Piper's SongbookHow to play Pastime with Good Company on recorder
Pastime with Good Company uses 6 notes on the soprano recorder: B, A, G, high C, high D and F♯. The first line goes C′ C′ C′ C′ B C′ B A G G C′ C′ B A G A G F♯ G A.
- Notes
- 6: B, A, G, high C, high D, F♯
- Level
- Both hands
- Time
- 4/4, about 100 beats a minute
- Source
- Henry VIII, c. 1513
Pastime with Good Company 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
- C′ C′ | C′ C′ | B C′ B A | G G | C′ C′ | B A | G A G F♯ G | A
- C′ C′ | C′ C′ | B C′ B A | G G | C′ C′ | B C′ B A | G A G F♯ G | A G
- A B | C′ G | A B | C′ C′ | D′ C′ B A | G G
- A B | C′ C′ | A B | C′ C′ | B A G A B G | A
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 Pastime with Good Company
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
Most of the tune sits on G, A, B and C. Near the end of the first phrase comes one quick F♯, the only note that needs the right hand.
Learn one line at a time. Play it slowly until every note is clean, then join it to the next line.
About the tune
Henry VIII wrote this song around 1513, in praise of hunting, singing and dancing. It survives in the Henry VIII Manuscript in the British Library.
Questions
Is Pastime with Good Company 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 Pastime with Good Company on recorder?
B, A, G, high C, high D and F♯. 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.
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Notes checked against the Piper's Songbook transcription, compared against two or more independent sources. Last checked 6 October 2026.