recorder method online : treble/altob natural
Dr. Brian Blood


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First Octave :: Second Octave :: Third Octave: F :: F#/Gb :: G :: G#/Ab :: A :: Bb/A# :: B :: C


This section gives advice on the following topics:

How To Finger The Note B
How To Tongue The Note B


How To Tongue The Note B

The thirty first note we learn, B in the third octave on the treble (alto) recorder, lies on the fifth leger line above the treble clef. Click on the play button in the Sibelius score to hear it. Below that we give the standard fingerings for this note, the fingerings you would try under normal circumstances.


Legend: = hole covered = hole uncovered = pinched thumbhole

closed
Recorder Thumb 1 2 3 4 5 6b
6a
7b
7a
Bell
Sopranino
Treble
  -----left hand------ -----right hand-----

B
standard


Using the standard nomenclature, the fingering for third octave B natural is written X 1 2 4 5, where X indicates a pinched thumb or vented thumbhole.

How To Tongue The Note B in the Third Octave

Like A flat, this note would be considered by most treble/alto recorder players to be outside the instrument's normal range. The fingering charts supplied with most recorders do not supply this fingering. This is a shame because the fingering is easy enough to learn and easy enough to play. The secret is to blow hard enough to produce the correct pitch.