can you possibly answer a question ive had for YEARS like since I was 8 years old (I'm now 30) when I was a kid I had the bog standard black and white recorder every primary school kid gets to learn to play and it always sounded so horrible like a blown out whistle with a screachy whistley tone that was painfully to listen to yet my recorder teacher would play with her recorder which seemed to be around 10-20% larger and made of wood and yet hers sounded quite nice albeit slightly lower in tone she would never ever demonstrate with a plastic recorder why did hers sound better? was hers just better made or was she more practised in finger placement and breath control? i notice whilst still a little high pitched your playing doesn't sound that bad either why is this?
It's quite interesting to hear what one of those elementary school recorders sounds like when played by someone who actually knows how to play the recorder.
Indeed! I got one of these in third grade--same case any everything--and I thought it sounded atrocious. Now I know that it was me all along! Really interesting to hear it in the hands of a professional. That hornpipe really did sound better on the plastic one, but for what it's worth I think the modern experimental stuff did too.
Of course, the wooden instrument sounds a lot nicer, but I'm quite impressed with what a $10 instrument can do, and it fares pretty decently at folk music!
I´m more impressed by the person who makes the $10 recorder sound like a profesional one. I'm almost sure it won't sound like that with average people. Sadly
Plastic recorders are overkill considering their price :) They are also very nice if you want to play outside as wooden recorders' sound is a bit altered with colder or hotter temperatures.
Normal people cannot tell the differences between these two. But ironically normal people cannot play the plastic one to make other normal people cannot tell the differences.
The thing I noticed most was on the high notes the two sounded almost identical, but but the plastic recorder made me want to cringe, where the wooden recorder sounded very pleasant. It was a really interesting effect to hear them side by side.
@@qua7771 actually plastic is perfectly fine. You just need quality plastic like on the Yamaha 300 series recorders. With wood you need to oil it regularly among other special care and can’t play more than 30 minutes or your breath humidity with warp the wood. I love my big tenor and will beat you with it sir.
@@Metal0sopher it only sounds a little better in headphones. In person the more expensive one has better projection, better resonance, and you can feel the sound in your body in a way you can never get through a video. You also get a clear sound from far away, unlike the cheap model. Thats the entire point. You need it to be able to sound good at the other end of an auditorium.
@@Metal0sopher That $1,000 price tag isn’t a rip off at all. It just isn’t for a hobbyist or tinkerer. It’s for someone who’s seriously invested in their music. Apple gets the same complaints about the prices of their products, but what people who don’t work in the manufacturing field don’t understand is that those marginal improvements are monumentally more difficult to achieve. The tolerances are an order of magnitude or two more sensitive, and the failure rate of trying to achieve them is also about an order of magnitude higher. Yamaha can churn out 100,000 of those cheap plastic recorders and only have to throw out a few hundred of them, but if you tried to make 100,000 of those concert recorders, you’d wind up throwing out about 20-40,000 of them (or more likely, just skipping the extra expense of detailing them and then selling them as a mid-tier semi-professional recorder for $1-200 when you realize half way into manufacturing it that it’s not going to achieve spec).
I do hope you manage to teachj your students that it can sound great and it is a real instrument.. I think most ppl never really lose that association of thew recorder with elementary school lvl.
My university had an early and baroque concert each semester which I made sure to attend every time (even when it wasn’t required for course credit). One time a professional recorder player did an entire concerto. It was magnificent and I have been in love 😍 with them ever since. I had no idea either. My first thought was, “they come in wood?!?!”
I'm a flutist and I played a vivaldi concerto for sopranino recorder in college. During my study of the piece I picked up a Yamaha sopranino recorder as well as a cheap plastic one, but not the clear variant (mine was a lovely light beige). It was fun to play on them now compared to years and years ago. Just having actually played music for 25 years they sound a lot better. Nobody in 5th grade is going to make anything sound good if they're just starting, haha!
@@ame8710 Yes, he's not a professional. As in playing a recorder is not his job. That doesn't mean he isn't playing for fun and know how to play it as a pastime activity. XD
While her husband was playing the cheap recorder i was thinking "aww shes looking at him with so much love in her eyes" and then when he played the concert recorder she looked at the recorder the whole time with the same look lmao
I didn't even know there was such a thing as a professional recorder players. I just thought elves who live in trees of enchanted forests play recorder.
@@isaiahd9947 yeah whatever I didn't know it's really called recorder and I find that word rather insulting to such a cute instrument with a thousand of years old history. Why recorder though? A recorder is to record. That's still a flute to me. Recorder doesn't make any sense whatsoever
It's really cool to see an actual professional recorder player. I never actually thought of the recorder as a serious instrument, I suppose that the fact that it's pretty much used in every school in existance to teach music didn't help, it's refreshing to see its just as a beautiful instrument as any other
I was always sad that my country stopped compulsory recorder lessons a couple decades ago. I never got in contact with playing an instrument as a young child. I just recently got myself a plastic Aulos recorder for not very much money, so I get to learn now.
My school had symphonic band but weirdly never did the recorder thing. It was literally just jump straight into renting or outright buying the usual symphonic instruments (trumpet, alto sax, clarinet, flute, trombone) or using the school instruments (bass clarinet, tuba, baritones, etc).
@@razrv3lc Same, my private school jumped straight from the kazoo to suddenly being the bell choir. I rang my little bell whenever I was told but it never really felt the same as being able to play music on my own, yanno? My parents were well off enough to afford piano lessons so if I hadn't known what that felt like, I'd have thought I hated playing music. Then I transferred to another school and got immediately stuck with the trumpet.... Normall kids at that school started on a melodian but I came so late in the year I had to play catch up. it didn't bother me not to be able to choose my instrument. I was like, "okay, I play trumpet now." But I never properly learned to play the recorder, even though I Did own one.
Give it time. It took me 4 years practicing daily for as long as my lungs and neighbours could bear it, to play something reasonably good (I started at age 15 or so). Then I discovered the fun to make own music. Then I got hooked 😊
the day where any type of plastic sounds even somewhat remotely as good as wood is still far away but in typical yamaha fashion the instrument you get for basically no money is amazing value
POM (Delrin) formed into solid blocks and then machined like wood really can sound convincingly like wood. I think part of it is that it is amenable to being worked with many of the same techniques as wood, so instrument makers already know what to do with it and can play to its strengths. However, it's not conducive to building cheap instruments, because it's just as hard to machine as wood. You can't just pour it into a mold and then sand things to fit, you have to start significantly oversized and then machine down to the final dimensions. That's why Saxscape used solid bar stock (I don't know if they still do) and then worked it on equipment designed for moderate hardness wood.
Synthetic reeds (legere for sax and clarinet, and the K.GE + Silverstein oboe reed) sound pretty much comparable to the really good cane reeds already I can't wait for plastic instruments to be made that sound as good as wood. It would make a huge difference in repair frequency, costs, durability, ease of use, and so much more
@@thewooddove2 this part. I was using a legere alto sax 3.5 reed a decade ago and liked the way it sounded more than a lot of wooden reeds. Legere is so impressive.
@dhouse Exactly XD I play the cello, and I just started 5 weeks ago... I can sure not until last week did I get rid of that screeching sound when playing the A string or all fingers on the D string 😂
My high school physics teacher said he was bringing in an oscilloscope tomorrow, and asks, "Can anyone bring a musical instrument tomorrow?" I asked "Would a recorder do?" He said, "It depends on what instrument you record."
I understand you teacher... english is not my first language, so when i saw for the first time the word "recorder" being used to talk about the musical instrument, i got a little bit confused lmao
it looks like u have so much fun playing the recorder omg,,, it seriously warms my heart!! like if i was in elementary school and i saw someone like this be so excited ab the recorder, it def would’ve inspired me to play it seriously 😭
@@Team_Recorder I get bullied for it not being a “real instrument” and “for kids” specially since I choose to pursue it as my own extracurricular venture. I like the way you hold the recorders passionately. It’s heals the hurt in my heart.
@@kishascape repeat after me Nobody has to live my life but me. So as long as I'm happy and not hurting anyone, their opinions do not matter. And if they disagree with that, they can go f themselves. Keep doing whatever brings you joy. You'll be the one stuck with yourself so you better make sure you're treating yourself well.
Yamaha seems like a cool company. They make instruments in a variety of builds and price ranges, from cheap starter instruments for kids to some of the most beautiful sounding concert-quality instruments. The quality varies with price but the variance is intentional, and they don't make any junk. And their motorcycles are great, too.
