White Coral Bells — Free Piano Sheet Music for Kids, With a Play Button

The chords in this piece

Your left hand plays two chords in this piece. The shaded keys are the notes of each chord, and the numbers under them are the left-hand fingers (1 is the thumb). Just two shapes, split in two all the way through (oom-pah): low C, then E and G together; low G, then B, D and F together. All the common piano chords, with diagrams →

C C

C – E – G · Left hand 5 3 1

C, E and G: the home chord. Little finger on C, middle finger on E, thumb on G.

G7 G7

G – B – D – F · Left hand 5 3 2 1

G, B, D and F, the whole G7 chord. Little finger reaches down to the low G; the other three fingers play B, D and F together.

About this arrangement

A gentle American round about lily of the valley, the spring flower whose tiny white bells hang from a thin stem. It has two parts of two bars each, written out twice here, once for each verse. Part 1 (bars 1 and 2) starts high, on the C above middle C, and steps down; part 2 (bars 3 and 4) starts on middle C and climbs, so the hand has to move between them. There are quavers (eighth notes) in every bar, and “bells” is a dotted crotchet. The left hand plays a bass note and a chord on each half bar, C and G7. As a round, a second player starts bar 1 when the first reaches bar 3.

Practice tip: Learn part 2 first, the climbing one, then part 1. When both are secure, play it as a round: the second player starts at the beginning as you reach bar 3, and the two parts fit.

The words

White coral bells upon a slender stalk, lilies of the valley deck my garden walk. Oh, don't you wish that you could hear them ring? That will happen only when the fairies sing.

A short history

Nobody knows who wrote White Coral Bells. It appears in American songbooks of the mid-twentieth century with no author named; the earliest printing found for this page is in Hymns of the Rural Spirit, published in 1947. The Ballad Index lists it as a folk song, passed on by ear in schools, camps and Guide and Scout groups.

The flowers in the song are lily of the valley, a small woodland plant with a single stem of white, bell-shaped flowers that open in spring and really do look like a row of tiny bells.

It is usually sung as a round in two parts: the second voice starts at the beginning when the first reaches the second line, and the two lines fit together over the same simple harmony.

Quick facts

Tune: Traditional (American round, printed by 1947)
Key: C major
Time signature: 4/4
Length: 8 bars
Tempo: Gently, crotchet = 80
Difficulty: Level 5: A wider range (piece 152 of 201)
Type: Round
Hands: Both: melody in the right hand, chords in the left
Chords: C and G7 (diagrams above)
Copyright: Public domain tune; arrangement by Digital Greenhouse, free for personal and classroom use

Questions and answers

What key is White Coral Bells in?

C major, in 4/4 time. There are no sharps or flats in the key signature.

How long is it?

C major, 4/4, 8 bars. The tempo marking is Gently, crotchet = 80.

Is White Coral Bells out of copyright?

Yes. The tune is traditional (American round, printed by 1947). Our piano arrangement is free for personal and classroom use.

What is the hardest part?

Learn part 2 first, the climbing one, then part 1. When both are secure, play it as a round: the second player starts at the beginning as you reach bar 3, and the two parts fit.

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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