I love your reviews! I’m 67 years old and your channel got me interested in learning to play the recorder in my retirement! This was a very entertaining review!
If it's a joke that's fine. And I get it, but imagine being a child and this is what comes out of a flute. You'd never ever be interested in them ever again. Better to just not have a flute or if you have one tell them they can only play with your permission.
This is such a shame: I've been quite impressed with Fairy Princess magazine's reproductions of historical musical instruments in the past. The pink plastic rauschpfeife they gave away on the front of January's magazine is very highly-regarded by some early music fans I know, and the pink plastic hurdy-gurdy they gave away in March is the first I've come across that's capable of staying in tune for more than a few minutes. What a shame they dropped the ball so badly when it came to the recorder. Hopefully there will be a return to form with the next issue of Fairy Princess, when I hear they will be giving away a pink plastic harpsichord.
@@Team_Recorder After watching your TH-cam review, I have to admit I was very surprised that Fairy Princess magazine would put the good name of their brand at risk by attaching such a shoddy, gimcrack piece of crap to the front of their publication. So I decided to buy a copy of Fairy Princess and try out the recorder myself. And I think I can see where you've gone wrong, Sarah: you didn't attach the stickers to the recorder before playing it. (That's a bit of a rookie error, if you don't mind me saying so.) I've applied all the stickers that came with the magazine to the recorder - there are so many that some partially cover the tone holes and the labium - and it's made a tremendous difference to the sound. I haven't quite managed to coax a top C out of the recorder yet - or any C for that matter - but I'm sure that it's just a matter of adjusting my technique slightly to suit the demands of the instrument. Anyway, I've just ordered a signed copy of your "My Favourite Melodies" book, and I'm looking forward to putting my Fairy Princess pink plastic recorder through its paces when the book arrives. All the best!
This is definitely one of my favorite videos, because it reminds me of how fortunate we are to have you as an educator, musician, and of course professional recorder player. Thank you for being you. 🥰🎶🤗
We love our plastic Yamaha recorders-we have all 4 voices. Affordable, adjustable, easy to clean, and they sound great. Love your reviews and your playing!
My son is 1 year and a half old this month. Already he can hold an alto recorder, blow and make a sound, when he doesn't block the labium with his little hand. It's really fun, he loves it, it's so cute, the recorder is almost his size, and he sees that I'm playing a melody (or trying to...) and asks for it. Imagine giving a recorder to your child as a toy and... no sound. Must be heartbreaking.
That what the Garklein seems to be practically thought for - Introducing small children to recorders (or woodwinds in general). My adult hands and fingers have to make great effort to accomodate it, but it's the perfect size for infants.
@@doginabox9621 Sopranino still is a good option, with the plus of having the same pattern "in F" of the alto (and clarinets and bassoons as well, if a switch or double onto some other woodwind is desired). Usually, once shut the door these instruments wouldn't be of much annoyance anyway.
Absolutely. And besides, a parent's instrument is always preferable. Doing what mummy or daddy does is so exciting! Btw, it might be worth it to switch over to a cheaper instrument while sonny's small so it won't matter so much if he bathes it in spit or bangs the floor with it. Because since an instrument of his own is definitely less exciting than the real, genuine one the parent uses, he'll always want to use the parent's one too.
I experienced something like that when I got a set of carpenter's "tools" as a kid. I thought I'd gotten an actual set of tools---right up until I tried to use the hammer. Which broke. Revealing it was hollow. Dad found out it was plastic when he tried to weld it back together.
This review was better than I expected, as a music teacher who teaches recorder to my Year 3 students I applaud your soapbox statements! They love learning recorder too. Such a great starting instrument.
Yes! ❤Culture brings civilisation! And I love the recorder so much, it makes me travel from the Middel Age dance to the Renaissance and Baroque, and I love it so much! I re-discovered it thanks to you Sarah in 2020, forever thankful for that. Sending much love and music to you🍀🍀🍀
Thankfully I knew nothing about recorders so I did not have the same preconceived notions like others. To me who travels a lot it was the only affordable portable instrument out there. So grateful I picked it up. I enjoy every moment with it!
I can just imagine Sarah giving her daughter a masterclass on the recorder if she has to play one in school. Everyone else will play Ode to Joy while she will be playing Bandernie, sorry if I spelled that wrong.
Thank you for this video; my children and I had a good laugh (they love recorders). My kids have an idea: fill the fairy recorder with dirt through the holes, then plant succulents in the holes- what a cool planter that would make! 😄
Oh I laughed out loud. Thanks for that and for trying to offer as balanced a review as you could. I loved it and the comment that silent recorders might be useful.
