Piper's SongbookHow to play very high D on recorder
Pinch the thumb hole, leaving a narrow crack. Cover holes 1, 3, 4 and 6. Leave holes 2, 5 and 7 open.
very high D is written just above the second ledger line. It is also called D″. The fingering shown is for a soprano (descant) recorder with Baroque fingering.
Which finger goes where
| Hole | Finger | For very high D |
|---|---|---|
| Thumb hole (back) | left thumb | pinched |
| Hole 1 | left index finger | covered |
| Hole 2 | left middle finger | open |
| Hole 3 | left ring finger | covered |
| Hole 4 | right index finger | covered |
| Hole 5 | right middle finger | open |
| Hole 6 | right ring finger | covered |
| Hole 7 | right little finger | open |
Tips for a clean very high D
This is the top of the normal soprano range. Pinch the thumb and cover holes 1, 3, 4 and 6.
This fingering is the same on Baroque and German recorders.
Songs that use very high D
None of the songs on this site use this note yet. It appears mostly in more advanced music.
Half step down: very high C♯ · Full fingering chart