I have troubles getting a high E on my recorder. The recorder is soprano, plastic with a "FirstAct" label on it. I really like it but stuck with the terrible E'. I can get pretty close to it by blowing very hard but then there is an undertone at the beginning. What are the possible ways to get an E' right? Any help is appreciated. Thank you.

Hello!

It's kind of hard to tell without hearing and seeing what you're doing, but one thing to check is how much of the hole your thumb is covering. I tried to make a sound that I guessed might be like what you're hearing and one way I could do it was cover most of the thumb hole up so that it sounded low and then overblow so that it hit the E' after all. Or it could be your recorder like you suggested . . . I don't know much about that brand so I can't help there. Good luck and let us know how it goes. =)

Thank you! I think I'm getting close.
If I leave a teeny-tiny gap and don't blow too hard but create a more condensed air flow it sounds better. I'll try to record it.
I found advice from this web site especially useful:
Dolmetsch Online: note E

Glad that you're making progress! That looks like a pretty useful site. Hitting the above D notes takes some practice, but is definitely worth it, of course. =)

When you 'pinch' the thumb hole, try sliding your thumbnail into the hole. It should feel almost like a 'snap' into place and angle your thumb horizontal into the recorder. This position should give you just the right amount of coverage of the thumb hole to get you high E, F, G, and A. Have fun!