I don't think the motocycle division deals very much with the instrument one tho, yamaha is a conglomerate, just like a how the watch maker seiko don't deal very much with seiko the tuner maker
Holy cow! I owned a professional instrument when I was at elementary school?!? I wish i knew it could be played like this! They should seriously keep having these in music lessons until end of high school so people really develop the skill to play it, not just for making noise in elementary
@@MrTrollo2 In my country all kids are taught to play the recorder, no other wind instruments. For other wind instruments you generally have to go to private or state conservatory
@@precursors in Germany, children often start with the recorder. When reaching an age of, dunno, 12-14, they usually switch to something different. But that's not taught in class, parents buy or rent the instruments and you learn in private. But there are bands and stuff, where you can play it once you reach a little skill. I never learned any wind instrument, only played some piano for a short period. So it's not mandatory at all to learn any instruments.
This video genuinely made me smile. It's so nice to see and hear a recorder played by a professional. And can I say that your non-professional husband can play it better than most people I've heard!
A professional is someone who does it for a living. He may know what he's doing because he's been taught, took lessons, or practised a lot (he does have a wife who's a professional, after all). Yet, he doesn't do it for a living, but plays recreationally. Thus, not a professional.
You'll find that often times when someone masters one instrument (John is apparently a professional saxophonist) they will tend to pick up other instruments very easily. Doubly so if the instrument is in the same family as the one they've mastered. Triply so if they constant casual contact with said instrument, say by loving with someone who plays it professionally. It's more than enough that John should be able to play the recorder to a high amateur standard, which I think is what we saw in the video. He can also probably play the guitar pretty decently, the drums, and the piano as well, especially if he sings.
@@tristanhnl Could you explain the word amateur in exactly the same way? You must have passed your Turing test decades ago. Are you 9 of 9, the famous Borg? I'd almost think you are a human been.
I'm so stunned, first time watching a recorder being played professionally and the main thing that drew my attention was your embouchure. So it's supposed to just lightly touch the mouthpiece? Flashbacks to my peers in school sucking the mouthpiece like they're sucking a teat.
I play the recorder as part of an amateur ensemble and this "$10" one (3x the price in my currency) is what I play! I love the pure sound of it, the fun appearance, and the easy maintenance. When I saw it in a store I was amazed that they can make transparent recorders now. What a time to be alive! Yes, the condensation builds up quickly, so I try to warm it up a bit before I play it. I made my own case for it that is nicely padded, to show it love and care. Thankyou for featuring my favourite recorder in your video!
To hear something other than "Hot Cross Buns" played by an army of amateur children is a breath of fresh air. To hear something so elegantly played, by both professional you and non-professional adorkable husband was amazing. I love hearing the folk music on the plastic one, as I agree with your sentiments about it. That tinny, plastic sound works so well for that upbeat melody. This makes me want to find that wooden recorder I was gifted years ago from a musician in a band called Barley Wine... Makes me wonder what quality it could be!
1. I have no idea what I'm doing here, I don't even play this instrument 2. As a non-native English speaker I could never understood why this thing is called a "recorder". Like it could record something.
@@0815Snickersboy its called block flute because of the block that guides the air.... Many plastic models dont have this block but in wooden recorders it has a very important function related to the moisture absorption also
I just bought my first recorder. It was about $30.00, and is made of maple wood. It is of good quality for the price, and I have much to learn. I have heard what even a cheap instrument is capable of, and I will be watching many tutorials, and putting many hours of practice in to get everything I can out of this. I would make faster progress on a trombone, as I have played that before, but $200 + dollars for even the cheapest one is beyond my current budget. As it happens, I just put in my first hour of practice on the recorder today, and I am pleased with the sound. I am also getting many squeals from it because my hand placement is frequently wrong. I figure that practice for at least 1 hour per day for the next year or so will have me competent, though I don't expect concert orchestra level. I just want to get to where I can enjoy playing, and have others enjoy hearing it. Also, I'm retired, and I want something to occupy my time and develop some skills. Something else to say here, the recorder is capable of nuances that are not apparent to the inexperienced player, and that is one of the things I want to learn. If you have picked this instrument for simplicity, best revise your thinking. If you are wondering why I chose a recorder made of maple, blame it on me gathering maple sap to boil down for months on end to make syrup out of. Nostalgia is a beast. @ 4:36 Your concert recorder sounds much better to my ears than the plastic one. That being said, the el-cheapo one is suitable for a student who may not have settled on an instrument for a musical career, or may not want to pursue music beyond high school. @ 7:15 I want to play Skye Boat Song. It's one of my favorite pieces. That's not the only thing I want to play, but I've heard it since I was a child. Over 40 years hearing it (Captain Kangaroo first time) and I've never played it. @ 12:36 I have much to learn before I make a decision on a more expensive instrument. That being said, I like my maple recorder over any plastic instrument of comparable price. Your husband does much better than I have. I don't know if he has played before, but today was only my 2nd day and I still have to learn how to hold my recorder, much less play it properly.
I wish so badly I could hear this in person! I actually thought the Yamaha sounded much more interesting with the contemporary techniques, despite that awkward screech right at the end. The resonant warmth actually worked against the concert instrument when trying to convey such dissonant notes. But, I am not a musician, and I put a lot more stock in how an instrument performs live than in recordings, so who knows how TH-cam is coloring my impression. They’re both fine instruments and I love this video.
Saying someone is a professional, simple means they seek to get paid to do it for a living. I've come across some professionals who were horrible in their craft and amateurs/hobbyists who excelled, and vice versa.
Never played a recorder. Never heard anyone ever play them. But it's extremely clear there's a massive sound quality difference. Thank you - very educational
Came here after 2setviolin’s vid on violin VS recorder to see what an actually professional can do with a plastic recorder. What I’m getting is that I barely scratched on the potential of recorders back in 4th grade hahaha.
I'd have preferred a comparison between a $30 Yamaha and a $300-$400 Moelenhauer, which seems like it would be much more applicable to the hobby player.
I played recorder from 7 to 14 and I still love it as an instrument. My wooden recorder is over 25 years old and still plays like a dream. It’s my favourite instrument to play :)
I also am impressed with the $10 recorder. I can definitely tell the difference, but still.... For a beginner, who thinks they may want to be serious about the recorder, the Yamaha is good, inexpensive place to start.
@@idraote Actually, I have purchased Aulos recorders for myself (soprano, alto and tenor) and really like them. I was thinking about my niece who started with the school version and seemed to really like it. I think she would enjoy the $10 version, then could work up the $$ range on Yamahas as she kept at it. That way, her parents (who have 6 kids) wouldn't be out a lot of money if she changed her mind.
@@juliestevens6931 I really like my set of Aulos (SAT) as well - I like my Aulos soprano much better than my Yamaha. - but now I have the loan of a wooden basset from Kung, and I think I'm ready to take the instruments to the next level. But I'm not quite yet convinced that _I_ would sound better on a factory-made wooden recorder than on the Aulos - and I can't afford the high-end bespoke instruments.
@@ke9tv I have lower end wooden recorders that I started with and thought they sounded better than plastic recorders....until I got my Aulos. LOL I am not good enough (yet) to even think about upgrading beyond the Aulos, but I can still appreciate the beautiful tone of the high end wooden ones. :o) I will have to get much more disciplined about practicing and pushing my boundaries (and applying Sarah's advice, tips and tricks) before I move up.
As a recorder player and an elementary music teacher, that was so interesting!! It was a lot of fun too. I would be very interested in a comparison with the better Yamaha plastic recorder like the YRS-312
I agree. It may well be worth saving $970(!) and go with the Yamaha Recorder (YRS-312B) made in Japan. It’s priced on Amazon at $29.99 and includes shipping. It even comes with a gig bag. 😊 The (YRS-312B) has the following: • 3 piece soprano recorder in the key of C, Baroque fingering • Made from durable and long-lasting ABS plastic • Clear tone and even tuning in all registers • Simulated Rosewood finish gives the appearance of a wood grain texture
@@christophertsiliacos8958 - Aulos make some pretty good plastic recorders too - I have a sopranino which is superb and their more expensive plastic sopranos are excellent too.
