Piper's SongbookHow to play Ai vis lo lop on recorder
Ai vis lo lop uses 8 notes on the soprano recorder: B, A, G, high C, high D, F♯, low E and high E. The first line goes E′ D′ C′ C′ C′ D′ D′ D′ C′ B A E′ D′ C′ C′ C′ D′ B A.
- Notes
- 8: B, A, G, high C, high D, F♯, low E, high E
- Level
- Thumb pinch
- Time
- 2/4, about 72 beats a minute
- Source
- Occitan traditional
Ai vis lo lop recorder notes with letters
Each box is one note, with its fingering underneath: filled holes are covered, a half-filled hole is half covered or pinched. Wider boxes are longer notes. A ′ mark means the higher octave, so D′ is high D. Bar lines are drawn as thin rules.
Line 1
Line 2
Line 3
Letters only, for printing or copying
- E′ D′ C′ C′ C′ | D′ D′ D′ C′ B A | E′ D′ C′ C′ C′ | D′ B A
- A B C′ C′ C′ C′ | C′ D′ B | C′ B A A A | B B G F♯ E
- A B C′ C′ C′ | C′ D′ B | C′ B C′ A A A | A G A
Sheet music
Written pitch for soprano recorder, which sounds an octave higher. Press play to hear it on a recorder sound; the slow setting plays at 60% speed.
Fingerings for the notes in Ai vis lo lop
Hole 0 is the thumb hole on the back. Holes 1 to 3 are for the left hand, 4 to 7 for the right. These are Baroque (English) fingerings.
How to practise it
It runs in quick sixteenth notes. Keep the tongue light and the fingers close to the holes, and start well below full speed.
Learn one line at a time. Play it slowly until every note is clean, then join it to the next line.
About the tune
A traditional song from Occitania in southern France. The title means "I saw the wolf".
Questions
Is Ai vis lo lop easy on recorder?
It suits a player who already knows the notes from low D to high D. It also needs the thumb pinch for the high notes.
What notes do you need for Ai vis lo lop on recorder?
B, A, G, high C, high D, F♯, low E and high E. Tap a note to see its fingering on its own page.
Do these fingerings work on a German recorder?
Mostly. F♯ is fingered differently on a German recorder; the diagrams above are Baroque, and the linked note pages show both. A recorder whose hole 4 is smaller than hole 5 is Baroque.
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Notes checked against the Piper's Songbook transcription, compared against two or more independent sources. Last checked 6 October 2026.