All songs on this page are in the public domain and fit the soprano (descant) recorder. Notes with ’ are the high ones. Need the fingerings? See the recorder guide.
Songs on this page: Hot Cross Buns · Hallelujah (from Messiah), by Handel · Largo from the New World · Mary Had a Little Lamb · When the Saints Go Marching In · Old MacDonald · Oh! Susanna (verse) · Lightly Row · Jingle Bells (chorus) · London Bridge · Alle meine Entchen (All my little ducklings) · Morning Mood, from Peer Gynt (theme) · Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star · Row, Row, Row Your Boat · Amazing Grace · Au Clair de la Lune · Lullaby (Brahms) · Eine kleine Nachtmusik (opening) · Ode to Joy · Bridal Chorus, by Wagner · Auld Lang Syne · Joy to the World (opening) · Bella Ciao · Frère Jacques · O Come, All Ye Faithful (Adeste Fideles) · Yankee Doodle · We Wish You a Merry Christmas · Korobeiniki (Tetris theme) · Can-can, by Offenbach · The First Noel · Swan Lake (theme) · Scarborough Fair · Symphony No. 40, by Mozart (opening) · Happy Birthday · Hark! The Herald Angels Sing (opening) · Good King Wenceslas · Spring, by Vivaldi (The Four Seasons) · Symphony No. 5 (the opening), by Beethoven · Minuet in G · Silent Night · Für Elise (opening) · Greensleeves · Canon in D (theme) · Deck the Halls · In the Hall of the Mountain King (theme) · The Star-Spangled Banner (US national anthem) · The Blue Danube, by Strauss (waltz) · Turkish March (opening) · Brazilian National Anthem (main theme)
Hot Cross Buns
Level: easy · Traditional English
B A G B A G
G G G G A A A A B A G
Hallelujah (from Messiah), by Handel
Level: easy · Händel (1741)
C’ G A G
C’ G A G
C’ G A G C’ G A G C’
Largo from the New World
Level: easy · Dvořák, Symphony No. 9
B D’ D’ B A G
A B D’ B A
B D’ D’ B A G
A B A G G
Mary Had a Little Lamb
Level: easy · Traditional
B A G A B B B
A A A B D’ D’
B A G A B B B B A A B A G
When the Saints Go Marching In
Level: easy · Traditional
G B C’ D’
G B C’ D’
G B C’ D’
B G B A
B B A G
G B D’ D’ C’
B C’ D’ B
G A G
Old MacDonald
Level: easy · Traditional American
G G G D E E D
B B A A G
D G G G D E E D
B B A A G
Oh! Susanna (verse)
Level: easy · Stephen Foster (1848), USA
G A B D’ D’ E’ D’ B G A B B A G A
G A B D’ D’ E’ D’ B G A B B A A G
Lightly Row
Level: easy · Traditional German
D’ B B C’ A A
G A B C’ D’ D’ D’
D’ B B C’ A A
G B D’ D’ G
A A A A A B C’
B B B B B C’ D’
D’ B B C’ A A
G B D’ D’ G
Jingle Bells (chorus)
Level: easy · J. L. Pierpont
B B B B B B
B D’ G A B
C’ C’ C’ C’ C’ B B B B B A A B A
D’ B B B
B B B B D’ G A B
C’ C’ C’ C’ C’ B B B B D’ D’ C’ A G
London Bridge
Level: easy · Traditional English
G A G F E F G
D E F E F G
G A G F E F G
D G E C
Alle meine Entchen (All my little ducklings)
Level: easy · Traditional German
G A B C’ D’
D’ E’ E’ E’ E’ D’
E’ E’ E’ E’ D’
C’ C’ C’ C’ B
B A A A A G
Morning Mood, from Peer Gynt (theme)
Level: easy · Grieg (1875)
G E D C D E G E D C D E D E G E G A E A G E D C
Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star
Level: easy · Traditional
G G D’ D’ E’ E’ D’
C’ C’ B B A A G
D’ D’ C’ C’ B B A
D’ D’ C’ C’ B B A
G G D’ D’ E’ E’ D’
C’ C’ B B A A G
Row, Row, Row Your Boat
Level: easy · Traditional American
G G G A B B A B C’ D’
G’ G’ G’ D’ D’ D’ B B B G G G D’ C’ B A G
Amazing Grace
Level: easy · Traditional hymn (1835)
D G B G B
A G E D
D G B G B
A D’ D’ B D’
B G B A G
E D D G
B G B A G
Au Clair de la Lune
Level: easy · Traditional French
G G G A B
A G B A A G
G G G A B
A G B A A G
A A A A E
E A G F♯ E D
G G G A B
