TonalicsJOURNALOpen Tuner
‹ Harp songs
SongsLondon Bridge Is Falling Down
Play a different song (34)

2 more songs need notes this instrument does not have. Changing the size or key brings some of them into reach.

Play along
  1. 5
  2. 6
  3. 5
  4. 4
  5. 3
  6. 4
  7. 5
  8. 2
  9. 3
  10. 4
  11. 3
  12. 4
  13. 5
  14. 5
  15. 6
  16. 5
  17. 4
  18. 3
  19. 4
  20. 5
  21. 2
  22. 5
  23. 3
  24. 1

Traditional English nursery rhyme, in print since 1744; the tune sung today was written down in the 19th century. Public domain.

34 strings · C2–A6 · C major · The floor harp: four and a half octaves down to C2. With every lever down it is C2–A♭6.

Tap a string, or sweep across them for the glissando. On a keyboard the letters on the strings are the ones to press — they follow the strings left to right. Each string has a lever above it that raises that one string a semitone; the key menu is a shortcut for moving several at once.

HarpFree · printable · plays in your browser

London Bridge — Harp Letter Notes

London Bridge Is Falling Down, written out for the harp as letter notes, phrase by phrase and set up above on the 34-string. Press Play to hear it, Practice to learn it one note at a time — the harp waits for you — or Play along to keep time with it.

  • Notes24, 6 pitches
  • RangeC4–A4
  • Key hereC major
  • Tempo112 bpm · about 17 s
  • LevelEasy

Can a harp play London Bridge?

Yes — every size on this page plays it. The check is made note by note against what each one can actually sound. Where the tune does not fit as the library writes it, another key or octave is tried, and the table says which; where nothing fits, it names the notes that are missing.

  • 22-string✓ Plays as writtenIn C major, C4–A4 · load it
  • 26-string✓ Plays as writtenIn C major, C4–A4 · load it
  • 34-string✓ Plays as writtenIn C major, C4–A4 · loaded above

London Bridge: harp letter notes

The large line is the string’s note; the small line under it is its number in the scale. A dash holds the note another beat, an underline is half a beat, and a dot beside a note makes it half as long again. Each line is one phrase.

▶ Play it above

London Bridge Is Falling Down — harp letter notes (34-string) · tonalics.com

The 6 notes it uses

Lowest to highest, with how many times each is played. Learn these 6 and you can play the whole tune.

  • C1×1
  • D2×2
  • E3×5
  • F4×6
  • G5×8
  • A6×2

What to expect on a harp

  • It runs from C4 to A4, a major sixth, using 6 different notes. That leaves 24 semitones unused below and 24 above.
  • 78% of its moves are a step or a repeated note. The widest is a fourth, G4 to D4, at note 8.
  • It is played on strings 15 to 20 of 34, 6 strings in all.
  • Set the levers for C major before you start; nothing has to be flipped mid-tune.

About the tune

The rhyme has been in print since the 1740s and the singing game is older still, with relatives across Europe. The tune sung today is not the one in the earliest books: it was written down in the 19th century and displaced the older melodies.

Traditional English nursery rhyme, in print since 1744; the tune sung today was written down in the 19th century. Public domain. More about London Bridge →

London Bridge on other instruments

The same melody, in each instrument’s own notation. It is not offered for the guzheng, which does not have the notes.

More songs for the harp

All 34 harp songs · Christmas songs for harp · The online harp on its own

Playing it on a real harp?

If it sounds wrong, check the instrument before the notes. The harp tuner listens through your microphone and names what each note is actually sounding.

🎙 Open the Harp Tuner