Lesson 34: Chromatic Notes and Accidentals
- Play G#4 (Ab4), Eb4 (D#4), and the remaining cross-fingered accidentals.
- Play C#4 (Db4), Ab3 (G#3) on your alto staff, and the remaining cross-fingered accidentals. (Same physical fingerings as soprano's G# and Eb.)
- Play a chromatic scale and a piece in a minor key with accidentals.
- Lessons 11 and 22 — F# and C#.
- Chromatic notes between scale tones.
- Accidentals in context.
- Half-step approach.
Every accidental on the recorder is a cross-fingering. The recorder has no shortcuts.
You already know three accidentals: F#, C#, Bb. This lesson completes the chromatic set with the others — G# (which is enharmonic with Ab), D# (with Eb), A# (with Bb you know), and so on. Every one is cross-fingered, and every one will sound slightly differently coloured than the neighbouring naturals. That unevenness is part of the recorder's character.
On your alto staff you already know two accidentals: F# (the alto reading of soprano C#, Lesson 22) and Eb (the alto reading of soprano Bb, Lesson 14). Soprano's F# transposes down a fifth to your B natural, so it does not appear as an accidental on your staff. This lesson completes the chromatic set with the others — C# (enharmonic with Db), G# (with Ab), D# (with the Eb you already know), and so on. The physical fingerings for every chromatic note are identical on both instruments — only the reading-key naming differs. Every one is cross-fingered, and every one will sound slightly differently coloured than the neighbouring naturals. That unevenness is part of the recorder's character.
G#4 / Ab4
C#4 / Db4
Thumb, three left fingers (as for G), plus right index DOWN and right ring DOWN. Cross-fingered above the natural G.
Thumb, three left fingers (as for C on your alto staff), plus right index DOWN and right ring DOWN. Cross-fingered above the natural C. (Same fingering soprano calls G#.)
Eb4 / D#4
Ab3 / G#3
The E fingering plus the right little finger added — pushes the pitch up a half-step. (Some recorders use a different cross pattern; check your instrument's chart.)
The A fingering on your alto staff plus the right little finger added — pushes the pitch up a half-step. (Same fingering soprano calls Eb. Some recorders use a different cross pattern; check your instrument's chart.)
Every half-step from C4 to C5. Listen for evenness of colour across the chromatic notes.
Every half-step from low F to upper F on your alto staff. Listen for evenness of colour across the chromatic notes.
Play: a minor-key melody with accidentals
D minor with the raised seventh (C#) at the cadence — the “harmonic minor” sound. A short passage to put the new C# in context.
G minor on your alto staff (the transposition of soprano's D minor) with the raised seventh (F#) at the cadence — the “harmonic minor” sound. A short passage to put the raised leading tone in context.
Now play these
- Telemann: Sonata in D minor, TWV 41:d4
- D minor with C# at the cadences. Listen for the raised leading tone.
- Reads in G minor on your alto staff. Listen for the raised leading tone (F# at the cadences).
- Telemann: Sonata in C minor, TWV 41:c2
- C minor — three flats — with chromatic detail.
- Reads in F minor on your alto staff — four flats — with chromatic detail.
- Telemann: Sonata in A minor, TWV 41:a4
- A minor with G# at the cadences.
- Reads in D minor on your alto staff, with C# at the cadences.
When you can play a chromatic scale across an octave without any of the accidentals popping out as louder or thinner than their neighbours, move on to Lesson 35.