Recorder notes: simple and popular melodies for beginners
Below are recorder melodies written as note names in order: this way even someone who does not know music notation yet can play them. The melodies go from the easiest to the hardest. Each one can be played in our falling-notes game — where you also see the note lengths and finger hints.
How to read the notation
- C², D², E²… — notes of the second (upper) octave.
- ♯ — sharp, ♭ — flat.
- · — rest.
- Find the fingering for each note in the fingering chart.
Melodies from simple to hard
1. Little Ladder ▶ play in the game
B A G B A G
2. The Swing ▶ play in the game
B A B A B A B B A A B
3. Hot Cross Buns ▶ play in the game
B A G B A G G G G G A A A A B A G
4. Au clair de la lune ▶ play in the game
G G G A B A G B A A G G G G A B A G B A A G
5. Mary Had a Little Lamb ▶ play in the game
B A G A B B B A A A B D² D² B A G A B B B B A A B A G
6. Scale ▶ play in the game
C D E F G A B C² D² C² B A G F E D C
7. All My Ducklings ▶ play in the game
C D E F G G A A A A G A A A A G F F F F E E G G G G C
8. When the Saints Go Marching In ▶ play in the game
G B C² D² · G B C² D² · G B C² D² B G B A · B B A G B D² D² C² · B C² D² B G A G
9. Kumbaya ▶ play in the game
C E G G G A A G C E G G G F E D C E G G G A A G F E C D D C
10. Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star ▶ play in the game
C C G G A A G F F E E D D C C C G G A A G F F E E D D C G G F F E E D G G F F E E D
11. Michael, Row the Boat Ashore ▶ play in the game
G B D² B D² E² D² B D² E² D² · B D² D² B C² B A G A B A G · G B D² B D² E² D² B D² E² D² · B D² D² B C² B A G A B A G
12. Brother Jacques (Frère Jacques) ▶ play in the game
G A B G G A B G B C² D² B C² D² D² E² D² C² B G D² E² D² C² B G G D G G D G
13. Little Fir Tree Is Cold in Winter (Russian New Year song) ▶ play in the game
G E E G E E G F E D C A C² A G E E G F E D C
14. Oh! Susanna ▶ play in the game
C D E G G A G E C D E E D C D C D E G G A G E C D E E D D C C D E G G A G E C D E E D C D C D E G G A G E C D E E D D C · F F A A A G G E C D C D E G G A G E C D E E D D C
15. Old MacDonald ▶ play in the game
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 · D D G G G D D G G G · G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G D E E D B B A A G
16. Amazing Grace ▶ play in the game
D G B G B A G E D D G B G B A D² B D² B G B A G E D D G B G B A G
17. Arirang ▶ play in the game
D E D E G A G A B A B A G E D E D E G A G A B A G E D E G A G G D² D² D² B A B A B A G E D E D E G A G A B A G E D E G A G G
18. In the Field Stood a Birch Tree (Russian folk song) ▶ play in the game
A A A A G F F E D A A C² A G G F F E D E F G F F E D E F G G F F E D
19. Kalinka (Russian folk song) ▶ play in the game
A G E F G E F G F E D A A G F E F G E F G F E D
20. Heidenröslein (Wild Rose) ▶ play in the game
C C G F E D D D E E F G A A G G F E E E D C C C C D E F E D E E G F E E D · E G A A G A B C² C² A G E D E D C
21. Brahms' Lullaby ▶ play in the game
E E G E E G · E G C² B A A G D E F D D E F · D F B A G B C² · C C C² A F G E C F G A E G C C C² A F G E C F G F E D C
22. Camptown Races ▶ play in the game
