Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star: letter notes for piano, recorder, and violin

“Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star” has six lines, and three of them are repeats. A child who learns three short lines can play the whole song. This page gives letter notes for the piano, the recorder, and the violin.

Quick facts

• Notes: six
• Time signature: 4/4
• Pattern: line A, line B, line B again, and then line A again
• Rhythm: six even notes and one long note, in every line

On this page, a dash after a letter means “hold this note longer.” A mark such as C’ means the high note of that name.

The pattern

Part	Lines	What happens
A	1 and 2	The tune leaps up, and then steps back down to where it began
B	3 and 4	A short line that steps down, played twice
A	5 and 6	Lines 1 and 2 again

This plan is called ABA form. Read musical form for kids.

On the piano

Line 1: C C G G, A A G-,

Line 2: F F E E, D D C-,

Line 3: G G F F, E E D-,

Line 4: G G F F, E E D-,

Line 5: C C G G, A A G-,

Line 6: F F E E, D D C-

The tune uses six keys, one more than the hand has fingers. Here is one way to finger it with the right hand.

Line	Notes	Fingers
1	C C G G A A G	1 1 4 4 5 5 4
2	F F E E D D C	4 4 3 3 2 2 1
3 and 4	G G F F E E D	5 5 4 4 3 3 2

In line 1, the hand opens so that finger 4 reaches G. At the start of line 2, the hand closes again, with one finger on each key from C to G.

On the recorder

Line 1: G G D’ D’, E’ E’ D’-,

Line 2: C’ C’ B B, A A G-,

Line 3: D’ D’ C’ C’, B B A-,

Line 4: D’ D’ C’ C’, B B A-,

Line 5: G G D’ D’, E’ E’ D’-,

Line 6: C’ C’ B B, A A G-

Note	Left thumb	Left-hand fingers	Right-hand fingers
G	Covers the back hole	First, second, and third	None
A	Covers the back hole	First and second	None
B	Covers the back hole	First	None
C’ (high C)	Covers the back hole	Second alone	None
D’ (high D)	Off the back hole	Second alone	None
E’ (high E)	Covers half of the back hole	First, second, and third	First and second

High E is the hard note. A child who cannot play it yet can learn lines 2, 3, and 4 first. None of them needs high E.

On the violin

Suzuki violin students learn the tune in the key of A. It uses two strings. In the table, 0 means the open string, and 1, 2, and 3 are fingers.

Line	Notes	String and finger
1	A A E E, F sharp F sharp E	A0 A0 E0 E0, E1 E1 E0
2	D D C sharp C sharp, B B A	A3 A3 A2 A2, A1 A1 A0
3 and 4	E E D D, C sharp C sharp B	E0 E0 A3 A3, A2 A2 A1

Lines 5 and 6 repeat lines 1 and 2.

Suzuki violin students play this tune in several rhythms before they play it plain. Read the Suzuki Twinkle Variations explained and first violin songs for kids.

How to learn it

1. Sing it with the letter names in place of the words.
2. Learn line 3. It steps down with no leap, so it is the easiest line.
3. Learn line 2. It also steps down.
4. Learn line 1. Practice the leap from the first note to the third note.
5. Put the lines in order: 1, 2, 3, 3 again, 1, and 2.

Where the tune comes from

The tune is an old French song. It was first printed in Paris in 1761, and nobody knows who wrote it. The English words are a poem by Jane Taylor, printed in 1806.

Mozart wrote 12 variations on the tune for the piano. Read who wrote Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star?

Two more songs use the same tune: the alphabet song and “Baa, Baa, Black Sheep.”

Make it harder

• Add the left hand. On the piano, play a low C at the start of each line. Read first piano songs for kids.
• Change the rhythm. Play each note twice as two quick notes.
• Change the mood. Play it soft and slow, then loud and fast.
• Write a variation. Change one thing and keep the tune. Mozart did that 12 times.

Things to do together

Spot the copies. Ask your child which lines are the same.

Three songs, one tune. Sing the alphabet song while your child plays “Twinkle.”

Hear Mozart’s version. Play his variations and count how many your child can follow.

Print and play

Print the piano keyboard chart and big staff paper. For recorder players, read easy recorder songs with letter notes. For an easier tune, read Hot Cross Buns on recorder, piano, and violin.