Lesson 11. Rare semitones: C♯, D♯, C♯², E♭² and F♯²

The trickiest notes are left. For the low ones you need to half-cover a hole, and for the high ones to place your fingers in a special way.

Look at the two lower holes: on many recorders they are double — a big and a small hole side by side.

C sharp: cover everything as for the low C, but with the little finger — only one, the big hole of the two. On the diagram it is half filled.

D sharp: like the low D, but the ring finger of the right hand covers only one hole of the pair.

The upper C sharp: the thumb at the back is open, only the index and middle fingers of the left hand are covered.

The upper E flat: the thumb is open, the middle and ring fingers of the left hand are covered, and three fingers of the right.

The upper F sharp: a thumb pinch, three fingers of the left hand and the middle finger of the right.

These notes are rare, but without them you can't play “Für Elise”, “Dance of the Little Swans” or Bach's melodies.

🎤 Exercise: Steps by semitones

C, C♯, D, D♯, E — and up high: C², C♯², D², E♭², E². Move your fingers slowly and accurately.

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Press “Start” and allow access to the microphone

🎛️ Notes not being heard well? Adjust it for your recorder

The double holes of the recorder

The two lower holes of a soprano recorder are usually made double: a big and a small hole are placed side by side. By covering only one of them you can play a semitone: C♯ (half of the seventh hole) and D♯ (half of the sixth). On recorders without double holes you get these notes by half-covering the hole with a finger.

High semitones

C♯ of the second octave — the back hole is open, holes 1 and 2 are covered.
E♭ of the second octave — the back hole is open, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 are covered.
F♯ of the second octave — a thumb pinch, 1, 2, 3 and 5 are covered.

Different makers have alternative fingerings for these notes — if a note is out of tune, check the chart that came with your recorder and test the sound in the trainer.

Where these notes are found

In children's songs almost never, but in classical music often: C♯ and D♯ are in Beethoven's “Für Elise” and Tchaikovsky's “Dance of the Little Swans”, and the high semitones in Bach's pieces.

Questions and answers

What if the lower holes on my recorder are not double?

Half-cover the hole with your finger — slide the finger so that about half of the hole stays open.