# 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:** 3
**Author:** ![Malacandra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Malacandra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malacandra)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2013, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-can-be-played-on-an-eight-note-toy-xylophone/260747/41 "2013-04-12T15:41:19Z")
> [@EmilyG](#): > > 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. No, you have to use note 0 right on the last but one. Another hymn tune, _Eudoxia_, uses only the lowest _five_ notes. _The Skye Boat Song_, six notes pentatonic. (1-2-4-5-6-8) ---
**Author:** ![Chelsea\_Thomas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9f8e36/32.png) [@Chelsea\_Thomas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chelsea_Thomas)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2013, 6:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-can-be-played-on-an-eight-note-toy-xylophone/260747/42 "2013-12-16T06:42:06Z")
I looked up how to play jingle bells on the piano and it seems that you can play it on xylophone as well so here it is.( I only know it in numbers so A B C D and E is just 1 2 3 4 and 5) 333,333,35123. 4444,4333,32232,5. 333,333,35123. 4444,4333,55421. Hope you like it, sorry if its bad. ---
**Author:** ![Malacandra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Malacandra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malacandra)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2013, 6:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-can-be-played-on-an-eight-note-toy-xylophone/260747/43 "2013-12-16T06:47:16Z")
Yes - unfortunately you can only play the refrain; the chorus goes out of range. (An old thread, but revived earlier this year, and if you can’t talk about toy xylophones at Christmas then when can you?) ---
**Author:** ![araminty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b5e925/32.png) [@araminty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/araminty)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2013, 8:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-can-be-played-on-an-eight-note-toy-xylophone/260747/44 "2013-12-16T08:10:18Z")
Nitpick: xylophones are made of wood. Glockenspiel is a better general term for tuned percussion instruments. ---
**Author:** ![flaming\_yawn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/cab0a1/32.png) [@flaming\_yawn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flaming_yawn)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2013, 12:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-can-be-played-on-an-eight-note-toy-xylophone/260747/45 "2013-12-17T12:38:59Z")
I know what I want for christmas now… Plus an easy tune i bet would be “love me tender” by elvis as I learned to play that on a Merlin game in the 80’s 1434 525… i think it was a Merlin game. ---
**Author:** ![Malacandra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Malacandra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malacandra)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2013, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-can-be-played-on-an-eight-note-toy-xylophone/260747/46 "2013-12-17T14:54:07Z")
> [@araminty](#): > > Nitpick: xylophones are made of wood. Glockenspiel is a better general term for tuned percussion instruments. True, but the typical child’s toy has bars which are made of such thin metal they don’t really have the proper ringing tone of a glockenspiel, and are more xylophonic in character even though not made of wood. ---
**Author:** ![DChord568](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/439d5e/32.png) [@DChord568](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DChord568)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2013, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-can-be-played-on-an-eight-note-toy-xylophone/260747/47 "2013-12-17T19:17:37Z")
> [@MovieMogul](#): > > “Twinkle twinkle little star” Family legend has it that I demonstrated early musical prowess when I was given a toy xylophone for Christmas at age 3 and soon was able to play this song by ear. ---
**Author:** ![philobrain64](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/439d5e/32.png) [@philobrain64](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/philobrain64)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2015, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-can-be-played-on-an-eight-note-toy-xylophone/260747/48 "2015-07-23T16:52:15Z")
> [@EmilyG](#): > > 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. 🙂 Sorry to bother… I’m not musically inclined at all. The only ‘instrument’ I play is an 8 button arduino computer that I’ve built and thus I am visiting this page to find songs to play. How could I play Finlandia? I am not able to play things by ear, not even close. But I love Finlandia and it’s my school’s Alma Mater so I’d love to be able to play. Also, I can’t read sheet music. If you could, I’d greatly appreciate if you could provide how to play the main theme with notes 1-8, C-C, or A-H. 1-8 is preferred but anything works. Hope you see this and hope you are so kind as to fulfill my request. ---
**Author:** ![Your\_Great\_Darsh\_Face](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/ac8455/32.png) [@Your\_Great\_Darsh\_Face](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Your_Great_Darsh_Face)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2015, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-can-be-played-on-an-eight-note-toy-xylophone/260747/49 "2015-07-23T17:58:47Z")
“Wooden Heart”, which I remember playing on my girlfriend’s calculator (which could play tones) back in about 1981. It goes like this: 123, 354, 4656543, 56543, 354, 432, 5, 3; 123, 354, 4656543, 56543, 354, 432, 3, 1; 132, 234, 23, 2345, 556, 6, 8, 765; 123, 354, 4656543, 56543, 354, 456, 7, 8. ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2015, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-can-be-played-on-an-eight-note-toy-xylophone/260747/50 "2015-07-23T18:09:35Z")
Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This) FFDFFFE FFDFFDFGFE and generally round and round and round on those four notes forever. ---
