Piper's SongbookHow to play London Bridge Is Falling Down on recorder
London Bridge Is Falling Down uses 6 notes on the soprano recorder: B, A, G, F♯, low E and low D. The first line goes A B A G F♯ G A E F♯ G F♯ G A.
- Notes
- 6: B, A, G, F♯, low E, low D
- Level
- Both hands
- Time
- 4/4, about 104 beats a minute
- Source
- English nursery rhyme, 18th century
London Bridge Is Falling Down 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
- A B A G | F♯ G A | E F♯ G | F♯ G A
- A B A G | F♯ G A | E A | F♯ D
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 London Bridge Is Falling Down
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 first note of each line is dotted: hold A a little longer, then play B quickly before coming back to A. Saying "Lon-don" as you play helps the rhythm.
Learn one line at a time. Play it slowly until every note is clean, then join it to the next line.
About the tune
An English nursery rhyme that goes back at least to the 1700s. Children still play it as a game, with two players making a bridge for the others to walk under.
Questions
Is London Bridge Is Falling Down 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 London Bridge Is Falling Down on recorder?
B, A, G, F♯, low E and low D. Tap a note to see its fingering on its own page.
Do these fingerings work on a German recorder?
Mostly. F♯ is fingered differently on a German recorder; the diagrams above are Baroque, and the linked note pages show both. A recorder whose hole 4 is smaller than hole 5 is Baroque.
More recorder songs
Notes checked against Traditional melody, transposed to D. Last checked 6 October 2026.