She had a very specific point to this video on what a professional instrument vs the more simple ones most people had in school. But it is important to note there are fairly good quality plastic recorders available too which she shows in other videos. Yamaha has their YRB-300 line, there are Aulos recorders which are very comparable with a range of quality, and Zen-on has a nice soprano and alto plastic recorder which I personally love. All of which are quite affordable, and can be played as much as you want without damaging the instrument.
These are fine instruments modeled after baroque originals. The real problem is convincing the student that they are superior to the $10-100 wooden instruments which are nowhere near as good (at intonation or tonal stability) as the plastic ones.
The main problem for me is that you can't push the instrument. If you blow too strong it's sounds strident and the wooden it sounds nice and you can do dynamics that can sound nice in a long end note
@@wryckbasak4555 I don't know if you can play along with the mollenhauer modern recorder, but they say you can play along with the piano, so it's a way louder than the baroque recorder
@@orlandopockets6372 I have Dream Soprano, Moeck Rottenburgh Soprano and a Alto from a brazilian luthier called Marcos Ximenes. I wasn't talking about the video comparission, except for the botton notes, you can overblow the wooden without cracking and sound awesome, the plastic you can't. You can play fast, but you can't blow freely. And the difference in sound is HUGE comparing the luthier with my yamaha 300 alto. Unfortunatelly I can't tell the same of my rottenburgh with my yamaha in sound, maybe because it is an older model or maybe the paraffin affect the sound of it, but to play it is still way better, especially in the winter
@@orlandopockets6372 recorder is not a guitar that you reach the notes with finger, you make the sound and the tuning blowing, including the dinamics (for playing louder, for playing softly you chance finger as well). There's some sheet music that tell you to play steongly in some notes. The piano you also can hit the notes sofly and harder without break the keyboard. Different instruments, different tecniques
I completely love the exploration of different styles. The folky stuff really works on cheap instruments - the modern music needs the wood. I knew that a cheap instrument is totally fine to learn on, but how lovely to investigate properly. BTW, her 'non recorder playing husband' is pretty amazing too.
I remember being in the second grade and hearing a classroom of kids playing the recorder a few doors down. I've always been drawn to music whenever it's played live and I can get to it. My teacher walked me down the hall, and I got to hold one of those beautiful, smooth, plasticky recorders. It was like magic. I'm blind, and I was in the classroom for the tfew visually impaired kids in my school, probably the only reason I was allowed to do something so unstructured. It was a cool thing, though, and in my memory, those kids sounded incredible, even though they likely didn't in real-life. :) P.S. I like her husband. He sounds fun. They both do. I like the honest, laid-back approach to this whole comparison. It wasn't all stuffy and academic, or snobby. Thank you!
Whoa, I had one of those transparent blue recorders when I was doing the recorder unit in school ... 20 years ago. Glad to see Yamaha is still honoring the 1999/2000 aesthetic
OK, I've got to like this. John's hilarious. He also sounded amazing on your wooden recorder. I really think he should face reality, bite the bullet and spring the $1000.
My recorder teacher pranked people by playing the cheapest plastic instrument in a demo concert at the music school hall. It was also to encourage not well off families to start their talented children’s musical career because the instrument is secondary to the person playing it. He played beautifully, as always. Charming and talented person.
Twenty or so years ago I bought a cheap plastic descant recorder from a music store. It was made in Israel. To my amazement it had quite a full sound and even my inexpert playing didn't make it squeal or squeak. So I went back to the store and bought the only other two in stock. I still play them today. I've never seen this brand for sale anywhere else and even on-line searches draw a blank. Obviously I'm going to hang on to the ones that I have.
I love your husband's take on it. Yes wood has it's amazing qualities but it doesn't mean that plastic can't be fun. Also just thinking about the amount of maintenance for a wooden recorder or if you live in an area that's just ridiculously humid and it's not practical to have a wooden recorder.
I did not like the recorder as a teenager when I was forced to play it in school, but I'm tempted to give it another go as an adult. It's such a beautiful sounding instrument when it's not played by a complete beginner. I had concluded that woodwinds were not for me, but I'm slowly changing my mind.
Worked in a mould shop for a while. Thought you might appreciate some insight into the making of plastic parts and how the materials will respond to vibration. Typically, recorders are made of acetal (pom) or of polycarbonate. Both materials get heated up inside what is essentially a massive high pressure caulk gun. The material is pushed through the nozzle and is then held under really high pressure (upwards of 800psi) for a set amount of time. The longer the pressure is held, the denser the plastic is packed and the heavier the part becomes. Since plastic is a very hard substance without grain, it tends not to resonate as well as its wooden counterpart and it can lead to the instrument sounding thin or shrill. Wooden instruments are not typically as hard as the plastic option and do tend to resonate more as a result. Hope this provides some insight 😁
I’ve also worked in injection molding, never made recorders, but did mold bodies and bells for clarinets, oboes, and bassoons for a while. Different plastics can produce warmer tones, also. During our instrument runs, there was a point that we had to change plastics, because the original plastic used was not being manufactured anymore. You could definitely tell the difference between the two plastics, the old one was very hard and dense, the newer one, not so much, and tended to create voids and sinks in the wall of the instrument if the machine settings and heats were not right.
I remember being really angry at this classmate because she played like shit but had the most expensive recorder in the class. Meanwhile I was the best player in my class but had the shittiest recorder
Lol😂. Ya that always happens. A person who novice at an instrument has the most expensive one. You should've asked for her recorder politely and showed her how to actually play it haha 😂. Ok that would've been rude😅
My teacher got everyone the same recoded, it was only when you proved you were actually good enough to join the recorder concert, did she get those members a better model
In my band, I’m the 1st chair flute player. I have an $800 piccolo because I complained for over a year about the one the school gave me to use (the head joint fell off all the time, my cousin and I had a joke about her running to get my headjoint if it fell off in a Marching Band performance) and my grandma felt bad for me so she surprised me and got me a birthday/Christmas gift by getting the piccolo. The worst flute player in our band showed up with a piccolo, and we asked her what type it was and how much. It was a $4,000 piccolo, and she can’t play it in tune at all..... It pisses me off.
I've played recorder professionally too, and I agree wholeheartedly with you about Yamaha instruments. You get a great deal at $10.00 for a reasonably sturdy instrument for learners. I started with a no-name wood learner model borrowed from a friend who was a music major. Dan also helped me choose a method book. I figured I'd wind up piddling around with it for a few weeks and lose interest. Hah! Three weeks later, I was scampering home from work, rushing through dinner and chores, and grabbing the recorder. If you're a reasonably quick study and have a reasonably good ear, you can get pretty proficient if you practice an hour or two every night. About a year later, I was in a music shop and saw a lovely little soprano recorder displayed in the case. It was the pre-COVID era, so he allowed me to give it a test-tootle. Holy cats! I hadn't realized how hard I had been fighting for tone and pitch on the cheapo learner model. So, yeah -- I wound up selling some comic books to buy it, but buy it I did. I also got quite a giggle out of using one hobby to finance another. I've played with consorts and for theater, but I'm not active now except for occasional outbreaks of playing to make sure I can still do it. It's therapeutic as all get-out.
@Farting Hippo That was long before COVID, honey. And the music store swabbed the mouthpieces thoroughly with hydrogen peroxide after each trial. The instruments were kept in a locked case to prevent every curious person from grabbing them. And would you drop $150.00 (in 2022 bucks -- I used the US BLS inflation calculator) for an instrument you've never test-played before?
Nice! The wooden one just flows like butter..the plastic one has more friction feel. But really very hard to tell. I guess in the right hands (or lips!?) both can produce lovely music!
I really wish I understood why it's called a "recorder" in English. In French, we just call it a "flute à bec", just a different type of flute. I think the term recorder is weird as the thing doesn't record anything. I can play it for days, it's not going to save a single note, while a voice recorder will let me playback something I said and a video recorder will let me rewatch a movie...
They're flutes, an end-blown flute, part of the fipple family if instruments. Did you miss Sarah's video on all the names the recorder has? th-cam.com/video/hJwCxX6L6UM/w-d-xo.html She explains that it is called a Recorder from the days when people taught birds to sing songs as a way to play back music. You would teach the bird with the end-blown flute, and it will "record" the sound into the bird.
In Brazilian Portuguese we call it Flauta Doce, which directly translates to sweet flute... I really don't know the origin of this either haha... while flute a bec does actually have an understandable meaning
@@rafaellavrador4873 in Italian, too, it's "flauto dolce", same meaning. I'd say it's because the sound is sweet, if it wasn't for the fact that it's not sweeter than other kinds of flutes...
