Beginner melody · key of G major
Old MacDonald Had a Farm — Easy Guitar Tab
Old MacDonald Had a Farm — Traditional American folk song. In the key of G major, 4/4 time — a great first melody for new players. Public domain.
Old MacDonald Had a Farm — guitar tab
G C G G D G e|------------|------------|------------|------------| B|------------|------------|-0--0-------|------------| G|-0--0--0----|------------|-------2--2-|-0----------| D|----------0-|-2--2--0----|------------|----------0-| A|------------|------------|------------|------------| E|------------|------------|------------|------------| G C G G D G e|------------|------------|------------|------------| B|------------|------------|-0--0-------|------------| G|-0--0--0----|------------|-------2--2-|-0----------| D|----------0-|-2--2--0----|------------|------------| A|------------|------------|------------|------------| E|------------|------------|------------|------------|
Standard tuning. Top line = thin high E string. Numbers are frets (0 = open string). This tab uses frets 0–2 on strings 2, 3, 4.
The notes, in letters, numbers or Do-Re-Mi
Show notes as
Numbers and Do-Re-Mi count from the key note (G), so you can sing it or play it in any key.
Chords
GCD
How to practise it
- Press Play and follow the highlighted numbers in the tab. Slow the speed slider down until you can follow every note.
- Play along slowly, one bar at a time. Use one finger per fret: frets 1, 2, 3 and 4 get fingers 1, 2, 3 and 4.
- When the melody feels comfortable, untick Play chords too and play it alone, then try strumming the chords while the player plays the tune.
- Test your ear in the melody trainer: it plays a phrase and you name its last note — or, on Advanced and Master, tap out every note you hear.
The lowest note is D; the guitar is written an octave higher than it sounds, so this tab matches standard guitar notation.
More beginner melodies
Beginner · G majorYankee DoodleTraditional American (18th century)Beginner · C majorLightly RowTraditional German folk song (Hänschen klein)Beginner · D majorOde to JoyLudwig van Beethoven, Symphony No. 9 (1824)Beginner · G majorJingle Bells (chorus)James Lord Pierpont (1857)Beginner · C majorOh! SusannaStephen Foster (1848)Beginner · D majorPachelbel's Canon (main theme)Johann Pachelbel (c. 1680)
Questions
Is Old MacDonald Had a Farm easy to play on guitar?
Yes — this version stays between frets 0 and 2 and it is rated beginner. Start slowly with the speed slider and speed up as it gets comfortable.
What chords go with Old MacDonald Had a Farm?
This arrangement uses G, C, D in the key of G.