QUESTION 1: Do you find it difficult to play high a on the descant. What can you do to help with this?

High As can always be a problem on the descant, so you are not alone... Here are a few things to try to help sort it out:

1) check you are playing loudly enough. If you’re not using enough air, the note won’t come out, so try playing the note and doing a crescendo until it does speak.
2) starting the note can be tricky because sometimes people try to play it with too strong an articulation, so it comes out with a split sound. If this happens, try slurring from a high G up to the high A a few times, until you’re relaxed and then try tonguing it with a soft ‘Doo’ articulation.
3) check your left thumb is making the thumbhole the correct size. If the high A is a grainy sound, then the thumb hole is too small, so try making it bigger. If the sound is too open, the thumbhole is too open, so try making it smaller. Experiment by playing a high A and adjusting the thumbhole while you play and find what works for you.

I hope this helps! Good luck!  Let me know how you get on, or if you have any other questions.
Emma Murphy @ Recorder Helpdesk!