Mary Had a Little Lamb Notes
Mary Had a Little Lamb starts E D C D E E E, and it uses only four notes: C, D, E and G. Most of the tune steps between three neighboring notes, with one jump up to G.
The notes with the words
| Words | Notes |
|---|---|
| Mary had a little lamb | E D C D E E E |
| Little lamb | D D D |
| Little lamb | E G G |
| Mary had a little lamb, its | E D C D E E E E |
| Fleece was white as snow | D D E D C |
The first and fourth lines start the same way, so once you’ve read the opening you’ve read half the song. The only note outside E, D and C is the G in the third line.
On the staff
In 4/4 time, with four beats in every measure. The letter under each note is its name.
The four notes
- E is on the bottom line of the staff. The song starts and spends most of its time here.
- D hangs just below the bottom line.
- C is middle C, on its own ledger line below the staff.
- G is on the second line, where the treble clef’s spiral curls.
Tips for reading it
- Spot the pattern. E D C D E E E is a little valley: down two steps, back up two, then three Es. It appears twice.
- Find G by the clef. The jump up to G is the only leap. You don’t need to count up from E; G is the line the treble clef curls around.
- Notice the long notes. Each “little lamb” ends on a half note, held for two beats. Those held notes give the tune its rocking feel.
About the song
“Mary Had a Little Lamb” began as a poem by the American writer Sarah Josepha Hale, first published in 1830. It has a famous place in history, too: in 1877, Thomas Edison recited its first lines into his new phonograph, making them some of the first words ever recorded.
If you’ve already played Hot Cross Buns, you know three of these four notes.
Play it
Press Play Mary Had a Little Lamb at the top of this page to read it in Trebly’s Songs mode. Each note arrives on the staff in order. Name it to hear it, and the tune comes together as you read. Once you can play it cleanly, try Play in time.