Piper's SongbookHow to play Battle Hymn of the Republic on recorder
Battle Hymn of the Republic uses 8 notes on the soprano recorder: B, A, G, high D, F♯, high E, high C♯ and high F♯. The first line goes A A A A G F♯ A D′ E′ F♯′ F♯′ F♯′ E′ D′ D′ C♯′ B B B C♯′ D′ C♯′ D′ B A B A F♯ A A A. The same tune is used for John Brown's Body and Mine Eyes Have Seen the Glory.
- Notes
- 8: B, A, G, high D, F♯, high E, high C♯, high F♯
- Level
- Thumb pinch
- Time
- 4/4, about 100 beats a minute
- Source
- Words by Julia Ward Howe, 1861; tune of "John Brown's Body", from a camp-meeting hymn
Battle Hymn of the Republic 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
- A | A A A G F♯ A D′ E′ | F♯′ F♯′ F♯′ E′ D′ D′ C♯′ | B B B C♯′ D′ C♯′ D′ B | A B A F♯ A A A
- A A A G F♯ A D′ E′ | F♯′ F♯′ F♯′ E′ D′ D′ | E′ E′ D′ C♯′ | D′ (rest)
- A G F♯ A D′ E′ | F♯′ D′ (rest) | B C♯′ D′ C♯′ D′ B | A F♯ (rest)
- A G F♯ A D′ E′ | F♯′ D′ D′ | E′ E′ D′ C♯′ | D′
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 Battle Hymn of the Republic
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
Almost every beat is a long note followed by a short one. Tongue "doo-d" with the short note very quick, so the dotted rhythm stays sharp. The "Glory, glory" chorus reaches high F♯ with a pinched thumb, so keep the pinch through the run D, E, F♯.
Learn one line at a time. Play it slowly until every note is clean, then join it to the next line.
About the tune
Julia Ward Howe wrote the words in November 1861 to the soldiers' song "John Brown's Body", and The Atlantic Monthly printed them in February 1862, paying her $4. The tune itself came from a camp-meeting hymn, "Say, Brothers, Will You Meet Us".
Questions
Is Battle Hymn of the Republic 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 Battle Hymn of the Republic on recorder?
B, A, G, high D, F♯, high E, high C♯ and high F♯. Tap a note to see its fingering on its own page.
Do these fingerings work on a German recorder?
Mostly. F♯ and high F♯ are 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 The Everyday Song Book (1927), compared with two transcriptions on trillian.mit.edu; transposed to D. Last checked 6 October 2026.