Piper's SongbookHow to play Sellenger's Round on recorder
Sellenger's Round uses 8 notes on the soprano recorder: B, A, G, high C, high D, F♯, low E and high E. The first line goes G G A B C′ C′ D′ E′ E′ C′ B A B C′.
- Notes
- 8: B, A, G, high C, high D, F♯, low E, high E
- Level
- Thumb pinch
- Time
- 6/4, about 150 beats a minute
- Source
- Tudor dance tune; Playford’s Dancing Master
Sellenger's Round 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
Line 5
Letters only, for printing or copying
- G G A B | C′ C′ D′ E′ | E′ C′ B A B | C′
- G G G A B | C′ C′ D′ E′ | D′ C′ B A B | C′ C′ D′
- E′ E′ D′ C′ | D′ D′ D′ | B C′ D′ D′ C′ B | A D′ B
- C′ D′ C′ B G | A B C′ B G | A G F♯ E F♯ | G G A B
- C′ D′ C′ B G | A B C′ B G | A B G F♯ E F♯ | G
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 Sellenger's Round
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
Count six beats in each bar, in two groups of three. The tune keeps returning to high E, so keep the thumb pinch ready.
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 Tudor dance tune, also called The Beginning of the World. William Byrd set it for keyboard and John Playford printed it in The English Dancing Master.
Questions
Is Sellenger's Round 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 Sellenger's Round on recorder?
B, A, G, high C, high D, F♯, low E and high E. 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 Piper's Songbook transcription, compared against two or more independent sources. Last checked 6 October 2026.