My dad left me a wooden tenor (I think) recorder. Beautifully made. I've tinkered around on it for decades. I have no clue where its from or who made it but its older, at least 50 years old. Leather case, comes in 3 parts, I still can barely reach everything (curse my small hands!). I've always wondered what it would sound like in the hands of someone who knew how to use it to its full potential.
Now, the recorder is generally thought of as a training instrument for children, but listen to it. In the hands of an expert like Joram Leifgrum... ♪ ♪ The passion is... breathtaking.
I have no idea why TH-cam recommend this channel (or the specific video, because I'm not into this kind of thing), but it's really cool to see professional level people talk about their skills. There is just a clear and obvious level of skill to even someone who knows basically zero.
You see alot of videos like this for guitar. "Is X guitar that costs 200$ as good as Y guitar that costs 2000$". It always boils down to the player, but generally the more expensive one is meant for players that have an acquired, learned taste. A beginner won't know the different right off the bat.
Honestly though, with guitar I feel it's just inflation from the brand name on the headstock. A Gibson and Epiphone could be exactly the same, but just due to the name the Gibson is guaranteed to be ten times more expensive
Today I found my old wooden student recorder, and after 20 years I was able to play a song. Now I'm seeing this instrument completely differently. Such a kind sound. Great video!
So about these modern techniques: This is what I was doing when I was young and was just playing for fun and experimenting. Some of what you did, I even did exactly the same. Nice to know that I was exploring modern techniques. 😊
Why is it called a RECORDER? The answer is here! th-cam.com/video/hJwCxX6L6UM/w-d-xo.html
can you possibly answer a question ive had for YEARS like since I was 8 years old (I'm now 30)
when I was a kid I had the bog standard black and white recorder every primary school kid gets to learn to play
and it always sounded so horrible like a blown out whistle with a screachy whistley tone that was painfully to listen to
yet my recorder teacher would play with her recorder which seemed to be around 10-20% larger and made of wood and yet hers sounded quite nice albeit slightly lower in tone
she would never ever demonstrate with a plastic recorder
why did hers sound better? was hers just better made or was she more practised in finger placement and breath control?
i notice whilst still a little high pitched your playing doesn't sound that bad either
why is this?
@@Sarge92 cruchy
No one asked
It's quite interesting to hear what one of those elementary school recorders sounds like when played by someone who actually knows how to play the recorder.
That is very true
Iv got one and can play simple native tunes on it but nothing close to what she can do.
Right? I know I couldn't make it sound even 1% as good as she just did, back when I was a little kid.
Well, I just noticed that vibratos are happening with a 10 dollar instrument
Indeed! I got one of these in third grade--same case any everything--and I thought it sounded atrocious. Now I know that it was me all along! Really interesting to hear it in the hands of a professional. That hornpipe really did sound better on the plastic one, but for what it's worth I think the modern experimental stuff did too.
Of course, the wooden instrument sounds a lot nicer, but I'm quite impressed with what a $10 instrument can do, and it fares pretty decently at folk music!
I´m more impressed by the person who makes the $10 recorder sound like a profesional one. I'm almost sure it won't sound like that with average people. Sadly
Plastic recorders are overkill considering their price :) They are also very nice if you want to play outside as wooden recorders' sound is a bit altered with colder or hotter temperatures.
Normal people cannot tell the differences between these two. But ironically normal people cannot play the plastic one to make other normal people cannot tell the differences.
The thing I noticed most was on the high notes the two sounded almost identical, but but the plastic recorder made me want to cringe, where the wooden recorder sounded very pleasant. It was a really interesting effect to hear them side by side.
It's the player, not the instrument!
As a violin maker I can see that it is pretty clear that you get a better deal with a $10 recorder than a cheap violin.
I WISH I could have paid $10 for a decent Violin.... School ones at $50 and fall apart
I never heard a plastic violin, but I'm guessing it would yield similar results. A lack of harmonic detail, resonance, and depth.
@@qua7771 actually plastic is perfectly fine. You just need quality plastic like on the Yamaha 300 series recorders. With wood you need to oil it regularly among other special care and can’t play more than 30 minutes or your breath humidity with warp the wood. I love my big tenor and will beat you with it sir.
@@kishascape I play guitar. I'm just here out of curiosity of possibly recording "Stairway To Heaven".
I've heard some amazing bamboo flutes/recorders in China. I also wonder what a glass recorder would sound like?
“My non-recorder player husband”
The husband: *completely shreds a folk song better than I can play three blind mice*
😂😂
Yeah that was weird...
My reaction as well!
Sarah Jeffery / Team Recorder what does he play??
@@GabeGeiger He's a professional saxophonist!
Platic one: memories of childhood torture in music class in school.
Wooden one: Frodo, Bilbo and i smoking from a pipe in a beautiful forest.
True xD
Hot cross buns, go!
how about some plaStic instead?
That's weirdly accurate
accurate
The $1,000 wood recorder certainly sounds sweeter, but for my budget, the $10 one sounds perfectly fine.
I feel you bro😂
Yes the wooden one definitely sounds better, about 15-20% better, so about $12 bucks better. A thousand dollars? A total rip off.
@@Metal0sopher I would venture to say it sounds about 23% better.
@@Metal0sopher it only sounds a little better in headphones. In person the more expensive one has better projection, better resonance, and you can feel the sound in your body in a way you can never get through a video. You also get a clear sound from far away, unlike the cheap model. Thats the entire point. You need it to be able to sound good at the other end of an auditorium.
@@Metal0sopher That $1,000 price tag isn’t a rip off at all. It just isn’t for a hobbyist or tinkerer. It’s for someone who’s seriously invested in their music. Apple gets the same complaints about the prices of their products, but what people who don’t work in the manufacturing field don’t understand is that those marginal improvements are monumentally more difficult to achieve. The tolerances are an order of magnitude or two more sensitive, and the failure rate of trying to achieve them is also about an order of magnitude higher. Yamaha can churn out 100,000 of those cheap plastic recorders and only have to throw out a few hundred of them, but if you tried to make 100,000 of those concert recorders, you’d wind up throwing out about 20-40,000 of them (or more likely, just skipping the extra expense of detailing them and then selling them as a mid-tier semi-professional recorder for $1-200 when you realize half way into manufacturing it that it’s not going to achieve spec).
As an elementary music teacher I love seeing the recorder done some justice because we all know that's not my daily reality
I'm praying for your eardrums
Just make sure none of your students see this comment
Your daily reality is opening young minds to something beautiful. Thank you!
HAHAHAHAHAHA
I do hope you manage to teachj your students that it can sound great and it is a real instrument.. I think most ppl never really lose that association of thew recorder with elementary school lvl.
Infinitely better than a $10 piano at least.
😂😂😂
Well, yeah
Yeah and yet a top of the line piano doesn’t cost 1000!
@@TonyLeva Excuse me? It costs much more than 1000
@@TonyLeva yeah...they're like 5k 😂
(Or more..really good ones can be 50k)
I've lived 51 years and never knew how crisp, sweet and beautiful a recorder could sound. Loved it.
7:52 We weren't bad at playing the recorder at school, we were playing contemporary modern music.
😂😂😂
War flashbacks of middle schoolers all trying to play ‘Mary had a little lamb” at once
In 3rd grade, we had to try play the titanic theme, and this is exactly what we all sounded like
Man you stole my comment
M T A Your comment made me shriek hahahha
I had no idea these were meant to sound good.
lmao same, we had to play them in school where nobody could play at all so you just heard weird dying bird noises xD
You just won the comments!
My university had an early and baroque concert each semester which I made sure to attend every time (even when it wasn’t required for course credit). One time a professional recorder player did an entire concerto. It was magnificent and I have been in love 😍 with them ever since. I had no idea either. My first thought was, “they come in wood?!?!”
They’re not, and they don’t 🥴
I'm a flutist and I played a vivaldi concerto for sopranino recorder in college. During my study of the piece I picked up a Yamaha sopranino recorder as well as a cheap plastic one, but not the clear variant (mine was a lovely light beige). It was fun to play on them now compared to years and years ago. Just having actually played music for 25 years they sound a lot better. Nobody in 5th grade is going to make anything sound good if they're just starting, haha!
