Recorders can be made of wood different types of wood give different sounds or plastic. Wooden recorders are preferred by professional recorder players, while plastic recorders are certainly encouraged for the young beginner.
Some recorders will come in one piece while others will come in two or three pieces. Although many people think of the recorder as the instrument they were introduced to music by in elementary school, the recorder has actually been around for centuries. In fact, it is one of the oldest known instruments still played today! Prior to the 's, most pieces written for flute were actually written for the recorder. The instrument most similar to today's flute was called the "traverso" or "transverse flute" because it was held horizontally as opposed to the vertical recorder.
Technological advancements of the instrument over many years led to what we now know as the modern flute. The soprano and tenor recorder still use fingerings very similar to the flute. The sopranino, alto and bass recorders share the same fingerings that are most similar to our modern clarinet.
Depending upon the type of recorder you own, your instrument may come in all one piece or it may be made up of three parts: the headjoint, body and foot. When connecting the pieces, the hole in the headjoint should line up in a straight line with the row of holes on the body. The hole in the foot joint should remain slightly out of line with the others in order to allow the pinky to comfortably cover it completely. To hold the recorder, make a "C" shape with both hands.
Your left hand should be placed above the right hand, with the thumb on the hole in the back. Your fingers should wrap around and cover the holes on top like this:. Your right hand should make a "C" shape with the thumb under the first finger and the pinky on the bottom key. The fingers must remain curved:. In order to play the recorder, you must be able to read music.
Most music for recorders is written in treble clef, except for bass recorder which commonly uses bass clef. These notes can also be sharp , which raises the pitch by a half step, or flat b , which lowers the pitch by a half step. The bass recorder is the lowest of the standard 5 types of recorders. This recorder is based on F3 and plays one octave lower than the alto recorder. This gives the bass recorder a functional range of F3-F5.
The bass recorder is around 35 inches long. This recorder uses a few keys to help your fingers reach all the holes. Some bass recorders have a bend in the neck to help you play the instrument in a comfortable position. Bass recorders are common in recorder consorts although not often seen in elementary music programs. There are other uncommon types of recorders out there in advanced recorder groups. These recorders are rarely seen and have very specific uses.
Traditionally, recorders were made of wood. Wood recorders are still considered the professional level of recorders even today.
Plastic recorders came into popularity with the inclusion of their playing in popular music methods , especially that of Gunild Keetman, co-founder of Orff-schulwerk. This recorder is over 6 feet long. Hundreds of years ago, they came in all different keys, but modern day ones are only found in these two. I hope you enjoyed learning a bit about what the 5 different types of recorders are. The most common is the soprano recorder , but you may find all the other types in recorder consorts.
From solos to ensemble performances, being able to enjoy performing across a wide pitch range is one of the recorder's strong points. Yamaha offers six types across separate pitch ranges. There are also one-handed recorders that use a key system, like that of a flute or saxophone, so that they can be played using all five fingers of just one hand.
Also accessible to those with impaired hand function, it is a recorder made in the hope that everyone can enjoy making music. Soprano recorder and alto recorder made to be played with the left hand. Right-handed models are also available. Musical Instrument Guide. The origins of the Recorder Varieties of recorder. You can also find out if there is an ARS chapter nearby. Chapters welcome beginners we all started out that way! Some chapters have special programs to help beginners develop skills and confidence.
The Directory also lists recorder teachers , including those who teach online. If you live where you can take even a few lessons from a recorder teacher, you might consider doing that to get off on the right foot, which is much easier than breaking bad habits later. Many teachers offer lessons via Zoom, making geographic location no problem.
American Recorder magazine is a terrific resource for recorder players. It is mailed to members four times each year.
The magazine includes beginners' tips, news of the recorder world as well as scholarly articles on the recorder. It also lists advertisers who could help with the choice of recorders, method books, and music. Revoicing a recorder restores the windway dimensions to their proper size. It is normal for a new wooden recorder to need revoicing after it has been carefully broken in. The block swells and changes the size of the windway. Recorder windways can also get dirty, so sometimes an instrument needs a thorough cleaning.
If the instrument that once thrilled you is no longer as wonderful, you may need to send it to a professional for revoicing. This new Bressan plastic recorder has been designed by recorder makers Shigeharu Hirao and Hiroyuki Takeyama. Made from ABS Resin, this recorder has been designed as a high quality plastic recorder modeled after Bressan's original instruments. Features of this new model include undercut toneholes, arched windway and matte finish.
Are there recorders made for people with really small hands? Yes, you can add a key. However, the size and placement of holes on a recorder can only be modified a very small amount without affecting the overall pitch, tuning, or response.
You may be better off buying a new recorder that is comfortable rather than modifying one you already own. Several makers also offer altos with keys on the foot joint.
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