# Songs that can be played on an eight-note toy xylophone **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 20, 2004, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-can-be-played-on-an-eight-note-toy-xylophone/260747 "2004-08-20T17:37:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Snooooopy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee7513/32.png) [@Snooooopy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snooooopy)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2004, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-can-be-played-on-an-eight-note-toy-xylophone/260747/21 "2004-08-21T22:52:18Z")
> [@Biffy the Elephant Shrew](#): > > Hey, how about this one: > > _What would you do if I sang out of tune?_ > **C D E E D C B C D D** > > (snip) I was going to suggest any Beatles tune that Ringo sings, as his bandmates were careful to write for his extremely limited vocal range. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Asbestos\_Mango](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/edb3f5/32.png) [@The\_Asbestos\_Mango](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Asbestos_Mango)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2004, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-can-be-played-on-an-eight-note-toy-xylophone/260747/22 "2004-08-22T01:35:18Z")
“Smoke on the Water”? _ **ducks and flees** _ ---
**Author:** ![umop\_ap\_sdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/dbc845/32.png) [@umop\_ap\_sdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/umop_ap_sdn)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2004, 5:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-can-be-played-on-an-eight-note-toy-xylophone/260747/23 "2004-08-22T05:56:26Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#): > > **Do-ReMi** (“Doe, A Deer” from **The Sound of Music** ) can be done without sharps or flats, and I think in only a single octave. Heh… that was the first tune I ever learned to play when I was a kid, and yes it was on a one octave xylophone w/o sharps or flats. Here it is in regular CDE format and my attempt at the OP’s strange format 😉 : Doe, a deer, a female deer **C D E C E C E** **A B C A C A C** Ray, a drop of golden sun **D E F F E D F** **B C D D C B D** Me, a name I call myself **E F G E G E G** **C D E C E C E** Far, a long long way to run **F G A A G F A** **D E F F E D F** Sew, a needle pulling thread **G C D E F G A** **E A B C D E F** La, a note to follow so **A D E F G A B** **F B C D E F G** Tea, a drink with jam and bread **B E F G A B C** \* **G C D E F G H** That’ll bring us back to do-o-o-o-o-oh. _C B A F B G C_ G F E D C\*\* **H G F D G E H E D C B A** Note: C\* indicates high C, the highest note on the instrument. It’s been a while though so my memory could be a little bit rusty. ---
**Author:** ![emekthian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ecae2f/32.png) [@emekthian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/emekthian)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2004, 7:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-can-be-played-on-an-eight-note-toy-xylophone/260747/24 "2004-08-22T07:23:17Z")
You can play the Futurama opening song on a toy xylphone. Unfortunately, I don’t have access to one now, so I can’t give the notes. But it’s definately possible. ---
**Author:** ![Jman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jman/32/4416_2.png) [@Jman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jman)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2004, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-can-be-played-on-an-eight-note-toy-xylophone/260747/25 "2004-08-22T18:53:25Z")
> [@Maus Magill](#): > > Ooh! I know this one. > > Louie Louie > > B-B-B-C-C-D-D-D-C-C > > Rinse. > Repeat. Um…no. That’s not right. in the key of C, it’d be: C-C-C-F-F-G-G-G-F-F At least, for the beginning. ---
**Author:** ![c\_carol](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e79b87/32.png) [@c\_carol](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/c_carol)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2004, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-can-be-played-on-an-eight-note-toy-xylophone/260747/26 "2004-08-22T20:50:29Z")
> [@The Asbestos Mango](#): > > “Smoke on the Water”? > > _ **ducks and flees** _ My brother’s girlfriend’s five-year-old has a toy guitar that has six or seven surprisingly realistic “chords” played by pressing buttons on the fretboard. My dad the guitar fanatic plays “Smoke on the Water” on it, to the kidlet’s endless delight. I have an odd family. ---
**Author:** ![dougie\_monty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/439d5e/32.png) [@dougie\_monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dougie_monty)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2004, 7:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-can-be-played-on-an-eight-note-toy-xylophone/260747/27 "2004-08-23T07:32:18Z")
Do ducks have fleas? 😃 ---
**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:** [August 23, 2004, 1:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-can-be-played-on-an-eight-note-toy-xylophone/260747/28 "2004-08-23T13:29:16Z")
> [@dougie\_monty](#): > > Do ducks have fleas? 😃 They mite. ---
**Author:** ![keeper0](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b19c9b/32.png) [@keeper0](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/keeper0)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2004, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-can-be-played-on-an-eight-note-toy-xylophone/260747/29 "2004-08-23T18:40:40Z")
> [@I Love Me](#): > > Doesn’t “Take Me Out To The Ballgame” have an accidental in it? I’m thinking right around the “If they don’t win it’s a shame” part. I probably should have stated how LONG the robot played it. I think it only played the first two lines. It was still head and shoulders above any of the other groups. I’ll link to a video of it here when I update the class website. (Unfortunately, no sound) ---
**Author:** ![dougie\_monty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/439d5e/32.png) [@dougie\_monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dougie_monty)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2004, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-can-be-played-on-an-eight-note-toy-xylophone/260747/30 "2004-08-23T19:29:18Z")
> [@Biffy the Elephant Shrew](#): > > They mite. That really bugs me. 😃 (Dody Goodman once wrote a book mentioning a group called The Armpits, who had a hit with a song “Don’t-a-Bug-a-Me Baby.” 😃 ) ---