Absolutely, Sarah! I'm an education student with music as one of my teachable subjects. I agree that music and art in general does not get enough respect and appreciation from the public. I think the problem boils down the inclination towards perfectionism. It sucks because I hear so many people quit music because they don't get it right on the first try. I'm a clarinet and sax player and I still have a long way to go! All in all, people fail to recognize that there's plenty where it comes from and I hope to make that difference as a potential band teacher and private tutor. This is a topic I still don't know a lot of, so I'd love to research it! If you know any good articles, hmu! Also your sweater is so cute! I love color block clothes
I took a record of class as a high school freshman. I loved the instrument. I played along with the radio for hours every day. In not long I could literally play anything. I must admit it does bother me when people tell me that I be should’ve learned a “real” instrument. Although, I have amazed people when I’ve played the harmonica solo to “Isn’t She Lovely” by Stevie Wonder, or “The Bottle Dance” from “Fiddler on the Roof.“
Sarah, I’m so impressed that you got any semblance of sound out of that cheap thing! And I actually said that that is the worst instrument you’ve ever reviewed. And then you confirmed it! I totally called it! Anyway, you’re a wonderful musician, and I enjoy your videos. 😊
I laughed so hard with this video! 🤣 Your comments and especially your facial expressions are priceless! At 6:42 I was just about to break a record! 🤣 Thank you Sarah for your videos and good humor. 😉👍🏻
Yamaha is really a godsend as far as cheap plastic recorders are concerned. I love my soprano and alto in the 300 series to bits. The quality/price value is astonishing.
@@baroquer I've heard good things about it but I'm not going to buy one yet because it's in the same price/tier range as my Yamaha. If I ever buy a new alto, I would probably like to upgrade... And I have my sight set on the Bernolin's resin recorders with baroque pitch...
Fortunately, when I was a kid in the 90's, in Hungary, our music teacher distributed Aulos (mostly the light-brown haka) recorders. They were cheap, and well playable. All children loved them. I have a few laying around, as all my brothers had the same model. Only over 150EUR wooden sopranos have better response than these plastic instruments, they can be put into a dishwasher, so parents, buy an Aulos (or a good, not the well-known white german-fingered) Yamaha for your kids as a toy, not these terrible items.
@@idraote Be my guest B) After the Haka, there's hardly some need for any other treble ABS recorder, if you ask me. Good luck with your future Bernolin
You managed to get more out of that pink toy that I ever did out of my single-note orange recorder that I got at Dollar Tree! I've purchased and used many 'toy' percussion instruments over the years, but those don't have to be tuned to specific notes. Even toy ukuleles and guitars can make a few correct notes. But that doesn't seem to be the case with wind instruments. I am going to have to go upscale and spend a few more bucks to get a decent recorder one of these days!
We love your advocacy for music education. Own that soapbox! Also, you should (not) see the plastic recorders tossed as throws from Mardi Gras parades. They bend like straws and are even worse than the fairy princess one.
My great niece has just started playing recorder at school. I could not bring myself to buy a pink recorder, so she got the same Aulos descant I started on over 50 years ago. Mine was a 205, hers is a 205E.
Be on the lookout for the manufacturer to excerpt your review to sell more of these: "....Beyond the Realms..." !!! and thanks for the Yamaha recommendations :)
In addition to the Yamaha recorders Sarah recommended in this video, I like the Yamaha Ecodear soprano (YRS-402B). To me, it sounds a bit more like a wooden recorder.
Your message was center target. Brava on that extended chromatic run. Wow. Yamaha also manufactures an inexpensive ABS molded two piece fife down to C with a conical bore, and a wave lip plate.
I laughed so hard Sarah! This is so awful it is hilarious 😂😂😂. I started on a pink transparent for $3.25 recorder but it was actually quite good. At least was good enough to make me want to learn to play the instrument well. Sadly, there are lots of horrible instruments made for children.
You just can't beat Yamaha for value. Perhaps someone there will see this review and decide to offer a Fairy Princess pink model and corner that market once and for all. 😉
I currently have the same brown and cream plastic Yamaha recorder you showed in the video but I’ve actually wanted a pink recorder for a long time, my dream is to have the same plastic Yamaha one, keeping the cream part the same colour but having the brown part be a light light light baby pink 😋💕
You're spot on with the image of the recorder as a joke. Imagine the kid who was bought this, if their recorder-playing parent was able to spin magic tunes on that plastic pink thing because it was actually made properly, and how would that have altered that kid's life path to recorder appreciation or mastery. I learnt to play recorder with a great tone and now it inspires others to want to play it.
