Piper's SongbookHow to play Oh My Darling, Clementine on recorder
Oh My Darling, Clementine uses 7 notes on the soprano recorder: B, A, G, high C, high D, F♯ and low D. The first line goes G G G D B B B G G B D′ D′ C′ B A. The same tune is used for Clementine.
- Notes
- 7: B, A, G, high C, high D, F♯, low D
- Level
- Both hands
- Time
- 3/4, about 108 beats a minute
- Source
- American ballad; words credited to Percy Montrose, 1884
Oh My Darling, Clementine 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
- G G | G D B B | B G G B | D′ D′ C′ B | A
- A B | C′ C′ B A | B G G B | A D F♯ 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 Oh My Darling, Clementine
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 full bar drops from G to low D and jumps back up to B, and the last line does the same from A. Keep your right-hand fingers close so low D comes out cleanly, and play the short notes after the dots quickly, like a skip.
Learn one line at a time. Play it slowly until every note is clean, then join it to the next line.
About the tune
Oliver Ditson of Boston published the song in 1884 with words credited to Percy Montrose. It drew on an earlier song, "Down by the River Liv'd a Maiden", printed in 1863. Nobody knows where the melody came from.
Questions
Is Oh My Darling, Clementine 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 Oh My Darling, Clementine on recorder?
B, A, G, high C, high D, F♯ 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 the Digital Tradition and musicaviva ABC versions, transposed to G. Last checked 6 October 2026.