Row, Row, Row Your Boat is a gentle 6/8 first piece, and you can learn it right here: press play on the interactive player to hear it at half speed while the notes and keys light up, then drag the score to move around. Sheet music, fingering for both hands, and a free printable PDF follow below.
Learn it with the interactive player
- Slow it down: x0.5 or x0.75 while you learn the notes, back to x1 once they flow.
- Pause anywhere: the current keys stay lit so you can find them on your own piano.
- Drag the score left or right, or use the 15s buttons, to replay a phrase.
The sheet music, section by section
Start with Section A and the right hand alone: three long Cs on the thumb, then C-D-E, and the gently-down-the-stream wiggle E-D-E-F landing on a long G. Set the player above to x0.5 and watch measure 3, where finger 2 quietly takes over the repeated E so the hand drifts up the keys without any stretch.
Section B is the merrily waterfall: the pinky hops up to high C, then the tune tumbles down the C chord, C5-G-E-C, three notes on each step, before life-is-but-a-dream walks G-F-E-D back down to middle C. Play it at x0.5 first and let the left hand keep rocking C-E-G-C underneath.
The full score
Once both halves feel easy, play the full 8 measures with the left hand rocking one long note per measure, C-C-E-G then C-E-G-C, and build gently toward the Allegretto target of dotted quarter = 60.
Note by note: keys and fingering
- Right hand: Five-finger C position with the thumb (1) on middle C: the melody uses C4, D4, E4, F4 and G4, plus high C5 on the merrilys. In measure 3 the index finger (2) quietly takes over the repeated E so the hand drifts up the keys and the pinky (5) is ready to hop to high C; after the waterfall the thumb lands back home on middle C.
- Left hand: The left hand plays the three notes of the C chord, one long dotted half note per measure: pinky (5) on C3, middle finger (3) on E3, thumb (1) on G3. It never moves from this position.
| Note | On the Staff | On the Keyboard | Finger |
|---|---|---|---|
| C4 | Ledger line below treble staff | Middle C, just left of two black keys | RH Thumb (1) |
| D4 | Just below the bottom line | Between the two black keys | RH Index (2) |
| E4 | Bottom line of treble staff | Right of the two black keys | RH Middle (3) |
| F4 | First space of treble staff | Left of the three black keys | RH Middle (3) |
| G4 | Second line of treble staff | Between first two of three black keys | RH Ring (4) |
| C5 | Third space of treble staff | One octave above middle C | RH Pinky (5) |
| C3 | Second space of bass staff | One octave below middle C | LH Pinky (5) |
| E3 | Third space of bass staff | Right of two black keys, below middle C | LH Middle (3) |
| G3 | Fourth space of bass staff | Between first two of three black keys | LH Thumb (1) |
Prefer a video? Watch the keys light up
Same color code as the player: green marks the right hand, blue the left hand, with the score and keyboard in one vertical video.
The story behind Row, Row, Row Your Boat
Row, Row, Row Your Boat is a traditional American song that first appeared in print in 1852, and its gentle 6/8 sway has been rocking children ever since. It is also one of the most famous rounds in the world: once your child can sing it, the whole family can join in with overlapping voices, each one starting a little after the last. On the piano the highlight is the merrily passage, where the hand jumps up to high C and tumbles back down through the notes of the C chord like a little stream. That small leap and fall gives young beginners their very first arpeggio inside a tune they already know by heart.
Get the printable PDF
The printable PDF of Row, Row, Row Your Boat - full score, hand positions, and a step-by-step practice guide - ships inside our free Kids pack with big, easy-to-read notes, together with nine other first pieces.
If your child's feet swing in the air during the merrily hop, a piano pedal extender for kids gives them somewhere to rest so the 6/8 rocking stays steady.
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FAQ
How hard is Row, Row, Row Your Boat on piano?
It is an easy first piece from our Kids collection: 8 measures in C major, the right hand in five-finger C position, and the left hand holding one long note per measure on C3, E3 or G3. The only new skill is the small hop to high C in the merrily measure, which little hands manage by travelling rather than stretching.
How long does it take to learn Row, Row, Row Your Boat?
Most children play the first line hands separately within a few short sessions and the whole piece hands together within a week or two. The merrily waterfall, C5-G-E-C under fingers 5-3-2-1, is the spot that needs a few extra repetitions.
What level is Row, Row, Row Your Boat?
It belongs to our Kids collection of first pieces (the same level as our Level 1 pack). A single C position, a three-note bass line and a gentle Allegretto at dotted quarter = 60 make it an ideal early piece, and a first taste of the rocking 6/8 feel.
What are the notes for Row, Row, Row Your Boat on piano?
The right hand plays C-C-C-D-E, then E-D-E-F and a long G, followed by the merrily waterfall C5-C5-C5, G-G-G, E-E-E, C-C-C, and closes with G-F-E-D-C. The left hand plays C3, C3, E3, G3, then C3, E3, G3, C3, one long note per measure. Full fingering is in the table above.