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Away in a Manger
An American cradle carol to James R. Murray’s tune from 1887: the first verse as a gentle lullaby in three, where the opening line falls a whole octave from the top note.
Away in a Manger is an American cradle carol whose anonymous words were first printed in the 1880s; the tune is the one James R. Murray published in 1887, the version most sung in the United States. It moves gently in three, like a lullaby. The first line starts on the top note and falls a whole octave, the second climbs back up, and the verse ends quietly on the root. It has 44 notes and takes about 30 seconds.
How to do it
- Listen to the count-in; the piano plays the first line by itself and then plays along.
- Start the top note on “A-” lightly and let the line fall an octave, one note at a time.
- Keep the voice soft and steady on the long notes of “way,” “manger” and “stars.”
- On “Jesus,” sing the leap up cleanly, then finish the verse quietly on “hay.”
Coach's tip: Sing it quietly, like a lullaby, but keep every note on pitch – the long notes on “way” and “stars” like to sag. Start the top note lightly, without reaching for it.
What to watch out for
Singing softly tempts you to let the pitch drop, especially on the long notes, so keep the tone supported even at a low volume. The descending first line can lose its last notes in the low range; keep them clear instead of fading into a whisper. The leap on “Jesus” is easy to undershoot. Keep the rocking three-beat pulse steady and don't rush the short notes.
Who it's for
Level 1, for beginners and for anyone who wants a quiet, easy carol. Do 5-note scale and Major scale downward first. No program lists it. The daily training brings it up more often if you chose the Folk / country style. It works well as a gentle cool-down at the end of a session.
Opens the app in your browser. Free to start, no account needed. Put on headphones first.
Related exercises
- Are You Sleeping (Frère Jacques) A simple, well-known melody. A warm-up with lyrics.
- Twinkle Twinkle Little Star A fifth leap at the start, then walking down the scale.
- Ode to Joy (Beethoven) The theme of the 9th Symphony. Only seconds – a step-by-step intonation test.
- Happy Birthday An octave leap in the third phrase. A classic trap.
- Twang on “nyah” A bright, narrow “nyah” on the first five scale degrees, holding the fifth. Twang is the safe base of rock edge – the voice sounds sharp while the throat stays loose.
- Pentatonic over a drone The piano holds a low drone – the tonic an octave down, like bagpipes or a hurdy-gurdy – and you sing the major pentatonic over it, up to the sixth and back. You hear the melody first, then sing it alone with just the drone.