G G G E G A G E E D E D G G G E G A G E D E D C G G G E G A G E E D E D G G G E G A G E D E D C · C C E G C² · A A C² A G E G G E G A G E D E F E D D C · C C E G C² · A A C² A G E G G E G A G E D E F E D D C
23. Bingo ▶ play in the game
C F F C C D D C C F F G G A F A A B♭ B♭ B♭ G G A A A F F G G G F E C D E F F
24. Oh My Darling, Clementine ▶ play in the game
F F F C A A A F F A C² C² B♭ A G G A B♭ B♭ A G A F F A G C E G F
25. Happy Birthday ▶ play in the game
C C D C F E C C D C G F C C C² A F F E D B♭ B♭ A F G F
26. Red River Valley ▶ play in the game
C F A A A G A G F · C F A A F A C² C² B♭ A G · C² B♭ A A G F G A C² B♭ · D D C E F G A G F
27. A Little Fir Tree Was Born in the Forest (Russian New Year song) ▶ play in the game
C A A G A F C C C A A B♭ G C² C² D² D² B♭ B♭ A G F C A A G A F C² D² D² B♭ B♭ A G F C A A G A F C A A G A F C C C A A B♭ G C² C² D² D² B♭ B♭ A G F C A A G A F C² D² D² B♭ B♭ A G F C A A G A F
28. Drink the Cider! ▶ play in the game
G G E F D D G G F E G G E F D E C D D F G A A B♭ G A G G E F D D G G F E G G E F D E C D
29. Aura Lee ▶ play in the game
C F E F G D G F E D E F C F E F G D G F E D E F A A A A A A A A G F G A A C² B♭ A G D G F E D E F
30. Good King Wenceslas ▶ play in the game
F F F G F F C D C D E F F F F F G F F C D C D E F F C² B♭ A G A G F D C D E F F C C D E F F G C² B♭ A G F B♭ F
31. Tum-Balalaika ▶ play in the game
A A A A A G F E G G G G G F E D D F A D² D² F² E² D² A A C² A G E E G F E D D A A A A A A A G F E E G G G G G G G F E D D D F A D² D² F² E² D² A A C² A G E E G F E D
32. Silent Night ▶ play in the game
G A G E G A G E · D² D² B C² C² G · A A C² B A G A G E · A A C² B A G A G E · D² D² F² D² B C² E² · C² G E G F D C
33. Scarborough Fair ▶ play in the game
D D A A A E F E D · A C² D² C² A B G A · D² D² D² C² A A A G F E C · D A G F E D C D
34. Ah, You Porch, My Porch (Russian folk dance song) ▶ play in the game
F F B♭ B♭ B♭ B♭ A F F F B♭ B♭ D² B♭ A C² A G G G G A A C² A G G G F
35. Auld Lang Syne ▶ play in the game
G C² C² D² E² G A G G C² E² D² C² A C² A G E E C D C D E G A G E G · G C² C² D² E² G A G G C² E² D² C² A C² A G E E C D C D E G A G E G
36. Alouette ▶ play in the game
F G A A G F G A F C F G A A G F G A F · F G A B♭ C² C² C² C² D² C² B♭ A G F C² C² C² C C C C² C² C² C C C C² F G A A G F G A F C F G A A G F G A F
37. Jingle Bells ▶ play in the game
A A A A A A A C² F G A B♭ B♭ B♭ B♭ A A A G G A G C² A A A A A A A C² F G A B♭ B♭ B♭ B♭ A A C² C² B♭ G F
38. Deck the Halls ▶ play in the game
C² B♭ A G F G A F G A B♭ G A G F E F C² B♭ A G F G A F G A B♭ G A G F E F G A B♭ G A B♭ C² G A B C² D² E² F² E² D² C² C² B♭ A G F G A F D² D² D² D² C² B♭ A · G F
39. Old Dance ▶ play in the game
C² D² C² B♭ A C² G C² F C C D F E G C C² D² C² B♭ A C² G C² F C C D F E G F
40. King Arthur ▶ play in the game
G C² C² D² B C² C² · G C² C² D² B C² · G C² C² E² C² A A D² C² B G A B C² · G C² C² E² C² A A D² C² B G A B C²
41. Shenandoah ▶ play in the game
C F F F G A B♭ D² C² F² E² D² C² D² C² A C² · C² D² D² D² A C² A G F · F G A F A D² C² F G A F G F
42. Lorelei ▶ play in the game
