Piper's SongbookHow to play Sumer Is Icumen In on recorder
Sumer Is Icumen In uses 9 notes on the soprano recorder: B, A, G, high D, F♯, low E, low D, high C♯ and low C♯. The first line goes D′ C♯′ B C♯′ D′ D′ C♯′ B A F♯ F♯ G E F♯.
- Notes
- 9: B, A, G, high D, F♯, low E, low D, high C♯, low C♯
- Level
- Cross fingerings
- Time
- 6/8, about 150 beats a minute
- Source
- England, c. 1240s
Sumer Is Icumen In 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
Line 6
Letters only, for printing or copying
- D′ C♯′ B C♯′ | D′ D′ C♯′ B A | F♯ F♯ G E | F♯ (rest)
- D F♯ E G | F♯ F♯ E D | F♯ A B B | A (rest)
- D′ B | D′ (rest) | A F♯ G E | F♯ A G F♯
- D F♯ E C♯ | D (rest) | F♯ F♯ E G | A A B C♯′
- D′ C♯′ B C♯′ | D′ (rest) | A B | A G F♯
- D F♯ G E | F♯ G A | F♯ A E C♯ | 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 Sumer Is Icumen In
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
It needs two kinds of C♯: high C♯ with the thumb off, and low C♯ with half of the bottom double hole left open.
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 earliest known copy, from the mid 1200s, comes from Reading Abbey. It is one of the oldest surviving rounds in any language.
Questions
Is Sumer Is Icumen In easy on recorder?
It is an intermediate piece. It uses cross fingerings or half holes, so learn those notes on their own first.
What notes do you need for Sumer Is Icumen In on recorder?
B, A, G, high D, F♯, low E, low D, high C♯ and low C♯. 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.
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Notes checked against the Piper's Songbook transcription, compared against two or more independent sources. Last checked 6 October 2026.