Sara: let’s get out my non professional husband
John: absolutely kills it on the recorder
Non professional??????!
Lmaooo I was just thinking this.
"Ah yes an amateur opinion will be nice"
Fucking slays it
@@ame8710 Yes, he's not a professional. As in playing a recorder is not his job. That doesn't mean he isn't playing for fun and know how to play it as a pastime activity. XD
Ikr?!?! 😂 I think we also needed a total novice to hear what squawks and fweeps they produced
Recorders are actually really beautiful instruments. It’s too bad school ruined my recorder experiences 😂
Just be glad that they didn't make you use the Flutophone, the way they did for the class I was in.
Can’t agree no more
She is a professional...
Its funny I was just thinking about this same thing.
@@JamesJones-zt2yx flutophones are even more simple then a recorder
While her husband was playing the cheap recorder i was thinking "aww shes looking at him with so much love in her eyes" and then when he played the concert recorder she looked at the recorder the whole time with the same look lmao
LOL!!!
I just rewatch that segment. She watched his playing mostly.
Word!
Observation! 😂 Rewatched
I didn't even know there was such a thing as a professional recorder players. I just thought elves who live in trees of enchanted forests play recorder.
They are actually the same.
😅
I think she actually looks like an elf, and a very cute elf at that...
❤️❤️❤️
Do NOT underestimate those elves!
This is the least depressed I've ever seen anyone look while playing a recorder.
6:31 I dunno
jaja, thanks for the laugh
😂😂😂
Recorder legend. Go watch him
I spit right on my phone screen when I read this comment, I think you should know 😂 (thanks for the laugh!)
I was today years old when I learned that recorders are actual instruments and not just cheap things they use to teach kids to read music
yay
and they're called flutes not recorders, take that as a plus ;)
@@judobisafr uhh
@@isaiahd9947 yeah whatever I didn't know it's really called recorder and I find that word rather insulting to such a cute instrument with a thousand of years old history. Why recorder though? A recorder is to record. That's still a flute to me. Recorder doesn't make any sense whatsoever
@@judobisafr well its called a recorder and a flute is called a flute. That's how it is. Deal with it
It's really cool to see an actual professional recorder player. I never actually thought of the recorder as a serious instrument, I suppose that the fact that it's pretty much used in every school in existance to teach music didn't help, it's refreshing to see its just as a beautiful instrument as any other
I was always sad that my country stopped compulsory recorder lessons a couple decades ago. I never got in contact with playing an instrument as a young child. I just recently got myself a plastic Aulos recorder for not very much money, so I get to learn now.
My school had symphonic band but weirdly never did the recorder thing. It was literally just jump straight into renting or outright buying the usual symphonic instruments (trumpet, alto sax, clarinet, flute, trombone) or using the school instruments (bass clarinet, tuba, baritones, etc).
They’re used by so many schools because you can get a decent instrument for cheap unlike most other instruments
@@razrv3lc Same, my private school jumped straight from the kazoo to suddenly being the bell choir. I rang my little bell whenever I was told but it never really felt the same as being able to play music on my own, yanno? My parents were well off enough to afford piano lessons so if I hadn't known what that felt like, I'd have thought I hated playing music.
Then I transferred to another school and got immediately stuck with the trumpet.... Normall kids at that school started on a melodian but I came so late in the year I had to play catch up.
it didn't bother me not to be able to choose my instrument. I was like, "okay, I play trumpet now."
But I never properly learned to play the recorder, even though I Did own one.
Day 3 in quarantine: I never knew there were $1000 recorders until today.
Yeah but he didn’t want to know what he was supposed to be doing
Yeah i think I have a cheap one
I believe there is $9000 recorders as well
There are way more expensive recorders hahaha you were talking about a soprano there xD
And it's broken (it was when I got it)
I refuse to believe that these beautiful sounds are made from a recorder that screeches like a dying goose when I play them
Class room of high d with them blowing as hard a possible. It hurts.
"A recorder is always going to sound like you"
Give it time. It took me 4 years practicing daily for as long as my lungs and neighbours could bear it, to play something reasonably good (I started at age 15 or so). Then I discovered the fun to make own music. Then I got hooked 😊
Omg LOL
@@darthquietus1783 What an ego destroying comment. 😆 😭
the day where any type of plastic sounds even somewhat remotely as good as wood is still far away
but in typical yamaha fashion the instrument you get for basically no money is amazing value
POM (Delrin) formed into solid blocks and then machined like wood really can sound convincingly like wood. I think part of it is that it is amenable to being worked with many of the same techniques as wood, so instrument makers already know what to do with it and can play to its strengths.
However, it's not conducive to building cheap instruments, because it's just as hard to machine as wood. You can't just pour it into a mold and then sand things to fit, you have to start significantly oversized and then machine down to the final dimensions. That's why Saxscape used solid bar stock (I don't know if they still do) and then worked it on equipment designed for moderate hardness wood.
Synthetic reeds (legere for sax and clarinet, and the K.GE + Silverstein oboe reed) sound pretty much comparable to the really good cane reeds already
I can't wait for plastic instruments to be made that sound as good as wood. It would make a huge difference in repair frequency, costs, durability, ease of use, and so much more
@@thewooddove2 this part. I was using a legere alto sax 3.5 reed a decade ago and liked the way it sounded more than a lot of wooden reeds. Legere is so impressive.
Seriously I hate school for making ppl think recorders sound bad ! It's beautiful and very important in baroque of medieval music
Right? It's not the instrument's fault awful children are playing it. Also kind of weird but I sort of like the plastic sound.
Most people sound bad when learning to play an instrument. You only get good by practicing a lot.
My Panasonic recorder sounds wonderful!
It's old one with a hard disk though.
I know right? Even like the top notch composers composed music for the recorder!!
@dhouse Exactly XD I play the cello, and I just started 5 weeks ago... I can sure not until last week did I get rid of that screeching sound when playing the A string or all fingers on the D string 😂
That’s me, alone and quarantined at midnight who just discovered that recorders aren’t only for children or to create shittyflute content
Shittyrecorder content. Not shittyflute content. Very different.
Yup that's me
ZionGo agreed
me, but its two in the morning
Me but during zoom classes to annoy people
My high school physics teacher said he was bringing in an oscilloscope tomorrow, and asks, "Can anyone bring a musical instrument tomorrow?"
I asked "Would a recorder do?"
He said, "It depends on what instrument you record."
Lol
The whole community was triggered
😂
I understand you teacher... english is not my first language, so when i saw for the first time the word "recorder" being used to talk about the musical instrument, i got a little bit confused lmao
I have underestimated the recorder. Please forgive me.
You, me and half the world, my friend. 🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼
“Non-professional” I was expecting him to play like hot cross buns 😂
Same
Lol
it looks like u have so much fun playing the recorder omg,,, it seriously warms my heart!! like if i was in elementary school and i saw someone like this be so excited ab the recorder, it def would’ve inspired me to play it seriously 😭
That’s so lovely! ☺️
@@Team_Recorder I get bullied for it not being a “real instrument” and “for kids” specially since I choose to pursue it as my own extracurricular venture. I like the way you hold the recorders passionately. It’s heals the hurt in my heart.
@@kishascape repeat after me
Nobody has to live my life but me.
So as long as I'm happy and not hurting anyone, their opinions do not matter.
And if they disagree with that, they can go f themselves.
Keep doing whatever brings you joy. You'll be the one stuck with yourself so you better make sure you're treating yourself well.
"It sounds a bit plasticky" well I mean that's kind of what it is
ha 🙃
I can't agree more.
i think it was the most important part though. it is mde of plastic but does it sound plasticy? isn't it pretty much the test?
Yamaha seems like a cool company. They make instruments in a variety of builds and price ranges, from cheap starter instruments for kids to some of the most beautiful sounding concert-quality instruments. The quality varies with price but the variance is intentional, and they don't make any junk. And their motorcycles are great, too.
I don't think the motocycle division deals very much with the instrument one tho, yamaha is a conglomerate, just like a how the watch maker seiko don't deal very much with seiko the tuner maker
@@Bobbylim323 i think the point is that yamaha in general have great quality control
WR250R best bike ever
Yamaha also own vocaloid tho
I own 2 Yamaha's. 1 recorder I can't remember the exact name of and 1 Yamaha TDM900 mktorcycle. I enjoy the motorcycle better though.
Holy cow! I owned a professional instrument when I was at elementary school?!? I wish i knew it could be played like this!
