Piper's SongbookHow to play Old MacDonald Had a Farm on recorder
Old MacDonald Had a Farm (the opening) uses 5 notes on the soprano recorder: B, A, G, low E and low D. The first line goes G G G D E E D B B A A G D.
- Notes
- 5: B, A, G, low E, low D
- Level
- Both hands
- Time
- 4/4, about 110 beats a minute
- Source
- Traditional; printed in several forms from the early 1900s
Old MacDonald Had a Farm 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 | E E D | B B A A | G D
- G G G D | E E D | 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 Old MacDonald Had a Farm
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 bar drops from G to low D. Put down your right-hand fingers in one movement, and blow more gently for D and E than for G.
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 farm song printed in several versions in the early twentieth century. The animals change from verse to verse, but the tune of the opening stays the same.
Questions
Is Old MacDonald Had a Farm 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 Old MacDonald Had a Farm on recorder?
B, A, G, low E and low D. Tap a note to see its fingering on its own page.
Do these fingerings work on a German recorder?
Yes. Every note in Old MacDonald Had a Farm uses the same fingering on Baroque and German recorders.
More recorder songs
Notes checked against Common traditional version, in G. Last checked 6 October 2026.