Frère Jacques
Medium6 notes32 keys to press4/4
Play it by colors: press Listen, then My turn. The next key lights up and waits for you.
G
C
D
E
F
A
Same color twice on the piano? the one on the left the one on the right
The words of Frère Jacques
Every syllable sits under its note in the bubbles above. These words are in the public domain.
Are you sleeping, are you sleeping,
Brother John, Brother John?
Morning bells are ringing,
morning bells are ringing, ding, dang, dong.
Ding, dang, dong.
About this song
Frère Jacques, or Are You Sleeping, Brother John?, is built from four short pieces, each played twice: C D E C, then E F G, then a quick G A G F E C, then C G C, the "ding, dang, dong" of the bells. Because every piece comes twice, children learn it very fast. On this page each note is a colored bubble with its letter and its word. Press Listen to hear it with the keys lighting up, then My turn: the next key glows and waits. The bells at the end dip down to a low G, so the piano shows a few keys below middle C.
Where the song comes from
Frère Jacques is a French round from the 18th century: a monk, Brother Jacques, has overslept and is asked to ring the bells for morning prayers. It is sung all over the world in dozens of languages. As a round it works in canon: a second voice starts the song when the first reaches the second line, and the two fit together all the way.
Playing it together
Try it as a round at the piano: your child plays the melody while you sing it, starting two bars later. Fingers: thumb on C and one finger per key up to G; the little finger reaches up to A in the quick third part.
The real sheet music
When the colors are easy, the same song is waiting as a real score: Frère Jacques piano sheet music, with the melody on the staff, the note names and an easy left hand.
Frequently asked
What are the notes of Frère Jacques on piano?
C D E C (twice), E F G (twice), G A G F E C (twice), C G C (twice), with the G of "dang" below middle C.
What does Frère Jacques mean?
Brother Jacques. In the French words, he is asked if he is sleeping and told to ring the morning bells: "sonnez les matines".
How do you sing Frère Jacques as a round?
One voice starts; when it reaches "Brother John", a second voice starts from the beginning. Up to four voices can join, each two bars after the last.
Play together in GOONS Studio
Everything in the kids section is free, with no account. GOONS Studio adds the full piano with 88 keys, drum machines and a sequencer in the browser, to record a song together and play it back, with a 7-day free trial, no card required.