Why I Start with "Mary Had A Little Lamb"
We all know and love this little tune from childhood. Would you find it surprising that this humble song can teach a lot about how music works? That is why I start all beginners, kids and adults alike, with this song within the first few weeks of lessons to introduce some core concepts. Here is an overview of this process, refined over a few years and still evolving:
Basic Steps
Listening & Singing: I believe that music-learning should generally start from the sound (as opposed to notation or abstract concepts). Since this song is known by virtually anybody from age 3 and up, this first step is already taken care of for the most part. Not everyone knows the full lyrics, but it’s easy to learn, as there are so many repetitions.
Finger Numbers: The simplest version of this song can be played with only three different notes. At this time, the names of the notes need not be known, but good fingering technique should be taught for piano. Some beginners try playing everything with one finger as if they’re pressing buttons. It can be a good first step, but they should soon be introduced to using different fingers to play different notes. There are at least a couple of ways to do it: starting with fingers 2, 3, and 4 which works nicely on the three black keys, or starting with fingers 1, 2, and 3 which works well on the notes C, D, and E. The first approach is good for quick first-day learning since the three black-key group is easier to spot than the C-D-E group, and you can use the three long fingers in the middle which are similar to each other. The second approach is preferable in the long run, especially to prepare for learning note names, the C-position, and doing transpositions. I might write down this fingering chart for the student and have them memorize it eventually. At this point, I don’t overtly discuss the rhythm, but rather let the familiarity of the tune and my demos guide the student to naturally pick up the right rhythm.
Note Names: Along with finger numbers, it is good to introduce C, D, and E. I usually have the student find all the different C-D-E groups across the piano, and pick one in the middle range to play the song. I might write down a new chart like below and have them memorize it. It’s good to have the student actually say the note names out loud while playing (even better if they can sing them) to start developing the ear-hand-brain connection.
Note Values (Rhythm): Once the student can play the whole song smoothly at a moderate tempo, I point out the pulse or beats that run throughout the song, and the different note values that contain different amounts of these beats. This song is great because it contains 1-beat, 2-beat, and 4-beat notes. The actual names and symbols for those (quarter, half, and whole notes) can also be introduced, but I often wait a bit until the feeling of the rhythm is first internalized. I should mention that I usually start with the simplified version of the song, with no dotted rhythms (so it would sound straight like “Ma-ry-had-a-lit-tle-lamb” rather than the familiar “Maaa-ry” rhythm). At this point, I might have the student say the note names as they play like in step 3, but with the added component of saying “two” after the 2-beat notes and “two-three-four” after the 4-beat note.
Patterns & Structure: I also draw the student’s attention to patterns in the song, like the repeated notes (“E-E-E-two” and “D-D-D-two”), and the similarity between iines 1 and 3. I don’t have to use technical terms like “cadence” or “period structure” at this point; the goal is to start developing the habit of looking for patterns in music.
I and V Chords: Once the student can play the song on their right hand with a good sense of pulse, I introduce the I and V chords on the left hand This is great for introducing preliminary concepts about melody and harmony and the independence of the hands. I also draw their attention to the pattern in the chord progression (I-I-V-I repeated twice). If the student is very young, they sometimes have a hard time grabbing three notes to play the full triad. If that is the case, they can just play C-G for the I chord and B-G for the V chord (or perhaps F-G for the V7 chord). For those who can play the triads, they can play C-E-G for the I chord and B-D-G for the V chord (or B-F-G for the V7 chord).
Voila! This is a pretty cool achievement that can be made in just the first few lessons. At this point, the song should be memorized, and it can be taken through the next steps to explore more advanced concepts.
Next Steps & More Advanced Concepts
Introducing G: The basic version had avoided using any notes other than C, D, and E. The song usually contains a G in the third “little lamb,” though, and it can be introduced along with finger number 5 at this point.
Meter & Counting: The concept of a measure and the meter (4/4 time in this case) can be introduced, along with counting to 4 in each measure.
Dotted Rhythm: Once the counting is established, the concept of subdivision and playing “in between” the beats can be introduced via the dotted rhythm used in the “Maaa-ry” part.
Staff Notation: The staff notation can be introduced earlier on as well, but I think it is ok if it comes later. If the student has internalized the concepts above and has been seeing the accompanying proto-notation charts, staff notation is just the natural next step. The basics of how it works should be explained: how the pitches are represented by the vertical placement of the note on the staff, and how the rhythm is represented by the horizontal spacing as well as the different types of notes. It might be a good exercise to have the student try to notate the song on their own, once they have been shown these basic ideas.
Dynamics: Basic dynamic markings such as piano, mezzo piano, mezzo forte, and forte can be introduced, and different versions of the song can be played using a different dynamic or a mixture of multiple dynamics. At a more advanced stage, the student can try playing crescendo and diminuendo, as well as balancing the two hands to bring out the melody.
Transpositions: This song can be easily taken through all 12 major keys (and even minor keys) using the corresponding 5-finger position. I think this is an excellent tool to train the ear and fingers.
Improvisation / Composition: At some point during the 12 transpositions, the student will probably get bored of playing the same song over and over again. This is a great time to introduce some variations on the song. For the melody, they could repeat some notes to create 8th-note rhythms, use passing tones and neighbor tones, chromatic notes, etc. For the accompaniment, they can use different rhythms / grooves, broken chords, or other styles of playing chords. They could add a little 5-finger pattern of their own at the end or beginning of the song, as a preliminary step towards improvisation and composition.
After “Mary Had a Little Lamb” I usually introduce “Ode to Joy,” which contains a secondary dominant chord in the B section, and/or “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star,” which contains the IV chord and can teach how to finger beyond the 5-finger position.
These simple songs might not seem like much, but they have a lot to offer us, if you know how to look for them. I hope you can find some other ways to use them as well.
Happy journeying!