Piper's SongbookHow to play Pop Goes the Weasel on recorder
Pop Goes the Weasel uses 6 notes on the soprano recorder: B, A, G, F♯, low E and low D. The first line goes D D E E F♯ A F♯ D D D E E F♯ D.
- Notes
- 6: B, A, G, F♯, low E, low D
- Level
- Both hands
- Time
- 6/8, about 132 beats a minute
- Source
- English country dance tune, popular from 1852
Pop Goes the Weasel 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
- D D E E | F♯ A F♯ D | D D E E | F♯ D (rest)
- D D E E | F♯ A F♯ D | B (rest) E G | F♯ D (rest)
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 Pop Goes the Weasel
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 only B is the "Pop!" in the last line, and it comes straight after a low D. Lift every finger except your left index finger in one movement, keep the thumb on, and tongue the B short and sharp.
Learn one line at a time. Play it slowly until every note is clean, then join it to the next line.
About the tune
"Pop Goes the Weasel" was a fashionable country dance in England by December 1852, and sheet music for it was printed in London and Baltimore in the early 1850s. At first the only words were the shout of "pop goes the weasel" as dancers passed under the others' arms.
Questions
Is Pop Goes the Weasel 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 Pop Goes the Weasel on recorder?
B, A, G, F♯, low E 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 score in the Wikipedia article and Beth's Notes, transposed to D. Last checked 6 October 2026.