Beginner · First Melodies

Old MacDonald Had a Farm

Traditional melody

A playful tune with repeated notes and a quick middle phrase. Try tapping the rhythm before playing it.

Make a little progress

  1. Listen once and watch where the notes meet the keyboard.
  2. Set playback to half speed. Hear the right hand on its own.
  3. Choose two bars and switch on the loop.
  4. Add the left hand when the phrase feels familiar.

About this arrangement

Traditional melody, published in the early twentieth century; our own instrumental arrangement. Melody simplified and transposed; newly written sparse bass accompaniment. No lyrics or third-party recording.

The onscreen note guide simplifies notation. This is a short teaching arrangement of the melody with a sparse bass, not a full concert score.