Go Tell Aunt Rhody — Free Piano Sheet Music for Kids, With a Play Button

Go Tell Aunt Rhody

Free beginner piano sheet music: C major, 4/4, 8 bars. The right hand alone in C position, thumb on middle C, with the finger number above every note and its letter name underneath. Press Play to hear it on a real piano or slow it down; click any note to start from there; print it for the music stand.

The notes in this piece

Your right hand plays five notes in this piece: C, D, E, F, G. The thumb sits on middle C and each finger has its own key, so the hand never moves. The left hand rests in your lap. The shaded keys are the notes, and the numbers under them are the fingers (1 is the thumb). The same finger numbers are printed above every note in the music, with the note’s letter name underneath. What is C position? →

Where your hand goes

C – D – E – F – G

About this arrangement

An American folk song about Aunt Rhody’s old grey goose, set to a tune that goes back to an opera of 1752. It is for the right hand alone, in C position: thumb on middle C and fingers 1 to 5 on C, D, E, F and G, so every note has its own finger and the hand never moves. It is in crotchets and minims with a long C to finish, and the three “Go tell Aunt Rho-dy” lines each start on a different note, E, then D, then G. In bar 4, “Rho” is sung over two notes, E and D, joined by a slur.

Practice tip: Notice how each “Go tell Aunt Rho-dy” starts on a different note, E, then D, then G. Play the slur in bar 4 smoothly, with no gap between E and D.

The words

Go tell Aunt Rhody, go tell Aunt Rhody, go tell Aunt Rhody the old grey goose is dead.

A short history

Go Tell Aunt Rhody is number 3346 in the Roud Folk Song Index. The words are American and nineteenth century: the old grey goose that Aunt Rhody was saving to make a feather bed has died, “standing on her head”, and left her goslings behind.

The tune is much older. It began as a melody in Le devin du village, a short opera by the Swiss-French philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau first performed in 1752. In the early 1800s it was arranged as a piano piece and a hymn tune, sometimes called “Rousseau’s Dream”, and in that form it crossed the Atlantic and was sung in American churches and homes. Children then put their own words to it.

This version follows the Digital Tradition and an American folk-music transcription, which agree note for note.

Quick facts

Tune: Traditional (American words; tune after Jean-Jacques Rousseau, 1752)
Key: C major, C position
Time signature: 4/4
Length: 8 bars
Tempo: Steadily, crotchet = 100
Difficulty: Level 1: Right hand, C to G (piece 2 of 201)
Type: Children's song
Hands: Right hand only, thumb on middle C
Notes: C, D, E, F and G (diagram above)
Copyright: Public domain tune; arrangement by Digital Greenhouse, free for personal and classroom use

Questions and answers

Which notes does Go Tell Aunt Rhody use?

It is in C major, in 4/4 time, for the right hand alone in C position: thumb on middle C and fingers 1 to 5 on C, D, E, F and G. The finger number above each note and the letter name under it tell you which key to play.

How long is it?

C major, 4/4, 8 bars. The tempo marking is Steadily, crotchet = 100.

Is Go Tell Aunt Rhody out of copyright?

Yes. The tune is traditional (American words; tune after Jean-Jacques Rousseau, 1752). Our piano arrangement is free for personal and classroom use.

What is the hardest part?

Notice how each “Go tell Aunt Rho-dy” starts on a different note, E, then D, then G. Play the slur in bar 4 smoothly, with no gap between E and D.

Can I print it?

Yes. Press Print above to put this piece on its own page, or choose Save as PDF as the printer for a file. It prints on A4 paper; if yours is US Letter, choose US Letter in the box beside Print. The notes are the same size as a printed music book.

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