How to Play "Mary Had a Little Lamb" on the Recorder

Last Updated: November 1, 2021

Mary Had a Little Lamb is a classic children's tune that's simple to play and fun to perform. It's a great song for beginners to learn as it's short, easy and quick to memorize. See Step 1 below to get started!

Part 1

Part 1 of 2:

Playing the Tune

1
Learn the notes. You only need to learn three notes to play "Mary Had a Little Lamb". Those notes are B, A and G. Practice playing each of these notes individually before you start working on the song.
- Play B: B is the first note most people learn on the recorder, as it is one of the easiest to play. To play a B note, use your left thumb to cover the hole on the back of the recorder and use your left index finger to cover the first or top hole on the front of the recorder. Make sure to completely cover both holes with your fingers.
- Play A: To play A, use your left thumb to cover the hole on the back of the recorder, your left index finger to cover the first hole on the front of the recorder and your left middle finger to cover the second hole. It's basically the same as B, just with one extra finger.
- Play G: To play G, use your left thumb to cover the hole on the back of the recorder, your left index finger to cover the first hole on the front of the recorder, your left middle finger to cover the second hole and your left ring finger to cover the third hole. It's basically the same as A, just with one extra finger.
2
Put them all together. Once you have practiced the notes B, A and G and can play them perfectly, you can put them together to play "Mary Had a Little Lamb". Here are the notes:
- B A G A
- B B B -
- A A A -
- B B B -
- B A G A
- B B B
- A A B A
- G - - -
- Note: The dashes ( - ) are used to indicate that the note should be held for an extra count.
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3
Practice. Now that you know which notes to play, all that's left to do is practice!
- Practice the song slowly at first - it's more important to get the notes right than it is to play the song quickly. Speed will come with time.
- Once you've got the hang of "Mary Had a Little Lamb", you can work on some other easy songs, like "Hot Cross Buns" or "Gently Sleep".

Part 2

Part 2 of 2:

Improving Your Playing

1
Make sure that you're holding the recorder correctly. Place the recorder between your lips and balance it lightly between your thumbs and fingers.
- Your left hand should be at the end nearest the mouthpiece and your right hand should be at the other end.
- Don't bite down on the mouthpiece or allow it to touch your teeth.
2
Practice the right blowing technique. How strongly or softly you blow into the recorder will affect the type of sound your produce.
- If you blow too hard, the recorder will produce an unpleasant, high-pitched sound, so you should try to avoid this.
- Instead, try to blow softly - as if you were blowing bubbles. This will produce a more musical sound.
- Breathe from your diaphragm to produce a steady, even stream of air. This will help you to hold your notes for longer. Sitting up straight, with your shoulders back will help you to maintain good posture while you play.
3
Learn the correct tonguing technique. When you play a note on the recorder, you should imagine saying the word "doot" or "dud" as you blow.
- This causes your tongue to move to the roof of your mouth. This technique is known as "tonguing" and provides a clear start and finish to each note.
- Be careful not to actually say the words as you play, you should only use them as a guideline to help you learn the tonguing technique.^{[1]
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4
Take good care of your recorder. Taking good care of your recorder will keep it in tip-top playing condition.
- Wash your recorder with a little warm soapy water, and scrub the mouthpiece with an old toothbrush. Leave the recorder to dry thoroughly before playing again.
- Keep your recorder in a case when you're not playing, to protect it from chipping or other damage.
- Don't leave it somewhere it'll be exposed to very warm or very cold temperatures, like in a warm car or beside the radiator.

Community Q&A

Question

How do I take care of my recorder?

Community Answer

Wash it with warm soapy water and clean the mouthpiece with an old toothbrush. Let it dry before playing it again.
Question

What is another easy song you can play on the recorder?

Ruby

Top Answerer

Songs such as Jingle Bells, Hot Cross Buns and Twinkle Twinkle Little Star are easy to play on a recorder and don't require much practice.
Question

How many songs can be played on the recorder?

Community Answer

There isn't really any way of knowing that, because songs are made all the time, whether they're new or normal songs transferred to the recorder. However, there are plenty of recorder books you can use to play common songs.

Warnings

Always clean your instrument.

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The lower the note the softer you need to blow, so blow carefully.

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