Dhun
London Bridge
Here is London Bridge written the way we write a tune on the board in class: the rhythm on top, the scale degree under it, then the swara. 1 is Sa, an apostrophe after a number takes it up an octave (5’) and a comma in front takes it down (,5). Read it, sing it, and you have the song in every key at once.
- 4/4
- Major
- 8 bars
- 24 notes
- Free to use
Read it in three languages
Scale degrees
5 6 5 4 3 4 5 2 3 4 3 4 5 5 6 5 4 3 4 5 2 5 3 1Swaras (sargam)
p d p m g m p r g m g m p p d p m g m p r p g sMovable-do solfège
so la so fa mi fa so re mi fa mi fa so so la so fa mi fa so re so mi doA line under a swara means it is komal (flattened).
London Bridge note names, key by key
The numbers never change. Only the letters do. That is the whole point of learning a tune by its degrees.
| Key | Notes |
|---|---|
| C major | G A G F E F G D E F E F G G A G F E F G D G E C |
| G major | D E D C B C D A B C B C D D E D C B C D A D B G |
| D major | A B A G F# G A E F# G F# G A A B A G F# G A E A F# D |
| F major | C D C Bb A Bb C G A Bb A Bb C C D C Bb A Bb C G C A F |
The app has all twelve keys, and it will also turn this tune into natural minor, harmonic minor, Dorian, Mixolydian or Mayamalavagowla while you listen.
The Joker’s clue: “A famous river crossing keeps collapsing, and a fair lady has to be told, again and again.”
How to practise it
- Guess it by reading. Sing the numbers in your head before you play a single note.
- Hear it. Play it back and check whether what you sang matches what it does.
- Play it in all twelve keys. Same numbers, twelve sets of letters.
- Write it out. In each key, name every note. That is when it sticks.