Mary Had a Little Lamb on the ocarina

Updated 2026-10-27

Mary Had a Little Lamb is the easiest song on this site: four notes, C, D, E and G, and on a 12-hole only the right hand moves. It fits every ocarina, from a 12-hole to a 4-hole pendant.

What are the notes for Mary Had a Little Lamb on the ocarina?

Mary Had a Little Lamb in C major, 4/4 time, bar by bar: E, D, C, D | E, E, E | D, D, D | E, G, G | E, D, C, D | E, E, E, E | D, D, E, D | C. Pick your ocarina, then press Play to hear the tune.

  1. E
  2. D
  3. C
  4. D
  5. E
  6. E
  7. E
  8. D
  9. D
  10. D
  11. E
  12. G
  13. G
  14. E
  15. D
  16. C
  17. D
  18. E
  19. E
  20. E
  21. E
  22. D
  23. D
  24. E
  25. D
  26. C

What is the tricky spot in Mary Had a Little Lamb?

The step up from E to G in the fourth bar and back down to E after it, the biggest moves in the song. On a 12-hole, from E to G you lift the right index and right middle.

On a 12-hole everything else moves one finger at a time: between E, D and C only your right ring finger and right pinky go up and down. Before you play the whole song, practise E to G and back a few times. The repeated notes in the second and third bars are tongued, not fingered: keep your fingers still and start each note with a soft "tu". Blow gently throughout: C, D and E are low notes and sound best with a slow, warm breath, while too much air makes them go sharp.

Which ocarina can play Mary Had a Little Lamb?

Mary Had a Little Lamb in this key fits a 12-hole, 6-hole or 4-hole ocarina in C. On an ocarina in G or F, use the same fingerings and it sounds lower. Every fingering is in the 12-hole fingering chart, and you can check your notes with a chromatic tuner (our own ocarina tuner is on its way).

Is Mary Had a Little Lamb public domain?

Yes. Sarah Josepha Hale's poem was published in 1830 and she died in 1879. The tune most people sing is a traditional one, printed for example in Heart Songs (Boston, 1909), which our tabs follow. We show the melody only. Music: traditional American tune; words by Sarah Josepha Hale (1788-1879).

More ocarina songs

More: easy ocarina songs and all the songs.

Sources