Piper's SongbookHow to play Jingle Bells on recorder
Jingle Bells (the chorus) uses 5 notes on the soprano recorder: B, A, G, high C and high D. The first line goes B B B B B B B D′ G A B.
- Notes
- 5: B, A, G, high C, high D
- Level
- Left hand only
- Time
- 4/4, about 112 beats a minute
- Source
- James Lord Pierpont, published 1857 as "One Horse Open Sleigh"
Jingle Bells 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
- B B B | B B B | B D′ G A | B
- C′ C′ C′ C′ | C′ B B B B | B A A B | A D′
- B B B | B B B | B D′ G A | B
- C′ C′ C′ C′ | C′ B B B B | D′ D′ C′ 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 Jingle Bells
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 chorus needs five notes, all with the left hand: G, A, B, C and high D. Count the long Bs in the first two bars as two beats each, and keep the air going through them.
Learn one line at a time. Play it slowly until every note is clean, then join it to the next line.
About the tune
James Lord Pierpont published the song in Boston in 1857 under the title "One Horse Open Sleigh". It was written for no particular holiday and only later became a Christmas song.
Questions
Is Jingle Bells easy on recorder?
Yes. It uses only the left hand, though it does need the thumb off for high D.
What notes do you need for Jingle Bells on recorder?
B, A, G, high C and high D. Tap a note to see its fingering on its own page.
Do these fingerings work on a German recorder?
Yes. Every note in Jingle Bells uses the same fingering on Baroque and German recorders.
More recorder songs
Notes checked against the standard modern chorus, in use by 1898, transposed to G. Last checked 6 October 2026.