How to play Rain, Rain, Go Away on recorder

Rain, Rain, Go Away 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.

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 Rain, Rain, Go Away

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 whole tune uses A, high C and high D, and your left middle finger stays down for all of it. Add the index finger for A and lift it for high C. For the one high D, on "an-" in "another", lift the thumb as well.

Learn one line at a time. Play it slowly until every note is clean, then join it to the next line.

About the tune

James Howell printed "Raine raine goe to Spain: faire weather come againe" in a book of proverbs in 1659. In the same period John Aubrey wrote that children sang "Raine, raine, goe away, Come againe a Saterday" to charm the rain away.

Questions

Is Rain, Rain, Go Away easy on recorder?

Yes. It uses only the left hand, though it does need the thumb off for high D.

What notes do you need for Rain, Rain, Go Away on recorder?

A, high C and high D. Tap a note to see its fingering on its own page.

Do these fingerings work on a German recorder?

Yes. Every note in Rain, Rain, Go Away uses the same fingering on Baroque and German recorders.

More recorder songs

See all 103 songs, sorted from easiest