Piper's SongbookHow to play Sakura Sakura on recorder
Sakura Sakura uses 7 notes on the soprano recorder: B, G, high C, F♯, high E, high G and high F♯. The first line goes E′ E′ F♯′ E′ E′ F♯′. The same tune is used for Sakura and Cherry Blossoms.
- Notes
- 7: B, G, high C, F♯, high E, high G, high F♯
- Level
- Thumb pinch
- Time
- 4/4, about 72 beats a minute
- Source
- Japanese song from the Edo period; printed for koto in 1888
Sakura Sakura 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
- E′ E′ F♯′ | E′ E′ F♯′
- E′ F♯′ G′ F♯′ | E′ F♯′ E′ C′ | B G B C′ | B B G F♯
- E′ F♯′ G′ F♯′ | E′ F♯′ E′ C′ | B G B C′ | B B G F♯
- E′ E′ F♯′ | E′ E′ F♯′ | B C′ F♯′ E′ C′ | B (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 Sakura Sakura
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 two lines sit on high E, F♯ and G, all with the thumb pinched. Keep the pinch and move only the right hand: holes 4 and 5 down for E, lift hole 4 for F♯, lift hole 5 too 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 city song from the Edo period, not an ancient one. The Tokyo Academy of Music printed it in 1888 in a collection for beginners on the koto, and koto students still often learn it first.
Questions
Is Sakura Sakura easy on recorder?
It suits a player who already knows the notes from low D to high D. It also needs the thumb pinch for the high notes.
What notes do you need for Sakura Sakura on recorder?
B, G, high C, F♯, high E, high G and high F♯. Tap a note to see its fingering on its own page.
Do these fingerings work on a German recorder?
Mostly. F♯ and high F♯ are 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 on Wikimedia Commons and the musicaviva ABC, transposed to E minor; the last two bars follow the Commons score. Last checked 6 October 2026.