About this song
A counting song in which the old man plays knick-knack on everything from a thumb to a shoe. Its rolling rhythm makes it a favorite for teaching beat and rhyme together in early music classes.
Play it in MIDI Room
This is a simplified single-line arrangement so you can hear the melody instantly. To play the full piece with a piano roll, multi-track view, tempo control and A/B practice looping, use the main MIDI Player Online tool with your own MIDI file.
Frequently asked questions
Can I play This Old Man online in my browser?
Yes. Use the demo player above to hear this public-domain Traditional childhood song melody instantly, or drop your own MIDI file into the MIDI Player Online tool for full piano-roll playback, tempo control and A/B practice looping. Everything runs locally in your browser — no upload, account or install.
Who composed This Old Man?
This Old Man is a Traditional English folk song (Traditional childhood song). It is in the public domain, so it can be freely arranged, performed and used.
What key is This Old Man usually played in?
This arrangement is written in C major. The demo above uses that key so you can hear the melody as traditionally performed.
Is a MIDI file version of This Old Man available?
Instead of downloading a file, you can hear the melody right here with the built-in player. To practice it, set a slow tempo and use the A/B loop to repeat a section. You can also export or record any MIDI you play from the main MIDI Room player.