Piper's SongbookHow to play high F♯ on recorder
Pinch the thumb hole, leaving a narrow crack. Cover holes 1, 2, 3 and 5. Leave holes 4, 6 and 7 open.
high F♯ is written on the top line of the staff, with a sharp. It is also called high G♭. The fingering shown is for a soprano (descant) recorder with Baroque fingering.
Which finger goes where
| Hole | Finger | For high F♯ |
|---|---|---|
| Thumb hole (back) | left thumb | pinched |
| Hole 1 | left index finger | covered |
| Hole 2 | left middle finger | covered |
| Hole 3 | left ring finger | covered |
| Hole 4 | right index finger | open |
| Hole 5 | right middle finger | covered |
| Hole 6 | right ring finger | open |
| Hole 7 | right little finger | open |
Tips for a clean high F♯
Keep the thumb pinched, cover holes 1 to 3 and 5, and leave 4 open. It is the same idea as low F♯, an octave higher.
high F♯ on a German recorder
Pinch the thumb hole, leaving a narrow crack. Cover holes 1, 2, 3, 5 and 7. Leave holes 4 and 6 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 high F♯
Swan Lake6 notes: B, G, D′, E′, C♯′, F♯′Sakura Sakura7 notes: B, G, C′, F♯, E′, G′, F♯′Battle Hymn of the Republic8 notes: B, A, G, D′, F♯, E′, C♯′, F♯′Minuet in G9 notes: B, A, G, C′, D′, F♯, E′, G′, F♯′New World Symphony: Largo9 notes: B, A, D′, F♯, E, D, E′, C♯′, F♯′Rock-a-bye Baby9 notes: B, A, G, D′, F♯, E′, G′, C♯′, F♯′Shenandoah9 notes: B, A, G, C′, D′, D, E′, G′, F♯′Deck the Halls10 notes: B, A, G, C′, D′, F♯, E′, G′, C♯′, F♯′
Learned before it: G♯ · Next note to learn: B♭ · Half step down: high F · Half step up: high G · Full fingering chart