G G A G C² B A G F F E E D C D E · G G A G C² B A G F F E E G F D C · E D E D G D D B A A G G F♯ G A G G G A G C² B A G E² D² D² C² C² B A B C²
43. The House of the Rising Sun ▶ play in the game
G G G A B♭ D² C² G G G² G² G² G² F² D² C² D² G² G² G² G² F² D² C² G G B♭ G G G G F♯ E F♯ G
44. Chizhik-Pyzhik (Little Siskin, Russian song) ▶ play in the game
E² C² E² C² F² E² D² G G G A B C² D² E² E² C² E² C² F² E² D² G G G A B C² G C
45. Oh, It's Not Evening (Russian Cossack song) ▶ play in the game
A B♭ A D F E D C♯ E A G F E A C² C² B♭ A G A B♭ A G F A C² A G F C² C♯² D² A C² C² B♭ A G D E D C F A C² A G F C² C♯² D² A C² C² B♭ A G D
46. Santa Lucia ▶ play in the game
G G C² C² B B F F A A G G E A G G F♯ F F E D A G E² D² C² B A D² D² C² A F♯ G C² E² C² C² G G E F D² D² D² A B D² C² E² D² C² B A D² D² C² A F♯ G C² E² C² C² G G E F D² D² D² E² D² D² C² E² D² C² B A D² D² C² A F♯ G C² E² C² C² G G E F D² D²
47. La Cucaracha ▶ play in the game
C C F F A A C² A · C² D² C² B♭ A C² B♭ G · C C E E G G B♭ G · C² D² C² B♭ A G F · C C C F A · C C C F A · F F E E D D C · C C C E G · C C C E G · C² D² C² B♭ A G F · C C C F A · C C C F A · F F E E D D C · C C C E G · C C C E G · C² D² C² B♭ A G F
48. Funiculì, Funiculà ▶ play in the game
C² F² F² F² E² E² C² C² D² D² A A A A G F F F A G F F F · C² F² F² F² E² E² C² C² D² D² A A A A G F F F A G F F F · A A A A B B A · A B B A E E E E E E E · C² C² C² C² D² E² D² C² C² D² E² D² C² G G G G · G G G · E² D² · E² D² · F² E² D² F² E² E² D² · F² E² D² F² C² A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A F² F² G² F² · D² C² A A B♭ C² B♭ A G F
49. Fly Away on the Wings of the Wind ▶ play in the game
G G D² C² D² B♭ A G A B♭ C² D² A G F D D G A G F E F E D E F A G G D² C² D² B♭ A G A B♭ C² D² A G F D D G A G F E F E D
50. Greensleeves ▶ play in the game
G B♭ C² D² E♭² D² C² A F G A B♭ G G F♯ G A F♯ D G B♭ C² D² E♭² D² C² A F G A B♭ A G F♯ E F♯ G · D² F² F² E² D² C² A F G A B♭ G G F♯ G A F♯ D D² F² F² E² D² C² A F G A B♭ A G F♯ E F♯ G
51. Oginski's Polonaise ▶ play in the game
A G♯ A B♭ A F F E D F A A D² A C² B B♭ G E E² D² C♯² B♭ A G A G F D E F E D E G B♭ A G F E F D F A D² F² D² E² F² E² D² E² G² B♭ A G² F² E² D² C♯² D² E² C♯² E² D²
52. Dance of the Little Swans ▶ play in the game
F F F F E F G F E G G G G F G A G F A D² C♯² A A G F E D A D² C♯² A A G F E D A A A A A D² C² B♭ A G A B♭ F♯ G G G G G G C² B♭ A G F D E F G G♯ A A B♭ B C² C♯² D²
53. William Tell (Gallop) ▶ play in the game
C C C C C C C C F G A C C C C C F A A G E C C C C C C C C C F G A F A C² B♭ A G F A F A A A A A A A A A D² A D² A D² A G F E D A A A A A A A A A D² A D² A D² C² B C² B C² G G G G G G A B♭ G B♭ A F A G · G G G G G G A B♭ G B♭ A F A G · C C C C C C C C F G A C C C C C F A A G E C C C C C C C C C F G A F A C² B♭ A G F A F
54. Minuet (Petzold) ▶ play in the game
C² F G A B♭ C² F · F · D² B♭ C² D² E² F² F · F · B♭ C² B♭ A G A B♭ A G F E F G A F A G C² F G A B♭ C² F · F · D² B♭ C² D² E² F² F · F · B♭ C² B♭ A G A B♭ A G F G A G F E F A F² G² A F² G² C² D² E² C² F² D² E² F² C² B A B G G A B C² D² E² F² E² D² E² G B C² C² F E F D² F E F C² B♭ A G F E F G C D E F G A B♭ A G A C² F E F A F² G² A F² G² C² D² E² C² F² D² E² F² C² B A B G G A B C² D² E² F² E² D² E² G B C² C² F E F D² F E F C² B♭ A G F E F G C D E F G A B♭ A G A C² F E F
