The Bb fingering worked. Thank you!

What about C# in the pinched octave? My chart says the same as D and stopping the recorder with my knee. A little awkward. Does anyone know a fingering pattern that would create C# without bell stopping?

No, that's a notorious one. The recorder is only fully chromatic through the first two octaves.

Liz

What make is your recorder?
The aulos fingering is 1-3-4-67 with your thumb pinched.


Ben

Thanks. I haven't learn those two notes and so looked for a fingering chart. The Dolmetsch chart I downloaded didn't show the Bb or alternate fingering for the C#

After a year's break due to no PC to play my music on (due to allergies to printed sheet music) I went back to recorder three months ago. My knack is still there fortunately so I've been pushing past my old boundaries. One of them was sharps and flats above G (above the stave). Now I can continue my recorder endeavours. My BRAND NEW tenor, soprano and sopranino arrive next week Plus a fife and tin whistle.


YAY

A bell key is the only option really, unless you have something similar to a Mollenhauer alto in which case 1-3-4-67 will work

If I remember rightly the same note on the treble (F#) is left out of even all grade 8 scales because it's not a true F#. I think you need the bell key to do this properly.

Again, Nicholas Lander's recorder website, with links to his technique pages, has an extensive list of alternative and trill fingerings. However, I can only ever get the knee-stopped note to work, which would make playing Bach's 4th Brandenburg Concerto a nightmare to play. I keep imagining having to spit out bits of bashed teeth...I feel the need for a treble in G coming on, quick, change the subject.

It is. You should NEVER see a top F#/C# at Grade 8 or lower (scales)

Oh no it doesn't.

I had to stand on one leg during my Grade 8 exam playing my Mollenhauer.

Sorry I meant a MODERN Mollenhauer alto

No, the term is indeed "modern alto" - not to be confused with a baroque instrument - and top F sharp is indeed entirely straightforward, though these instruments have fingering changes in the third octave - the recommended fingering is 1-3-567 for F sharp, with 1-3-67 for top G. At least, that is assuming that the alto fingerings up there are the same as the soprano ones - Mollenhauer sent the wrong fingering chart with ours!

Liz

Even though it has Baroque fingering

O yes, indeed. The top octave is different for a start, the voicing is different (at least, you can choose to have baroque voicing if you want but that seems rather a pointless exercise) and don't forget it does dynamics

Liz

I know! I must say I was REALLY impressed by it! Especially the rosewood model!

Hello just found this one ---456- for top f#
Its mad dose it work on any recorders? tried it on all mine.
Ben again

probably it works on some (too tired to try it right now): ---45-- works on an upward slur from an E on most recorders I have tried - as long as you don't lift your fingers off the holes too far.

Liz




Yes, these days it would really be quite easy to spend as much on a set of recorders for diploma level playing as one might spend on a flute or clarinet for the same level of playing - the days when we all felt able to get away with £500 for a pair of recorders are probably rapidly disappearing. I tried a new Mollenhauer today - the Morgan edition treble. - get one of those for the baroque piece, a modern alto for the modern piece and the scales, a nice renaissance recorder for the Van Eyck, and perhaps a nice tenor to play Fragmente on if you really want to go for the big money and you wouldn't have much change left out of a couple of thousand, that's for sure. Perhaps it's just as well that such things weren't available back in 1993 - though who knows, if I'd had to pay that sort of money perhaps I would have done more practice!!

Liz

Could make do with a Baroque alto with bell key/finger 7 keys fitted ....could you?

Well, I passed on just a pair on Moeck Rottenburghs, so obviously the examiners thought I could

Liz

Thank god! I love my Moeck Alto too much to not use