Baa, Baa, Black Sheep
About this arrangement
The rhyme was printed in Tommy Thumb's Pretty Song Book around 1744. It is sung to a variant of the French melody Ah! vous dirai-je, maman - the same tune as Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star and the Alphabet Song. The words and this tune were first printed together in 1879.
The tune leaps up a fifth at the start, then walks back down step by step. Put your thumb on A and your little finger on E, and the hand can stay put for most of the piece. Bar 2 adds quick notes for have you any wool - keep them even.
Start with short loops.
Use the section list as a practice map. Start at 50% tempo, loop one section, then return to the full piece once the hand shape feels stable.
Choose Right or Left to focus on one hand. Wait for note checks the highlighted notes as you play them on the screen or a connected MIDI keyboard.
Before you practice.
01 Is Baa, Baa, Black Sheep the same tune as Twinkle, Twinkle?
Yes. Both use a variant of the French melody Ah! vous dirai-je, maman, as does the Alphabet Song.
02 What key is this edition in?
A major, with three sharps: F, C and G sharp. You can also play the same tune from C with no black keys.
03 Is it good for a first piano lesson?
Yes. It is one hand, twelve bars, and the shape of the tune repeats.