Paddy O'Rafferty
Traditional · Beginner–Easy
Versions
| Version | Level | Key | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| Beginner · Level 1 | 1 of 5 | F♯ minor | 1:21 |
| Easy · Level 2 · 1:36 | 2 of 5 | C major | 1:36 |
| Easy · Level 2 · 3:12 | 2 of 5 | D major | 3:12 |
| Easy · Level 2 · 4:48 | 2 of 5 | D minor | 4:48 |
The player above plays the first 20 seconds. Learn all 4:48 of Paddy O'Rafferty in the PianoKite app: every version, both hands or one at a time, Wait mode on every bar, play-along at 50, 75 or 100% and per-bar feedback. Get early access.
- Mood
- Melancholic · slow, in a minor key
- Versions
- 4
About this piece
Nobody knows who first wrote Paddy O'Rafferty; it has come down to us as a traditional folk song, and this arrangement is a slow minor-key piece with a reflective mood. There are 4 versions to grow through: start with the level 1 (beginner) arrangement, 1:21 in F♯ minor, and move up to level 2 when it feels comfortable. In the app's library you'll also find it in the Folk songs collection.
How to play Paddy O'Rafferty on piano
- Find your starting position before you play: look at the first notes on the falling-notes player and place your hand over them, one finger per key.
- Start in Wait mode: the music waits until you press the right key, so you can learn the notes without worrying about speed.
- Practise the right hand alone first. If there's a left-hand part, let the app play it while you learn the melody, then swap.
- Start with the level 1 version. When you've learned about 80% of it, move on to the next harder version; the notes you already know make it quicker to learn.
- Short daily sessions beat one long weekly one. Ten focused minutes a day is enough to make steady progress.
In the PianoKite app you can learn it with your own digital piano over Bluetooth or USB, or with any piano through the microphone: the score scrolls past a playhead, the keys light up, and every bar gets a score so you can see what's learned. See how it works. New to the piano? Start with the beginner lessons. Get early access.
License and credits
Arranged by a MuseScore user, from the PDMX dataset. License: Public Domain. Source: MuseScore.
Both the composition and the source file are in the public domain.
The other versions are MuseScore arrangements marked Public Domain or CC0, from the PDMX dataset (Long et al., 2024).
Text events such as lyrics were removed; the notes are as published. The player on this page plays the first 20 seconds.
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