
If you’d like to compare the four melodies mentioned in this post, La Mantovana, An Italian Rant, Ik zag Cecilia komen and My Mistress is Prettie, you’ll find the music in my printables section in the section called Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star. It would be difficult to find a child or adult from a western country (or even a country that is influenced by western music) who has not heard, sung or played this tune. This melody’s scope of influence cannot be underestimated. Join me as I continue through time and across the European continent (and beyond) in search of more versions and variations. How do I post a recording on the community section Where can I find the sheet music Ling I thought i have. Remind them that Lola knows all the words and hand motions to Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star.
#Play twinkle twinkle little star series
This is the first instalment of a series of blog posts on this seemingly universal melody. Ask children if they remember the song or if they know the song. It’s simple, repetitive melody and small five finger range is ideal for first piano lessons. Musicians at this time moved great distances for training and employment, and as they came and went from Italy, were the most likely carriers of this generation of the tune across Europe. This Twinkle Twinkle Little Star easy piano music is perfect for little beginner hands.
#Play twinkle twinkle little star professional
It had gained wide popularity in Italy as a madrigal and was likely performed by well-trained lay musicians and professional musicians, who were then responsible for spreading it far afield. What if every tune in existence is a variation of some kind? It makes you wonder about lawsuits between creative people trying to control the intellectual property of a melody, trying to tame down the infectious spread of something you can’t immunize yourself against: a tune. This plays into a pet theory of mine: that there are only a handful of seed melodies in the world and that most music is somehow based on one of them. It surprised me how completely this tune has permeated the very fabric of western music. It’s led me with bread crumbs on a 600-year quest along a winding path through countries, over continents, languages and musical styles.

Or, if you’re more into popular music, maybe you’ve heard Twinkle’s star appearance in Gotye’s Somebody that I Used to Know, or even sleuthed it out in What a Wonderful World (if not, think “I see trees of green…” to Louis Armstrong’s voice and you’ll hear it).Īs I started working on this post, nothing prepared me for how deep and wide my search for this tune would go. If you’re familiar with other classical music, maybe you’ve suspected something fishy was going on with Smetana’s The Moldau? Maybe you’ve heard the Mozart variations (and know the French title).


Maybe you have a good ear and have figured out that other children’s songs share the same tune, like Baa, Baa Black Sheep, the Alphabet Song and perhaps even a German children’s song about ducks not as well known in the English-speaking world. How much do you think you know about Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star?
