Piper's SongbookHow to play Twinkle Twinkle Little Star on recorder
Twinkle Twinkle Little Star uses 6 notes on the soprano recorder: B, A, G, F♯, low E and low D. The first line goes D D A A B B A G G F♯ F♯ E E D. The same tune is used for Baa Baa Black Sheep and the Alphabet Song.
- Notes
- 6: B, A, G, F♯, low E, low D
- Level
- Both hands
- Time
- 4/4, about 96 beats a minute
- Source
- French melody "Ah! vous dirai-je, maman", printed 1761; words by Jane Taylor, 1806
Twinkle Twinkle Little Star 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
Letters only, for printing or copying
- D D A A | B B A | G G F♯ F♯ | E E D
- A A G G | F♯ F♯ E | A A G G | F♯ F♯ E
- D D A A | B B A | G G F♯ F♯ | E E D
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 Twinkle Twinkle Little Star
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
This version is in D major, so it starts on low D with every hole covered except the bottom one. Low notes need very gentle air: if D squeaks, blow as if you were warming your hands.
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 tune was printed in France in 1761 as "Ah! vous dirai-je, maman". Mozart wrote twelve variations on it, and Jane Taylor's poem "The Star" was fitted to it in the 1800s. Baa Baa Black Sheep and the Alphabet Song use the same melody.
Questions
Is Twinkle Twinkle Little Star 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 Twinkle Twinkle Little Star 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 Ah! vous dirai-je, maman (1761) melody, transposed to D. Last checked 6 October 2026.