Piper's SongbookHow to play high C on recorder
Cover the thumb hole. Cover hole 2. Leave holes 1, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7 open.
high C is written in the third space from the bottom. It is also called C and C′. The fingering shown is for a soprano (descant) recorder with Baroque fingering.
Which finger goes where
| Hole | Finger | For high C |
|---|---|---|
| Thumb hole (back) | left thumb | covered |
| Hole 1 | left index finger | open |
| Hole 2 | left middle finger | covered |
| Hole 3 | left ring finger | open |
| Hole 4 | right index finger | open |
| Hole 5 | right middle finger | open |
| Hole 6 | right ring finger | open |
| Hole 7 | right little finger | open |
Tips for a clean high C
Cover the thumb hole and hole 2 only. Hole 1 stays open, which feels odd after B and A. Many beginner books call this note simply C.
This fingering is the same on Baroque and German recorders.
Songs that use high C
Rain, Rain, Go Away3 notes: A, C′, D′Go Tell Aunt Rhody5 notes: B, A, G, C′, D′Jingle Bells5 notes: B, A, G, C′, D′Lightly Row5 notes: B, A, G, C′, D′When the Saints Go Marching In5 notes: B, A, G, C′, D′Hush, Little Baby5 notes: B, A, G, C′, DMolly Malone6 notes: B, A, G, C′, D′, DOde to Joy6 notes: B, A, G, C′, D′, D
Learned before it: G · Next note to learn: high D · Half step down: B · Half step up: high C♯ · Full fingering chart