Piper's SongbookHow to play The Itsy Bitsy Spider on recorder
The Itsy Bitsy Spider uses 6 notes on the soprano recorder: B, A, G, high C, high D and low D. The first line goes D G G G A B B B A G A B G. The same tune is used for Incy Wincy Spider.
- Notes
- 6: B, A, G, high C, high D, low D
- Level
- Both hands
- Time
- 6/8, about 116 beats a minute
- Source
- Traditional American; printed by 1910
The Itsy Bitsy Spider 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 G A | B B B | A G A B | G (rest)
- B B C′ | D′ D′ | C′ B C′ D′ | B (rest)
- G G A | B B | A G A B | G D D
- G G G A | B B B | A G A B | 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 The Itsy Bitsy Spider
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
"Down came the rain" and "washed the spider out" move between high C and high D. Leave your left middle finger down for both: high C has the thumb on the back, high D has it off, so only the thumb moves.
Learn one line at a time. Play it slowly until every note is clean, then join it to the next line.
About the tune
Arthur Walbridge North printed the words as the "Spider Song" in his 1910 travel book Camp and Camino in Lower California. Ruth Crawford Seeger included it in American Folk Songs for Children in 1948.
Questions
Is The Itsy Bitsy Spider 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 The Itsy Bitsy Spider on recorder?
B, A, G, high C, high D 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 The Itsy Bitsy Spider uses the same fingering on Baroque and German recorders.
More recorder songs
Notes checked against Beth's Notes, the FluteTree songbook and the score in the Wikipedia article, in G. Last checked 6 October 2026.