A G B A A G
Lullaby (Brahms)
Level: easy · Brahms (1868)
E E G E E G
E G C’ B A A G D E F D D E F
D F B A G B C’
Eine kleine Nachtmusik (opening)
Level: medium · Mozart
G
D G
D G D G B D’
C’
A C’
A C’ A F♯ A D
Ode to Joy
Level: medium · Beethoven, 9th Symphony
B B C’ D’ D’ C’ B A G G A B B A A
B B C’ D’ D’ C’ B A G G A B A G G
A A B G A B C’ B G A B C’ B A G A D
B B C’ D’ D’ C’ B A G G A B A G G
Bridal Chorus, by Wagner
Level: medium · Wagner (1850)
C F F F
C G E F
C F B♭ B♭ A G F E F G
Auld Lang Syne
Level: medium · Traditional Scottish
D G G G B A G A B G G B D’ E’
E’ D’ B B G A G A B G E E D G
Joy to the World (opening)
Level: medium · Melody attributed to Handel, arr. Lowell Mason (1839)
C’ B A G F E D C G A A B B C’
Bella Ciao
Level: medium · Italy, traditional
E A B C’ A
E A B C’ A
E A B C’ B A C’ B A E’ E’ E’ D’ E’ F’ F’
F’ E’ D’ F’ E’
E’ D’ C’ B E’ C’ B A
Frère Jacques
Level: medium · Traditional French
G A B G G A B G B C’ D’
B C’ D’ D’ E’ D’ C’ B G D’ E’ D’ C’ B G G D G
G D G
O Come, All Ye Faithful (Adeste Fideles)
Level: medium · John Francis Wade (18th century)
G G D G A
D B A B C’ B
A G G F♯ E F♯ G A B F♯
E D D
Yankee Doodle
Level: medium · Traditional American
G G A B G B A D G G A B G
F♯ G G A B C’ B A G F♯ D E F♯ G
G
We Wish You a Merry Christmas
Level: medium · Traditional English
D G G A G F♯ E E E A A B A G F♯ D D B B C’ B A G E D D E A F♯ G
Korobeiniki (Tetris theme)
Level: medium · Traditional Russian
E’ B C’ D’ C’ B A A C’ E’ D’ C’ B C’ D’ E’ C’ A A
D’ F’ A’ G’ F’ E’ C’ E’ D’ C’ B B C’ D’ E’ C’ A A
Can-can, by Offenbach
Level: medium · Offenbach (1858)
G G A C’ B A D’ D’ D’ E’ B C’ A A A C’ B A G G’ F♯’ E’ D’ C’ B A G
The First Noel
Level: medium · Traditional English
E D C D E F G
A B C’ B A G
A B C’ B A G A B C’ G F E
E D C D E F G
C’ B A A G
C’ B A G A B C’ G F E
Swan Lake (theme)
Level: medium · Tchaikovsky (1876)
F♯ B C♯’ D’ E’ F♯’ D’ F♯’ D’ F♯’ B D’ B G D’ B
Scarborough Fair
Level: medium · England, traditional
D D A A E F E D
A C’ D’ C’ A B G A
D’ D’ C’ A A G F E C
D A G F E D C D D
Symphony No. 40, by Mozart (opening)
Level: medium · Mozart (1788)
E♭’ D’ D’ E♭’ D’ D’ E♭’ D’ D’ B♭’
B♭’ A’ G’ G’ F’ E♭’ E♭’ D’ C’ C’
Happy Birthday
Level: a bit harder · Melody by Mildred and Patty Hill
D D E D G F♯
D D E D A G
D D D’ B G F♯ E C’ C’ B G A G
Hark! The Herald Angels Sing (opening)
Level: a bit harder · Felix Mendelssohn (1840)
D G G F♯ G B B A D’ D’ D’ C’ B A B
D G G F♯ G B B A D’ A A F♯ F♯ E D
Good King Wenceslas
Level: a bit harder · Piae Cantiones (1582)
G G G A G G D
E D E F♯ G
G G G G A G G D
E D E F♯ G
G D’ C’ B A B A G
E D E F♯ G
G D D E F♯ G G A
D’ C’ B A G
C’ G
Spring, by Vivaldi (The Four Seasons)
Level: a bit harder · Vivaldi (1725)
E G♯ G♯ G♯ F♯ E B B A G♯ G♯ G♯ F♯ E B B A G♯ A B A G♯ E
Symphony No. 5 (the opening), by Beethoven
Level: a bit harder · Beethoven (1808)
G G G E♭
F F F D
G G G E♭ G♯ G♯ G♯ G E♭’ E♭’ E♭’ C’
Minuet in G
Level: a bit harder · Petzold (Notebook for Anna Magdalena Bach)
D’ G A B C’ D’ G G E’ C’ D’ E’ F♯’ G’ G G C’ D’ C’ B A B C’ B A G F♯ G A B G A
D’ G A B C’ D’ G G E’ C’ D’ E’ F♯’ G’ G G C’ D’ C’ B A B C’ B A G A B A G F♯ G
Silent Night
Level: a bit harder · Franz Gruber (1818)
G A G E
G A G E
D’ D’ B C’
C’ G A A C’ B A G A G E
A A C’ B A G A G E
D’ D’ F’ D’ B C’
E’ C’ G E G F D C
Für Elise (opening)
Level: a bit harder · Beethoven
E’ E♭’ E’ E♭’ E’ B D’ C’ A C E A B E G♯ B C’ E E’ E♭’ E’ E♭’ E’ B D’ C’ A C E A B E C’ B A
Greensleeves
Level: a bit harder · Traditional English (16th c.)
