Who Plays Recorder and what kind do you use ?

[bobsax]

I went to an eight day seminar on Suzuki Recorder than spent a week at yoga camp practicing recorder instead of yoga :)

I am really enjoying the instrument and how you can take it anywhere and not bother anybody . I have found once you learn the fingerings the pitch is really good . I have the Yamaha 302BII and a White no name . They both have very different sounds but both have good pitch . I also have some cheap-o recorders that are useless .

Any advice on playing the recorder and recorder companies would be appreciated .
--bob

[saxfreak]

A few years ago I started playing recorder when I was laid off and had time on my hands. I was going to sub for someone on "Children of Eden" which has alto and soprano recorder as doubles. I bought a cheap alto and soprano recorder and some beginner method books and taught myself how to play.
It didn't take long to get really hooked on playing recorder. After a while I realized I should find a better recorder teacher than myself, so I took some lessons from a qualified teacher and learned a lot about how to play recorder properly.
The recorder fingerings can get quite complicated, and once they are mastered at some basic level, I found that the top register fingerings on flute were a lot easier (surprise!). Also, cross fingerings are routine on recorder, so they also become easier on flute, clarinet and sax.
One of the best things about recorder is the exposure to early music, which is typically not available to clarinet or sax players (except for transcriptions). Sonatas by Handel and Telemann are wonderful on recorder, and it's really fun to learn them. Also baroque ornamentation - a whole new area to learn about.
One great venue for playing recorders is in church, both as a solo and chamber instrument.
If you want to learn about the instruments and repertoire, there are several places that have websites with a lot of info. I bought several high quality recorders from David Green at Antique Sound Workshop, and found him to be extremely knowledgeable, albeit quite opinionated. He tunes and voices the instruments before he ships, so they are in the best possible playing condition.
Enjoy playing the recorder. It was a passion of mine for several years (although I haven't been playing them much lately).

[Merlin]

I've played recorder with a local recorder society to prep it as a double. The limitation in terms of keywork becomes a challenge that fascinates me. Things that are simple on Boehm system instruments can be devilish to play on recorders.

The use of C and F tonal systems can drive you nuts, until you realize that with those two fingering systems you can play just about any recorder. The bass clef for low recorders may be a hindrance to some, but it's easily learned.

I have a set of Yamaha 32 series plastic instruments, plus an Adler maple soprano and an Aulos sopranino. You can't really go wrong starting out with the Yamaha 32's.

[gary]

I love the, er, Blockflute. ;)

I got interested some years ago and played through a lot of Dutch and Belgian literature. Great instruments.

Bob, Mollenhauer make good recorders as do Moeck. My tenor recorder is a Moeck Rottenberg model in Palisander wood. I've got and played some pretty good ones, and I have taught Blockflute class but I've got to admit that even those little inexpensive Yamaha plastic ones can sound pretty decent.

[Dr G]

How close is the relationship to tin whistles?

I've recently heard some fantastic Celtic music with tin whistles of all sizes and am considering taking that as my next "double".

[Merlin]

Tin whistles have 6 holes; recorders have 8, including the LH thumb and little finger.

TW's overblow; Recorders use a half-hole octave vent with the thumb.

TW's usually play diatonically based music; recorders are capable of relatively facile chromaticism.

[chitownjazz]

I don't play but I'm interested in the recorder. Lee Collins (http://www.leecollins.com/custom.htm) customizes plastic recorders by inserting a cedar block and revoicing them. Sounds like a nice middle path between a plastic and wood recorder.

The Recorder Home Page (http://www.recorderhomepage.net/) has lots of information including manufacturers and retailers.

[RS]

I have a small stable of recorders. My favorite being a Kung soprano in grenadilla wood. Has very good intonation and response. Recorders are good for tin whistle music and fiddle tunes plus renaissance and baroque. Alot of instrument in a small package (the soprano anyway).

[asaxman]

I agree with the Yamaha posters. For cheap plastic recorders, they are great. Their low notes are excellent! For a great wood recorder, you could pay $500-1,500

[RS]

The Aulos plastic recorders are pretty good too. Better than some wooden recorders I've played.

