Mary Had a Little Lamb
About this arrangement
The poem is Sarah Josepha Hale's "Mary's Lamb" (1830). Lowell Mason set it to a different tune in 1831 that never caught on - the melody everyone actually knows was attached to the words decades later, borrowed from the minstrel song "Goodnight, Ladies."
Get the C-D-E pattern even first, then practise the jump from E to G in the second phrase. Hold the final C for a full bar.
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 What are the notes for Mary Had a Little Lamb on piano?
Right hand in C major: E D C D, E E E, D D D, E G G, E D C D, E E E E, D D E D, C. This arrangement uses four melody notes: C, D, E, and G.
02 What key is Mary Had a Little Lamb in?
This arrangement is in C major. The melody sits entirely on white keys, with no sharps or flats.
03 Is Mary Had a Little Lamb a good first piano song?
The melody fits a C-to-G five-finger position. Start with the right hand, practise the E-to-G jump, then add the held left-hand notes.