Every fingering at a glance
Thumb hole, seven finger holes and the double holes at the bottom, drawn like a printed chart. Closed holes are yellow, open holes empty and the pinched thumb half filled.
Recorder Fingering Chart with Songs
Tap a note to see which holes to cover and hear it, then play easy recorder songs along.
How to use the recorder fingering chart
No signup and nothing to install. It runs on a laptop, a tablet, a phone or the classroom projector.
- 01
Pick a note
Tap any note from C4 to A5. The recorder shows which holes to cover, the staff shows where the note is written, and you hear how it sounds.
- 02
Choose your fingering
Switch between baroque and German fingering to match your recorder. Only a few notes change, and the chart tells you when they do.
- 03
Play a song along
Pick Hot Cross Buns or another easy song, set a slow tempo and press play. The fingering changes with every note, so you can play along.
A recorder chart that shows, sounds and plays along
Made for beginners of every age and for music teachers who teach the recorder to a whole class.
Baroque and German fingering
Switch the system with one tap. The chart marks the notes where the two systems differ, so you never practise a wrong fingering by accident.
Easy songs to play along
Hot Cross Buns, Mary Had a Little Lamb, Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, Ode to Joy and more, all traditional or public domain, at a tempo from 50 to 140 BPM.
Hear each note first
Every note plays with a recorder sound in the right octave, so you know the pitch you are aiming for before you blow. It works offline with a built in tone.
Recorder fingering chart for all beginner notes
The soprano recorder, also called the descant recorder, is the recorder most children learn first. It has eight holes: one thumb hole on the back and seven finger holes on the front. The left hand always goes on top, with the thumb on the back hole and the index, middle and ring fingers on holes 1, 2 and 3. The right hand covers holes 4 to 7 with the index, middle, ring and little finger, while the right thumb supports the recorder from behind.
The table lists every note in this chart with the holes you close. T stands for the thumb hole, the numbers for the finger holes, and ½T means the pinched thumb for the high notes. Notes are written as in recorder books: the soprano recorder sounds one octave higher than written, so the C4 in the table actually sounds as C5.
| Note | Baroque fingering | German fingering |
|---|---|---|
| C4 | T 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 | same as baroque |
| D4 | T 1 2 3 4 5 6 | same as baroque |
| E4 | T 1 2 3 4 5 | same as baroque |
| F4 | T 1 2 3 4 6 7 | T 1 2 3 4 |
| F♯4 | T 1 2 3 5 6 | T 1 2 3 5 6 7 |
| G4 | T 1 2 3 | same as baroque |
| A4 | T 1 2 | same as baroque |
| B♭4 | T 1 3 4 | same as baroque |
| B4 | T 1 | same as baroque |
| C5 | T 2 | same as baroque |
| D5 | 2 | same as baroque |
| E5 | ½T 1 2 3 4 5 | same as baroque |
| F5 | ½T 1 2 3 4 6 | same as baroque |
| F♯5 | ½T 1 2 3 5 | same as baroque |
| G5 | ½T 1 2 3 | same as baroque |
| A5 | ½T 1 2 | same as baroque |
First notes and easy recorder songs
Start with B, A and G. They only use the left hand, and each new note adds one finger: B is the thumb and hole 1, A adds hole 2 and G adds hole 3. Hot Cross Buns uses exactly these three notes, which is why it is the first song in so many recorder books. Mary Had a Little Lamb adds a high D, played with hole 2 only, and Au Clair de la Lune stays on G, A and B.
Next come C and D at the top, then the right hand: E, D and finally low C, where every hole is closed. Low notes need slow, gentle air and fingers that cover every hole completely. Twinkle Twinkle Little Star and Ode to Joy are good songs to practise moving between the hands. All songs in this tool are traditional melodies or public domain works, so you can play and share them freely.
Baroque or German fingering?
