Traditional · C major
Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star: piano notes for beginners
Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star is in C major and runs to 12 bars. Five notes, one hand position, no black keys. If you have never played before, start here. There are three levels here: the melody on its own, the melody with one bass note per bar, and both hands together. Every note shows the finger to use, and the music waits for you rather than running ahead.
Three levels
Start at whichever one you can manage
One hand
The melody on its own, right hand only.
Play level 1 → LEVEL 2Melody and bass
One steady left-hand note under each bar.
Play level 2 → LEVEL 3Both hands
The full arrangement, both hands as written.
Play level 3 →Your right thumb sits on middle C. Slide the hand up one note to reach the A, then slide back.
The notes
What notes are in Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star?
The melody uses 6 different notes: C, D, E, F, G, A. It is written in C major in 4/4 time, and runs to 12 bars.
Every note the melody uses, lit on the keyboard. C major.
Before you start
Common mistakes on Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star
- Reaching for the A with the wrong finger. Slide the whole hand up rather than stretching.
- Rushing the two-beat notes at the end of each line. Count them out loud.
- Pressing hard. The sound comes from the weight of the hand, not from force.
The practice room highlights the bars you keep fluffing and offers to loop them, so you do not have to spot these yourself.
Copyright
Why this piece is free
Traditional melody with no known composer, first printed in France in 1761. The arrangement, the fingering and the notation on this page are our own original work.
See the full public domain policy for every piece on this site.
Keep going
After this piece
About the same level: first piece · C major in 4/4 time Open → 1 Frère Jacques
About the same level: first piece · C major in 4/4 time Open → 2 Ode to Joy
The next step up: beginner · C major in 4/4 time Open →
New to reading the dots? The guide to reading music is free, and the five minute walkthrough comes before everything else.