Recorder anyone?

I like the low tones and always thought I'd like to play a tenor or even a bass, but I think they are used mostly in groups. My alto sounds good to me, and I read somewhere that the alto size is best for most purposes. I think sorpraninos and sorpranos are too loud, high and screamy.

I've always had plastic recorders. I'd like to try a wooden one someday to hear the difference. :eek:ld:
 
I would suggest you take a look at getting a tenor, yes, it is fairly big, but the tone is much nicer than even an alto, plus there is a lot of music around for C instruments.

If you just want a bit of fun, like on a walk, etc, then sopranino (or soprano) work as they are nice & small.
However, from what I remember, most people in groups played alto. Likely you will need to transpose most music for it though, it's what I did.

(If you want to just enjoy yourself at home, why not try a bass, but it only has one & a half octaves.)
 
Yes the Xaphoon is a single reed instrument, like a mini clarinet.
Talking of clarinet, I now have one and have been practising a few weeks now...

 
I too have played a Recorder in the past. Bought some (Soprano and Treble) and bought some books, taught myself and then put them to one side as three decades ago there didn't seem to be any groups to join. Now I'm wondering about dusting the remaining Soprano off and whether a different size might work best for me.

From YouTube the Tenors seem a bit big and maybe take a lot of air, there also doesn't seem to be much music written just for them too but, of course, you can use Soprano music (as they're both pitched in C). The Sopranos or Descants seem a bit high (piercing sound at times, well to my ears) but I had the fingering off pat as I recall and maybe it would be a good size (or at least pitched in C with them) to play along with youngsters at some point in the future. The Treble or Alto (pitched in F) seems more of a happy medium (with respect to size) but, as I recall, the fingering wasn't as natural to me - that's a few decades past so maybe that would be different now.

I'm UK based and wonder:
What sizes work best with recorder groups?
What size is most in demand with recorder and other music groups?
Which size sounds best to your ears?

All sizes work with recorder groups. In fact most recorder music is written in parts for various sizes. The most popular size in recorder groups tends to be the treble but all sizes are needed.

If you're interested in finding a recorder group a good place to look in the UK is the Society of Recorer Players (SRP). https://www.srp.org.uk Go to their website and there is a link on the right hand side of the home page to Branches. Select that and you will find a list and it will give you contact details for the branches.
 
I am just really beginning to learn to play the recorder even those I've had some for awhile. I have the Yamaha Ecodear soprano and Alto (and the wood grain soprano and alto that I got first). I also have an Aulos tenor but it is too big for my small hands. I am thinking about parting with them all except for the alto Ecodear.

I love baroque music and hope to play some on the recorder.
 
I've since acquired a clarinet too. Harder to play than recorder, in many ways but the sound leaves recorder in the dust!
 
Possibly a tiny bit off topic, but these might be of interest to anyone wanting to learn a woodwind instrument, or has a kid who is interested.

http://www.nuvoinstrumental.com

I know when I was a kid I would have pestered my family every Christmas until I had every one of these lol
 
Possibly a tiny bit off topic, but these might be of interest to anyone wanting to learn a woodwind instrument, or has a kid who is interested.

http://www.nuvoinstrumental.com

I know when I was a kid I would have pestered my family every Christmas until I had every one of these lol

I nearly bought one of those but thankfully I got a clarinet instead
 
Many years ago I played the recorder. I started out learning it on my own and eventually worked my way up to private lessons from John Tyson the recorder instructor at NEC Early Music Program. I wasn't all that great on recorder but I was pretty good at improvising on it (Baroque preludes mainly.) My first recorder was a piece of plastic junk but my last recorder was a handmade instrument made by a famous instrument maker. But my life changed with getting married and practicing it conflicted with my wife's work schedule. You have to play a wooden recorder daily or it drys out and you have to spend a month breaking it back in before it can be safely played again.

-- gary
 
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