Hi Sarah. Thank you for your videos. You recently said that the Yamaha YRS 24B wasn’t a bad recorder for beginners. I’ve bought one to try. The tuning seemed accurate, but it was a bit strident and the low C wasn’t very pleasant. The Yamaha soprano with the curved windway is much nicer in my view. How do you rate the Aulos 303N or 303 A- E soprano recorder?
A recorder for little kids that hardly makes a sound? Sounds like a winner to me! :-D Next step - definitely put it in the dishwasher!! I desperately want to see what happens!
I am looking at buying an old Aulos 209n... The reviews for 209b seem to be pretty bad, but I can't find anything about the 209n other than it is no longer made. Is it a decent beginning recorder?
The first recorder that I bought was a cheap plastic Cambridge Recorder. This was over four decades ago. The pink recorder in this episode sounded better than that one. I never did get a sound out of it.
Haha you mentioned the DuoLingo Owl. In my course (Russian) it told met that "My horse is not an artist, but an architect." haha. Speaking of the best plastic Soprano recorders on the market. I agree with you that that Yamaha is absolutely amazing, but for some reason I adore the Aulos Haka model soprano 703BW even a little bit better. Don't know why, it can be just a feeling, but somehow that Aulos seems to have more... yes what.... soul? Wonderful video though. And speaking of music education, that is my 'core business' and I agree with completely. Perhaps something we could talk about one day? It's great to talk about that subject. Greetz, Marius
Reminds me of the "flutophone" we were tortured with at my elementary school. No, my flutophone was better. Tooting in that thing was the full extent of music at schools I attended - and that was in the 1950's. Might have been a real instrument, but the instruction was so minimal who could tell? I now live in an apartment building for folks 55+ and we have had a couple of visits from an elementary school choir who have presented two very well done mini concerts for us. Their teacher obviously is highly skilled and the kids are having a ball and performing well. Wish this attitude to education was more wide spread. Thanks for the "soapbox" lecture.
Your “rant” was actually very articulate and absolutely on the money. As a boy I was given a junior carpentry set, they were real little tools, not plastic imitation toys, in fact my dad pinched them and used them.. 😂 If you’re going to get kids interested in anything why give them what is a piece of cr*p? Don’t feel bad about tossing it over your shoulder, I would do the same. Think of it this way.. It wasn’t a recorder.. I’m off to continue with my school recorder book 1.. 😬
Talking about arts and music I was lucky to attend a school where that was one of its main goals. So I find it sad that this is not done as a matter of course.
Fairy princess tuning, LOL. You managed to play something that sounded quite ethereal, Sarah! Presumably there will be some very disappointed children who receive this as a gift. What media outlets stoop to to sell magazines.
@@Team_Recorder Oh my god that was absolutely beautiful for what you did! :D Could you recommend me some pieces for a beginner who's been playing for 3 months?
Have you ever tried the Candy Apple recorder? It’s a red transparent plastic recorder that I sell in my toy store in the US, and I think it’s meant as a beginner instrument and not a toy. But I’d like to hear your review.
Thank you for this video Sarah, just what I needed at the end of a long day + will not purchase the pink princess recorder I was considering. On the other hand - Just purchased a signed copy of your book! Btw the link to the signed copies which is in your notes for this video, is ‘broken’.
I would be very interested by your advice about quality musical instrument toys for children. It is difficult to find musical toys that have an acceptable sound... by the way, it is my first comment on one of your videos, so many thanks for your amazing job !
By any chance... does any one know how YRS 314BIII Yamaha recorder compare with the Aulos Haka in terms of sound? 🤔🤔🤔 I've tried to compare them listening to online recordings but would just like to hear the experience of people who have actually played both!
I'd like to know that too! And also which one is easier to play the high notes on. I love the Yamaha 314BIiii, but find the high C hard to reach sometimes (it requires a lot of air in my experience). Much easier on my cheap wooden recorder with a straight windway...
@@Evi_Evi86 I have the Haka and I find high notes quite easy to hit (easier than my old Aulos 509A) and sweet & bright sounding. The low notes are really robust with the low F on the Alto as the only exception. Hakas generally have a reedy tone and interesting sound textures which I like. They're also very loud compared with other plastics. I can't find any caveats for Aulos Haka Soprano, but for me the Alto fingering can be a bit tricky as it is slightly larger than any other plastic Altos I've used before, so there's a bit more of a stretch and took me a few weeks to get used to, especially for my right hand. I can imagine how it can be a bit of a hurdle to overcome for absolute beginners with smaller hands. I don't have much experience with Yamaha recorders, but the Yamaha 314BIII is tickling my interest, hehe.
