The Wheels on the Bus is one of the most popular nursery rhymes in the western world. Even in non-English speaking countries, this song is quite well known and either a translated version is sung or children sing it to learn English in kindergarten. Children love this rhyme because it has a very catchy melody and you can combine the content of the verses with some nice hand motions. It’s also a great nursery rhyme to learn on the ukulele! Did you know that you can even play the melody on just one string of the ukulele? Well, let’s discover this easy version and much more about the song in this free ukulele lesson. We also offer some free PDF downloads like the sheet music for your practice at the end of the article!
History of Baa Baa Black Sheep
The nursery rhyme dates back to the 18th century. The earliest known publication of the rhyme was in 1731, making it one of the oldest surviving nursery rhymes. The melody commonly associated with “Baa Baa Black Sheep” was later published in “Tommy Thumb’s Pretty Song Book” in 1744. The song’s lyrics have sparked much speculation about their historical context, with some theories suggesting they refer to the medieval wool tax imposed during the reign of Edward I, while others believe they simply reflect the pastoral life of the time.
And did you know that the nursery rhyme actually uses the melody of the French song Ah! vous dirai-je, maman? Some other children’s songs use the same melody as well, such as Twinkle Twinkle Little Star or the Alphabet Song.
Ukulele Tabs for Baa Baa Black Sheep
Each song offers a range of possibilities for performance, from simple versions with basic chords and strumming patterns to more difficult arrangements. You can choose to play a song in either a low or high pitch. We’ll start with simple arrangements in a pitch that’s comfortable for most people to sing because our focus on beginners and children. First, we’ll learn how to fingerpick the melody on a single string of the ukulele and then on multiple strings. Afterward, we’ll explore playing the nursery rhyme using some easy ukulele chords and some strumming.
1. Level: Playing only on One Ukulele String
Let’s begin with an easy fingerpicking version of Baa Baa Black Sheep. You can actually play the entire song using just one string on the ukulele. This approach is perfect for young beginners, as all the required notes are located on a single string. It helps them focus on plucking one string and moving only one finger along the fretboard. To start, press down on the first string using either your index or middle finger of your left hand, then pluck the string with your right thumb.
Using horizontal lines as strings and numbers on those lines to represent the fret you should play, tablature gives us the guidance we need to start picking away at songs and their melodies. The strings are “upside-down”, meaning that the high sounding E is the highest line on your tablature. A zero (0) means you play the string open without any fingers on any frets. Learn more about reading guitar tabs!
Here are the ukulele tabs for Baa Baa Black Sheep on one string:
Listen to how it should sound like when played on the ukulele on just one string! You can also reduce the speed of the recording to play along while practicing.
And don’t forget, you can play the same pattern on any other string of your ukulele as well. Try for example the 3rd string to have a pretty low version of the nursery rhyme
2. Level: Playing on several Ukulele Strings
While starting with one string is nice and simple, the same melody can also be played across all the strings on the ukulele. In fact, using the other strings of the ukulele is more common and efficient. This approach significantly reduces the need for extensive left-hand movement along the neck. Although it involves using more fingers and plucking different strings, which is an excellent exercise for enhancing your ukulele skills.
Here are the ukulele tabs for playing the nursery rhyme on the four strings:
It sounds pretty similar to the first version but you can listen to the recording to check your playing.
Ukulele Chords for Baa Baa Black Sheep
Fingerpicking is a good way to learn how to play the melody of a song. But if you want to sing and play at the same time, you will see that most ukulele players prefer to strum a song with chords. You can play the song in different keys. We will play the song in the key of G.
The chords that you need for Baa Baa Black Sheep are the basic chords G, C and D.
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!
If you already know how to play these basics ukulele chords and can switch between them easily, then you won’t have any problems learning this song quickly! Otherwise, practice the chords G, C and D first individually and try to play the sequence G-C-D over and over with simple down strokes until you can play it without thinking about it. Then you will have a feel for the chord sequence that you need for the song.
It’s pretty important for young beginners to start new songs at a slow pace. This means, focus on performing only a simple down strum with each chord change. This gives you enough time to change between chords without the added pressure of difficult strumming patterns. Additionally, singing along is simpler when you strum down only once per chord change. Once you’re comfortable, you can try out other strumming patterns.
Ukulele Sheet Music for Baa Baa Black Sheep
Do you know how to read sheet music? Great, because then you should really use the sheet music for the song. It provides comprehensive details about a song, including pitches, rhythms, and chords. For beginners, however, sheet music can be daunting because it requires a basic understanding of music theory and some practice reading it. That’s why ukulele tabs or lyrics with chords are usually preferred for children and beginners.
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 Baa Baa Black Sheep:
Free Ukulele Printables for Baa Baa Black Sheep
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 Baa Baa Black Sheep on the guitar, piano and recorder.
