Lesson 31: High G and Extended Range

Play G5 reliably as the top of a two-octave scale.
Play the upper C (on your alto staff) reliably as the top of a two-octave scale.
Touch A5, Bb5, and the notes that complete the upper range.
Touch the upper D, Eb on your alto staff, and the notes that complete the upper range.

Lesson 18 — high E and F.

High G fingering.
Two-octave scales.
Range extension into altissimo approach.

The upper register is the recorder showing what it can do.

G5 is the top of the C major two-octave scale and the highest note in most intermediate repertoire. Beyond it, the recorder still has notes — A5, Bb5, B5, C6, D6 — but they become increasingly tricky to produce and the fingerings become idiosyncratic. This lesson confirms G5 and surveys the territory above.

The upper C on your alto staff is the top of the F major two-octave scale and the highest note in most intermediate repertoire. Beyond it, the recorder still has notes — D, Eb, E, F, G — but they become increasingly tricky to produce and the fingerings become idiosyncratic. This lesson confirms the upper C and surveys the territory above.

G5

C (upper)

Thumb half-vented; on the front, the same fingering as G4. The simplest of the upper-octave fingerings — if the half-vent is right, it speaks easily.

Thumb half-vented; on the front, the same fingering as the lower C on your alto staff. The simplest of the upper-octave fingerings — if the half-vent is right, it speaks easily.

The notes above G5

The notes above the upper C

These fingerings vary across recorder makers; check your instrument's chart. A reasonable starting point:

A5 · half-vented thumb, no front fingers covered, right index alone — or sometimes thumb plus a special venting pattern.
Bb5 · the upper register's cross-fingered Bb — pattern depends on your instrument.
B5 · thumb half-vented, front fingers as for B4 but offset.
C6 and above · specialist territory; the fingering chart for your instrument is your friend.

D (upper) · half-vented thumb, no front fingers covered, right index alone — or sometimes thumb plus a special venting pattern. (Soprano calls this A5.)
Eb (upper) · the upper register's cross-fingered Eb — pattern depends on your instrument. (Soprano: Bb5.)
E (upper) · thumb half-vented, front fingers as for the lower E but offset. (Soprano: B5.)
F and above · specialist territory; the fingering chart for your instrument is your friend.

Now play these

Joshua Fought the Battle of Jericho: Reaches E5; a comfortable second-octave workout.
Spring (Vivaldi): The famous opening climbs into the high register. Tests E5 and beyond.
Vivaldi: Concerto RV 443 (Largo): Reaches E5 lyrically — pure tone is the goal.

When G5 speaks cleanly on demand and you can play a two-octave C major scale evenly, move on to Lesson 32.

When the upper C on your alto staff speaks cleanly on demand and you can play a two-octave F major scale evenly, move on to Lesson 32.