@@nychang5709 thanks for your reply! I don't think i will purchase the haka alto then, since you mentioned it is a bit larger than others. I own the aulos symphony 509 alto and I dont think i would like a bigger stretch than that... But the soprano I am still interested in. From what I heard on videos it sounds very warm and resonant. I think I would like it for slower pieces. The Yamaha yrs314 soprano that I own sounds very clear and bright, never shrill in the high register. I like it for fast pieces and folk/irish music. But that high C though...That's my only complain. But probably not the instruments fault but my own...
@@Evi_Evi86 I absolutely love the Haka soprano! I also do notice going back to play the 509 Alto feels so much easier on my fingers after playing the Haka Alto. I've also compared them visually, and in my experience the Haka Alto definitely looks and feels larger. It's really good to know about the Yamaha -- if I ever need/want another plastic I would strongly consider getting one of those :D
Since you bought it at the airport, two things come to mind. 1. A parent buying it for a fidgety kid for use on an airplane. The less sound, the better. 2. A customer who is travelling somewhere else; fewer complaints/returns.
Four pounds ninety five is pretty near $5 American. You can get five much better recorders for that, if you shop carefully. Not joking. A few years ago, I was doing some fluorescent photography and wandering through a dollar store with a black light flashlight looking for interesting props, strings of beads that glowed under blacklight, that sort of thing. I found some $1 recorders in transparent orange and chartreuse that glowed nicely. Bought half a dozen. The silly things came apart in two pieces, were in tune with themselves, and playable with a surprising amount of dynamic range. Go figure.
I see the use of recorders in music education as a great irony. The widespread use of recorders in schools was in large part led by the von Trapps who were part of the early interest in reviving early music practices. They took the instrument seriously. Then the instrument became widely used in schools and taught by music teachers with far less knowledge of the instrument, so it was largely relegated to one unit in one year of school, in which students learned only three notes. As a result, the recorder *did* become more widely known-as a toy for children-exactly the opposite of what the von Trapps were trying to achieve!
I'm well past half my expected life time now. My music education in school was taking dictations of classical composers life stories for 1 hour, and if we were lucky, singing some songs from Apuskidu or the Jolly Herring. All I can remember of that is, "Mozart was born in the Austrian town of Salzburg" My music teacher told my parents that I had "not one ounce of musical talent". Eh, they were probably right. But I went on to play keyboard and sing in a Country band, and lately I've been having a lot of fun making music with guitar, keyboards (still), my Harp and Recorder, and electronic groove boxes. Yeah. Music education in the 80's wasn't all that good either, lol
I had hopes for this 😂 Can you please try a Yamaha YRA28, 27, 38 or 48? I think they're the same design and I find it much harder to hit high notes on my YRA48 than on my cheaper Angel Alto which doesn't have that nice of a sound.
Now, a challenge. Physically modify it so it can be played. (Perhaps a small saw to make it three pieces? Some sort of plastic clay to reform it?) Just a thought.
You didn't do the "look down the windway" test to check the alignment of the fipple(sp?). In order for the sound to be that bad, the alignment problem would have been painfully obvious.
As you play, a composer is being inspired by the sound of the Fairy Princess, and will soon create a piece of contemporary music that you will use your finely-honed musical facilities to recreate the very sounds of the Fairy Princess on one of your finely handmade instruments. By the way, the stickers included in the packet are used to tune this type of recorder. 😂
Have you considered that having a basically silent recorder at an airport means that any little Princess who buys it can’t then annoy everyone on their long-haul flight? But seriously this is worse than useless. A waste of resources and I agree with your points about music education.
I honestly don’t think the good people at fairy princess HQ manufactured the audio qualities of this recorder specifically with airport parents in mind 😅 It is a blessing in disguise though!
That Pink Fairy Princess recorder badly needs a Fairy Godmother with a magic wand. Maybe she can turn it into a trumpet 🙄 It wasn't, however, a complete waste of £4.95. It allowed you to make some very salient points about music education, and recorders in general. A very valuable video, bonny lass!
I rather appreciate the soapbox bit of this video. Music and the arts are not only underappreciated, but more dangerously being taken for granted. No one can imagine a world without music, but a career in music is seen as a hobby rather than a true profession. That the development of musical skill needs permanent investment of the infrastructure is somehow not perceived. I think you should dedicate a separate video to this topic.
