Click here to jump straight to the TAB for “Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes.”
Did you know that in Canada, they sing “Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes” to the tune of “London Bridge is Falling Down”? Those crazy Canucks. Here in the States, we do it the right way and use the melody of “The Drunkard Song.” Have no fear, however, the children’s song isn’t some old drinking song (unlike another tune in this category); it just borrows the melody.
“Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes” first appeared in the early 20th century, and it is still used today as an activity for preschoolers both to learn to find body parts and to use a bit of energy. You’ll often find recordings of the tune that repeat several times, getting faster each time through, challenging kiddos to speed up their movements and stay in time.
“Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes” Playing Tips
The main melody here is straightforward. In the low G version, the main challenge will be hitting the B on the 4th fret of the low G string in measures 2, 4 and 5. Practice keeping your hand in strict first position, with your four fingers assigned to the first four frets.
Learning to use your pinky is an early challenge for every new uke player (and everyone who plays a stringed instrument in general, really). It’s tempting to let your ring finger stretch up and grab that 4th fret, but you risk pulling yourself out of position and needing to constanly look at your hands to make sure you are playing the right notes.
You might be constantly looking at your hands anyway. That’s a natural tendancy for anyone who picks up a uke, but the best way to get past it is to be confident in where your hand is. And the best way to be confident in your hand position is to stick to first position.
Your pinky will also be extremely useful the second time through the melody when I throw in a simplified chord-melody arrangment, specifically in measure 10 when you need to his the 4th fret on the G and the 2nd fret on the C. That mini-chord is much easier to hit if you use your pinky and middle fingers, rather than trying to stretch your ring finger up quickly.
High G Hand Position + Chord Melody
When playing the high G version of this song, you can choose between first position and second position for your left hand. If you stay in first position, your middle and ring fingers get a workout and you’ll need to stretch up to grab the 5th fret out of position with your pinky in measure 6.
If you shift up to second position (which is what I recommend), that 5th fret will be easier for your pinky, and the lone first fret becomes the much easier stretch down the neck for your index finger.
In measure 14, I threw in a challenge with that F chord that requires stretching between the 1st and 5th fret. If you can’t manage it, you can also play both the E and A strings at the 5th fret, keeping the C string open.
Click the download button below if the embedded PDF doesn’t display correctly on your device. Don’t have a low G uke? Not a problem. I’ve included a standard (high G) TAB as well. Happy picking!
“Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes” Low G Sheet Music Download
“Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes” High G Sheet Music Download
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