When the Saints Go Marching In is one of the best well known traditional songs.  It is likely one of the few songs that almost every instrumentalist learns to play!

I arranged this with the goal of using basic inversions of I, IV, and V chords in the left hand.  The knowledge and use of these chords are becoming more and more essential to the study of music and piano playing.  Check out my article on Tonic, Dominant, and Subdominant | Easy Music Theory for a more thorough explanation.

Download Here: When the Saints Go Marching In.pdf

Lyrics

When the Saints Go Marching In was first made famous by Louis Armstrong in 1938 when he played it with his band.  It is a traditional song, sung by many for many years.  Though it appears to have a Christian beginning with references referring to the Book of Revelation in the Bible.

There are many versions of this song, but this is the version I chose for this variation:

Oh when the saints go marching in.

Oh when the saint go marching in.

How I want to be in number!

When the saints go marching in.

When learning this song, I suggest learning and singing the lyrics along with the playing.  Doing so will not only help your learning, it will help you to master the song as you sing and play as it engages your memory in multiple ways!  The beat will be easier to keep when singing as well.

Ways to Play When the Saints Go Marching In

When you play this song, try to master several ways of learning this.

Transpose: This is a very simple song to transpose.  While looking at the current music, try and play it in another key.  Perhaps you can try playing it in the key of G.  Then try it in the key of F.  If those aren’t too bad, try the key of D, A, or Eb.

When you are ready to take that to the next level, try transposing this into a minor key such as A minor (no flats or sharps).  Transposing is an excellent tool for learning and expanding your understanding of music and playing the piano.

Memorize: This is a simple song to memorize.  The left hand is predictable and can be played without much thought.  With very few keys in the right hand, it becomes quite easy to memorize this.

Play with a beat: Try tapping your foot against the piano as you play.  Keep a steady beat.  This song is often played as a Jazz version, so try and bring out some jazzy beats as you play!

PianoTels

Tel loves her life as a piano player, a piano teacher, and a mom. Amid piano blogging, piano teaching, and piano playing, she loves a chance to fit in a good exercise class, volunteer at her kids’ school and at her church, and go on long dates with her husband. Full bio at About Tel.