Piper's SongbookHow to play The Muffin Man on recorder
The Muffin Man uses 6 notes on the soprano recorder: B, A, G, F♯, low E and low D. The first line goes D G G A B G G F♯ E A A G F♯ D D.
- Notes
- 6: B, A, G, F♯, low E, low D
- Level
- Both hands
- Time
- 2/4, about 100 beats a minute
- Source
- Traditional English rhyme, written down about 1820
The Muffin Man 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 G G A | B G G F♯ | E A A G | F♯ D D
- D G G A | B G G G | A A G F♯ | G (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 The Muffin Man
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
Most bars have a dotted pair, like "know the": hold the first note three times as long as the second. The third bar jumps from low E up to A, so lift your right hand and left ring finger together.
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 rhyme was first written down in a British manuscript from about 1820, now in the Bodleian Library. Muffin men sold muffins door to door in London, and the song places this one in Drury Lane.
Questions
Is The Muffin Man 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 The Muffin Man on recorder?
B, A, G, 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 Beth's Notes and Alice Gomme's Traditional Games (1894), in G. Last checked 6 October 2026.