Piper's SongbookHow to play Three Blind Mice on recorder
Three Blind Mice uses 8 notes on the soprano recorder: B, A, G, high D, F♯, low E, low D and high C♯. The first line goes F♯ E D F♯ E D.
- Notes
- 8: B, A, G, high D, F♯, low E, low D, high C♯
- Level
- Both hands
- Time
- 6/8, about 132 beats a minute
- Source
- Traditional English round; an earlier form was printed in 1609
Three Blind Mice 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
- F♯ E | D (rest) | F♯ E | D (rest)
- A G G | F♯ (rest) | A G G | F♯ (rest) A
- D′ D′ C♯′ B C♯′ | D′ A A A | D′ D′ D′ C♯′ B C♯′ | D′ A A A A
- D′ D′ C♯′ B C♯′ | D′ A A A G | F♯ E | 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 Three Blind Mice
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 third line runs high D, high C♯, B, high C♯, high D. B is the only note in that run with the thumb on the back, so the thumb taps on for B and straight off again. Keep your left index finger down from high C♯ through B and back.
Learn one line at a time. Play it slowly until every note is clean, then join it to the next line.
About the tune
Thomas Ravenscroft printed a minor-key round called "Three Blinde Mice" in Deuteromelia in 1609. The tune sung today is different, but it is still a round: a second player can start from the beginning when the first player reaches the second line.
Questions
Is Three Blind Mice 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 Three Blind Mice on recorder?
B, A, G, high D, F♯, low E, low D and high 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.
More recorder songs
Notes checked against The Everyday Song Book (1927) and Beth's Notes, transposed to D. Last checked 6 October 2026.