When the Saints Go Marching In

When the Saints Go Marching In is a famous old song that has only FIVE NOTES - ideal for a young musician! 

Get:

  • the piano sheet music, or 
  • lead sheets here, free.
When the Saints Go Marching In, a piano arrangement

Please scroll down the page for the download links.

This arrangement may look difficult, but if you examine it closely you will see that the hands "take turns" - easier than playing together.

"When the Saints" has got three big things going for it:

  • It is a strong, familiar melody with lots of repetition.
  • It uses just 5 notes!  Five notes which sit nicely into the 5-finger scale position of the beginner pianist's hand...
  • Once the melody is learned, it can be "jazzed up" with simple or more complicated left hand chord patterns - or turned into a duet with simple boogie chords!

Here is the plain melody with alpha-notes added for the earliest beginners: 

When the Saints Go Marching In with letters in the notes for beginners

Please scroll down the page for the download links.

Sometimes kids who aren't used to chord symbols (in this song, the capitol Cs, Gs, and F) are confused when they appear over the melody line, and suppose that they indicate what the note is! 

Because of this natural assumption, I frequently will point at one of the chord symbols in a new song, and say to my student, "What do you think that is?" 

This is helpful to them - and also to me.  I learn just how much my student is understanding!

Here is the same arrangement, but with only a FEW of the letters-in-the-notes to give confidence to timid newbies:

When the Saints beginner music with a few lettered notes

Please scroll down the page for the download links.


Check out a fancy version of the Pachelbel Canon that even elementary students can play!


If you want a plain key of C arrangement with no letters in the notes, download the C version of the lead sheets below:

Lead sheets for When the Saints Go Marching In


The links for the piano arrangements:


Download When the Saints for two hands, jazzy elementary arrangement


Download easiest arrangement of When the Saints, with letters in the note-heads


Download "helper" arrangement of When the Saints


The links to the leadsheets:


Download When the Saints lead sheet in A


Download When the Saints lead in Bb


Download When the Saints in C


Download lead sheet in D


Download "Saints" in Eb


Download When the Saints lead in F


Download Saints lead in G




More 5-finger songs at Music-for-Music-Teachers:

Cat Came Back (easiest version) - with fun-to-sing lyrics, many verses!


Erie Canal - Part I has only 5 notes, but is a satisfying introduction to this song


Fuzzy Wuzzy - cute and short!


God is So Good - a sweet melody with sweet words


Jingle Bells - every child knows this one


Mary Had a Little Lamb - a song with many uses!


Ode to Joy, the famous tune by Beethoven


Pizza Please (Hot Cross Buns) - 3 notes, arranged for each hand


Sharks (3 notes, for left hand) - this is like the Jaws theme song


Snake Charmer - with fun lyrics and a mysterious minor melody


Tarantelle - the spider dance, with silly lyrics about tarantulas


When the Saints Go Marching In - with several arrangements!


Dianna:
Your website is a light in the darkness. THANK YOU for all you do in helping to spread the love of music. It matters!

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MusicGardenStudios:
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I have been slowly giving my oldest daughter whatever my memory can dredge up, scouring the internet for free music she can do, but your website with its instructions AND tips on how to teach pieces are going to help me SO much in this endeavor. I just wanted to tell you thank you. Really really! THANK YOU!

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About the Author

Dana Thynes

Hi, I'm Dana!  (Say that like "Anna".)  I'm the owner of Music-for-Music-Teachers.com, and a newer site, SingTheBibleStory.com.

Like some of you, I've been playing the piano since early childhood, and have 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.