A C’ D’ E’ F’ E’ D’
B G A B C’
A A G♯ A B
G♯ E A C’
D’ E’ F’ E’ D’
B G A B C’ B A G♯ F♯ G♯ A
A
Canon in D (theme)
Level: a bit harder · Pachelbel
F♯’ E’ D’ C♯’
B A B C♯’
D’ C♯’ B A
G F♯ G E
D
Deck the Halls
Level: a bit harder · Traditional Welsh
D’ C’ B A G A B G A B C’ A B A G F♯ G
D’ C’ B A G A B G A B C’ A B A G F♯ G
A B C’ A B C’ D’ A B C♯’ D’ E’ F♯’ G’ F♯’ E’ D’
D’ C’ B A G A B G E’ E’ E’ E’ D’ C’ B A G
In the Hall of the Mountain King (theme)
Level: a bit harder · Grieg, Peer Gynt
F♯ G♯ A B C♯’ A C♯’ C’ G♯ C’ B G B F♯ G♯ A B C♯’ A C♯’ F♯’ E’ C♯’ A C♯’ E’
The Star-Spangled Banner (US national anthem)
Level: a bit harder · John Stafford Smith, USA
G E C E G C’
E’ D’ C’ E F♯ G
G G E’ D’ C’ B
A B C’ C’ G E C G E C E G C’
E’ D’ C’ E F♯ G
G G E’ D’ C’ B
A B C’ C’ G E C E’ E’ E’ F’ G’ G’
F’ E’ D’ E’ F’ F’
F’ E’ D’ C’ B
A B C’ E F♯ G
G C’ C’ C’ B A A A D’ F’ E’ D’ C’ C’ B G G C’ D’ E’ F’ G’
C’ D’ E’ F’ D’ C’
The Blue Danube, by Strauss (waltz)
Level: a bit harder · Johann Strauss II (1866)
D D F♯ A
A’ A’ F♯’ F♯’
D D F♯ A
A’ A’ G’ G’
C♯ C♯ E B
B’ B’ G’ G’
C♯ C♯ E B
B’ B’ F♯’ F♯’
Turkish March (opening)
Level: a bit harder · Mozart, Sonata K. 331
B A G♯ A C’ D’ C’ B C’ E’ F’ E’ E♭’ E’ B’ A’ G♯’ A’ B’ A’ G♯’ A’ C’
Brazilian National Anthem (main theme)
Level: a bit harder · Francisco Manuel da Silva (1831)
C F E F G A G A B♭ B C’ F C F E G F A G B♭ A F♯ G
C G F G A B♭ A B♭ C’ C♯’ D’ G C G F A G B♭ A C’ B♭ G♯ A
A A B♭ A
A B♭ A A D’
C’ B♭ G♯ A A G G F F E E D
G G A G
G A G G C’
B A A G G F F E E D C
C E G B♭ C E G B♭ C E G B♭
C F E F G A G A B♭ B C’ F C F E G F A G B♭ A F♯ G
C G F G A B♭ A B♭ C’ C♯’ D’ G C G F A G B♭ A C’ B♭ G♯ A
F G F E F E F G F F G A B♭
G A G F G F G A G G A B♭ C’
A B♭ A G A G A B♭ A A D’
C’ B♭ A G F
E F G B♭ A E F C♯ D B♭ A G F
G A B♭ B C’ A F D B♭ A F D C D E F
Frequently asked questions
What is the easiest recorder song?
Hot Cross Buns and Mary Had a Little Lamb use only B, A and G, the first three recorder notes, all with the left hand.
How do I read recorder letter notes?
Each letter is a note: C D E F G A B. The ’ sign marks a high note. Each line is one phrase of the song.