Piper's SongbookHow to play B♭ on recorder
Cover the thumb hole. Cover holes 1, 3 and 4. Leave holes 2, 5, 6 and 7 open.
B♭ is written on the middle line, with a flat. It is also called A♯. The fingering shown is for a soprano (descant) recorder with Baroque fingering.
Which finger goes where
| Hole | Finger | For B♭ |
|---|---|---|
| Thumb hole (back) | left thumb | covered |
| Hole 1 | left index finger | covered |
| Hole 2 | left middle finger | open |
| Hole 3 | left ring finger | covered |
| Hole 4 | right index finger | covered |
| Hole 5 | right middle finger | open |
| Hole 6 | right ring finger | open |
| Hole 7 | right little finger | open |
Tips for a clean B♭
B♭ is a cross fingering: holes 1, 3 and 4 covered with hole 2 open. Lift the left middle finger and bring the right index finger down at the same moment.
B♭ on a German recorder
Cover the thumb hole. Cover holes 1, 3 and 4. Half-cover hole 6. On a double hole, cover the larger opening and leave the small one open. Leave holes 2, 5 and 7 open.
On a German recorder hole 5 is smaller than hole 4. If yours is the other way round, use the Baroque fingering above.
Songs that use B♭
Learned before it: high F♯ · Next note to learn: high F · Half step down: A · Half step up: B · Full fingering chart