Hey, when I reach the higher notes, when it requires you to half-way cover the thumb hole, it sounds all squeaky and stuff. I have a Baroque Recorder. Can someone please help me to get the high notes to sound right?
~Shael

hi there... u new at recorder?
well.. it depends.. somtimes u haf 2 cover more than halfway or less... i think it becomes squeaky coz u blow too much...is it a sopran or alto or watever?....i think u can get it rite if u practice like doing a scale up to the high note u wanna play,slowly, while paying attention to how much do u need to blow n to u thumb... hpe it helps ya....

Hi! The recorder is alto. I`ve been playing for a few years, but I`ve never been able to get the higher notes to sound right. I`ll try your advice next time. Thanks!

I agree. Try going up the scale. You`ll need to practice the half-hole or "pinch-notes" as we call them more. You have to experiment with blowing, as the higher the note is, the harder you should blow. Its also more difficult for Alto recorders than Soprano... especially wooden ones. Try practicing with a plastic!

Good luck!

Just play something like e and slowly move the thumb down. SLOWLY!!!! Then once you practice that enough to get a feel for what it feels/ sounds like, move on. Next thing you know, it`s second nature.

~TheBard

If you want to play the higher notes, then you must keep playing/holding long notes(higher) then the sound will be better.

Hi Shael,
if you are using an alto, you just need to pinch the hole, in other words, put your thumb nail up the hole leaving a quarter uncovered. I should work.
I`ve also been playing for a few years.

I got a new from school and it is a alto I need to know how to play it

I need help playing my new alto recorder perhaps you could give me some tips?

alrighty, once again, if you go to http://www.wfg.woodwind.org/recorder
you`ll come up with some fingering charts that should help you. so how long have all y`all been playing recorder? i guess i have about 5-6 years. i don`t play it as a main instrument, i mean, it`s a recorder. my primary instrument is the oboe, i`ve also recently acquired a clarinet. what other instruments y`all play?

ive only been playing it for around 2 weeks. its not hard to play really. the only problem i had is that when i was a kid they only played up to the third hole and used the right hand instead. so its been a major re-training session here. does anyone know how to finger absolutely every single note you could hit on the recorder? im learning it to aid teaching in a sunday school. i also have a problem with high notes.

Playing higher notes is also a matter of breathing. Breath from your middle / diaphragm. And push your breath from there too. Don`t push your breath by forcing it from your throat - all you get is nasty sounds.

Fingering higher notes - try the Recorder Home Page - has some geat links.

I`ve been playing the recorder for like, 3 months. But it`s really easy because I play saxophone and the fingerings are almost the same! I got a recorder because my best friend had one and I like it cuz it`s better than using a pencil to practice... the recorder actually makes sounds! And with only slight changes in fingerings. I wonder.. is it possible to go above high A? The Pinching note A? I can`t. I can go higher by squeaking but I dont do it on purpose and they`re not the notes I want.

Oh yes.. I was gonna ask but I forgot. I don`t know what kind of recorder I have. It`s the most common one, I think. And it`s in the key of C. It`s like, 12 inches long.

There are 5 types of recorders.From biggest to smallest, Bass, huge ussually has keys and holes about $300.00 for a cheap one.Tenor, the most common recorder in the key of C used by most elementary schools in music and costs as low as $2.00 for a plastic.Soprano, same thing just slightly shorter.Alto, In the F key same price as Tenor.Sopranio, smallest recorder, about 4 inches long and is also in the C key.