[asaxman]

The Aulos plastic recorders are pretty good too. Better than some wooden recorders I've played.
I have heard the Aulos recorders are great. I agree- these plastic recorders are MUCH better than many wood ones, costing much more!

[gary]

I've played all of those inexpensive recorders and they're all nice. For anyone interested in getting one, I particularly like the Mollenhauer Prima http://www.mollenhauer.com/Shop/default.html?target=dept_6.html&lang=en-us (Click on one of the links above the text).

Regarding the Tin Whistle (Feadóg) I love Celtic music and also have played them, and been somewhat active as an amatuer. You can get basic cheap ones up to ones like I've got which are wooden outside with brass inside, with removable mouthpieces to change keys.

Celtic music has a similarity to jazz in that it is improvised to an extent. The analogy is probably more akin to Baroque ornamentation, but for jazz/pop improvisors playing whistle is a good workout for both the fingers and and the mind. It is melodic improvisation and there are characteristic ornamentations that one must learn and use at will. So you're "flying from the seat of your pants" and yet conforming to certain ornamental conventions; quite a challenge and a lot of fun. If you're in a bar and they start cranking up jiggs and reels, the energy can pull you along for hours. The original "good-tyme musik".

[Bootman]

What Tape or hard disk?

Seriously though, fifes play with a little more stability and have the same type of sound. The Fife's and Irish flutes by Mark Hoza out of Coff's Harbour Australia are definitely worth checking out!

[kymarto]

Guys,

One thing to be aware of with recorders is the fact that there are two fingering systems, Baroque and German. It only matters in the right hand, but the differences can drive you nuts as F and F# are reversed. IIRC the German system also doesn't have the double holes for the C# and D#. All in all if you are serious I believe the Baroque is the better system.

Toby

[stefank]

My favourites are my Moeck sopranino (rosewood & ivory) and Moeck descant (ebony & ivory), both of which date from the 1970s. Having said that there seem to be quite quite a few cheap plastic models out there these days that play quite nicely, and a cheap plastic recorder is usually far preferable to a cheap wooden one.

Stefan

[Sam_C]

Tin whistles have 6 holes; recorders have 8, including the LH thumb and little finger.

TW's overblow; Recorders use a half-hole octave vent with the thumb.

TW's usually play diatonically based music; recorders are capable of relatively facile chromaticism.

It's true that tin whistles usually play diatonic music, but by half-covering the next open tonehole you can flatten the note you are playing by a semitone. It's simpler than all of the recorder cross-fingerings, but you need a good ear. You can also cross-finger, but it's not as effective.

[AlleyKatz]

My favorite recorder is a plain Moeck soprano in maple that I got years ago in Bruges. In the years between high school and now, I played first whistle and then recorder.

The movie "Titanic" sparked a huge surge of interest in whistle, particularly Low D whistles. Because of the limited chromatic ability of whistles, they come in several keys, the most common being high D, which plays along well with most fiddle tunes.

As far as GAS goes, whistlers have WhOA or "Whistle Obsessive Acquistion" syndrome.

You can get a basic whistle for under $10, get a basic whistle "tweaked" for $15-35 and handcrafted whistles go for $50 and up.

They have their own site on the web called "Chiff and Fipple."

http://www.chiffandfipple.com/

I have a nice whistle in my collection that was turned out of cocobolo by Mahan Woodwinds. http://www.tinwhistler.com/store/index.htm

[RootyTootoot]

Saunders Recorders in the UK has quite a lot of info/review material on the different makes available on their website and it's not just a rehash of the manufacturers' publicity, as i recall. I play a zamra treble which i suppose might be a "cheap wooden" instument(!!) To me it seems like it plays nicely in tune with a pretty tone. But I'm no expert. The plastic instruments i've tried always seems a bit harsh or edgy. Mind you, that could sound pretty cool with some amplification. Whisper it, but recorders can really, really rock.. Ok I'm going to take cover now in case there are some saxomachomen reading this..

[Livia]

I play a soprano and alto recorder from Moeck.
But I play only in the recorder orchestra of the church.