They should seriously keep having these in music lessons until end of high school so people really develop the skill to play it, not just for making noise in elementary
they would if any kid decided to play those. But none do, because compared to other wind instruments they sound like shit
@@MrTrollo2 In my country all kids are taught to play the recorder, no other wind instruments. For other wind instruments you generally have to go to private or state conservatory
@@precursors in Germany, children often start with the recorder. When reaching an age of, dunno, 12-14, they usually switch to something different. But that's not taught in class, parents buy or rent the instruments and you learn in private. But there are bands and stuff, where you can play it once you reach a little skill.
I never learned any wind instrument, only played some piano for a short period. So it's not mandatory at all to learn any instruments.
@@MrTrollo2 at least the cheap recorders still sound good unlike the others 💀 (looking at you ocarinas)
@@MrTrollo2 No they don't.
Sarah: brings in the husband for comical effect
Husband: besides doing his comical shtick, he totally shreds like a pro
the neighbours must think you’re having a hobbit party
🤣😂😂
Bruh- 💀
Theyre taking the Hobbits to Isengard gard gagagagard
The sound of Elementary school music class. I can still hear the Hot Cross Buns shattering my eardrums
Sameee, then when we had to do it everyone would just screech with the recorder and it would sound awful
"The recorder is always gonna sound like you"
hard truth right there
That's why mine always sound high af
Imagine rolling up to 2nd grade general music with that bad boy flex
I don't doubt that some parents would've went this far for their kid to flex
@@raidone7413 those same kids would be wearing baby yeezy
This video genuinely made me smile. It's so nice to see and hear a recorder played by a professional. And can I say that your non-professional husband can play it better than most people I've heard!
So that’s what this instrument is supposed to sound like
Bobby right.. 😔
She said he’s not a professional,,,,but he came out like he knew exactly what he was doing lol
A professional is someone who does it for a living. He may know what he's doing because he's been taught, took lessons, or practised a lot (he does have a wife who's a professional, after all). Yet, he doesn't do it for a living, but plays recreationally. Thus, not a professional.
You'll find that often times when someone masters one instrument (John is apparently a professional saxophonist) they will tend to pick up other instruments very easily. Doubly so if the instrument is in the same family as the one they've mastered. Triply so if they constant casual contact with said instrument, say by loving with someone who plays it professionally.
It's more than enough that John should be able to play the recorder to a high amateur standard, which I think is what we saw in the video.
He can also probably play the guitar pretty decently, the drums, and the piano as well, especially if he sings.
@@tristanhnl Could you explain the word amateur in exactly the same way? You must have passed your Turing test decades ago. Are you 9 of 9, the famous Borg? I'd almost think you are a human been.
Saxophones use the same base fingering system as recorders, so it would make sense that the pro sax player has proficiency on recorders too.
@@jeffwells641 Also, as a saxophone player who has also played the recorder a bit, the fingering between the two is quite similar which helps.
"The recorder is always gonna sound like you" that is the problem.
oof
So THATS why mine always sounds like a dying goat
unfullfilled and angry, and hungry
I'm so stunned, first time watching a recorder being played professionally and the main thing that drew my attention was your embouchure. So it's supposed to just lightly touch the mouthpiece? Flashbacks to my peers in school sucking the mouthpiece like they're sucking a teat.
We immitated our teacher so we didn't x)
😂🤣🤣🤣😂🤣🤣😂
Our teacher taught us to not do it, but some kids just didn't listen lol
We had a Japanese teacher actually)
Dude, I laughed so hard
I play the recorder as part of an amateur ensemble and this "$10" one (3x the price in my currency) is what I play! I love the pure sound of it, the fun appearance, and the easy maintenance. When I saw it in a store I was amazed that they can make transparent recorders now. What a time to be alive! Yes, the condensation builds up quickly, so I try to warm it up a bit before I play it. I made my own case for it that is nicely padded, to show it love and care. Thankyou for featuring my favourite recorder in your video!
To hear something other than "Hot Cross Buns" played by an army of amateur children is a breath of fresh air. To hear something so elegantly played, by both professional you and non-professional adorkable husband was amazing. I love hearing the folk music on the plastic one, as I agree with your sentiments about it. That tinny, plastic sound works so well for that upbeat melody. This makes me want to find that wooden recorder I was gifted years ago from a musician in a band called Barley Wine... Makes me wonder what quality it could be!
Adorkable? Rreeaallyy???
You should find it and learn to play a bit, then make videos! :)
Her kids are gonna show up EVERYONE at school
😂😂😂
?!?! 🤨🧐🤨🧐😋🧐
Ikr
@@silly.w0of what do you mean?
@@nickyvo9440 his children gotta be brilliant in music class
I didn’t know a recorder could actually sound so good.
1. I have no idea what I'm doing here, I don't even play this instrument
2. As a non-native English speaker I could never understood why this thing is called a "recorder". Like it could record something.
She has a video explainingthe name of the instrument in several languages
You've got points
In Germany it's called a Blockflöte which could translate to Block Flute. But it's not blocky at all
In my country we call it simply “flauta” as flute.
@@0815Snickersboy its called block flute because of the block that guides the air.... Many plastic models dont have this block but in wooden recorders it has a very important function related to the moisture absorption also
it's funny how in spanish they are just called "sweet flutes". i've never heard the word "recorder" ever before D:
Yeah, "Recorder" my peanuts, that's a flute
I know right
In portuguese is sweet flute too. Flauta doce :)
I actually know it as flauta de pan and that translatws to bread flute
Flauto dolce in italian
I just bought my first recorder. It was about $30.00, and is made of maple wood. It is of good quality for the price, and I have much to learn. I have heard what even a cheap instrument is capable of, and I will be watching many tutorials, and putting many hours of practice in to get everything I can out of this. I would make faster progress on a trombone, as I have played that before, but $200 + dollars for even the cheapest one is beyond my current budget. As it happens, I just put in my first hour of practice on the recorder today, and I am pleased with the sound. I am also getting many squeals from it because my hand placement is frequently wrong. I figure that practice for at least 1 hour per day for the next year or so will have me competent, though I don't expect concert orchestra level. I just want to get to where I can enjoy playing, and have others enjoy hearing it. Also, I'm retired, and I want something to occupy my time and develop some skills. Something else to say here, the recorder is capable of nuances that are not apparent to the inexperienced player, and that is one of the things I want to learn. If you have picked this instrument for simplicity, best revise your thinking.
If you are wondering why I chose a recorder made of maple, blame it on me gathering maple sap to boil down for months on end to make syrup out of. Nostalgia is a beast.
@ 4:36 Your concert recorder sounds much better to my ears than the plastic one. That being said, the el-cheapo one is suitable for a student who may not have settled on an instrument for a musical career, or may not want to pursue music beyond high school.
@ 7:15 I want to play Skye Boat Song. It's one of my favorite pieces. That's not the only thing I want to play, but I've heard it since I was a child. Over 40 years hearing it (Captain Kangaroo first time) and I've never played it.
@ 12:36 I have much to learn before I make a decision on a more expensive instrument. That being said, I like my maple recorder over any plastic instrument of comparable price. Your husband does much better than I have. I don't know if he has played before, but today was only my 2nd day and I still have to learn how to hold my recorder, much less play it properly.
Let's face it. You would make even the toys sound professional.
That's a non-professional?!
I should just die.
Her husband plays clarinet and sax, and obviously she taught him some stuff
Doesn’t she say at the start she literally plays the recorder for a living?
@@VitalijKaramakov And Alto saxophone has literally the same fingering. That explains it.
@@dustinstenberg2119 I think they're referring to her husband at the end
yeah I was expecting him playing a scale slowly. Then he just goes bflejajfioe;amcklea;fj es;s, I was like what?
I wish so badly I could hear this in person! I actually thought the Yamaha sounded much more interesting with the contemporary techniques, despite that awkward screech right at the end. The resonant warmth actually worked against the concert instrument when trying to convey such dissonant notes. But, I am not a musician, and I put a lot more stock in how an instrument performs live than in recordings, so who knows how TH-cam is coloring my impression. They’re both fine instruments and I love this video.
i thought the plastic was a bit much during the contempary fresstyle section, wood sounded okay though, personal preference. agree, great vid.
