Recorder fingering: finger positions for all notes
Fingering is a chart of which holes you need to cover to sound a particular note. Below is the full chart for a soprano recorder with Baroque fingering: from the low C to G of the second octave, including sharps and flats.
How to read the chart
- A black circle — the hole is covered.
- A white circle — open.
- A half-filled one — half-covered: for the lower sharps it is one of the double holes, for high notes it is the thumb “pinch”.
- A separate circle on the left is the back hole, covered by the thumb of the left hand.
- A dotted line divides the recorder into the left-hand zone (top) and the right-hand zone (bottom).
Soprano recorder fingering chart
Hole numbering and fingers
| Hole | Finger |
|---|---|
| 0 (back) | thumb of the left hand |
| 1, 2, 3 | index, middle and ring fingers of the left hand |
| 4, 5, 6, 7 | index, middle, ring and little fingers of the right hand |
The thumb of the right hand does not cover any holes: it supports the recorder from behind, roughly opposite holes 4–5.
German and Baroque fingering: what is the difference
On German system recorders the fifth hole is smaller, so the note F is played more simply — with fingers 0-1-2-3-4, without a “fork”. But on the other hand F♯ and some other semitones sound out of tune on a German recorder and need special fingerings. On the Baroque (English) system F is played with the fork fingering 0-1-2-3-4-6-7, but all the semitones are in tune.
Why a note does not sound although the fingers are right
- The hole is covered with the tip of the finger, not the pad — a gap is left.
- You are blowing too hard — the recorder “jumps” up. Especially often on the low notes.
- A finger touched a neighboring hole.
You can check yourself in the trainer: it shows which note is sounding and highlights the hole you need to fix.