The Gloria refrain of Ding Dong Merrily on High, here in G major, is one slurred line of eighth notes, each bar starting a step lower. Slow it down in the interactive player and drag the score to any bar as the keys light up. Sheet music and fingering for both hands follow, then a free printable PDF.
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
The verse (section A, measures 1-8) is a four-bar tune played twice at mezzo-forte. The right hand stays in D position. Two G4s take the ring finger, then the eighths A4-G4-F#4-E4 run 5-4-3-2 down to a long D4 on the thumb. Measures 3-4 answer with E4-G4-G4-F#4 and land on two half-note G4s. Under the melody, the left hand plays G2-B2, D3-A2, C3-D3 and a whole-note G2. Start at x0.5 and count the eighths out loud.
Measures 9-16, section B, carry the Gloria refrain at forte. Each bar opens with a dotted quarter and turns in eighths: D5, then C5-B4-C5-D5-B4 in measure 9, and the same shape one step lower in every bar down to F#4 in measure 14. The fingering steps down with it, 5-4-3-4-5-3, then 4-3-2-3-4-2, then 3-2-1-2-3-1, and after that the hand moves down a position. A decrescendo to mp in measure 12 and a crescendo back to forte lead into the closing G4s. Loop measures 9-11 at x0.5, then x0.75.
The full score
Put together, the 16 bars are the verse twice and then the Gloria, which ends with the same two bars as the verse. The left hand moves only on beats 1 and 3, which gives the eighth notes above something steady to sit on. Build up from about 70 toward the Allegro moderato mark of 104 to the quarter, and hold the final G4 under the fermata.
Note by note: keys and fingering
- Right hand: Three five-finger positions. The verse sits in D position: thumb (1) on D4, index (2) on E4, middle (3) on F#4, ring (4) on G4 and pinky (5) on A4. The Gloria starts higher, with the thumb over G4, middle (3) on B4, ring (4) on C5 and pinky (5) on D5. The hand then steps down: thumb on E4 for measures 12-13, and back in D position from measure 14.
- Left hand: Single notes, two half notes per bar, except the whole-note G2 that closes measures 4, 8 and 16. The pinky (5) holds G2 at the start of each phrase and on the last bar, the middle finger (3) takes B2, the thumb (1) D3, the ring finger (4) A2 and the index (2) C3. In the Gloria the hand moves each bar: G2-D3, then A2-E3, then a stretch down to E2 with the pinky and B2 with the thumb in measure 11.
| Note | On the Staff | On the Keyboard | Finger |
|---|---|---|---|
| D4 | Just below the bottom line of the treble staff | White key between the two black keys right of middle C | RH Thumb (1) |
| E4 | Bottom line of treble staff | White key right of the two black keys above middle C | RH Index (2) |
| F#4 | First space of treble staff, sharp in the key signature | Black key right of F4, the first of the three black keys above middle C | RH Middle (3) |
| G4 | Second line of treble staff | White key between the first two of three black keys above middle C | RH Ring (4) |
| A4 | Second space of treble staff | White key between the last two of three black keys above middle C | RH Pinky (5) |
| B4 | Middle line of treble staff | White key right of the three black keys above middle C | RH Middle (3) |
| C5 | Third space of treble staff | One octave above middle C | RH Ring (4) |
| D5 | Fourth line of treble staff | White key between the two black keys above C5 | RH Pinky (5) |
| E2 | First ledger line below the bass staff | White key right of the two black keys, an octave and a sixth below middle C | LH Pinky (5) |
| G2 | Bottom line of bass staff | White key between the first two of three black keys, an octave and a fourth below middle C | LH Pinky (5) |
| A2 | First space of bass staff | White key between the last two of three black keys, an octave and a third below middle C | LH Ring (4) |
| B2 | Second line of bass staff | White key right of the three black keys, an octave and a step below middle C | LH Middle (3) |
| C3 | Second space of bass staff | One octave below middle C | LH Index (2) |
| D3 | Third line of bass staff | White key between the two black keys below middle C | LH Thumb (1) |
| E3 | Third space of bass staff | White key right of the two black keys below middle C | 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 Ding Dong Merrily on High
The tune comes from Thoinot Arbeau's Orchésographie, printed in Langres in 1589, where it is the Branle de l'Official. Arbeau was Jehan Tabourot, who died in 1595. As a carol it appeared in The Cambridge Carol-Book (SPCK, 1924, No. VIII), with words by G. R. Woodward and a harmony by Charles Wood. We print neither the words nor Wood's harmony. Arbeau's 1596 edition agrees with the carol note for note, with halved note values. Our score sits in G major, a minor third below the B-flat of the carol page, and the melody is unchanged. The Gloria appears once, without Wood's repeat, over a single-note left hand.
Get the printable PDF
The PDF has the full score, fingering for both hands and a practice tip for each section. It is a free direct download with no email to give, and it also sits behind door 20 of the Free Piano Advent Calendar, whose doors open December 1-24.
Young players learning this carol for the family can sit at our solid-wood kids piano bench, which is built for them, and a piano pedal extender for kids adjusts from 1.5 to 5.4 inches so small feet reach the pedals.
FAQ
How hard is Ding Dong Merrily on High on piano?
Our Advent calendar collection puts it at Level 3. The verse stays in one five-finger position. The Gloria refrain is harder, with six bars of slurred eighth notes and a right hand that changes position as the line moves down. The left hand plays one note at a time, in half notes apart from the held G2 in measures 4, 8 and 16, with one reach down to E2 in measure 11.
How long does it take to learn Ding Dong Merrily on High?
Most adult beginners need two to three weeks. The verse usually comes in a few days. The Gloria takes longer, but measures 12-13 use the same fingering as measures 10-11, one position lower, so put your first practice sessions into measures 9-11.
What level is Ding Dong Merrily on High?
It is Level 3 in our Advent calendar collection, with 16 measures of 4/4 in G major at Allegro moderato, 104 BPM. Right-hand notes run from D4 to D5. The left hand covers E2 to E3, one note at a time in half and whole notes.
What are the notes for Ding Dong Merrily on High?
The verse begins G4, G4, then A4, G4, F#4, E4 in eighths and a long D4 followed by another D4, then E4, G4, G4, F#4 and two G4s. The Gloria starts on D5 and continues C5, B4, C5, D5, B4 before the same turn begins on C5. The left hand opens on G2 and B2, and the table above lists every note.