OM Beginning Recorder - What kind of recorder?

[NightOwlMama]

I just ordered Oak Meadow's Beginning Recorder and haven't received it yet and I'm wondering what kind of recorder they suggest. We don't have much of a budget for music at the moment so I'm starting out with this. From the picture on the OM site the recorder they use looked like this...

 

http://www.amazon.com/Angel-301N-Three-Piece-Sopranino-Recorder/dp/B001LY6XFK/ref=sr_1_11?s=musical-instruments&ie=UTF8&qid=1284431230&sr=1-11

 

or this (which I think looks better)

 

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0002F7C5Y/ref=ord_cart_shr?ie=UTF8&m=A16A7Q5XF4OWBQ

 

My Mom is ordering a bunch of stuff for my birthday on Amazon soon so I'm hoping to find one before that:)

[alpidarkomama]

The first link you have is to a sopranino recorder. What you need is a soprano recorder, so make sure you get the right size. The second link is a really good plastic recorder. If you want to spend less, you could also consider the Angel soprano recorder available at Peripole-Bergerault. I think it's around $7. As a professional recorder player, and having taught decades of music classes, this is the #1 frugal choice for a beginning player. If the $25 amount is doable, you'll do really well with the Yamaha. Hope that helps!

[yslek]

Here's a very affordable Yamaha, which is a decent plastic recorder:

http://www.amazon.com/Yamaha-YRS-24B-YRS24B-Soprano-Recorder/dp/B00004UE29/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1284437166&sr=8-2

 

Aulos is a nice brand, too. It's what I started on in Germany:

http://www.amazon.com/Aulos-3-Piece-Soprano-Recorder-Fingering/dp/B0002E5608/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&s=musical-instruments&qid=1284437236&sr=8-5

 

My favorite stores for recorder stuff are these two:

http://courtlymusicunlimited.com/index.php

http://www.aswltd.com/

 

Both have tons of great info on recorders. :)

[NightOwlMama]

Thank you both very much!!! That helps:)

[Dmmetler]

Angels (and other renaissance-style recorders) play easier in the lower range to start out, but are VERY hard to play above about a G above the staff. The more standard Baroque recorders have a wider range, but are harder to play at the low end than the angels (and the extremes will always be the hardest to play). The curved windway on the higher end recorders ($25-$100+ range) leads to a nicer sound, but isn't necessary for a beginner and can make intonation more difficult.

 

So, I'd suggest looking at what the curriculum does and choosing there. I tended to use the Angel recorders for my beginners because the books we used had them playing down much more than up, but when I teach College students, I request that they get the higher end Yamahas, Moeck, or Aulos because they need that bigger range, and usually are able to handle the intonation.

[KrissiK]

Well.... my son just played "Mary Had a LIttle Lamb" on his Angel recorder. I'm so excited. We just started learning the recorder a couple weeks ago and are not at all diligent, but, he does have some innate musical ability. (He's 7 btw) So, I taught him 3 notes and drew the music on the white board and there you have it. He's beside himself. My second son is very frustrated, but I think he'll get it, just not as fast as his brother. My goal for the "Applied Music portion of our Fine Arts Program here at Liberty Christian Academy" is to have them playing "Jingle Bells" by Christmas and I think we're well on our way.:D

[onaclairadeluna]

I have a zen-on recorder and I like it better than my yamaha. Both are plastic student models. I prefer the tone of the zen on. It's darker and "woodier". I have also heard Aulos is a good model but I don't have personal experience with that instrument.

[NightOwlMama]

This is the only thing I have to go on from the OM book since I don't have it yet and will probably need to order the recorder tomorrow before the book arrives...

 

"The notes you will learn in the first quarter are: B, A, and G. In the second quarter, you will learn high D and C. The third quarter will consist of learning more

songs using all five of these notes."

 

I don't know how that effects what kind I should buy, I just know that I need a soprano recorder.

 

I like the Angel soprano recorders at Peripole-Bergerault but for now my Mom was going to do a big order on Amazon and add some things in for me.

 

Does anyone know how the Angels on Amazon compare to the ones from Peripole-Bergerault?

 

Like this one...

 

http://www.amazon.com/Angel-One-Piece-C-Soprano-Recorder-Black/dp/B0002D15JU/ref=sr_1_1?s=musical-instruments&ie=UTF8&qid=1284599565&sr=1-1

 

Also, what is the difference between getting a one-piece recorder and a two piece and so on? I like a lot of the three piece recorders but I have no idea what I am doing.:tongue_smilie:

 

KrissiK - That's great - how fun! What book are you guys learning from?

[NightOwlMama]

Does anyone know how the Angels on Amazon compare to the ones from Peripole-Bergerault?

 

Like this one...

 

http://www.amazon.com/Angel-One-Piec...4599565&sr=1-1

 

Also, what is the difference between getting a one-piece recorder and a two piece and so on? I like a lot of the three piece recorders but I have no idea what I am doing.:tongue_smilie:

[alpidarkomama]

The one you linked to is different from the one that Peripole provides. It's available on Amazon (via Peripole) here:

 

http://www.amazon.com/PERIPOLE-Angel-Soprano-Recorder-PB6000/dp/B002SSEIEQ/ref=sr_1_74?s=STORE&ie=UTF8&qid=1284646730&sr=1-74

 

 

Zen-On is definitely better than Yamaha.

 

A two-piece recorder means that you can adjust the pitch of the recorder so that it is in tune. If it's one piece, it may not be on pitch and you may be forever not in tune with others. Three pieces means you can also adjust the bottom hole. That way you can make it fit the length of your right pinkie finger just right.

 

I looked at all the sopranos on Amazon, and the only other one I might consider buying would be this one:

 

http://www.amazon.com/Yamaha-YRS-302B-Soprano-Recorder-Key/dp/B0002MS7NS/ref=sr_1_9?ie=UTF8&s=musical-instruments&qid=1284646637&sr=8-9

 

But there are others that are much better in that price range.

 

The high A and above (which you won't need for quite a while) are harder to play on this one than a better instrument, but I still think this is by far the best one in its price range. Many recorders in this price range have a raspy, breathy sound that is really YUCK (especially true on the cheapest Yamahas). The lowest notes are also quite a bit fussier, but play very easily on the Angel.

 

AND I MADE AN OOPS: I meant to say that in the $25 range I prefer the Zen-On too. That's always my go-to instrument for my intermediate students, not the Yamaha. Brain glitch. :tongue_smilie:

[NightOwlMama]

Thank you alpidarkomama! I appreciate all that info:) I'm not ordering till tomorrow or Monday now so the timing is perfect! Have a lovely weekend;)