Piper's SongbookHow to play Away in a Manger on recorder
Away in a Manger (the Cradle Song tune) uses 9 notes on the soprano recorder: B, A, G, high C, high D, F♯, low E, low D and high E. The first line goes D G G A B G G B C′ D′ D′ E′ C′ A B.
- Notes
- 9: B, A, G, high C, high D, F♯, low E, low D, high E
- Level
- Thumb pinch
- Time
- 3/4, about 100 beats a minute
- Source
- Tune "Cradle Song" by William J. Kirkpatrick, 1895
Away in a Manger 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
Line 4
Letters only, for printing or copying
- D | G G A B | G G B C′ | D′ D′ E′ | C′ A B
- C′ C′ D′ | B B G B | A E G | F♯ D
- G G A B | G G B C′ | D′ D′ E′ | C′ A B
- C′ C′ D′ | B B G B | A E F♯ | G
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 Away in a Manger
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
The third bar climbs D, D, high E, the first thumb pinch in the tune. Going from high D, roll the thumb back so it half covers its hole, and put down the three left-hand fingers and the first two right-hand fingers together.
Learn one line at a time. Play it slowly until every note is clean, then join it to the next line.
About the tune
The words were printed in American papers from 1882, usually credited to Martin Luther, though they are now thought to be wholly American. This is William J. Kirkpatrick's tune, "Cradle Song", first published in 1895. It is the usual tune in Britain, Ireland and Canada, while most American churches sing James R. Murray's tune "Mueller".
Questions
Is Away in a Manger 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 Away in a Manger on recorder?
B, A, G, high C, high D, F♯, low E, low D 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.
More recorder songs
Notes checked against Paul Hardy's Christmas tunebook (ABC) against Kirkpatrick's melody as printed on Wikipedia, in G. Last checked 6 October 2026.