at the end.
Origin of the Alphabet Song
The Alphabet Song, often sung to help children learn the letters of the alphabet, has its origins in the late 18th century. The melody is based on the tune of the 1761 French song Ah! vous dirai-je, maman which is also used in Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star and Baa, Baa, Black Sheep. In 1835, Charles Bradlee, an American music publisher, adapted the tune and published it with the alphabet lyrics under the title “The A.B.C.”. The song’s simple, repetitive structure has made it an effective educational song for generations, embedding the order of the alphabet in the minds of children around the world. The song has been translated into many other languages (for example German and French).
Piano Letter Notes for the Alphabet Song
The Alphabet Song is a great nursery rhyme for beginners on the piano. But when kids get started with the piano most of them don’t know much about music theory nor they know how to read sheet music. That’s why, I would recommend the lyrics with letter notes. This allows you to know which key to play on the piano for which word or syllable.
I would also recommend labeling the piano keys for beginners, 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 the ABC Song:
The following chart with the lyrics and the letter notes enables you to learn and play the ABC song in an easy way:
Listen to the recording below to play along or to check if you got it right on the piano!
Every song can be played with one or two hands. Sure, using only one hand is easier than two hands at the same time. And playing single notes with one hand is also easier than playing piano chords. That’s why it’s best for beginners to start with one hand playing the melody note by note. Immediate players can also combine right and left hand playing.
Piano Sheet Music for the Alphabet Song
Can you and your students read music? Then you can skip the lyrics with the piano notes and play the song with the sheet music. But not everyone can read music. That’s why lyrics with musical notation are often used for young beginners. But when you think it’s time to introduce sheet music, the ABC song is also a good tune to use.
Here are the music notes for the Alphabet Song:
Free PDF Printables for the ABC Song
We try to provide the basic sheet music of all our songs for free so that everybody has access to some musical education materials! Feel free to download the sheet music and lyrics with letter notes of the Alphabet Song!
Interested in instruments other than the piano? You can also find a free lesson on how to play ABC Song on the guitar.
