One of the more fun and exciting aspects of LOTRO is it's musical features. Players are able to purchase various instruments and play notes using their keyboard. This enables LOTRO players to combine and form bands, play music as a group, and in turn almost re-create the Tolkien style world the Hobbits & others so freely enjoy and play in. This guide will teach you about the music aspect, how to purchase instruments and play music, and how to play specific songs.

The Bard
The first thing you need to do when you want to play music is head to a bard. A bard will be able to sell you instruments (at 20 silver a pop) so that you can play music with your character. The bard you probably already know as the one who enables you to edit and change your traits.

Instruments
There are several instruments available to you from the bard. Depending on your musical training (check your class trainer) you will be able to play the different types. The available instruments are:Basic Clarinet , Basic Flute , Basic Lute , Basic Horn , Basic Harp .

Playing
The first thing you need to do when you are ready to play your instrument is to equip it. The instrument will go into your ranged equipement slot, so if you're a hunter - be sure to switch it back! Once your selected instrument is enabled, you will need to type /music and you will see a progress bar appear. This means you're ready to begin playing. The 1-8 number keys will play different notes, and the SHIFT and CONTROL keys are modifyers, creating minor notes, different octaves, etc. Play around a bit and see what you come up with!

Songs Database
Players have been experimenting with the instruments and sharing the different songs that they figured out. Below are a variety of songs you can play and the keys you need to hit in order to play them.

Sweet Child of Mine - Guns N Roses (a personal favorite)
compiled by LordAngus
INTRO
1 8 5 4 S+4 5 S+3 5
1 8 5 4 S+4 5 S+3 5
2 8 5 4 S+4 5 S+3 5
2 8 5 4 S+4 5 S+3 5
4 8 5 4 S+4 5 S+3 5
4 8 5 4 S+4 5 S+3 5
S+2 5 S+1 5 S+2 5 S+3 5 S+4 5 S+3 5 S+2 5

Fade to Black
compiled by LordAngus
(up a few steps for easier playing)
2 6 C7 6 2 6 4 6
1 6 C7 6 1 6 4 6
2 6 C7 6 2 6 4 6
1 6 C7 6 1 6 4 6
3 5 8 5 3 5 1 5

Rule Britannia:
Compiled by Bob
s3-s3-s4-s4
s3-s4-s3-s2-s1-7
s5-s4-s3-s1-s3-s4-s5
s6-s4-s3-s2-s1-s1

Frère Jacques:
Compiled by Bob
s1-s2-s3-s1
s1-s2-s3-s1
s3-s4-s5
s3-s4-s5 s5-s6-s5-s4-s3-s1
s3-s4-s5 s5-s6-s5-s4-s3-s1
s1-5-s1

Hymn to Joy by Ludwig van Beethoven:
Compiled by Keln
s(1+3 1+3 2+4 3+5 3+5 2+4 1+3 2112 1+3 1+3 22)
s(1+3 1+3 2+4 3+5 3+5 2+4 1+3 2112 1+3 211)
s(22 1+3 1 2 1+3 2+4 1+3 1 2 1+3 2+4 1+3 212) 5
s(1+3 1+3 2+4 3+5 3+5 2+4 1+3 2112 1+3 211)
All of the numbers within the parenthesis preceeded by an "s" means hold down the shift key while playing them. Basically all notes in this song are done using the shift key except for the low 5 which is played without holding anything down. All "pairs" denoted by a #+# should be played at the same time, ei. 1+3 would be played by hitting the 1 and the 3 keys at the same time (yes while holding shift in this compilation). A simpler version of this song can be played by simple dropping the first number in each pair and playing the second. Example, to play a simple version of 1+3, drop the one and play only the 3. Also, I like to play the final note s1 as s1+3 because it sounds nicer.

Danny Boy
Compiled by worntraveller
8 and 1, for all purposes, are the same note, just an octave seperated. For notes below the root of the song, I'll use dashes to indicate they are in the lower octave. Maybe someone musically inclined can translate it to something undersdtandable ingame.
C(7 1 2 3)
Oh Danny Boy
2 3 6 5 3
The Pipes the Pipes are
2 1 C6
Ca-all-ing,
1 2 3 4
From glen to glen
6 5 3 1 2 1
And down the Mountain Side,
C(7 1 2 3)
The Summer's gone,
2 3 6 5 3
And all the flowers'are
2 1 C6
Dye-ye-ing,
1 1 2 3
'Tis you, 'tis you
6 5 3
Must go, and
1 2 1
I Must Bide.
The song continues similarly, except it starts on the 5th interval.

