Piper's SongbookHow to play high G on recorder
Pinch the thumb hole, leaving a narrow crack. Cover holes 1, 2 and 3. Leave holes 4, 5, 6 and 7 open.
high G is written in the space just above the staff. It is also called G′. The fingering shown is for a soprano (descant) recorder with Baroque fingering.
Which finger goes where
| Hole | Finger | For high G |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | open |
| Hole 6 | right ring finger | open |
| Hole 7 | right little finger | open |
Tips for a clean high G
With the thumb pinched, cover holes 1, 2 and 3, the same fingers as low G. If you get low G instead, open the pinch gap a little and blow slightly faster.
This fingering is the same on Baroque and German recorders.
Songs that use high G
Sakura Sakura7 notes: B, G, C′, F♯, E′, G′, F♯′See, the Conquering Hero Comes7 notes: B, A, G, C′, D′, E′, G′Minuet in G9 notes: B, A, G, C′, D′, F♯, E′, G′, 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♯′Humpty Dumpty10 notes: B, A, G, D′, F♯, E, E′, G′, C♯′, F♯′Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring11 notes: B, A, G, C′, D′, F♯, E, D, E′, G′, F♯′
Learned before it: high E · Next note to learn: high C♯ · Half step down: high F♯ · Half step up: high G♯ · Full fingering chart