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First songs
How to play Hot Cross Buns on the recorder
An old English street cry, sung by sellers of the spiced buns. With just three notes, B, A and G, it's the classic first song on the recorder. It uses 3 notes: G, A and B. Below are the notes with their rhythm, and the fingering for each one.
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The notes
Longer blocks are longer notes; a line marks every four beats.
The notes as letters
B A G B A G G G G G A A A A B A G
All for a soprano (descant) recorder, with baroque (English) fingering.
Fingerings
Thumb hole covered, holes 1 2 3 covered
Thumb hole covered, holes 1 2 covered
Thumb hole covered, holes 1 covered
Filled holes are covered. The left hand is on top (thumb behind, holes 1–3), the right hand below (holes 4–7).
Tips
- Say "doo" into the recorder for each note: the tongue starts every note, so repeated notes sound separate.
- Blow gently, like cooling soup. Too much air makes a squeak an octave up.
- Cover the holes with the soft pads of your fingers, not the tips, so no air leaks out.
More recorder songs
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- Mary Had a Little LambG, A, B, high D
- Lightly RowG, A, B, high C, high D
- Ode to JoyG, A, B, high C, high D
- Jingle BellsG, A, B, high C, high D
- When the Saints Go Marching InG, A, B, high C, high D
- Frère Jacqueslow D, G, A, B, high C, high D
- Old MacDonald Had a Farmlow D, low E, G, A, B
- Amazing Gracelow D, low E, G, A, B, high D
- Yankee Doodlelow D, low E, F#, G, A, B, high C
- Happy Birthdaylow D, low E, F#, G, A, B, high C, high D
- Twinkle Twinkle Little Starlow D, low E, F#, G, A, B
- London Bridgelow D, low E, F#, G, A, B
- Row, Row, Row Your Boatlow D, low E, F#, G, A, high D