**Author:** ![paulalovescats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7feea3/32.png) [@paulalovescats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/paulalovescats)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2016, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-can-be-played-on-an-eight-note-toy-xylophone/260747/51 "2016-12-28T19:29:55Z")
> [@I\_Love\_Me\_Vol.I](#): > > 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. The person answered that the robot only played the first two lines, but NO, it’s not that line you’re thinking of. The accidentals are in “Buy ME some peanuts” “Three strikes you’re out AT the old ball game.” Accidentals in caps. Also, if the robot had gone on it would have run out of notes. That song goes past 8 notes on “E-ver get back”. ---
**Author:** ![pentatonika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/dbc845/32.png) [@pentatonika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pentatonika)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2017, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-can-be-played-on-an-eight-note-toy-xylophone/260747/52 "2017-01-21T18:13:01Z")
Here is a song which can be played on a one-octave xylophone very easily: I have a little puppy (monotone on low C) He has a stubby tail, (monotone on D) He isn’t very chubby, (monotone on E) He’s skinny as a rail. (monotone on F) He’ll always be a puppy, (monotone on G) He’ll never be a hound, (monotone on A) They sell him at the butcher’s store (monotone on B) For thirty cents a pound. (monotone on high C) Bow, wow, wow, wow, wow, wow, wow, wow, wow, (descending scale) HOT DOG! (high C, low C) ---
**Author:** ![bibliophage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bibliophage/32/7615_2.png) [@bibliophage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophage)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2017, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-can-be-played-on-an-eight-note-toy-xylophone/260747/53 "2017-01-22T00:17:15Z")
[Camptown Races](https://www.8notes.com/scores/3821.asp) ETA: Didn’t notice this was a resurrectionist thread. Are there any zombie songs that fit? ---
**Author:** ![buddha\_david](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ee7513/32.png) [@buddha\_david](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/buddha_david)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2017, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-can-be-played-on-an-eight-note-toy-xylophone/260747/54 "2017-01-22T00:43:31Z")
I was able to play the xylophone line in Joe Jackson’s “Steppin’ Out” on a toy xylophone. ---
**Author:** ![Guest-starring\_Id](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guest-starring_id/32/21736_2.png) [@Guest-starring\_Id](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guest-starring_Id)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2017, 5:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-can-be-played-on-an-eight-note-toy-xylophone/260747/55 "2017-01-22T05:03:04Z")
_Bohemian Rhapsody_ shouldn’t be too hard to nail. shark attack scenes in _Jaws_? _Eyes Wide Shut_ soundtrack? _Iron Man_? _My Sharona_? _World at War_ theme? ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2017, 12:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-can-be-played-on-an-eight-note-toy-xylophone/260747/56 "2017-01-22T12:08:23Z")
> [@buddha\_david](#): > > I was able to play the xylophone line in Joe Jackson’s “Steppin’ Out” on a toy xylophone. Ha. My go-to song for these toys is another 80s pop tune with a memorable glockenspiel melody: “Forever,” by Little Steven [Van Zandt] and the Disciples of Soul. I think it has one accidental in it, though, so I have to kind of muff over that note. ---
**Author:** ![Elemenopy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b5e925/32.png) [@Elemenopy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elemenopy)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2017, 5:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-can-be-played-on-an-eight-note-toy-xylophone/260747/57 "2017-01-23T05:09:54Z")
Ah, most of the ones I thought of were named. But here’s some others I’ve played on my kids’ Fisher-Price Xylo/Glock without too much “muffing” (and overlooking key changes) Sweet Caroline Windy (the Association) Whiskey Bar (Doors)(with some double-note fakery) California Dreamin’ A fair approximation of the Swan Lake theme ---
**Author:** ![outlierrn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/outlierrn/32/3005_2.png) [@outlierrn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/outlierrn)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2017, 6:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-can-be-played-on-an-eight-note-toy-xylophone/260747/58 "2017-01-23T06:27:57Z")
You can do a reasonable blues based on the 5th of the instrument. That is, if it’s in C major, play a G blues. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2017, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-can-be-played-on-an-eight-note-toy-xylophone/260747/59 "2017-01-23T14:33:10Z")
> [@philobrain64](#): > > Sorry to bother… I’m not musically inclined at all. The only ‘instrument’ I play is an 8 button arduino computer that I’ve built and thus I am visiting this page to find songs to play. How could I play Finlandia? I am not able to play things by ear, not even close. But I love Finlandia and it’s my school’s Alma Mater so I’d love to be able to play. Also, I can’t read sheet music. > > If you could, I’d greatly appreciate if you could provide how to play the main theme with notes 1-8, C-C, or A-H. 1-8 is preferred but anything works. Hope you see this and hope you are so kind as to fulfill my request. The very first app I got on my new iPhone is a one-octave keyboard called “Real Piano”. I can play the main theme of Finlandia with only six notes, C through A: EDEFEDECDDE EDEFEDECDE GGGAEEGGDDF FEDECCDEE GGGAEEGGDDF FEDECCEDCC ---
**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:** [January 23, 2017, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-can-be-played-on-an-eight-note-toy-xylophone/260747/60 "2017-01-23T16:06:29Z")
If you have autotune you can play anything great. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-can-be-played-on-an-eight-note-toy-xylophone/260747.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-can-be-played-on-an-eight-note-toy-xylophone/260747.md?page=4)