Piper's SongbookHow to play We Wish You a Merry Christmas on recorder
We Wish You a Merry Christmas uses 7 notes on the soprano recorder: B, A, G, high C, F♯, low E and low D. The first line goes D G G A G F♯ E E E.
- Notes
- 7: B, A, G, high C, F♯, low E, low D
- Level
- Both hands
- Time
- 3/4, about 120 beats a minute
- Source
- Traditional English carol
We Wish You a Merry Christmas 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 | G G A G F♯ | E E E
- A A B A G | F♯ D D
- B B C′ B A | G E D D | E A F♯ | G
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 We Wish You a Merry Christmas
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
Each line starts with two quick notes after a longer one. Count "one, two-and, three-and" and keep the quick notes light so the waltz feel comes through.
Learn one line at a time. Play it slowly until every note is clean, then join it to the next line.
About the tune
A traditional carol from the West Country of England, once sung by carollers asking for figgy pudding in return for their song.
Questions
Is We Wish You a Merry Christmas 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 We Wish You a Merry Christmas on recorder?
B, A, G, high C, 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 Traditional melody, in G. Last checked 6 October 2026.