Piper's SongbookHow to play Für Elise on recorder
Für Elise (the opening section) uses 9 notes on the soprano recorder: B, A, high C, high D, low E, high E, G♯, low C and high E♭. The first line goes E′ E♭′ E′ E♭′ E′ B D′ C′ A C E A B E G♯ B C′ E E′ E♭′.
- Notes
- 9: B, A, high C, high D, low E, high E, G♯, low C, high E♭
- Level
- Cross fingerings
- Time
- 3/8, about 66 beats a minute
- Source
- Ludwig van Beethoven, Bagatelle in A minor, WoO 59, 1810; published 1867
Für Elise 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
- E′ E♭′ | E′ E♭′ E′ B D′ C′ | A (rest) C E A | B (rest) E G♯ B | C′ (rest) E E′ E♭′
- E′ E♭′ E′ B D′ C′ | A (rest) C E A | B (rest) E C′ B | A
- E′ E♭′ | E′ E♭′ E′ B D′ C′ | A (rest) C E A | B (rest) E G♯ B | C′ (rest) E E′ E♭′
- E′ E♭′ E′ B D′ C′ | A (rest) C E A | B (rest) E C′ B | 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 Für Elise
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 opening swings back and forth between high E and high D♯. High E is a thumb pinch with three left fingers and your right index and middle fingers. For high D♯, take the thumb and left index off and add the right ring finger. Practise that swap slowly before playing the bar at 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
Beethoven's Bagatelle in A minor was not published in his lifetime. Ludwig Nohl printed it in 1867 from a manuscript dated 27 April 1810, which is now lost. Nobody knows for certain who Elise was.
Questions
Is Für Elise easy on recorder?
It is an intermediate piece. It uses cross fingerings or half holes, so learn those notes on their own first.
What notes do you need for Für Elise on recorder?
B, A, high C, high D, low E, high E, G♯, low C and high E♭. Tap a note to see its fingering on its own page.
Do these fingerings work on a German recorder?
Yes. Every note in Für Elise uses the same fingering on Baroque and German recorders.
More recorder songs
Notes checked against the Breitkopf & Härtel score of 1888 (Mutopia), Frank Nordberg's ABC and the Wikipedia score excerpt, in the original A minor. Last checked 6 October 2026.