Lesson 2: Adding G — Your First Real Songs
- Play G with a clear, even tone.
- Play C (on your alto staff) with a clear, even tone.
- Move freely among B, A, and G — and play your first complete song.
- Move freely among E, D, and C on your alto staff — and play your first complete song.
Three notes is enough. The first generation of recorder students played for a year on three notes.
G is the lowest note your left hand alone can play. It uses three fingers — thumb on the back, plus the first three fingers on the front. With B, A, and G in hand you can play five real folk songs without changing anything.
C (on your alto staff) is the lowest note your left hand alone can play. It uses three fingers — thumb on the back, plus the first three fingers on the front. With E, D, and C in hand — the same fingerings soprano players call B, A, G — you can play five real folk songs without changing anything.
The fingers that were already down for A stay down. The third finger of the left hand drops onto its hole — that is the whole change from A to G.
The fingers that were already down for D stay down. The third finger of the left hand drops onto its hole — that is the whole change from D to C on your alto staff.
Walk down and back up at a slow tempo.
Play: Hot Cross Buns
A traditional English street cry — the simplest three-note tune in the curriculum.
Practise the first half-bar until it is automatic, then attach the second; tongue every note.
Now play these
- Mary Had a Little Lamb
- The best-known childhood melody in English.
- Merrily We Roll Along
- B-A-G in a longer arc.
- Rain Rain Go Away
- G appears only as a phrase ending.
- Gently Sleep
- A slow lullaby for steady air.
When you can play Hot Cross Buns three times in a row without stopping, move on to Lesson 3.
Stuck on G? See troubleshooting.