Recorder Fingering Chart
Click any note to see how to play it on a soprano recorder, and hear how it sounds. Every recorder note from low C to very high D, with Baroque or German fingering: a recorder notes chart that plays.
Bwritten B4 · sounds B5
Thumb hole covered. Cover hole 1.
Black holes are covered, white holes are open. The thumb hole is on the back of the recorder, so it’s drawn on the left. Arrow keys step through the notes.
Every note on the recorder
All the notes of the soprano (descant) recorder, from low C to very high D. Click one to see it larger and hear it.
- Covered
- Open
- Half hole: cover the bigger one
- Pinched thumb: a small gap at the top
How to read a recorder fingering chart
- Left hand on top. Your left thumb covers the hole on the back, and your first three fingers cover holes 1, 2 and 3. Your right hand covers holes 4 to 7, with the thumb underneath to hold the recorder.
- Covered means sealed. Press with the soft pads of your fingers, not the tips. A tiny gap makes a squeak.
- Holes 6 and 7 are double. Each is two small holes side by side. Cover both for most notes; cover only the bigger one for a half hole (low C♯, low E♭, low G♯).
- Pinch the thumb for high notes. From high E upward, bend your thumb so its nail opens a small gap at the top of the thumb hole. The chart marks this with a slash across the thumb hole.
- The recorder sounds an octave higher than written. Soprano recorder music is written on the treble staff an octave below how it sounds. The staff in the tool shows the written note, which is what you read; the sound plays the real pitch.
Baroque or German fingering?
Soprano recorders come in two kinds. Most notes are fingered the same way on both; these are the ones that differ:
- Low F
Baroque German - Low F♯
Baroque German - High F
Baroque German - High F♯
Baroque German - High G♯
Baroque German - Very high C♯
Baroque German
- How to tell which you have: on a German recorder, hole 5 (the second hole of the right hand) is smaller than hole 4. On a Baroque recorder, hole 4 is the smaller one. Many recorders also say so on the body or the box: Yamaha’s YRS-24B is Baroque (B), its YRS-23 is German.
- German makes low F easy for beginners (just lift the right hand’s lower fingers), but its F♯ and some high notes are awkward or out of tune.
- Baroque (also called English) uses a fork fingering for F, which is a little harder at first, but its notes play better in tune. Most classroom recorders in the US are Baroque, and it’s the system recorder players use beyond the beginner stage.
Use the switch above the note name to change the whole chart. In school, follow the recorders your class has.
Which notes to learn first
Most elementary recorder methods start with three left-hand notes, B, A and G, which are enough for Hot Cross Buns and Mary Had a Little Lamb. Then come high C and high D (left hand again), then the right hand: low E and low D, then F♯ and F. Low C, and high E with the pinched thumb, usually come later. Set Notes to “Low C to high E” to show only the classroom range.
Using it in class
- On the projector. Click each new note as you teach it, play it, and have the class copy it.
- Mystery note. Tick “Hide the name”, press Random note, and have students name the note from the fingering (or play it first and check).
- Before a song. Step through the song’s notes with the arrow keys as a warm-up. The easy Christmas carols are all in C major, with no sharps or flats.
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Questions
How do you play high E on the recorder?
Thumb pinched (bent so a small gap opens at the top). Cover holes 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5. It’s low E with the thumb pinched. Blow a little more gently than you think, and keep the thumb gap small.
How do you play F sharp on the recorder?
On a Baroque recorder: Thumb hole covered. Cover holes 1, 2, 3, 5 and 6. On a German recorder: Thumb hole covered. Cover holes 1, 2, 3, 5, 6 and 7.
How do you play B flat on the recorder?
Thumb hole covered. Cover holes 1, 3 and 4. It’s the same on Baroque and German recorders.
How do you play high C and high D?
High C: Thumb hole covered. Cover hole 2. High D: Thumb hole open. Cover hole 2.
How do you play low C on the recorder?
Thumb hole covered. Cover holes 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7. Every hole is covered, so it’s the hardest note to get: check that each hole is sealed and blow very gently.
Why does my recorder squeak?
Usually a hole that isn’t fully covered (often the thumb or hole 3), or blowing too hard. Use the flat pads of your fingers and breathe out softly, as if saying “doo”.
Is a soprano recorder the same as a descant recorder?
Yes. “Soprano” is the US name and “descant” the UK name for the same recorder in C, the one used in schools. This chart is for it.
Does this chart work for the alto (treble) recorder?
Not with these note names. The alto recorder is in F: the same finger patterns give different notes (low F to high G).
Where do these fingerings come from?
From Yamaha’s own soprano recorder charts for Baroque and German fingering, checked against Dolmetsch’s Baroque fingering table. A few high notes have other fingerings that some recorders prefer; these are the standard ones.