Piper's SongbookHow to play Lightly Row on recorder
Lightly Row uses 5 notes on the soprano recorder: B, A, G, high C and high D. The first line goes D′ B B C′ A A G A B C′ D′ D′ D′.
- Notes
- 5: B, A, G, high C, high D
- Level
- Left hand only
- Time
- 4/4, about 100 beats a minute
- Source
- German folk song "Hänschen klein"
Lightly Row 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′ B B | C′ A A | G A B C′ | D′ D′ D′
- D′ B B | C′ A A | G B D′ D′ | G
- A A A A | A B C′ | B B B B | B C′ D′
- D′ B B | C′ A A | G B D′ D′ | 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 Lightly Row
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
It uses only the left hand: G, A, B, C and high D. Watch the jumps between high D and B in the first bar of each line, where the thumb comes off and goes back on.
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 German folk song "Hänschen klein", sung in English as "Lightly Row". Many method books, including the Suzuki books, use it as an early piece because it moves mostly by step.
Questions
Is Lightly Row 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 Lightly Row 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 Lightly Row uses the same fingering on Baroque and German recorders.
More recorder songs
Notes checked against Traditional melody, in G. Last checked 6 October 2026.