Anyone know about Recorders (the instrument)

[Penny]

I'm looking on Amazon for a recorder and I have the following questions:

 

Should I get baroque fingering? All the Yamaha ones seem to have this. However one review suggested it was too difficult for children to master this. Also that the german fingering was better prep for a band instrument. What do you think?

 

Which fingering do the books teach? When I look inside various books, I can't find which fingering they use.

 

Do you have a recommendation for a good recorder to purchase?

 

Thank you very much.

 

Penny

[Jennay]

I'm an instrumental music teacher. I always teach Baroque fingering. I don't think it makes any difference for learning a band instrument later.

Here's a good inexpensive one.

http://www.amazon.com/Yamaha-C-Soprano-Recorder-Baroque-English-Fingering/dp/B0002F5I46/ref=pd_bbs_sr_2?ie=UTF8&s=musical-instruments&qid=1226503413&sr=8-2

 

Penny Gardner also has a good FAQ on her site.

http://www.ninenote.com/questions_about_playing_record.html#baroquefingering

 

I recommend the above book or the Ed Sueta Method.

http://www.maciepublishing.com/shop/index.php

 

HTH - feel free to PM me if you have more questions.

[Tabrett]

You want a baroque, soprano recorder. Peripole Angel is one of the best. It is what The Nine-Note Recorder Method suggests. Peripole Angel is the recorder I had my students buy when I taught PS. Make sure you buy all your dc the same kind of recorders, if you don't some of the recorders won't sound good together. Also, make sure you buy you a recorder. It is easier to teach when you don't always have to take your dc instrument away to demonstrate.

[hsm]

I like either Penney Gardner nine-note or/and sweet pipes instruction books.

 

 

here's a nice a beginner recorder

 

http://www.christianbook.com/Christian/Books/easy_find/925638743?within=N%253D5100%2526Ne%253D5100%2526action%253DSearch&Ntk=keywords&Ntt=baroque+recorder&action=Search&N=0&Ne=0&event=ESRCN&nav_search=1&cms=1&Go.x=0&Go.y=0&Go=Go

[jplain]

Yup, baroque soprano is the place to start.

 

The Yamaha 300 series comes highly recommended by many serious recorder players. I think they are a few dollars more than the Peripole Halo. They are often used as back ups for a wood instrument, or used when playing conditions might be hazardous for a wooden recorder (ie. a Renaissance Faire on a rainy day).

 

It is a big step up from a toy store recorder, but not terribly expensive at between $14 and $23 dollars each depending on the color/finish. I can suggest places to purchase if you're interested, or you can Google the model numbers to find retailers: YRS-302B (brown), YRS-312B (simulated rosewood), YRS-314B (simulated ebony).

 

You can also get a translucent 300 series recorder in pink, blue, or green with solid white trim (YRS-322B). They were manufactured only for the Japanese market, and recently discontinued, but I know of one US retailer who has them: Susato. Lazar's might also still have some pink ones in stock. (Note: Yamaha also makes some cheaper translucent recorders which don't have the solid white trim, and they don't sound quite as nice.)

 

My kids love their translucent recorders. I'm a little jealous because mine is boring brown. :tongue_smilie:

 

Oh, and I'll fourth the Penny Gardner suggestion. We also like the Oak Meadow books, and I have a few other favorites aimed at older children and adult beginners.

 

:001_smile: Carolyn

Edited November 12, 2008 by jplain

[Penny]

Wow!! I came to the right place with the questions. Thank you so very much, all of you!!

 

:D

 

Penny

[frogpond1]

is a much better recorder, though you pay more. We purchased the Angel one as recommended and for high notes it is quite terrible. http://www.folkharp.com/product_info.php/products_id/2510

 

I think I paid $45.00 for mine, but I was told that by going plastic I got a much better quality than anything wood under $200. I think it is true too. We used the Penny Gardner books and then I started on a Bach book from Amazon for guitar and recorder and this recorder is a lot of fun to use. http://www.amazon.com/Bach-Soprano-Tenor-Recorder-Guitar/dp/0793527066/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1226554933&sr=1-4After buying several of the suggested cheaper recorders I'm glad to finally have a real instrument for my family.

 

I don't know if you are looking for a recorder in this price category, but someone might be who follows this thread.

[alpidarkomama]

With the Peripole/Angel recorders you do occasionally get a bum recorder, but generally the upper range is just fine. And for $5-7 it can't be beat. Most recorders that cheap are GARBAGE (as in I don't know how a student can stand to play them or a parent to listen to them). The Angels are very sweet-sounding. The Stanesby Jr. is absolutely the best available plastic recorder, but I don't think it's 10x better.

 

Also, just as an aside, most inexpensive wooden sopranos are also not worth buying. A $5 Angel will be much more pleasing. You have to get a fairly nice wooden instrument before it surpasses the quality of a good plastic instrument.

 

German fingering does make it easy to play the lowest F on the soprano, but it also causes several other notes to not be that well in tune (notes that if you're only going to play very simple melodies you might never get to). Baroque fingering is definitely the way to go, and not that difficult.

 

I taught school music classes for years, and my music degree is in recorder... :)

[jplain]

I think I paid $45.00 for mine...

In case anyone goes looking for the Zen-On Stanesby Jr. soprano, Susato carries it for quite a bit less. :)

 

However, I don't believe there's any consensus that the Stanesby Jr. is the best-sounding plastic recorder available. For example, David Green of Antique Sound Workshop doesn't have very nice things to say about it: link. But Green seems like a pretty opinionated guy, to put it mildly. ;)

Edited November 13, 2008 by jplain

[love2read]

When we at the music store a few weeks ago we discovered several recorder books by the Trapp Family Singers featured in the Sound of Music. How about that :001_smile: I know nothing about them, but thought it was interesting. Here's a link

http://www.amazon.com/Recorder-Family-Singers-Complete-Instruction/dp/B000CS34RG

[frogpond1]

I think that it is a wonderfully fun instrument to play. People automatically think of the cheap plastic toys when you say recorder, but there is beautiful music for the recorder. Where we live there is a recorder society and they put on concerts etc. I wish I had the time to really play and join something like that. Recorders sound very nice alone, and are highly portable, unlike the piano. Penny Gardner's books are excellent too. Now, I just need to learn the flats. I flip through my music books skipping any songs with flats... and it is just a matter of putting them deep into my memory. :tongue_smilie: