Piper's SongbookHow to play Mary Had a Little Lamb on recorder
Mary Had a Little Lamb uses 4 notes on the soprano recorder: B, A, G and high D. The first line goes B A G A B B B A A A B D′ D′. The same tune is used for Merrily We Roll Along.
- Notes
- 4: B, A, G, high D
- Level
- Left hand only
- Time
- 4/4, about 100 beats a minute
- Source
- Words by Sarah Josepha Hale, 1830; sung to the tune of "Merrily We Roll Along"
Mary Had a Little Lamb 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
- B A G A | B B B | A A A | B D′ D′
- B A G A | B B B B | A A 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 Mary Had a Little Lamb
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
Everything sits on B, A and G except two notes in the fourth bar. For high D, take your thumb off the back and lift every finger except your left middle finger, then put the thumb back for B.
Learn one line at a time. Play it slowly until every note is clean, then join it to the next line.
About the tune
Sarah Josepha Hale published the poem in Boston in 1830. It is sung to the same tune as "Merrily We Roll Along". In 1877 Thomas Edison recited its first lines into his new phonograph.
Questions
Is Mary Had a Little Lamb 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 Mary Had a Little Lamb on recorder?
B, A, G 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 Mary Had a Little Lamb uses the same fingering on Baroque and German recorders.
More recorder songs
Notes checked against the standard "Merrily We Roll Along" melody, in G. Last checked 6 October 2026.