Piper's SongbookHow to play God Save the King on recorder
God Save the King uses 7 notes on the soprano recorder: B, A, G, high C, high D, F♯ and high E. The first line goes G G A F♯ G A B B C′ B A G A G F♯ G. The same tune is used for God Save the Queen, My Country and 'Tis of Thee.
- Notes
- 7: B, A, G, high C, high D, F♯, high E
- Level
- Thumb pinch
- Time
- 3/4, about 80 beats a minute
- Source
- Composer unknown; first published in a form close to today's in 1744
God Save the King 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
- G G A | F♯ G A | B B C′ | B A G | A G F♯ | G
- D′ D′ D′ | D′ C′ B | C′ C′ C′ | C′ B A
- B C′ B A G | B C′ D′ | E′ C′ B A | 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 God Save the King
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
Each line has a dotted rhythm: hold the first note for a beat and a half, then play the short note lightly. The last line climbs to high E on its third bar, so pinch the thumb on the D just before it.
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 national anthem of the United Kingdom first appeared in print, close to its present form, in 1744, and nobody knows who wrote it. Samuel Francis Smith set new words to the same tune in 1831, and "My Country, 'Tis of Thee" was first sung that 4 July at Park Street Church in Boston.
Questions
Is God Save the King 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 God Save the King on recorder?
B, A, G, high C, high D, F♯ 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 The Everyday Song Book (1927, as "America") and Paul Hardy's Songs Tunebook; in G. Last checked 6 October 2026.