Away in a Manger Notes
Away in a Manger starts G, C' C' D' E', C' C' E' F': a pickup on G, then a gentle climb in three beats to the measure, up to the A above the staff. This is William Kirkpatrick's tune, "Cradle Song".
Listen and play along
Hear the tune with a steady beat. Turn the tune off to play it yourself on any instrument, with the beat to keep you in time.
- GG, quarter note
- CC high, quarter noteCC high, quarter noteD½D high, eighth noteE½E high, eighth note
- CC high, quarter noteCC high, quarter noteE½E high, eighth noteF½F high, eighth note
- GG high, quarter noteGG high, quarter noteAA high, quarter note
- F2F high, half noteD½D high, eighth noteE½E high, eighth note
- FF high, quarter noteFF high, quarter noteGG high, quarter note
- EE high, quarter noteEE high, quarter noteC½C high, eighth noteE½E high, eighth note
- DD high, quarter noteAA, quarter noteCC high, quarter note
- B2B, half noteGG, quarter note
- CC high, quarter noteCC high, quarter noteD½D high, eighth noteE½E high, eighth note
- CC high, quarter noteCC high, quarter noteE½E high, eighth noteF½F high, eighth note
- GG high, quarter noteGG high, quarter noteAA high, quarter note
- F2F high, half noteD½D high, eighth noteE½E high, eighth note
- FF high, quarter noteFF high, quarter noteGG high, quarter note
- EE high, quarter noteEE high, quarter noteC½C high, eighth noteE½E high, eighth note
- DD high, quarter noteAA, quarter noteBB, quarter note
- C3C high, dotted half note
16 measures of 3/4 after a pickup · 52 notes
Name the notes in the game → Read the tune one note at a time; each right answer plays the note.
Change the notes in Compose → Move notes, change their lengths and hear your own version.
Each box is one measure of three beats. The tune starts on a pickup: the last beat of the first box. A wider note lasts longer. C' is the high C (a ' marks the octave above middle C).
The notes with the words
| Words | Notes |
|---|---|
| Away in a manger, no crib for a bed | G C' C' D' E' C' C' E' F' G' G' A' F' |
| the little Lord Jesus laid down his sweet head | D' E' F' F' G' E' E' C' E' D' A C' B |
| The stars in the sky looked down where he lay | G C' C' D' E' C' C' E' F' G' G' A' F' |
| the little Lord Jesus asleep on the hay | D' E' F' F' G' E' E' C' E' D' A B C' |
A ’ after a letter means the octave above middle C’s: C’ is the C in the third space, A’ the A on the ledger line above the staff.
The second half of the carol is the first half again, with only the last two measures changed so it can finish on C’.
On the staff
In 3/4 time: three beats to a measure, like a lullaby. “A-” is a pickup: it comes on the last beat before the first full measure, so “-way” falls on the strong beat.
Free printable sheet music
The sheet has the melody one phrase per line, with the letter name under every note and the words under each line, on one page of US Letter or A4. It suits beginners on piano, keyboard or recorder, and works well for a nativity play or a December class. It’s free to print and copy.
The notes it uses
Tips for reading it
- Read it in pairs. Most measures end with two quick eighth notes, D’ E’ or E’ F’, that lead into the next.
- Watch for the top. Each half reaches A’ once, in its first line, on the short line above the staff.
- Learn half, get it all. The two halves are the same until the last two measures.
Which tune?
Away in a Manger has two well-known tunes. This one, “Cradle Song” by William J. Kirkpatrick (1895), is the one sung in Britain and much of the world. In the United States it’s often sung to another tune, “Mueller”, by James R. Murray (1887). If the melody here isn’t the one you know, that’s why.
About the carol
The words first appeared in the United States in the 1880s, in a book of songs for children, and for years they were wrongly said to be by Martin Luther. Words and tune are public domain.
Play it
Press Name the notes in the game at the top of this page to read the carol one note at a time in Trebly’s Songs mode. More carols: Christmas songs with letter notes.