O'Sullivan's March (Irish Jig)
Compiled by Keln
5 s(1322356532 1232322111)
5 s(1322356532 1232322111)
5 s(1322356532 1232322111)
5 s(1322356532 1232322111)
s(868686866535355355832 123234345832 1232322111)
s(868686866535355355832 123234345832 1232322111)

Being a jig (albeit a slower one) this should be played at a relatively quick pace. Imagine drums in the background. Ba bum bum bum bum Ba bum buddah bum bum...
The Road Goes Ever On...
Compiled by Bob

The road goes ever on
1-4-4-6-4-1-4-4
c3-c3-4-32-c1-1-4
6-c7-6-5-4-2-1-1
1-c3-4-c3c2-c1-1-4
I think it's right, but I'm not 100% sure. keys without a "-" in between are played very closely together.
Compiled by Eruantien
Roads Goes Ever On: 255753553353212557876532132332 125578765321323321255787653213 23321255
This is an elaboration based on the bit that Gandalf sings in the movie FOTR.
*EDIT* I just realized that Bob posted a different version of this above. Sorry. Didn't look first.

Drip drip drop little april showers
Compiled by Bob
1-c4-5-6-7-8-5-c8-6
5-5-4-3
3-3-2-1-1-1

Stairway to Heaven
Compiled By Solace
(Only the first few notes, but I would love it if someone takes this start and runs with it, only sure about the first line, the second (and a bit more I'm not posting yet because it sounds awful) seems a bit off to me)
6 8 s3 s6 (s7+5)
s3 8 s7 (s8+5) s3 s1 s8 (s4+5)
If anyone toys around with this anymore and finds more, shoot Arianai a tell; I'd like to see the rest of it.

Silent Night
Compiled by Solace
5,6,5,3 - 5,6,5,3 - s2,s2,7 - 8,8,5 - 6,6,8,7,6 - 5,6,5,3
6,6,8,7,6 - 5,6,5,3 - s2,s2,s4,s2,7,8,s3 - 8,5,3,5,4,2,1

Bach, Minuet in G
Compiled by Solace
(still working on it)
s2 - 5,6,7,8 - s2 - 5,5 - s3 - s2,s3,s4,s5 - s6 - 5,5
s2 - s3,s2,8,7 - 8 - s2,8,7,6 - 5 - 6,7,8,6 - 7

Beethoven, Ode to Joy
Compiled by Solace
(also still working on it)
3,3,4,5 - 5,4,3,2 - 1,1,2,3 - 3 - 2,2
6,6,7,8 - 8,7,6,5 - 4,4,5,6 - 6 - 5,5
7,7,8,s2 - s2,8,7,6 - 5,5,6,7 - 7 - 6,6
1,1,2,3 -

Star Wars Imperial March
Compiled by Neda
3-3-3-1-5-3-1-5-3
7-7-7-8-5-3-1-5-3
8-5-5-8-7-C6-6-5-6
3-6-5-4-3-4-1-4-2-4-6-...

The First Noel
Compiled by Hosscat
3,2,1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,7,6,5,6,7, 8,7,6,5,6,7,8,5,4,3
3,2,1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,7,6,5,6,7, 8,7,6,5,6,7,8,5,4,3
3,2,1,2,3,4,5,8,7,6,6,5,8,7,6, 5,6,7,8,5,4,3

Basket Case- Green Day
Compiled by cwebb
54345
787655
787655556866
54345
787655
787655556866
168876655
168876655
144687
65558(S2)(S2)8

over the hills and far away- Led Zeppelin
Compiled by x--sausage--x
5-6-5-c5-2-5-57-57-57-5-6-5-c5-5-7-6-5-2-26-26-26-5-6-5-c5-2-1-135-135
-c1-c1-c1-c1-2-3-2-2-26-26-26

Master of puppets
Compiled by Arflindale
236 237 238 237 2366
236 237 22 54 54 54

The Number of the Beast- Iron Maiden
Compiled by Arflindale
22 62 72 8 22 8 22 8 22 8--hold note
22 62 72 8 22 8 22 8 22 8--hold note

Greensleeves
Compiled by stamen47
5 ct7 8 sh2 sh3 sh2 sh1 6 4 5 6 ct7 5 5 ct5 5 6 ct5 2
5 ct7 8 sh2 sh3 sh2 sh1 6 4 5 6 ct7 6 5 ct5 3 ct5 5 5
sh4 sh4 sh3 sh2 sh1 6 4 5 6 ct7 5 5 ct5 5 6 ct5 2
sh4 sh4 sh3 sh2 sh1 6 4 5 6 ct7 6 5 ct5 3 ct5 5 5

Chariots of Fire
Compiled by Qore
1 4565 3
1 4565
1 4565 3 343 11
87657 56 45
87657 8
87657 56 45 343 11

Freebird Intro
Compiled by Wray
3 7 c7 7 c7
7 7 c7 c6 c5 c6 c7 c6 c5 c6

Final Fantasy X Theme
Compiled by OnyxAbyssX
6-3-6-7-8-7-6-5-6-5-3
6-3-6-7-8-7-8-shift2-8-shift2-shift3
6-3-6-7-8-7-6-5-6-5-3
1-2-3-3-3-3-2-5-1
And here's Yuna's Theme from Final Fantasy
4-5-6-8-5-6-5-4-2-4-4
5-6-8-5-4-3-2
4-5-6-8-5-6-5-4-2-4-4
5-6-8-shift3-8-shift-2

Jingle Bells
Compiled by Witchchild
333 333 3512 3 444 433 3 322 2 5