There are two fingering systems for the recorder. German fingering was introduced in the twentieth century to make the low F easier for children: on a German recorder hole 5 is smaller, and F is played with the thumb and holes 1 to 4. The price is that F sharp becomes awkward and slightly out of tune. Baroque fingering, also called English fingering, plays F as a cross fingering with hole 5 open and holes 6 and 7 closed, and keeps all other notes well in tune.
Most recorders sold outside Germany and Austria use baroque fingering, and most teachers recommend it, because it is also the fingering of alto and tenor recorders. If you are not sure, compare holes 4 and 5: when hole 5 is clearly smaller, you have a German recorder. Set the switch in the chart to match, because the low F and F sharp only sound right with the fingering made for your instrument.
High notes, breath and tonguing
The second octave starts at the E in the top space of the staff. For these notes you leave a small gap at the top of the thumb hole by bending the thumb so the nail points into the hole. For E, G and A the fingers stay the same as an octave lower, which is why the chart shows the same front holes with a half filled thumb. Blow slightly faster, not louder, and the note jumps up the octave cleanly.
A recorder needs much less air than most people expect. Imagine warming your hands, not blowing out a candle. Start every note with the tongue, as if you were whispering "doo", and stop it the same way. If a note squeaks or sounds weak, check each finger: in most cases a hole is not fully covered. Practise slowly with the song player at 60 BPM before you speed up.
For music teachers
Teach the recorder on the classroom screen
Put the fingering chart on the projector in full screen, pick the next note and let the whole class finger along, then play a song together at a slow tempo, with no login for you or your pupils. When your students are ready to make their own music, Make a Beat gives you a whole classroom: students join with a code and their name, no email addresses, and you set assignments, listen to what they hand in and grade it. GDPR, FERPA and COPPA ready, servers in Germany, and every school licence starts with a free trial.
Questions about recorder fingerings
How do you read a recorder fingering chart?
A recorder fingering chart shows which holes to cover for each note. Filled holes are closed, empty holes are open and a half filled thumb hole means you pinch it. The thumb hole is on the back, holes 1 to 3 belong to the left hand and holes 4 to 7 to the right hand.
What are the first notes to learn on the recorder?
Most beginners start with B, A and G, played with the left hand only. B uses the thumb and hole 1, A adds hole 2 and G adds hole 3. With these three notes you can already play Hot Cross Buns, Mary Had a Little Lamb and Au Clair de la Lune.
How do you play Hot Cross Buns on the recorder?
Hot Cross Buns uses just B, A and G. Play B A G, then B A G again, then four quick Gs and four quick As, and end with B A G. Pick the song in the tool above, press play and watch the fingering change with every note at a slow tempo.
What is the difference between baroque and German fingering?
Baroque and German recorders differ in the size of hole 5, which changes the fingering for low F. On a German recorder you play F with the thumb and holes 1 to 4, on a baroque recorder you leave hole 5 open and close 6 and 7. Most other notes are fingered the same.
How do I know if my recorder is baroque or German?
Look at holes 4 and 5, the first two holes of the right hand. On a German recorder hole 5 is clearly smaller than hole 4. On a baroque recorder hole 5 is the same size or larger. Often the recorder or its box also says baroque or German.
How do you play high notes on the recorder?
For the high notes from the E in the top space of the staff upward you pinch the thumb hole: bend the thumb so the nail leaves a small gap at the top of the hole. Blow a little faster but not harder. The tool shows the pinched thumb as a half filled hole on the back.
Why does my recorder squeak?
A squeak usually means a hole is not fully covered or you blow too hard. Press the soft pads of your fingers flat over the holes, not the fingertips, and blow as gently as if you were warming your hands. Start each note with a soft "doo" from the tongue.
Is this recorder fingering chart free?
Yes. The interactive recorder fingering chart, the sound for every note and all songs are free, with no account and no download. It runs in any current browser on a laptop, a tablet, a phone or the classroom projector, and the projector mode shows the chart full screen.
From recorder songs to your own beat
Open the beat maker with the melody of your song on the flute, then add drums, bass and chords around it.