Piper's SongbookHow to play Row, Row, Row Your Boat on recorder
Row, Row, Row Your Boat uses 6 notes on the soprano recorder: A, G, high D, F♯, low E and low D. The first line goes D D D E F♯ F♯ E F♯ G A.
- Notes
- 6: A, G, high D, F♯, low E, low D
- Level
- Both hands
- Time
- 6/8, about 132 beats a minute
- Source
- American round; words printed 1852, tune credited to Eliphalet Oram Lyte, 1881
Row, Row, Row Your Boat 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 | D E F♯ | F♯ E F♯ G | A
- D′ D′ D′ A A A | F♯ F♯ F♯ D D D | A G F♯ E | D
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 Row, Row, Row Your Boat
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 "merrily" line drops through four groups of three quick notes, from high D down to low D. Tongue each one lightly with "doo", and take the line slowly until the groups feel even.
Learn one line at a time. Play it slowly until every note is clean, then join it to the next line.
About the tune
The words appeared in print in 1852 and the tune is credited to Eliphalet Oram Lyte in 1881. It is a round: once you can play it, a second player can start when you reach the third bar.
Questions
Is Row, Row, Row Your Boat 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 Row, Row, Row Your Boat on recorder?
A, G, high D, 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 Lyte's 1881 tune, transposed to D. Last checked 6 October 2026.