Piper's SongbookHow to play low C♯ on recorder
Cover the thumb hole. Cover holes 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6. Half-cover hole 7. On a double hole, cover the larger opening and leave the small one open.
low C♯ is written on the first ledger line below the staff, with a sharp. It is also called low D♭. The fingering shown is for a soprano (descant) recorder with Baroque fingering.
Which finger goes where
| Hole | Finger | For low C♯ |
|---|---|---|
| Thumb hole (back) | left thumb | covered |
| Hole 1 | left index finger | covered |
| Hole 2 | left middle finger | covered |
| Hole 3 | left ring finger | covered |
| Hole 4 | right index finger | covered |
| Hole 5 | right middle finger | covered |
| Hole 6 | right ring finger | covered |
| Hole 7 | right little finger | half covered |
Tips for a clean low C♯
Cover the larger half of the bottom double hole and leave the small half open. Roll your little finger slightly to find the spot. Blow as gently as for low C.
This fingering is the same on Baroque and German recorders.
Songs that use low C♯
Learned before it: F · Next note to learn: G♯ · Half step down: low C · Half step up: low D · Full fingering chart