Right hand
Thumb on middle C and one finger per key up to G: the hand never moves. The opening three-note figure, C E F, skips D - play it with 1-3-4 and land on G with 5.
When the Saints Go Marching In - Piano Sheet Music (Easy Version)
Traditional early 20th century C major 4/4 Beginner 0:34 Both hands
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When the Saints Go Marching In uses just five notes, C, D, E, F and G, so the right hand stays in one position from the first note to the last. What makes it fun is the rhythm: three short notes leading to a long one, "Oh when the saints", with rests where a band would answer. This easy version is in C major, with the melody in the right hand and a left hand that holds one note per bar - C, G or F below middle C. Count four beats in every bar and hold the long notes for their full length. Listen once, then learn it in Practice mode and raise the tempo as it gets comfortable.
How to play it
How to play When the Saints Go Marching In on the piano
Left hand
One note per bar, held for four beats: C below middle C for most bars, G in bars 7, 8 and 14, F in bars 11 and 12. Little finger on C, second finger on F, thumb on G.
Tricky passages
The rests. Bars 2, 4 and 8 begin with a silent beat, and bar 12 with two: count them, then come in on the next beat. In bars 9 and 11 a long note and a short one swap places - "want - to", "that num-ber" - so keep counting through the long notes.
Fingering
C E F G is 1-3-4-5 every time. Bar 5: G E is 5-3; bar 6: C E is 1-3; bar 7: D is 2. Bars 8 to 11: E E D, C C, E G G, G F is 3-3-2, 1-1, 3-5-5, 5-4. The last line, E F G E C D C, is 3-4-5-3-1-2-1.
Notes
When the Saints Go Marching In piano notes
The right-hand melody of this version, bar by bar, in letter names and in Do Ré Mi. Sharps are written #, flats b; a note held across a bar line is written once.
Melody: C E F G C E F G C E F G E C E D E E D C C E G G …
| Bar | Notes | Do Ré Mi |
|---|---|---|
| Pickup | C E F | Do Mi Fa |
| 1 | G | Sol |
| 2 | C E F | Do Mi Fa |
| 3 | G | Sol |
| 4 | C E F | Do Mi Fa |
| 5 | G E | Sol Mi |
| 6 | C E | Do Mi |
| 7 | D | Ré |
| 8 | E E D | Mi Mi Ré |
| 9 | C C | Do Do |
| 10 | E G G | Mi Sol Sol |
| 11 | G F | Sol Fa |
| 12 | E F | Mi Fa |
| 13 | G E | Sol Mi |
| 14 | C D | Do Ré |
| 15 | C | Do |
Chords
Chords in When the Saints Go Marching In
The chords this arrangement holds for at least two bars, read from the score with the root in the bass. Each one opens its page: the notes, every inversion and the fingering, playable on a piano.
The piece is in C major: all the chords of the key
About the piece
About When the Saints Go Marching In
Nobody knows exactly where the song comes from. It grew out of American gospel songs with similar titles from the years around 1900, and the first known recording, by the Paramount Jubilee Singers, dates from 1923. Its words draw on the Book of Revelation: the singer wants to be "in that number" when the saints enter heaven.
Louis Armstrong recorded it with his orchestra in 1938, and that record helped make it a jazz standard. In New Orleans it is traditionally played at jazz funerals.
This transcription: Traditional American gospel song, as sung today: the chorus in C major; left hand by GOONS Studio. Transcribed by GOONS Studio from the original work, which is in the public domain.
On guitar: When the Saints Go Marching In guitar chords and lyrics, with a guitar that strums along.
For kids: When the Saints Go Marching In by colors, on a rainbow piano that lights the next key and waits.
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In the studio
Practise with your MIDI keyboard, record your take, export MIDI
The full piano studio opens this score with your MIDI keyboard and sustain pedal, records what you play and exports it as a MIDI file. It comes with the GOONS Studio subscription - start with the 7-day free trial, no card required.
Questions
When the Saints Go Marching In on piano: frequently asked
What are the notes of When the Saints Go Marching In on piano?
In C major: C E F G, C E F G, C E F G E C E D, then E E D C C E G G G F, and E F G E C D C. In Do Ré Mi: Do Mi Fa Sol, Do Mi Fa Sol, Do Mi Fa Sol Mi Do Mi Ré. All the bars are in the Notes section.
Is When the Saints Go Marching In easy on piano?
Yes. The right hand stays on five neighbouring white keys and the left hand holds one note per bar. The rests and the long notes are the main things to count. This version is level 1 of 5.
Who made When the Saints Go Marching In famous?
Louis Armstrong, whose 1938 recording with his orchestra helped turn the old gospel song into a jazz standard. In New Orleans it is traditionally played at jazz funerals.