The plastic sounds airy, whereas the wooden sounds fuller. Almost like if a person sings in falsetto vs true voice
ky99999999 Dimash: “Hold my recorder”
Falsetto is part of true voice, chest voices and head voice and two halves of a whole and neither is more correct. -vocal artist
When you said non professional husband I was expecting him to come out and play mary had a little lamb but nO
He’s a clarinet and sax player
He more professional at that than anyone that I have ever met in my long life.
Saying someone is a professional, simple means they seek to get paid to do it for a living. I've come across some professionals who were horrible in their craft and amateurs/hobbyists who excelled, and vice versa.
Never played a recorder. Never heard anyone ever play them. But it's extremely clear there's a massive sound quality difference. Thank you - very educational
@Farting Hippo lol I'll totally work it into everyday conversations
Came here after 2setviolin’s vid on violin VS recorder to see what an actually professional can do with a plastic recorder. What I’m getting is that I barely scratched on the potential of recorders back in 4th grade hahaha.
What you doing? Why you no practice 40 hour?! Ling Ling already DOCTOR! And you on TH-cam watching duh VIDEOS! (Sorry I had to 😂)
I'd have preferred a comparison between a $30 Yamaha and a $300-$400 Moelenhauer, which seems like it would be much more applicable to the hobby player.
Yes! I'd love a video on this, too!
throw a Bernolin resin in it, they're about 450 euros and they are easy maintenance as compared with wooden instruments.
Me too.
Same here
Great idea!
I played recorder from 7 to 14 and I still love it as an instrument. My wooden recorder is over 25 years old and still plays like a dream. It’s my favourite instrument to play :)
* flashbacks to the kid in 4th grade who blew into his recorder with full force during music class *
yep, with puffed cheeks and no fingers! lol
hahaha I was that kid!! Sorry not sorry lmao
I also am impressed with the $10 recorder. I can definitely tell the difference, but still.... For a beginner, who thinks they may want to be serious about the recorder, the Yamaha is good, inexpensive place to start.
Personally I'd go for the 300 series which is more expensive but far superior. The soprano is less than 30.
@@idraote Actually, I have purchased Aulos recorders for myself (soprano, alto and tenor) and really like them. I was thinking about my niece who started with the school version and seemed to really like it. I think she would enjoy the $10 version, then could work up the $$ range on Yamahas as she kept at it. That way, her parents (who have 6 kids) wouldn't be out a lot of money if she changed her mind.
@@juliestevens6931 I really like my set of Aulos (SAT) as well - I like my Aulos soprano much better than my Yamaha. - but now I have the loan of a wooden basset from Kung, and I think I'm ready to take the instruments to the next level. But I'm not quite yet convinced that _I_ would sound better on a factory-made wooden recorder than on the Aulos - and I can't afford the high-end bespoke instruments.
@@ke9tv I have lower end wooden recorders that I started with and thought they sounded better than plastic recorders....until I got my Aulos. LOL I am not good enough (yet) to even think about upgrading beyond the Aulos, but I can still appreciate the beautiful tone of the high end wooden ones. :o) I will have to get much more disciplined about practicing and pushing my boundaries (and applying Sarah's advice, tips and tricks) before I move up.
Also the fact that everyone probably already has a Yamaha recorder from 3th grade lmao
I thought the comparison would be interesting, but then she played Badinerie and was just blown away. What talent!!!
When you did the contemporary techniques, the plastic one sounded like robot noises and the wooden one sounded like a very angry waterbird.
As a recorder player and an elementary music teacher, that was so interesting!! It was a lot of fun too. I would be very interested in a comparison with the better Yamaha plastic recorder like the YRS-312
I agree. It may well be worth saving $970(!) and go with the Yamaha Recorder (YRS-312B) made in Japan. It’s priced on Amazon at $29.99 and includes shipping. It even comes with a gig bag. 😊
The (YRS-312B) has the following:
• 3 piece soprano recorder in the key of C, Baroque fingering
• Made from durable and long-lasting ABS plastic
• Clear tone and even tuning in all registers
• Simulated Rosewood finish gives the appearance of a wood grain texture
@@christophertsiliacos8958 - Aulos make some pretty good plastic recorders too - I have a sopranino which is superb and their more expensive plastic sopranos are excellent too.
@@honeychurchgipsy6 :):)
She had a very specific point to this video on what a professional instrument vs the more simple ones most people had in school. But it is important to note there are fairly good quality plastic recorders available too which she shows in other videos. Yamaha has their YRB-300 line, there are Aulos recorders which are very comparable with a range of quality, and Zen-on has a nice soprano and alto plastic recorder which I personally love. All of which are quite affordable, and can be played as much as you want without damaging the instrument.
These are fine instruments modeled after baroque originals. The real problem is convincing the student that they are superior to the $10-100 wooden instruments which are nowhere near as good (at intonation or tonal stability) as the plastic ones.
The main problem for me is that you can't push the instrument. If you blow too strong it's sounds strident and the wooden it sounds nice and you can do dynamics that can sound nice in a long end note
Wish such a recorder was developed which can play pretty loud (maybe loud enough to play with a symphony Orchestra???)
@@wryckbasak4555 I don't know if you can play along with the mollenhauer modern recorder, but they say you can play along with the piano, so it's a way louder than the baroque recorder
@@orlandopockets6372 I have Dream Soprano, Moeck Rottenburgh Soprano and a Alto from a brazilian luthier called Marcos Ximenes. I wasn't talking about the video comparission, except for the botton notes, you can overblow the wooden without cracking and sound awesome, the plastic you can't. You can play fast, but you can't blow freely. And the difference in sound is HUGE comparing the luthier with my yamaha 300 alto. Unfortunatelly I can't tell the same of my rottenburgh with my yamaha in sound, maybe because it is an older model or maybe the paraffin affect the sound of it, but to play it is still way better, especially in the winter
@@orlandopockets6372 recorder is not a guitar that you reach the notes with finger, you make the sound and the tuning blowing, including the dinamics (for playing louder, for playing softly you chance finger as well). There's some sheet music that tell you to play steongly in some notes. The piano you also can hit the notes sofly and harder without break the keyboard. Different instruments, different tecniques
i always thought a recorder was an instrument, but i genuinely didn't realize the repertoire exceeded hot cross buns
I completely love the exploration of different styles. The folky stuff really works on cheap instruments - the modern music needs the wood. I knew that a cheap instrument is totally fine to learn on, but how lovely to investigate properly. BTW, her 'non recorder playing husband' is pretty amazing too.
I remember being in the second grade and hearing a classroom of kids playing the recorder a few doors down. I've always been drawn to music whenever it's played live and I can get to it. My teacher walked me down the hall, and I got to hold one of those beautiful, smooth, plasticky recorders. It was like magic.
I'm blind, and I was in the classroom for the tfew visually impaired kids in my school, probably the only reason I was allowed to do something so unstructured. It was a cool thing, though, and in my memory, those kids sounded incredible, even though they likely didn't in real-life. :)
P.S. I like her husband. He sounds fun. They both do. I like the honest, laid-back approach to this whole comparison. It wasn't all stuffy and academic, or snobby. Thank you!
We’re you able to continue playing the recorder?
Whoa, I had one of those transparent blue recorders when I was doing the recorder unit in school ... 20 years ago. Glad to see Yamaha is still honoring the 1999/2000 aesthetic
OK, I've got to like this. John's hilarious. He also sounded amazing on your wooden recorder. I really think he should face reality, bite the bullet and spring the $1000.
My recorder teacher pranked people by playing the cheapest plastic instrument in a demo concert at the music school hall. It was also to encourage not well off families to start their talented children’s musical career because the instrument is secondary to the person playing it. He played beautifully, as always. Charming and talented person.
The wooden recorder definitely sounds more rich and natural, but the plastic one doesn't sound terrible!
Twenty or so years ago I bought a cheap plastic descant recorder from a music store. It was made in Israel. To my amazement it had quite a full sound and even my inexpert playing didn't make it squeal or squeak. So I went back to the store and bought the only other two in stock. I still play them today. I've never seen this brand for sale anywhere else and even on-line searches draw a blank. Obviously I'm going to hang on to the ones that I have.
The cheap Yamaha was a lot of instrument for the money.
The wooden one just sounds sweeter with more mystique, I find the plastic one, despite being versatile, it has a harsher sound
I love your husband's take on it. Yes wood has it's amazing qualities but it doesn't mean that plastic can't be fun. Also just thinking about the amount of maintenance for a wooden recorder or if you live in an area that's just ridiculously humid and it's not practical to have a wooden recorder.
