Piper's SongbookHow to play Oh! Susanna on recorder
Oh! Susanna uses 6 notes on the soprano recorder: B, A, G, high C, high D and high E. The first line goes G A B D′ D′ E′ D′ B G A B B A G A.
- Notes
- 6: B, A, G, high C, high D, high E
- Level
- Thumb pinch
- Time
- 4/4, about 120 beats a minute
- Source
- American song, published in Cincinnati in 1848
Oh! Susanna 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
- G A | B D′ D′ E′ | D′ B G A | B B A G | A
- G A | B D′ D′ E′ | D′ B G A | B B A A | G
- C′ C′ | E′ E′ E′ | D′ D′ B G | A
- G A | B D′ D′ E′ | D′ B G A | B B A 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! Susanna
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 chorus starts on two long high Cs, then three high Es. Move from C to E by pinching the thumb and putting down holes 1, 3, 4 and 5 while hole 2 stays covered.
Learn one line at a time. Play it slowly until every note is clean, then join it to the next line.
About the tune
It was first sung at a concert in Pittsburgh in 1847 and published in Cincinnati in 1848. It sold over 100,000 copies when no American song had sold more than 5,000, and gold seekers heading for California in 1849 took it as their own.
Questions
Is Oh! Susanna 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 Oh! Susanna on recorder?
B, A, G, high C, high 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 Oh! Susanna uses the same fingering on Baroque and German recorders.
More recorder songs
Notes checked against Paul Hardy's tunebook, the Lester Bailey ABC and the musicaviva ABC, in G. Last checked 6 October 2026.