London Bridge — Oud Notes

• Notes24, 6 pitches
• RangeC3–A3
• Key hereC major
• Tempo112 bpm · about 17 s
• LevelEasy

Can a oud play London Bridge?

Yes — every one 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.

• Arabic✓ Plays as writtenIn C major, C3–A3 · loaded above
• Turkish✓ Plays as writtenIn C major, C3–A3 · load it

London Bridge: oud notes

The large line is the note; the small line under it is the string, and how many semitones above its open note to stop it. 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.

• CA·3×1
• DD·0×2
• ED·2×5
• FD·3×6
• GG·0×8
• AG·2×2

What to expect on a oud

• It runs from C3 to A3, a major sixth, using 6 different notes. That leaves 12 semitones unused below and 15 above.
• 78% of its moves are a step or a repeated note. The widest is a fourth, G3 to D3, at note 8.
• It is played on 3 strings (A, D and G), crossing between strings 10 times.
• 10 notes are an open string, and the highest stop is 3 semitones above the open string — it never leaves the bottom of the neck.

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 — 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
• London Bridge — lyretabs

More songs for the oud

• 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 36 oud songs · Christmas songs for oud · The online oud on its own