On Top of Old Smoky
Free Kids Sheet Music
On Top of Old Smokey free kids sheet music with easy guitar tabs, and an easy Middle-C version for beginner piano also!
The silly and fun kids' song, "On Top of Spaghetti," uses this tune. I loved singing it when I was a kid! Somehow the words seemed incredibly clever in those long-ago days...
The lyrics of "On Top of Spaghetti" are under copyright, so I can't give you free sheet music which includes those words, but you can still enjoy a video (one among many on Youtube!) regaling the adventure of the sneeze-propelled meatball:
Here is what the free kids sheet music looks like with its easy guitar tabs:
Please scroll down the page for the download links.
I like this song best in the key of C. Even though the F chord is not a favorite of beginner guitar players, they need the practice.
If you use G7 instead of G, the three chords line up nicely and require little shifting, a neat thing to point out to your students if they haven't done this before.
Even "little" chords, the three-string chords, can be used in this song. Playing a 3-string F chord is not too intimidating, especially when the C and G7 are so easy. (See my Big Guitar Chords page, which talks about 3-string chords.)
Another neat thing to try is mixing the melody, or parts of the melody, with chord strumming. (This is easiest, I think, in the key of C.)
Thus, the song goes "On TOP of Old SMO- (strum-strum) - KEY (strum strum, STRUM strum) all COV-ered with SNOW (strum strum, STRUM strum strum, STRUM strum)" etc.
My favorite strum pattern for this 3-beat song, however, is a "BASS strum strum".
If you play this melody in the key of D, it makes a good example for your guitar student of how some songs are much easier to play in second position - using finger 1 in the 2nd fret, finger 2 in the 3rd fret, etc.
Here is the piano version for Middle C area note-readers:
Please scroll down the page for the download links.
You may notice 3 things:
- There is no fingering written in. You decide. I suspect you will place both thumbs on Middle C, but it will work with a different fingering!
- Twice, Middle C is placed in the Right hand, but once I have the left hand playing it - the last line.
- There are chord symbols above the melody, in case you wish to make up a duet part.
This song LOOKS so easy. But it isn't! That's because of all the skips. Take it slow and focus on the notereading.
My favorite video of the tune for this free kids sheet music is a rather out-of-focus rendition of "On Top of SPAGHETTI:"
The links for the guitar sheet music:
Download On Top of Old Smokey with easy guitar tabs in C
Download free kids sheet music On Top of Old Smoky with guitar tabs in D
Download free kids guitar sheet music in G
The link to the piano arrangement:
Easy piano version of On Top of Old Smokey for beginner piano players
Interested in songs from the Bible for your students or church? Check out my other website, SingTheBibleStory.com!
Recent Articles
-
THANK YOU SO MUCH
I want to express my appreciation for all of the free resources you have posted, with an unimaginable amount of time spent on your part. This is a treasure!
-
Social Distance in the Life of a Music Teacher
A journal of adapting day by day to social distance as a music teacher - how to easily teach piano, voice, guitar by phone or laptop?
-
Book written about teaching autistics piano students
Hi. My name is Susan Rancer. I am a Music Therapist and have been working with autistics and other disabilities all of my 44 years of my career. A
-
Just the Black Keys, for the Younger Pianist
"Just the Black Keys" is a new piano book for young beginners who need more time with simple music. Make that simple music FUN!
-
Bach Minuet in G Classical Piano Music - Original & Easy Arrangements
The Bach Minuet in G is a famous piece that kids enjoy playing - & now there is an EASY shared-hands arrangement to give your students as well as the original!
-
Loch Lomond Lyrics, Sheet Music & Guitar Tabs, Easy!
Loch Lomond lyrics and sheet music for all your music students, with arrangements for beginners through advanced, plus lead sheets and guitar tabs!
-
Dinosaur Song Lyrics & An Easy Melody for Beginning Piano
Dinosaur song lyrics describing a T-rex hunting other dinosaurs from the shadows... but NOT catching them! With easy piano notes and ominous sounds.
-
Free Printable Sheet Music for Piano Students: Irish Wedding
Free printable sheet music "Irish Wedding". TWO SIMPLE, intuitive versions for your 1st-year kids are the newest arrangements of this compelling piece!
-
Queen Esther in the Bible: The Dramatic Story in Song
"Esther-For Such a Time as This" is music re-telling the riveting story from the Bible of an attempted genocide long ago & how a young queen saved her people.
-
The Spanish Lady, Vocal & Piano Sheet Music & Guitar Tabs from Ireland
The Spanish Lady is a fun, pretty, and fast-moving song from Ireland. NOW with EASY beginner piano version & duet secondo, plus fiddle & guitar tabs!
This beautiful song book for piano & voice "Esther, For Such a Time as This", available as a digital download, tells the riveting story of the attempted genocide of the Jews in ancient Persia, and the brave young queen who risked her life to change the king's mind and save her people.
A good choice for a singing story-teller, an operatic group, a short theatre production, or a class of Sunday School children!
This book is also available from Amazon as a paperback.
This book is available as a digital download from this site. Visit this page to see some free examples from the book.
It is also available from Amazon as a paperback!
This is the perfect easy start for little pianists.
And when they start reading white-key notes on the staff, this is a fun easy resource to say each week, "Choose a new black-key song at home this week and figure it out to show me next lesson!" They will be spending more time at the piano.
){kind=link}
A perfect read aloud storybook
for little boys or girls.
The Adventures of Tonsta highlight the travels of a very young boy with a good heart, who goes about helping folk in trouble.
With a red cap on his head and a sack of tools slung over his shoulder, Tonsta seems to meet people in distress wherever he goes.
Lots of trolls in this book - including one who gives him a Christmas gift!
Sign up for "Take Note!" to see what's new every month.
Comments
Do you have a story or a question about teaching guitar? Do you think it is a hard instrument for beginners, or easy? What have been your challenges?
Please note that all comments are moderated, and will not appear until I have approved them. Also, IF YOU ARE ASKING FOR MUSIC THAT IS NOT IN THE PUBLIC DOMAIN, YOUR REQUEST WILL BE IGNORED. That's pretty much any music written in the last 75 years...
About the Author
Hi, I'm Dana! (Say that like "Anna".) I'm the owner of Music-for-Music-Teachers.com.
Like some of you, I've been playing the piano since early childhood, and added a few other instruments along the way, plus an interest in arranging and composing music.
You can find out more about me and the reason for this website at my About Me page.
Recent Articles
-
THANK YOU SO MUCH
Mar 31, 20 10:34 PM
I want to express my appreciation for all of the free resources you have posted, with an unimaginable amount of time spent on your part. This is a treasure!
-
Social Distance in the Life of a Music Teacher
Mar 28, 20 01:48 PM
A journal of adapting day by day to social distance as a music teacher - how to easily teach piano, voice, guitar by phone or laptop?
