Piper's SongbookHow to play Loch Lomond on recorder
Loch Lomond uses 8 notes on the soprano recorder: B, A, G, high C, high D, low E, low D and high E. The first line goes D E G G A B A G A A G E D D G G G B D′ E′ D′. The same tune is used for The Bonnie Banks o' Loch Lomond.
- Notes
- 8: B, A, G, high C, high D, low E, low D, high E
- Level
- Thumb pinch
- Time
- 4/4, about 84 beats a minute
- Source
- Traditional Scottish song; printed in Edinburgh in 1840
Loch Lomond 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 E | G G A B A G | A A G E D D | G G G B D′ | E′ D′
- D′ | E′ E′ D′ B B D′ | C′ B A G E D E | G G B D′ E′ D′ B | A G
- D | G G A B B A | G G E D D D | G G G G B D′ | E′ D′
- D′ | E′ E′ D′ B B D′ | C′ B A G E D E | G G B D′ E′ D′ 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 Loch Lomond
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 tune has no F♯, but the second line runs C, B, A, G, E, D in quick notes. Put the right-hand fingers down in order rather than all at once, and keep them hovering just above the holes.
Learn one line at a time. Play it slowly until every note is clean, then join it to the next line.
About the tune
A traditional Scottish song, long linked with the Jacobite rising of 1745. One of the earliest printings was sheet music titled "Bonnie Loch Loman", published by Paterson and Sons in Edinburgh in 1840.
Questions
Is Loch Lomond 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 Loch Lomond on recorder?
B, A, G, high C, high D, low E, low D and high E. Tap a note to see its fingering on its own page.
Do these fingerings work on a German recorder?
Yes. Every note in Loch Lomond uses the same fingering on Baroque and German recorders.
More recorder songs
Notes checked against the Digital Tradition ABC and Robert Ford's 1904 edition shown on Wikipedia, with the chorus as on The Session, transposed to G. Last checked 6 October 2026.