How to play When the Saints Go Marching In on the recorder

"When the Saints Go Marching In", an American spiritual made famous by New Orleans jazz bands. Four notes climbing up, again and again. It uses 5 notes: G, A, B, high C and high D. Below are the notes with their rhythm, and the fingering for each one.

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The notes

GBC'D'GBC'D'GBC'D'BGBA

Longer blocks are longer notes; a line marks every four beats.

The notes as letters

G B C' D' G B C' D' G B C' D' B G B A

C' and D' are the high C and high D. 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

high C

Thumb hole covered, holes 2 covered

high D

Thumb hole open, holes 2 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.
High D has the thumb hole open and only hole 2 covered: just your left middle finger holds it.
For high C, lift your first finger (hole 1) and keep the thumb and hole 2 covered.

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How to play When the Saints Go Marching In on the recorder

The notes

The notes as letters

Fingerings

Tips

More recorder songs