How to play Row Row Row Your Boat on piano
- Level
- Very easy
- Key
- C major
- Composer
- Traditional
- Written
- 1852
First published in 1852, this nursery rhyme is a round: one person starts and others join in later, which works beautifully with a partner at the piano. It walks up the C major scale and back down.
Row Row Row Your Boat letter notes
Press play to hear each line while the keys light up. Then play along, one line at a time.
Row, row, row your boat
CCCDE
Gently down the stream
EDEFG
Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily
CCCGGGEEECCC
Life is but a dream
GFEDC
Underlined notes are long notes: hold them for two beats or more.
Hand position
Right hand in C position, then reach up to high C with finger 5 for 'merrily'.
Easy left-hand chords
Once the melody is comfortable, add these chords in your left hand, one per line or bar: C | C | C | G C.
Chord diagrams: C major, G major.
Practice tips
- 'Merrily' runs in groups of three: high C C C, G G G, E E E, C C C.
- Try it as a round with a second player starting two bars later.
- Left hand can hold a single C chord for nearly the entire song.
How to practice this song
- Listen to each line once with the play button.
- Play one line slowly with the right hand until you make no mistakes three times in a row.
- Join two lines together, then the whole song.
- Add the left-hand chords, at half speed, once the melody is automatic.