The Ugly Duckling

by Frank Loesser
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Lyrics

There (Gm)once was an (C7)ug ly (F)duck ling (F#dim)with (C7)feath ers all stub by and (F)brown.

And the (Gm)oth er (C7)birds in (F)so man y (F7)words said (Gm7)“Quack!

get (A7)out of (Dm)town.

Get out,

get out,

get (C7)out of (F)town."

And he (Bb)went with a (F)quack and a (Gm7)wad dle and a (F)quack, in a (C7)flur ry of ei der (F)down.

That (Gm)poor lit tle (C7)ug ly (F)duck ling (F#dim)went (C7)wan der ing far by and (F)near.

But at (Gm)ev ’ry (C7)place they (F)said to his (F7)face “Now, (Gm7)quack!

get (A7)out of (Dm)here.

Get out,

get out,

get (C7)out of (F)here."

And he (Bb)went with a (F)quack and a (Gm7)wad dle and a (F)quack, and a (C7)ver y un hap py (F)tear.

That

(Bb)All through the Win ter time he (Bb)hid him self a way, a (Bb)shamed to show his face, a (G)fraid of what oth ers might say.

(Bb)All through the win ter in his (C)lone ly clump of weed, till the flock of swans spied him there and (C7)ver y soon a greed “You’re a (Bb)ver y fine swan in (C)deed.”

(F#dim7)I’m (Gm)not such an (C7)ug ly (F)duck ling, (F#dim)no (C7)feath ers all stub by and (F)brown.

For in (Gm)fact these (C7)birds in (F)so man y (F7)words said

“The (A7)best in (Dm)town.”

The best,

the best,

the (C7)best in (F)town.

Not a (Bb)quack, not a (F)quack, not a (Gm7)wad dle or a (F)quack, but a (F)glide and a whis tle and a (C)snow y white back and a (C7)head so no ble and (F#dim7)high.

Say (Gm)who’s an (C7)ug ly (F)duck ling?

(C)Not (Bb)I!

The Ugly Duckling — Visual Piano Sheet Music

2 people have learned this song

"The Ugly Duckling" in visual bar notation — see every note as a colored bar on the staff. Easier to read than traditional sheet music. Scrolls automatically as you play. Key of F, 136 BPM.

Tip: Start at 50% speed to get comfortable with the fingering, then work your way up to full tempo.

About “The Ugly Duckling”

Why does "The Ugly Duckling" show as colored bars instead of notation?
Bar Notation replaces traditional noteheads with colored horizontal bars on a simplified staff — each bar's vertical position is the pitch and its length is the duration. Much easier to read than classic sheet music while still showing the full arrangement of "The Ugly Duckling".
What key is "The Ugly Duckling" by Frank Loesser played in?
The Ugly Duckling is arranged in the key of F on Super Simple Piano. You can transpose to any other key live in the player.
What's the tempo (BPM) of "The Ugly Duckling"?
The arrangement plays at 136 BPM. Use the speed control (10-200%) to practice slower or play faster.
Is "The Ugly Duckling" easy to play on piano?
Yes — this is one of our beginner-friendly arrangements with simplified chords and color-coded notes.
Can I download sheet music for "The Ugly Duckling"?
Yes — registered users can download PDF sheet music, plus MIDI and MusicXML files for use in other notation software.
Who composed "The Ugly Duckling"?
"The Ugly Duckling" was originally performed by Frank Loesser. The Super Simple Piano arrangement is simplified for beginner-to-intermediate players.
What other songs by Frank Loesser can I play here?
Try "ON A SLOW BOAT TO CHINA", "I'VE NEVER BEEN IN LOVE BEFORE", "Sit Down You're Rockin' The Boat (from 'Guys and Dolls')". All are in our player with color-coded notes; pick the one matching your level.
Is this real sheet music for "The Ugly Duckling"?
It's a simplified visual notation using colored bars instead of traditional notes. Each bar's vertical position shows the pitch and its length shows duration — much easier to read for beginners while still showing the complete arrangement of "The Ugly Duckling".
Can I see all the notes in "The Ugly Duckling"?
Yes! The Bar Sheet shows every note in the arrangement as a colored bar. The sheet scrolls automatically during playback, or you can scroll manually to study any section. The song is in the key of F at 136 BPM.