"This is my $1000 concert recorder"
but... that's a bag
She opens it, look out
and the person presenting it
.... an old hag
The husband is a pretty decent player himself.
He’s a clarinet and sax player
I did not like the recorder as a teenager when I was forced to play it in school, but I'm tempted to give it another go as an adult. It's such a beautiful sounding instrument when it's not played by a complete beginner. I had concluded that woodwinds were not for me, but I'm slowly changing my mind.
Worked in a mould shop for a while. Thought you might appreciate some insight into the making of plastic parts and how the materials will respond to vibration. Typically, recorders are made of acetal (pom) or of polycarbonate. Both materials get heated up inside what is essentially a massive high pressure caulk gun. The material is pushed through the nozzle and is then held under really high pressure (upwards of 800psi) for a set amount of time. The longer the pressure is held, the denser the plastic is packed and the heavier the part becomes. Since plastic is a very hard substance without grain, it tends not to resonate as well as its wooden counterpart and it can lead to the instrument sounding thin or shrill. Wooden instruments are not typically as hard as the plastic option and do tend to resonate more as a result. Hope this provides some insight 😁
I’ve also worked in injection molding, never made recorders, but did mold bodies and bells for clarinets, oboes, and bassoons for a while. Different plastics can produce warmer tones, also. During our instrument runs, there was a point that we had to change plastics, because the original plastic used was not being manufactured anymore. You could definitely tell the difference between the two plastics, the old one was very hard and dense, the newer one, not so much, and tended to create voids and sinks in the wall of the instrument if the machine settings and heats were not right.
I remember being really angry at this classmate because she played like shit but had the most expensive recorder in the class. Meanwhile I was the best player in my class but had the shittiest recorder
Lol😂. Ya that always happens. A person who novice at an instrument has the most expensive one. You should've asked for her recorder politely and showed her how to actually play it haha 😂.
Ok that would've been rude😅
I would have been unbearably smug if I played better on a worst (well, cheaper at least) instrument.
My teacher got everyone the same recoded, it was only when you proved you were actually good enough to join the recorder concert, did she get those members a better model
In my band, I’m the 1st chair flute player. I have an $800 piccolo because I complained for over a year about the one the school gave me to use (the head joint fell off all the time, my cousin and I had a joke about her running to get my headjoint if it fell off in a Marching Band performance) and my grandma felt bad for me so she surprised me and got me a birthday/Christmas gift by getting the piccolo. The worst flute player in our band showed up with a piccolo, and we asked her what type it was and how much. It was a $4,000 piccolo, and she can’t play it in tune at all..... It pisses me off.
WHY Can I relate
You two are great together… and your vibrato is lovely. Thanks for posting!
When learning it in elementary, I would practice every recess instead of going out. I love the recorder and it deserves more credit as an instrument.
I've played recorder professionally too, and I agree wholeheartedly with you about Yamaha instruments. You get a great deal at $10.00 for a reasonably sturdy instrument for learners. I started with a no-name wood learner model borrowed from a friend who was a music major. Dan also helped me choose a method book. I figured I'd wind up piddling around with it for a few weeks and lose interest. Hah! Three weeks later, I was scampering home from work, rushing through dinner and chores, and grabbing the recorder. If you're a reasonably quick study and have a reasonably good ear, you can get pretty proficient if you practice an hour or two every night.
About a year later, I was in a music shop and saw a lovely little soprano recorder displayed in the case. It was the pre-COVID era, so he allowed me to give it a test-tootle. Holy cats! I hadn't realized how hard I had been fighting for tone and pitch on the cheapo learner model. So, yeah -- I wound up selling some comic books to buy it, but buy it I did. I also got quite a giggle out of using one hobby to finance another.
I've played with consorts and for theater, but I'm not active now except for occasional outbreaks of playing to make sure I can still do it. It's therapeutic as all get-out.
@Farting Hippo That was long before COVID, honey. And the music store swabbed the mouthpieces thoroughly with hydrogen peroxide after each trial. The instruments were kept in a locked case to prevent every curious person from grabbing them. And would you drop $150.00 (in 2022 bucks -- I used the US BLS inflation calculator) for an instrument you've never test-played before?
The wooden recorder sounds like something that would be in lord of the rings
Nice! The wooden one just flows like butter..the plastic one has more friction feel. But really very hard to tell. I guess in the right hands (or lips!?) both can produce lovely music!
I really wish I understood why it's called a "recorder" in English. In French, we just call it a "flute à bec", just a different type of flute. I think the term recorder is weird as the thing doesn't record anything. I can play it for days, it's not going to save a single note, while a voice recorder will let me playback something I said and a video recorder will let me rewatch a movie...
I was thinking the same since in german it’s called „Blockflöte“, exactly the translation for the french word
@@estherhannes2483 same in Dutch "blokfluit"
They're flutes, an end-blown flute, part of the fipple family if instruments. Did you miss Sarah's video on all the names the recorder has? th-cam.com/video/hJwCxX6L6UM/w-d-xo.html She explains that it is called a Recorder from the days when people taught birds to sing songs as a way to play back music. You would teach the bird with the end-blown flute, and it will "record" the sound into the bird.
In Brazilian Portuguese we call it Flauta Doce, which directly translates to sweet flute... I really don't know the origin of this either haha... while flute a bec does actually have an understandable meaning
@@rafaellavrador4873 in Italian, too, it's "flauto dolce", same meaning. I'd say it's because the sound is sweet, if it wasn't for the fact that it's not sweeter than other kinds of flutes...
It's already 3 am and what am I doing here I don't even like recorders
Hyangky Gaming I don’t know how I got here either. Somebody help us
I used to play it when I was in school but TH-cam recommendation brings me to watch this video.
TH-cam is like: here. Let's remind user of their junior School days fun things
2am here now. I should sleep
2am rn 😂
My dad left me a wooden tenor (I think) recorder. Beautifully made. I've tinkered around on it for decades. I have no clue where its from or who made it but its older, at least 50 years old. Leather case, comes in 3 parts, I still can barely reach everything (curse my small hands!). I've always wondered what it would sound like in the hands of someone who knew how to use it to its full potential.
This is AMAZING. It's the first time a see a professional recorder playing and I'm ENCHANTED
my thoughts:
professional recorder player? what?
1:20
Oh shit she is a professional
8:27
Willy wonka after a child is brutally killed
LMFAOOOOO
Hahahahahahaha
Now, the recorder is generally thought of as a training instrument for children, but listen to it. In the hands of an expert like Joram Leifgrum...
♪ ♪
The passion is... breathtaking.
12:28 that look on her face like "I'm married to this man" LUL
8:24 turns out i was a contemporary music artist at the age of 5 because thats all i would do
I have no idea why TH-cam recommend this channel (or the specific video, because I'm not into this kind of thing), but it's really cool to see professional level people talk about their skills. There is just a clear and obvious level of skill to even someone who knows basically zero.
Aww thanks 🙏🏼
"Headphone users lower your volume now"
*rips out earbuds*
I wasn't even wearing earbuds and it still hurt my ears.
Edit: in a good way
The moment she said that I put the volume down. Then I realized I didnt have headphones on.
You see alot of videos like this for guitar. "Is X guitar that costs 200$ as good as Y guitar that costs 2000$". It always boils down to the player, but generally the more expensive one is meant for players that have an acquired, learned taste. A beginner won't know the different right off the bat.
Honestly though, with guitar I feel it's just inflation from the brand name on the headstock. A Gibson and Epiphone could be exactly the same, but just due to the name the Gibson is guaranteed to be ten times more expensive
@@slowdriver6868 I agree. I've owned several Epiphones and a few Gibsons, rarely does the price reflect the quality.
It depends. A good student model could make the learning process much easier and more enjoyable.
Today I found my old wooden student recorder, and after 20 years I was able to play a song. Now I'm seeing this instrument completely differently. Such a kind sound. Great video!
Your husband is not a professional player? But he plays amazing!
He's a professional musician (clarinet or sax, I think), but not a professional recorder player
@@alicewyan Thanks for the update, that explains his skills.
So about these modern techniques: This is what I was doing when I was young and was just playing for fun and experimenting. Some of what you did, I even did exactly the same. Nice to know that I was exploring modern techniques. 😊
Her husband is a hoot! So hilarious!!! And very talented as well!