London Bridge — Lyre Tabs

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

Can a lyre 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.

• 7-string✓ Plays as writtenIn C major, C4–A4 · load it
• 10-string✓ Plays as writtenIn C major, C4–A4 · load it
• 16-string✓ Plays as writtenIn C major, C4–A4 · loaded above

London Bridge: lyre tabs

The large line is the note’s number in the scale; the small line under it is the string to pluck. 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.

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.

• 1str. 4×1
• 2str. 5×2
• 3str. 6×5
• 4str. 7×6
• 5str. 8×8
• 6str. 9×2

What to expect on a lyre

• It runs from C4 to A4, a major sixth, using 6 different notes. That leaves 5 semitones unused below and 12 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 4 to 9 of 16, 6 strings in all.

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.

• London Bridge — kalimbatabs
• London Bridge — pianoletter notes
• London Bridge — mbiratabs
• London Bridge — handpantabs
• London Bridge — oudnotes
• London Bridge — violinnotes
• London Bridge — cellonotes
• London Bridge — erhunotes
• London Bridge — dulcimertab
• London Bridge — xylophoneletter notes
• London Bridge — marimbaletter notes
• London Bridge — glockenspielletter notes
• London Bridge — steel drumletter notes
• London Bridge — ocarinanotes
• London Bridge — harmonicatabs
• London Bridge — trumpetnotes
• London Bridge — clarinetnotes
• London Bridge — saxophonenotes
• London Bridge — flutenotes
• London Bridge — recordernotes
• London Bridge — tubanotes
• London Bridge — euphoniumnotes
• London Bridge — trombonenotes
• London Bridge — accordionletter notes
• London Bridge — harpletter notes

More songs for the lyre

• Hot Cross BunsNursery rhymes · major third
• Lightly RowNursery rhymes · fifth
• Twinkle Twinkle Little StarNursery rhymes · major sixth
• Mary Had a Little LambNursery rhymes · fifth
• Row, Row, Row Your BoatNursery rhymes · octave
• Old MacDonaldNursery rhymes · major sixth
• Frère JacquesNursery rhymes · major sixth
• Going Home (New World Largo)Classical melodies · fifth

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