PHILIPPE BOLTON,  FACTEUR de La Flûte à Bec
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Medieval, pre-baroque, and baroque recorders

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THE RECORDER AIR COLUMN : FORK FINGERINGS

The following charts show the position of the nodes and antinodes in the recorder's air column. There is one graph for velocity and one for pressure variations along bore. The arrows show the direction of the vibrations. The recorder's bore profile, and the open (o) and closed (x) holes are shown underneath.


Fork fingering :low b natural
Recorders have small holes, enabling the use of fork (or cross) fingerings for playing most of the semitones.

 Fork fingering :low e flat

Normal fingerings

Opening a hole is theoretically equivalent to cutting off the vibrating air column at that point, but the recorder's holes are too small for that, so the velocity and pressure only diminish progressively beyond. This is why fork fingerings like the one on the right are possible.

Recorder air column Recorder air column

Fork fingerings

By using a fork fingering, leaving a hole open and closing the next tone lower, because the open hole is too small to "cut off" the vibrating air column. The note shown below is very different from the one on the left.
Recorder fork fingering air column Recorder fork fingering air column
= closed hole

These charts are for a baroque alto or treble recorder

If the recorder had large holes, fork fingerings would have no effect. If the holes were much larger, fork fingerings would not be possible. If the recorder had large holes, fork fingerings would have no effect.

A normal fingering with a large hole

If we could enlarge the holes to almost the same diameter as the bore, we would obtain much higher notes, but they would also effectively cut the air column when open, so nothing could happen lower down any more.

Recorder air column Recorder air column

A fork fingering with a large hole

Fork fingerings have almost no effect with large holes, and closing holes below an open one hardly changes the frequency of the note being played. So the note shown below is very similar to the one on the left, and completely different from the one above.
Recorder air column Recorder air column
= closed hole

These charts are for a baroque alto or treble recorder

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Philippe BOLTON,
le Grand Portail, F-84570 VILLES SUR AUZON, France
TEL +29.7 4 90 61 86 11   FAX +33 4 90 61 97 82  

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