If you’re currently learning to play the recorder, then this is the article for you!

We present five exquisite recorder pieces for absolute beginners - the pieces are set at a beginner or a very easy level. Each sheet music title includes a high-quality accompaniment of the orchestra, so you can play along as you practice! 

If you look to learn the Recorder notes, try our Recorder fingering chart tool.

Tomplay has also created a special bundle of these pieces, just for you. So instead of buying each piece separately, you can buy them as a collection for less!

▶️️ Discover our Tomplay soprano recorder sheet music catalogue

▶️️ Discover our Tomplay alto recorder sheet music catalogue

1. Liederkreis, Opus 39 - No. 8 In der fremde by Robert Schumann

▶️️ Play the beginner recorder sheet music for Liederkreis, Opus 39 - No. 8 In der fremde

Robert Schumann composed his song cycle Liederkreis for voice and piano in 1840. The Liederkreis is a collection of twelve songs set to the poems of Joseph von Eichendorff.

The eighth song in the cycle is In der fremde (In a Foreign Land). The text describes a person returning to their former home where they will be forgotten - they are resigned to solitude. The melancholic music reflects this dark text, thanks to the haunting melodic line.

Play the beginner sheet music for In der fremde by Schumann on the alto or soprano recorder. The music is available as a duet with piano accompaniment.

2. Oh My Beloved Father by Giacomo Puccini

▶️️ Play the beginner recorder sheet music for Oh My Beloved Father

Oh My Beloved Father (also known as O mio babbino caro) is an aria written by Giacomo Puccini for his opera Gianni Schicchi. The text used is a libretto by Giovacchino Forzano. Written and performed for the first time in 1918, this song is also part of a collection of three one-act operas entitled Il trittico.

The song is deeply passionate and emotional, as it is sung by a young woman begging her father for help: she wants to marry the man she loves but his family is standing in the way. The rising and falling notes of the melody perfectly convey the desperation of a young woman wanting to marry for love and not for duty.

Play the beginner sheet music for Oh My Beloved Father by Puccini on the alto or soprano recorder, accompanied by the high-quality recording of the orchestra.

3. Adagio by Tomaso Albinoni

▶️️ Play the beginner recorder sheet music for Adagio

The beautiful Adagio in G Minor by Albinoni needs no introduction, with its delicate and expressive melody. However, the composer isn’t actually responsible for writing the piece. It was written by Remo Giazotto, a musicologist from the 20th century specializing in the works of Albinoni, who found a fragment of the composer’s music in Dresden and was inspired to compose the Adagio. However, this doesn’t detract from the beauty of the work!

The Adagio in G Minor sheet music is ideal if you’re looking for an easy recorder piece that will push you a little. It’s available in the Tomplay Shop at a very easy level for a soprano recorder. So give it a try, accompanied by the orchestra!

4. Libiamo ne' lieti calici from La traviata by Giuseppe Verdi

▶️️ Play the beginner recorder sheet music for Libiamo ne' lieti calici

Moving onto a lighter, more upbeat piece: Libiamo ne' lieti calici from Giuseppe Verdi’s opera La traviata. The piece, which translates as ‘Let’s drink from the joyful cups’ can be described as a brindisi song or a drinking song: normally a character begins a toast with a solo melody before the rest of the chorus joins in. The idea is to encourage others to drink!

Libiamo ne' lieti calici is a lively and iconic duet by the two main characters, Violetta and Alfredo. A song about love and the joy of life, it is a light waltz with a ⅜ time signature: remember that with Tomplay, you can adjust the tempo to suit your level, which is ideal when you’re learning this piece!

Play the sheet music for Libiamo ne' lieti calici by Verdi on the alto or soprano recorder, accompanied by the orchestra!

5. Malinconia, Ninfa gentile by Vincenzo Bellini

▶️️ Play the beginner recorder sheet music for Malinconia, Ninfa gentile

Italian composer Vincenzo Bellini wrote a variety of works, from operas and concertos to songs for voice and piano. Malinconia, Ninfa gentile is part of a collection of fifteen pieces from Composizioni da Camera by Bellini, which was first published in 1935, a century after his death.

This collection is divided into three sections: the first section contains 6 pieces of different styles, while the second and third sections are made up of ariette (short arias). Malinconia, Ninfa gentile is the first piece of the third section and is, therefore, an arietta. It is a dramatic, melancholic piece, which is conveyed by the agitated semi-quavers in the orchestral accompaniment.

Play the beginner sheet music for Malinconia, Ninfa gentile by Bellini on the alto or soprano recorder, accompanied by the orchestra.