anyone play the Recorder?

[Winter]

I just discovered this beautiful instrument. For the longest time I was unable to identify that sound in many of the mediaevel, Rennaisance, and colonial songs. This instrument was used from mediavel well up until the 18th century and then it kind of fizzled ....

Today its considered an ancient instrument with small professional groups playing it. Does anyone here play it or know more about this beautiful instrument?

I would love to learn. I play some flute. I don't know where to turn to learn this instrument or even find good quality recorders.

Any kind of feedback would be helpful. Thanks.

 

[TheOtherHockeyMom]

I play early music, mostly recorder, but also crumhorn and cornamuse. I firdt learned how to play from the Trapp family book, written by the family chronicled in The Sound of Music. It was a very good book and I hope its still available.

Recorders come in two families with two different set of fingerings, so if you learn to play a soprano recorder it's not hard to also play a tenor, which is my main one. However if I was starting out I'd start with an alto and learn that fingering first, just because I really love the sound, plus it's often harder to find alto players for group pieces.

 

[Winter]

Hi HockeyMom,

I play early music, mostly recorder, but also crumhorn and cornamuse. I firdt learned how to play from the Trapp family book, written by the family chronicled in The Sound of Music. It was a very good book and I hope its still available.

That sounds so exciting. Did you learn by yourself, or were you assisted by a musical teacher? Aside from the Trapp book, are there other sources you can recommend to teach?

Do you own a recorder? Could you recommend a brand/where to find one?

And do you play professionally or perform, or do you just play on your own?

Recorders come in two families with two different set of fingerings, so if you learn to play a soprano recorder it's not hard to also play a tenor, which is my main one. However if I was starting out I'd start with an alto and learn that fingering first, just because I really love the sound, plus it's often harder to find alto players for group pieces.

Interesting. Thank you for the feedback. I didn't think I could find anyone who played or knew something about it.

 

[TheOtherHockeyMom]

Hi HockeyMom,



That sounds so exciting. Did you learn by yourself, or were you assisted by a musical teacher? Aside from the Trapp book, are there other sources you can recommend to teach?

Do you own a recorder? Could you recommend a brand/where to find one?

And do you play professionally or perform, or do you just play on your own?



Interesting. Thank you for the feedback. I didn't think I could find anyone who played or knew something about it.

Hi Winter!

I joined an early music consort back in high school that I connected with through a medieval re-enactment group. I already read music and played guitar, so I had a bit of a leg up, but was able to learn pretty well with the Trapp books and the help of the director. I looked, and the Trapp books are still available on Amazon.

As far as recorders to buy, I've got two recommendations. There's some folks who think plastic recorders are just awful (they may have been traumatized by flutophones or cheap recorders in grade school), but Yamaha makes a pretty good plastic recorder...I carry around two of them, have had them for years and they are fine for most ensembles, plus you can't hardly hurt one.
Yamaha YRN-302B Professional Sopranino Recorder with Baroque Fingering | Music & Arts
Yamaha YRA-302B Professional Alto Recorder with Baroque Fingering | Musician's Friend
My fanciest is a Moeck soprano, but it is a bit more temperamental than the plastic ones. Moeck has a pretty good line of recorders to choose from, and my friends Moeck alto was the most amazing sounding recorder I ever heard.
Moeck Recorders - Courtly Music Unlimited
I have an Adler tenor recorder, but it's a persnickety thing...if I was seriously playing tenor again I'd probably look at replacing it with a Moeck.

You also might want to look into the American Recorder Society, they might have a chapter or group where you live.

 

[Aratinga]

Winter, you mentioned you play "some flute." The soprano and tenor recorders both use almost exactly the same fingerings as flute, so a lot of your flute learning would transfer readily to recorder. (That's also why, as TheOtherHockeyMom said, groups are always hard pressed to find someone who plays alto recorder--all the flutists take the easy route and don't learn the alto fingerings!)

I second TheOtherHockeyMom's recommendation of the plastic Yamaha recorders. I have an ancient plastic Armstrong soprano that plays wonderfully.

Recorder is, unfortunately, too often overlooked as "not a serious instrument" (the dreaded flutophonephobia), but one listen to Michaela Petri or the Flanders Recorder Quartet ought to convince even the most dismissive of skeptics.

 

[Just Under Grace]

Yes, hello!!

youtube.com/watch?v=5s2yB_GQHKw

bother can't post links properly...