PHRASE 1
BAG
Hot cross buns,
Advisory · Musical hazard · Specimen 07
Hot Cross Buns: the notes. Do not play this.
Three notes. One song. Four hours. The Bureau publishes the melody for one reason only: so that you can recognise it before it is too late. It is already too late.
The notes
Key of G. Three notes: B, A and G. That is all it has ever needed. Wider blocks are held longer. Narrow white blocks are quick.
PHRASE 2
BAG
Hot cross buns,
PHRASE 3
GGGGAAAA
One a penny, two a penny,
PHRASE 4
BAG
Hot cross buns.
On the staff
Treble staff, 4/4. G sits on the second line from the bottom, A in the space above it, B on the middle line. Quarter, quarter, half; then eight quick ones; then the ending. The ending is the same as the beginning. That is how it gets in.
On the recorder
It is the first tune most recorder players are taught, which is how the problem spreads. Soprano recorder, left hand only. The thumb covers the hole at the back. Filled circles are covered.
B
Thumb + hole 1.
A
Thumb + holes 1 and 2.
G
Thumb + holes 1, 2 and 3.
The Bureau confirms that the fingering is correct. The Bureau regrets that the fingering is correct.
The words
Hot cross buns,
Hot cross buns,
One a penny, two a penny,
Hot cross buns. Traditional. A London street cry, in print by 1767. Public domain, which means nobody can stop it.
Hot cross buns,
One a penny, two a penny,
Hot cross buns. Traditional. A London street cry, in print by 1767. Public domain, which means nobody can stop it.
Status
Exposure
You have now read the notes.
Reading counts as exposure. The timer under Reason 04 on the main page measures what happens next. It stops at four hours. The song does not.
Seasonal advisory
Peak season begins.
Easter 2027 falls on Sunday 28 March. Good Friday is 26 March. The hot cross bun migrates into bakeries in the weeks before.
Identification: Field Guide, Specimen 07. A cross. A song.
Sources: notes and recorder fingering — dynamicmusicroom.com, wfg.woodwind.org; words and date — Wikipedia, "Hot cross bun".