Piper's SongbookHow to play Tourdion on recorder
Tourdion uses 8 notes on the soprano recorder: B, A, G, high C, high D, F♯, low E and low D. The first line goes E F♯ G A G F♯ E F♯ G A B A G G A F♯ G F♯ E D.
- Notes
- 8: B, A, G, high C, high D, F♯, low E, low D
- Level
- Both hands
- Time
- 3/2, about 120 beats a minute
- Source
- Pierre Attaingnant, 1530
Tourdion 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 F♯ G A G F♯ | E F♯ G A | B A G G A F♯ | G F♯ E D
- E F♯ G A G F♯ | E G F♯ | E D | E
- B A B C′ | B B | D′ C′ B A G F♯ | G F♯ E
- B A B C′ | B A G F♯ | E D | E
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 Tourdion
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
Learn it slowly first. Performers take it very fast, but the moves between low D and high D only come easily once your fingers know the way.
Learn one line at a time. Play it slowly until every note is clean, then join it to the next line.
About the tune
Pierre Attaingnant printed this dance in Paris in 1530. The drinking-song words "Quand je bois du vin clairet" were added in 1949, and choirs often sing it that way.
Questions
Is Tourdion 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 Tourdion on recorder?
B, A, G, high C, high D, 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.
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Notes checked against the Piper's Songbook transcription, compared against two or more independent sources. Last checked 6 October 2026.