Recorder Fingering Chart: Soprano and Alto Recorder
A recorder fingering chart shows which holes to cover for each note. A soprano (descant) recorder has a thumb hole at the back and seven finger holes; covering every hole plays low C, and lifting fingers from the bottom up plays D, E, F, G, A and B. This chart uses English (baroque) fingering, the system on most school recorders.
Works in the UK and the US. This version uses US music words (measure, half step and staff); the UK version uses bar, semitone, stave. · UK version of this page
Key facts
- 8 holes: a thumb hole at the back and 7 finger holes; holes 6 and 7 are double holes (two small holes each).
- Soprano recorder in C: lowest note C, written C4; it sounds an octave higher than written.
- Alto recorder in F: lowest note F4. The same finger pattern plays a note a perfect 4th higher than on the soprano (C becomes F).
- Left hand on top: thumb and holes 1–3. Right hand: holes 4–7.
- From E5 upwards the thumb hole is half-covered ("pinched") to reach the upper octave.
- This chart: soprano C4 to D6, alto F4 to G6, in English (baroque) fingering.
Interactive recorder fingering chart
Private by design: this page never uses the microphone. Nothing is recorded, saved or sent – quiz answers stay on this device.
Classfern's free recorder fingering chart on lessonplanner.info: press a note to see the holes and hear how it should sound. Choose the soprano or alto recorder: the finger patterns are the same, only the note names change.
Keyboard: Tab to the notes, then the arrow keys move from note to note and play each one. The ▶ buttons in the tables below show and play that note.
How do you read a recorder fingering chart?
Find the note, then cover the holes listed. "Thumb" is the hole at the back, under your left thumb; holes 1, 2 and 3 are under the left-hand fingers and 4, 5, 6 and 7 under the right-hand fingers. A half-covered hole is shown as "half-covered" or "one small hole".
The left hand always goes at the top, nearest your mouth. Holes 6 and 7 are double holes: for the low notes C♯ and D♯ you cover just one of the two small holes. In the interactive chart above, a filled circle means "cover it" and an outline means "leave it open", and the holes are always written out in words as well.
| Soprano note (written) | Holes to cover | Alto note, same fingering |
|---|---|---|
| C4 | Cover thumb, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 | F4 |
| C♯4/D♭4 | Cover thumb, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6; 7 (one small hole) | F♯4/G♭4 |
| D4 | Cover thumb, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 | G4 |
| D♯4/E♭4 | Cover thumb, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5; 6 (one small hole) | G♯4/A♭4 |
| E4 | Cover thumb, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 | A4 |
| F4 | Cover thumb, 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7 | A♯4/B♭4 |
| F♯4/G♭4 | Cover thumb, 1, 2, 3, 5, 6 | B4 |
| G4 | Cover thumb, 1, 2, 3 | C5 |
| G♯4/A♭4 | Cover thumb, 1, 2, 4, 5; 6 (one small hole) | C♯5/D♭5 |
| A4 | Cover thumb, 1, 2 | D5 |
| A♯4/B♭4 | Cover thumb, 1, 3, 4 | D♯5/E♭5 |
| B4 | Cover thumb, 1 | E5 |
| C5 | Cover thumb, 2 | F5 |
| C♯5/D♭5 | Cover 1, 2 | F♯5/G♭5 |
| D5 | Cover 2 | G5 |
| D♯5/E♭5 | Cover 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 | G♯5/A♭5 |
| E5 | Cover 1, 2, 3, 4, 5; thumb half-covered | A5 |
| F5 | Cover 1, 2, 3, 4, 6; thumb half-covered | A♯5/B♭5 |
| F♯5/G♭5 | Cover 1, 2, 3, 5; thumb half-covered | B5 |
| G5 | Cover 1, 2, 3; thumb half-covered | C6 |
| G♯5/A♭5 | Cover 1, 2, 4; thumb half-covered | C♯6/D♭6 |
| A5 | Cover 1, 2; thumb half-covered | D6 |
| A♯5/B♭5 | Cover 1, 2, 5, 6; thumb half-covered | D♯6/E♭6 |
| B5 | Cover 1, 2, 4, 5; thumb half-covered | E6 |
| C6 | Cover 1, 4, 5; thumb half-covered | F6 |
| C♯6/D♭6 | Cover 1, 3, 4, 6; thumb half-covered; close the end of the recorder on your knee | F♯6/G♭6 |
| D6 | Cover 1, 3, 4, 6; thumb half-covered | G6 |
★ marks notes outside the usual beginner range (C4 to D5 on the soprano). The last column gives the note the same fingering plays on a alto recorder.
To keep a printable copy, use your browser's Print and choose "Save as PDF". The tables print without the buttons and pictures.
What are the first notes on the recorder?
Most beginners learn B, A and G first, all with the left hand. B is the thumb hole and hole 1; A adds hole 2; G adds hole 3. Then come high C (thumb and hole 2) and high D (hole 2 only), and after that the right-hand notes F♯, E and D.
- Cover the thumb hole and hole 1 with the soft pads of your fingers and blow gently, as if saying "doo" – that is B.
- Add holes 2 and 3 for A and G. Keep your right hand resting lower down on the recorder.
- Practice B A G until the changes are smooth, then play easy recorder songs such as Hot Cross Buns.
- Add the right hand: E, D and low C need every finger to seal its hole completely.
The recorder play-along shows the holes for every note as the music scrolls.
Quiz: name the recorder fingering
Eight quick questions on the beginner notes of the instrument chosen in the chart, then a short "I can" checklist.
- Marked by Classfern – the eight fingering questions, checked straight away.
- Self-assessed – the "I can" checklist: you tick it when you have done it.
What is the difference between soprano and alto recorder fingering?
The finger patterns are the same, but the note names change. The soprano (descant) is in C, so all holes covered is C; the alto (treble) is in F, so all holes covered is F. Each pattern plays a note a perfect 4th higher on the alto.
So the soprano "G" fingering (thumb, 1, 2, 3) plays C on the alto, and the soprano "C" fingering (everything covered) plays F. Alto recorder music is written at the pitch it sounds, while soprano music is written an octave lower than it sounds. Choose the alto recorder in the interactive chart to see every note with its own name.
How do you play high notes on the recorder?
From E5 upwards, half-cover the thumb hole by bending your thumb so the nail makes a small gap at the top of the hole. This is called pinching or thumbing. Blow a little faster, but not harder, and keep the other fingers sealing their holes.
High D♯ (written D♯5) uses no thumb at all. Above E5 every note uses a pinched thumb, and the highest notes also need quick, precise fingers. If a high note squeaks, check the thumb gap first: too wide and the note cracks, too narrow and it drops an octave.
Is there a recorder finger chart PDF?
Yes – print this page. The print button (or your browser's Print, then "Save as PDF") gives a clean recorder finger chart PDF with just the tables, without the buttons and pictures. It works for the soprano and alto recorder.
Classfern's free recorder tools on lessonplanner.info are made to work in the browser with nothing to download. English (baroque) fingering is used throughout; if your recorder is marked "German", the F and F♯ fingerings are different, so ask your teacher.
More fingering charts and music tools
The charts are Classfern's own, written from the standard published basic fingerings; there are often other fingerings for the same note, and your teacher may prefer one of them. Mr Chopin and Miss Clara Schumann are Classfern's own cartoon characters, named in honour of the composers Frédéric Chopin and Clara Schumann – they are not portraits of the real people.
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