55. Für Elise ▶ play in the game
E² E♭² E² E♭² E² B D² C² A C E A B E G♯ B C² E E² E♭² E² E♭² E² B D² C² A C E A B E C² B A B C² D² E² G F² E² D² F E² D² C² E D² C² B E E² E♭² E² E♭² E² B D² C² A C E A B E C² B A
56. Ievan Polkka ▶ play in the game
E A A A B C² C² A A A C² B G G G B C² A A A E A A A B C² A A A C² E² E² E² D² C² B C² A A A A C² E² E² D² C² B G G G B D² D² D² D² C² B C² A A A C² E² E² D² C² B G G G B D² D² D² D² C² B C² C² A A E² E² D² C² B G G G B D² D² D² C² B C² A A C² E² E² E² E² D² C² B G G G B D² D² D² D² C² B C² C² A A
57. Bourrée (Bach) ▶ play in the game
C² D² E♭² D² C² B C² D² G A B C² B♭ G♯ G F D♯ F D♯ F F♯ G F D♯ D C · C² D² E♭² D² C² G² E♭² G² G A B C² · B♭ G♯ G F D♯ D♯ F D♯ D D♯
58. Thread and Needle ▶ play in the game
C² D² E² G G E G A C² C² A G² E² E² D² C² E² D² D² C² D² E² G G E G A C² C² A G² E² D² C² D² C² E F G G G E G A C² C² A G E E D C E D D E F G G G E G A C² C² A G E D C D C C² B A E E E² D² C² A A B C² B E B C² D² C² E D² C² B A E E E² D² C² A A B C² B D² C² B A G A E E² A A B C² C² A B C² B B B A G A A A G F♯ G B D² D² B G C² E² C² A B C² B B B A G A A A G F♯ E G F E D C E G G E G A C² C² A G² E² E² D² C² E² D² D² C² D² E² G G E G A C² C² A G E D C D C
59. Italian Polka ▶ play in the game
D G B♭ D² D² E♭² D² B♭ C² D² D² D² D² E♭² D² A B♭ D² D² G² G² G² G² G² F² E♭² D² C² E♭² D² D² D² D² D² C² B♭ A G D G B♭ D² D² E♭² D² B♭ C² D² D² D² D² E♭² D² A B♭ D² D² G² G² G² G² G² F² E♭² D² C² E♭² D² C♯² D² C♯² D² E♭² E² F♯² G²
60. Hava Nagila ▶ play in the game
E E A G E A A A B♭ A B♭ B♭ D² C♯² B♭ A G A G G · E E A G E A A C♯² B♭ A B♭ B♭ D² C♯² B♭ A G A G E A A G E E E G G F G D D D · D F E D D A A G A G E A E G A A G G G E E E G G F G F D D D · D D D D D B♭ A G A G E E · A · A · A · A · A · A · A A A D² C♯² A D² C♯² A A A D² C♯² A D² C♯² A A A C♯² B♭ A C♯² B♭ A A A C♯² B♭ A C♯² B♭ A A A C♯² A A C♯² E E E² E² C♯² C♯² A ·
61. Badinerie (Bach) ▶ play in the game
D² F² D² A D² A F A F D A D² F² D² E² D² E² D² C♯² E² G² E² F² D² D² F² D² A D² A F A F D F E F E F D² F F E A G♯ A G♯ A F² A A G♯ E A C² A B A B A G♯ B D² B C² B C² B A C² A G♯ A D² A G♯ A E² A G♯ A F² A G♯ A F² E² D² E² C² B A C² B A
62. Turkish Rondo ▶ play in the game
E D C♯ D F · G F E F A · B♭ A G♯ A E² D² C♯² D² E² D² C♯² D² F² D² F² C² D² E² D² C² D² C² D² E² D² C² D² C² D² E² D² C² B A A B♭ C² C² D² C² B♭ A G A B♭ C² C² D² C² B♭ A G F G A A B♭ A G F E F G A A B♭ A G F E · E D C♯ D F · G F E F A · B♭ A G♯ A E² D² C♯² D² E² D² C♯² D² F² D² E² F² E² D² C♯² D² A B♭ G F E D E D
63. Chromatic Scale ▶ play in the game
C C♯ D D♯ E F F♯ G G♯ A B♭ B C² C♯² D² E♭² E² F² F♯² G² F♯² F² E² E♭² D² C♯² C² B B♭ A G♯ G F♯ F E D♯ D C♯ C
Which notes to learn first
Almost all melodies for beginners are built on the notes B, A, G — they are played with the left hand alone. Then the upper C and D are added, then the lower notes with the right hand. If a melody doesn't work, first play it slowly, one note at a time — the game has a “Study” mode for this, where the notes wait until you play correctly.