Scarborough Fair is a haunting medieval ballad and your first taste of a minor key, built here around the interactive player: hear it at half speed, watch the notes and keys light up, and drag the score to replay any phrase. Easy A minor sheet music, fingering, and a free printable PDF follow.
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
Read Section A with the player at x0.5: the melody opens A-A-E-E-E-D-E, and the minor tonality gives it a darker color than the C major pieces you have played so far. Aim for atmosphere, not speed.
Section B rises to its highest point, then sinks through the gentle descent C-B-A. Play those final measures with the softest touch you can manage - the ending should feel like a whisper.
The full score
Keep the left-hand arpeggios quieter than the melody and take the full score at 50 BPM before easing up to the dreamlike 76 BPM Andante.
Note by note: keys and fingering
- Right hand: A4, B4, C5, D5, E5 - Thumb on A4, pinky on E5. A minor position - no sharps or flats.
- Left hand: A2, C3, E3, G3 - Pinky on A2. Arpeggiated Am and C chords.
| Note | On the Staff | On the Keyboard | Finger |
|---|---|---|---|
| A4 | Second space of treble staff | Between last two of three black keys | RH Thumb (1) |
| B4 | Third line of treble staff | Right of three black keys | RH Index (2) |
| C5 | Third space of treble staff | Next C above middle C | RH Middle (3) |
| D5 | Fourth line of treble staff | Between two black keys, above C5 | RH Ring (4) |
| E5 | Fourth space of treble staff | Right of two black keys, above C5 | RH Pinky (5) |
| A2 | First space of bass staff (from bottom) | Between last two of three black keys, two octaves below A4 | LH Pinky (5) |
| C3 | Two ledger lines below bass staff | One octave below middle C | LH Middle (3) |
| E3 | Fourth line of bass staff | Right of two black keys, below middle C | LH Index (2) |
| G3 | Top line 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 Scarborough Fair
Scarborough Fair is an English ballad with medieval roots, named for the great trading fair held in the Yorkshire coastal town of Scarborough from the thirteenth century onward. In the song, a former lover is assigned a series of impossible tasks - most famously a cambric shirt made without seam or needlework - between refrains of parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme. The ballad survived for centuries in oral tradition before Simon and Garfunkel's 1966 recording carried it around the world. Its minor-key melody gives beginning pianists a first encounter with the darker, wistful colors that lie beyond C major.
Get the printable PDF
The printable PDF of Scarborough Fair - full score, hand positions, and a step-by-step practice guide - ships inside our free Level 3 pack together with four other well-loved melodies.
A piece this atmospheric rewards an unhurried sitting position, and the Adjustable Piano Bench with Back Support lets you settle in and stay relaxed through slow, quiet practice.
FAQ
How hard is Scarborough Fair on piano?
The notes themselves are easy - Level 3 in our free collection, with no sharps or flats. The right hand sits in an A minor position from A4 to E5, thumb on A4 and pinky on E5, while the left hand plays arpeggiated A minor and C major chords. The challenge is expressive: playing softly and evenly enough to create the atmosphere.
How long does it take to learn Scarborough Fair?
Most learners who already play hands together need one to two weeks. The melody uses a narrow range with no large jumps, and the slow 76 BPM Andante gives you time to think. Expect to spend a few extra sessions balancing the left-hand arpeggios underneath the melody.
What level is Scarborough Fair?
It sits in the Level 3 pack of our free sheet collection and is usually a student's first piece in a minor key. It combines 3/4 time, a new A minor hand position, and arpeggiated accompaniment - the skills that define this level.
What are the notes for Scarborough Fair on piano?
The melody opens A-A-E-E-E-D-E in A minor, rises to its highest point in the second half, then descends gently through C-B-A to the close. The left hand alternates arpeggiated A minor and C major chords built from A2, C3, E3, and G3, changing every two measures. The full table with fingering is above.