Songs that can be played on a baby toy?

January 23, 2013 2:11 PM

I recently bought a toy glockenspiel for my baby. At almost 9 months he's too young for it still but I have fun plinking out some songs on it while we're playing. I'm looking for songs I can play that use only the eight notes from middle C to high C, with no half steps. Any kinds of songs are welcome, and I don't need the full sheet music, just the title of the song. (If I can listen to it, that's enough.) I'd particularly like folk songs and kids' songs, but songs from any genre will make me happy as long as I can play them without missing notes.

Songs I have so far:
On Top Of Old Smokey
Barbara Allen
Joy To The World
Old McDonald
This Old Man
Twinkle Twinkle Little Star
Row Row Row Your Boat
Do-Re-Mi
When The Saints Go Marching In

posted by shirobara to media & arts (20 answers total)

Mary Had a Little Lamb
posted by SugarAndSass at 2:13 PM on January 23

Frere Jacques (Are You Sleeping, Brother John).
posted by Marie Mon Dieu at 2:19 PM on January 23

Almost every Smiths song has a range of 5 notes. You can play the beginning of "girlfriend in a coma" starting on E and still have half a glockenspiel for harmony. :-)

(I have no other place to post this aside so I'll put it in here: for whatever reason gfiac is my goto song for random word substitutions while singing to my kids. "poopoo in the diaper? I know, I know, it's serious!!!!" etc.)
posted by rouftop at 2:29 PM on January 23 [9 favorites]

The entire oeuvre of Pianosaurus.
posted by The corpse in the library at 2:50 PM on January 23 [2 favorites]

Ben Lee's "Catch My Disease." (YTL)
posted by Sunburnt at 3:01 PM on January 23

This well-known vocal piece uses no flats or sharps:

Freude, schoene Goetterfunken
Tochter aus Elysium
Wir betreten feuertrunken
Himmlische dein heiligtum...

etc.
posted by megatherium at 3:51 PM on January 23

Happy birthday
posted by obscure simpsons reference at 4:07 PM on January 23

Sorry, happy birthday is not possible because it requires a minor 7th.
posted by obscure simpsons reference at 4:09 PM on January 23

Sorry, I have to do this. It ìs a beautiful melody that would sound great on a glockenspiel. It's also a great opportunity to learn him how to whistle. And to learn him about irony.
posted by ouke at 4:12 PM on January 23

Ode To Joy
Chanukah, Chanukah (holiday so fair, etc.)
Jingle Bells
posted by charmedimsure at 4:14 PM on January 23

The theme (largo?) from Dvorak's New World Symphony (also known as the folk song Goin' Home)
posted by charmedimsure at 4:15 PM on January 23

London Bridge
The Can-Can
Offenbach's (relatively well-known) Baracolle
Oh, Susannah
The Victors
posted by charmedimsure at 4:20 PM on January 23

Frère Jacques
posted by fancyoats at 4:31 PM on January 23

Black Sabbath, 'Iron Man'
Billy Joel, 'And So It Goes'
Brahms' lullaby ('Wiegenlied', op.49 no.4)
Benjamin Britten, 'New Year Carol'
'Down by the Salley Gardens' (there is one d', but this one can genuinely be glossed as ornamental; it works and is beautiful)
...and you can very nearly do The Monkees 'I'm a Believer'

all tested and functional!
posted by lokta at 4:45 PM on January 23 [1 favorite]

For He's a Jolly Good Fellow
posted by obscure simpsons reference at 4:53 PM on January 23

I was doing exactly this just about four years ago. (The equivalent little guy in this household has recently turned 5.) As it happens, I actually had a lot more fun -- and kept him more entertained -- actively figuring out particular tunes on the glockenspiel, rather than playing songs I'd already figured out.

That said, one thing I can contribute here: lots and lots of Ramones tunes work, in whole or in part.
posted by sesquipedalia at 12:23 AM on January 24 [1 favorite]

Some Armenian songs for you:

http://www.duduk.com/sheetmusic/Egniki%20Pes%20Tsur%20Mi%20Ashe.pdf

http://www.duduk.com/sheetmusic/Almasti%20Shogum%20E.pdf

This one works up a fourth: http://www.duduk.com/sheetmusic/Dushenka.pdf
posted by monkey closet at 6:55 AM on January 24 [1 favorite]

Do You Know The Muffin Man -- start on C (you'll be playing in the key of F)
posted by DMelanogaster at 11:49 AM on January 24

Doe-a-deer ...
posted by Kabanos at 1:26 PM on January 24

Michael Row the Boat Ashore
posted by obscure simpsons reference at 9:33 AM on January 25