When the Saints Go Marching In — Free Piano Sheet Music for Kids, With a Play Button

When the Saints Go Marching In

Free beginner piano sheet music: C major, 4/4, 16 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 African-American spiritual that became the New Orleans jazz anthem. Nearly every phrase starts after a rest on beat 1 (“Oh when the”), then climbs C, E, F to a long G. The right hand plays alone and stays in C position, thumb on middle C: C, E, F and G are fingers 1, 3, 4 and 5, so the climb skips finger 2. The long Gs in bars 2 and 4 are semibreves (whole notes), four beats each.

Practice tip: Count the empty first beat out loud: “one, Oh when the, saints”. The long notes are a chance to get the next fingers ready.

The words

Oh when the saints go marching in, oh when the saints go marching in, I want to be in that number, when the saints go marching in.

A short history

An African-American spiritual about the end of the world, when the saints march into heaven; the singer hopes to be among them. Its origins are unclear: it seems to have grown out of similar gospel songs around 1900, and the first known recording was made in 1923.

New Orleans brass bands played it on the way back from funerals, slowly on the way out and fast on the way home, and Louis Armstrong’s 1938 recording turned it into the jazz standard it is now.

It is the first piece here in which almost every phrase begins after a rest, which teaches a beginner to count the empty beat before coming in.

Quick facts

Tune: Traditional (African-American spiritual)
Key: C major, C position
Time signature: 4/4
Length: 16 bars
Tempo: With a swing, crotchet = 116
Difficulty: Level 1: Right hand, C to G (piece 7 of 201)
Type: Spiritual
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 When the Saints Go Marching In 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, 16 bars. The tempo marking is With a swing, crotchet = 116.

Is When the Saints Go Marching In out of copyright?

Yes. The tune is traditional (African-American spiritual). Our piano arrangement is free for personal and classroom use.

What is the hardest part?

Count the empty first beat out loud: “one, Oh when the, saints”. The long notes are a chance to get the next fingers ready.

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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