# Songs I can play on my toddler's xylophone? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 8, 2009, 12:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-i-can-play-on-my-toddlers-xylophone/484861 "2009-02-08T00:56:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![GrandWino](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grandwino/32/67_2.png) [@GrandWino](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GrandWino)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2009, 12:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-i-can-play-on-my-toddlers-xylophone/484861/1 "2009-02-08T00:56:38Z")
Our two year old has one of those ubiquitous toy xylophones that every child has at some point. It’s eight notes (one single scale) and kinda fun to dink around on, but I’m sick of playing nursery rhyme songs. I can play “Do Re Mi” from Sound of Music but I’d like to find some other fun songs. Obviously, w/ only eight notes to use, my options are limited, but I’m hoping some of you more musically inclined dopers could give me some ideas. ---
**Author:** ![Eureka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/74df32/32.png) [@Eureka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eureka)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2009, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-i-can-play-on-my-toddlers-xylophone/484861/2 "2009-02-08T01:03:46Z")
I can almost play “Joy to the World”–the Christmas Carol. (I have to admit, I’m not entirely sure whether it’s almost because I can’t remember the tune or because I run out of notes. Hmm, looks like it should work ok (yes, I checked a hymnal to confirm the tune.)) ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2009, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-i-can-play-on-my-toddlers-xylophone/484861/3 "2009-02-08T01:26:20Z")
You can play practically anything in a major key, as long as there are no accidentals. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2009, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-i-can-play-on-my-toddlers-xylophone/484861/4 "2009-02-08T01:31:08Z")
> [@Liberal](#): > > You can play practically anything in a major key, as long as there are no accidentals. Well, many songs are going to dip beyond the eight-note range of the xylophone in question. I suppose if octave doesn’t matter to you, you can fake it, but, something common like low C-B-C isn’t going to be possible with that missing low B. ---
**Author:** ![Lissla\_Lissar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8491ac/32.png) [@Lissla\_Lissar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lissla_Lissar)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2009, 2:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-i-can-play-on-my-toddlers-xylophone/484861/5 "2009-02-08T02:03:45Z")
Loreena’s McKennitt’s version of _Prospero’s Speech_. _Good King Wencelas_ (however the hell you spell it). _Ode to Joy_. I think you can play _The Huron Carol_, but I’m not sure. _Amazing Grace_. I also have a toddler, and a xylophone. We have two recorders, too, which are I think nine notes, not an octave. ---
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2009, 2:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-i-can-play-on-my-toddlers-xylophone/484861/6 "2009-02-08T02:57:56Z")
> [@Lissla\_Lissar](#): > > _Ode to Joy_. That was going to be my suggestion. You can play the melody all the way through, starting on E, except you have to cheat by playing the G in bar 12 up an octave. Still sounds good that way. ---
**Author:** ![installLSC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/54ee81/32.png) [@installLSC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/installLSC)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2009, 3:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-i-can-play-on-my-toddlers-xylophone/484861/7 "2009-02-08T03:24:44Z")
“Everyday”, Buddy Holly ---
**Author:** ![gaffa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e68b1a/32.png) [@gaffa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gaffa)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2009, 4:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-i-can-play-on-my-toddlers-xylophone/484861/8 "2009-02-08T04:22:12Z")
The melody from “Close Encounters of the 3rd Kind” - but you might need a glass of water as well. ---
**Author:** ![terrymiff](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/898d66/32.png) [@terrymiff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terrymiff)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2009, 8:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-i-can-play-on-my-toddlers-xylophone/484861/9 "2009-02-08T08:57:26Z")
Anything by Beethoven. Linus could do it on a toy piano that only had the black keys painted on. You can do it on a xylophone. ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2009, 9:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-i-can-play-on-my-toddlers-xylophone/484861/10 "2009-02-08T09:16:25Z")
It they can do[8 bit Depeche Mode](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fLEbDmrMTTk)you can do it on your xylo. ---
**Author:** ![guizot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guizot/32/3636_2.png) [@guizot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/guizot)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2009, 1:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-i-can-play-on-my-toddlers-xylophone/484861/11 "2009-02-08T13:48:14Z")
I know you can play the “Alphabet Song” because I figured that out when I was about four or five. My mother heard, and for most of my childhood she insisted that I become a musician. (She didn’t realize that I was actually saying I wanted to be a writer.) ---
**Author:** ![minlokwat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/minlokwat/32/2844_2.png) [@minlokwat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/minlokwat)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2009, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-i-can-play-on-my-toddlers-xylophone/484861/12 "2009-02-08T14:22:55Z")
If it’s morning, you can play “Reveille” and at night you can play “Taps.” You’ll need another mallet (or a reasonable substitute) and can rock out with “Chopsticks”. Also you can impress people with the melody of “Country Gardens”. Here’s the [youtube link](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W4uV8mCP5MA)if you’re not familiar. ---
**Author:** ![lobotomyboy63](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobotomyboy63/32/2900_2.png) [@lobotomyboy63](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lobotomyboy63)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2009, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-i-can-play-on-my-toddlers-xylophone/484861/13 "2009-02-08T14:26:42Z")
“Happy Birthday to You.” ---
**Author:** ![OneCentStamp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/13edae/32.png) [@OneCentStamp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OneCentStamp)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2009, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-i-can-play-on-my-toddlers-xylophone/484861/14 "2009-02-08T14:39:49Z")
Beastie Boys, “[Girls](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C7PlMoVzd3k).” Maybe not what you wanted? 😃 ETA: Hmm…on second listen, I think I hear a few accidentals in there. ---
**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2009, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-i-can-play-on-my-toddlers-xylophone/484861/15 "2009-02-08T14:43:45Z")
> [@minlokwat](#): > > Here’s the [youtube link](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W4uV8mCP5MA)if you’re not familiar. [Better video](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y__Jd8PdpOc) 😃 ---
**Author:** ![minlokwat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/minlokwat/32/2844_2.png) [@minlokwat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/minlokwat)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2009, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-i-can-play-on-my-toddlers-xylophone/484861/16 "2009-02-08T15:02:30Z")
> [@GorillaMan](#): > > [Better video](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y__Jd8PdpOc) 😃 Well that clip is much better but now you would need another xylophone, eh? ---
**Author:** ![K364](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/k364/32/5_2.png) [@K364](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/K364)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2009, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-i-can-play-on-my-toddlers-xylophone/484861/17 "2009-02-08T17:14:13Z")
“With A Little Help From My Friends” - starts on E. Written for Ringo to sing, which is why it doesn’t go outside the octave. ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2009, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-i-can-play-on-my-toddlers-xylophone/484861/18 "2009-02-08T19:36:53Z")
> [@terrymiff](#): > > Anything by Beethoven. Linus could do it on a toy piano that only had the black keys painted on. You can do it on a xylophone. You meant Schroeder, of course. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Terminus\_Est](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terminus_est/32/3087_2.png) [@Terminus\_Est](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terminus_Est)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2009, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-i-can-play-on-my-toddlers-xylophone/484861/19 "2009-02-08T20:02:21Z")
> [@guizot](#): > > I know you can play the “Alphabet Song” because I figured that out when I was about four or five. My mother heard, and for most of my childhood she insisted that I become a musician. (She didn’t realize that I was actually saying I wanted to be a writer.) You can also play “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star” and “Baa Baa Black Sheep”. 😃