Piper's SongbookHow to play G♯ on recorder
Cover the thumb hole. Cover holes 1, 2, 4 and 5. Half-cover hole 6. On a double hole, cover the larger opening and leave the small one open. Leave holes 3 and 7 open.
G♯ is written on the second line from the bottom, with a sharp. It is also called A♭. The fingering shown is for a soprano (descant) recorder with Baroque fingering.
Which finger goes where
| Hole | Finger | For G♯ |
|---|---|---|
| Thumb hole (back) | left thumb | covered |
| Hole 1 | left index finger | covered |
| Hole 2 | left middle finger | covered |
| Hole 3 | left ring finger | open |
| Hole 4 | right index finger | covered |
| Hole 5 | right middle finger | covered |
| Hole 6 | right ring finger | half covered |
| Hole 7 | right little finger | open |
Tips for a clean G♯
G♯ leaves hole 3 open, covers holes 4 and 5, and half covers hole 6. Practise moving between A and G♯ until the right-hand fingers drop together.
This fingering is the same on Baroque and German recorders.
Songs that use G♯
Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy8 notes: B, A, G, C′, F♯, E, F, G♯Morning Mood8 notes: B, A, F♯, E, D, C♯′, G♯, B♭Belle qui tiens ma vie9 notes: B, A, G, C′, D′, F♯, E, E′, G♯Für Elise9 notes: B, A, C′, D′, E, E′, G♯, C, E♭′Greensleeves11 notes: B, A, G, C′, D′, F♯, E, E′, G′, G♯, F♯′In the Hall of the Mountain King12 notes: A, G, C′, D′, F♯, E, D, G′, C♯′, G♯, B♭, F′Toreador Song12 notes: B, A, G, C′, D′, E, D, E′, F, G♯, B♭, C
Learned before it: low C♯ · Next note to learn: high F♯ · Half step down: G · Half step up: A · Full fingering chart