**Author:** ![keeper0](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b19c9b/32.png) [@keeper0](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/keeper0)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2004, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-can-be-played-on-an-eight-note-toy-xylophone/260747/31 "2004-08-27T19:35:09Z")
Here is a link to the webpage with pictures and movies of the robots playing the xylophone. I think you will agree that none of them do it particularly well, which is why I will probably give it again as a project this semester. [Musical Robots](http://www.engr.udayton.edu/faculty/mturner/Mechatronics/Summer%202004/Final%20Project/FinalProj.htm) The first movie is of the group that played “Take Me Out To The Ballgame”, but on one of their poorer runs. Their timing relied a bit too much on the arm being started in exactly the right position. (The minimum criteria was to play four notes on two keys with some semblance of rhythm and capable of playing a different song from software changes alone.) ---
**Author:** ![dougie\_monty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/439d5e/32.png) [@dougie\_monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dougie_monty)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2013, 5:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-can-be-played-on-an-eight-note-toy-xylophone/260747/32 "2013-04-03T05:59:30Z")
[QUOTE=The Asbestos Mango_ **ducks and flees** _[/QUOTE] _Ducks and fleas and geese better scurry When I take you out in a surrey…😃_ ---
**Author:** ![gaffa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e68b1a/32.png) [@gaffa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gaffa)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2013, 6:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-can-be-played-on-an-eight-note-toy-xylophone/260747/33 "2013-04-03T06:35:04Z")
As befitting a resurrected zombie? [The theme from _Tubular Bells_ (aka the theme from _The Exorcist_):](http://youtu.be/GfrfIkJEs04) E-A-E-B-E-G-A E-C-E-D-E-B-C ---
**Author:** ![Malacandra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Malacandra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malacandra)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2013, 7:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-can-be-played-on-an-eight-note-toy-xylophone/260747/34 "2013-04-03T07:49:17Z")
_The First Nowell_ - one octave C - c, no accidentals. ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2013, 1:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-can-be-played-on-an-eight-note-toy-xylophone/260747/35 "2013-04-03T13:35:47Z")
I can get pretty close to “Yankee Doodle” on one of my son’s xylophone toys, but most of them have the wrong set of notes for it to sound right. ---
**Author:** ![tim314](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tim314/32/3468_2.png) [@tim314](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tim314)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2013, 2:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-can-be-played-on-an-eight-note-toy-xylophone/260747/36 "2013-04-03T14:01:17Z")
At least the first part of the Star Wars theme. 1…5…4328…5…4328…5…4342… Sorry it makes me too crazy to write it with 1=A, 2=B… because notes already have letter names, and those aren’t them. (Actual A-B-C-D-E-F-G-highA would give you a minor scale.) I know, I’m way too OCD/pedantic… ---
**Author:** ![Moe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/moe/32/2972_2.png) [@Moe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moe)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2013, 9:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-can-be-played-on-an-eight-note-toy-xylophone/260747/37 "2013-04-12T09:37:32Z")
The [Zombie] Lion Sleeps Tonight ---
**Author:** ![Quercus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/7ab992/32.png) [@Quercus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quercus)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2013, 1:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-can-be-played-on-an-eight-note-toy-xylophone/260747/38 "2013-04-12T13:31:19Z")
> [@Mollie\_Magill](#): > > Ooh! I know this one. > > Louie Louie > > B-B-B-C-C-D-D-D-C-C > > Rinse. > Repeat. > [@Jman](#): > > Um…no. That’s not right. > > in the key of C, it’d be: C-C-C-F-F-G-G-G-F-F At least, for the beginning. You can actually make a decent version of it on a 5-note toy piano, if you can play two notes at a time: [I agree that the OP’s A to H scheme is better replaced by a 1 to 8 scheme, so I’m using that] 1+5 (repeat three times), 1+4 (repeat two times), 2+5 (etc.) ---
**Author:** ![EmilyG](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/emilyg/32/364_2.png) [@EmilyG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EmilyG)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2013, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-can-be-played-on-an-eight-note-toy-xylophone/260747/39 "2013-04-12T14:56:09Z")
Brahms’s Lullaby Finlandia (main theme) by Sibelius When The Saints Come Marching In Oh Susanna Row Row Row Your Boat Two Beatles songs: Nowhere Man and All My Loving A La Claire Fontaine (French folk song) I’ll post more later if I can think of any more. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![EmilyG](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/emilyg/32/364_2.png) [@EmilyG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EmilyG)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2013, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-can-be-played-on-an-eight-note-toy-xylophone/260747/40 "2013-04-12T14:59:37Z")
Some more: Theme from ‘‘Spring’’ by Vivaldi On Top of Old Smokey This Old Man 3 Blind Mice Twinkle Little Star Old McDonald London Bridge The First Noel Big Rock Candy Mountain Maybe also Blowing In The Wind. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-can-be-played-on-an-eight-note-toy-xylophone/260747.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-can-be-played-on-an-eight-note-toy-xylophone/260747.md?page=3)