Piper's SongbookHow to play Hush, Little Baby on recorder
Hush, Little Baby uses 5 notes on the soprano recorder: B, A, G, high C and low D. The first line goes D B B B C′ B A A A.
- Notes
- 5: B, A, G, high C, low D
- Level
- Both hands
- Time
- 4/4, about 84 beats a minute
- Source
- Traditional lullaby from the southern United States
Hush, Little Baby 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
Letters only, for printing or copying
- D B B B C′ | B A A A (rest)
- D D A A A A B | A G G (rest)
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 Hush, Little Baby
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
Both lines start on low D and leap up. For low D to B, keep only the thumb and left index finger down and lift the other five fingers together. For low D to A, keep the left middle finger down as well.
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 English folklorist Cecil Sharp wrote down a version in Virginia in 1918. In 1949 the Kentucky singer Jean Ritchie sang the version her family had passed down, and it matches the one most people know today.
Questions
Is Hush, Little Baby easy on recorder?
It is a good second or third tune. Both hands play, and the low notes need gentle air.
What notes do you need for Hush, Little Baby on recorder?
B, A, G, high C and low D. Tap a note to see its fingering on its own page.
Do these fingerings work on a German recorder?
Yes. Every note in Hush, Little Baby uses the same fingering on Baroque and German recorders.
More recorder songs
Notes checked against Beth's Notes, Music You Can Read and a MIDI file on Wikimedia Commons, in G. Last checked 6 October 2026.