I love your reviews! I’m 67 years old and your channel got me interested in learning to play the recorder in my retirement! This was a very entertaining review!
A silent recorder for kids ???
That is THE BEST THING EVER CREATED !!!!!!!!!!
😆
😂
If it's a joke that's fine.
And I get it, but imagine being a child and this is what comes out of a flute. You'd never ever be interested in them ever again.
Better to just not have a flute or if you have one tell them they can only play with your permission.
🤣
If only they could do the same thing with drums.
This is such a shame: I've been quite impressed with Fairy Princess magazine's reproductions of historical musical instruments in the past. The pink plastic rauschpfeife they gave away on the front of January's magazine is very highly-regarded by some early music fans I know, and the pink plastic hurdy-gurdy they gave away in March is the first I've come across that's capable of staying in tune for more than a few minutes. What a shame they dropped the ball so badly when it came to the recorder. Hopefully there will be a return to form with the next issue of Fairy Princess, when I hear they will be giving away a pink plastic harpsichord.
BEST. COMMENT. EVER.
@@Team_Recorder After watching your TH-cam review, I have to admit I was very surprised that Fairy Princess magazine would put the good name of their brand at risk by attaching such a shoddy, gimcrack piece of crap to the front of their publication. So I decided to buy a copy of Fairy Princess and try out the recorder myself. And I think I can see where you've gone wrong, Sarah: you didn't attach the stickers to the recorder before playing it. (That's a bit of a rookie error, if you don't mind me saying so.) I've applied all the stickers that came with the magazine to the recorder - there are so many that some partially cover the tone holes and the labium - and it's made a tremendous difference to the sound. I haven't quite managed to coax a top C out of the recorder yet - or any C for that matter - but I'm sure that it's just a matter of adjusting my technique slightly to suit the demands of the instrument. Anyway, I've just ordered a signed copy of your "My Favourite Melodies" book, and I'm looking forward to putting my Fairy Princess pink plastic recorder through its paces when the book arrives. All the best!
This is definitely one of my favorite videos, because it reminds me of how fortunate we are to have you as an educator, musician, and of course professional recorder player. Thank you for being you. 🥰🎶🤗
Thank you! ❤
We love our plastic Yamaha recorders-we have all 4 voices. Affordable, adjustable, easy to clean, and they sound great. Love your reviews and your playing!
My son is 1 year and a half old this month. Already he can hold an alto recorder, blow and make a sound, when he doesn't block the labium with his little hand. It's really fun, he loves it, it's so cute, the recorder is almost his size, and he sees that I'm playing a melody (or trying to...) and asks for it.
Imagine giving a recorder to your child as a toy and... no sound. Must be heartbreaking.
That what the Garklein seems to be practically thought for - Introducing small children to recorders (or woodwinds in general).
My adult hands and fingers have to make great effort to accomodate it, but it's the perfect size for infants.
@@TenorCantusFirmus I cant imagine that children or parents would appreciate the sheer volume and high pitch of the garklein
@@doginabox9621 Sopranino still is a good option, with the plus of having the same pattern "in F" of the alto (and clarinets and bassoons as well, if a switch or double onto some other woodwind is desired).
Usually, once shut the door these instruments wouldn't be of much annoyance anyway.
Absolutely.
And besides, a parent's instrument is always preferable. Doing what mummy or daddy does is so exciting!
Btw, it might be worth it to switch over to a cheaper instrument while sonny's small so it won't matter so much if he bathes it in spit or bangs the floor with it. Because since an instrument of his own is definitely less exciting than the real, genuine one the parent uses, he'll always want to use the parent's one too.
I experienced something like that when I got a set of carpenter's "tools" as a kid. I thought I'd gotten an actual set of tools---right up until I tried to use the hammer.
Which broke.
Revealing it was hollow.
Dad found out it was plastic when he tried to weld it back together.
This review was better than I expected, as a music teacher who teaches recorder to my Year 3 students I applaud your soapbox statements! They love learning recorder too. Such a great starting instrument.
Only true fae folk can hear the notes on the Fairy Princess recorder. 👸🏾 🎶
I think I was inadvertently summoning them
All of the dogs will complain.
@@Team_RecorderWatch it! You might raise Pan!!!
😂😂😂
I write/role play and my fairy characters would even say this so-called recorder is crap.
great words about the representation of recorders, thank you so much for that! (and I loved the soapbox)
Yes! ❤Culture brings civilisation! And I love the recorder so much, it makes me travel from the Middel Age dance to the Renaissance and Baroque, and I love it so much! I re-discovered it thanks to you Sarah in 2020, forever thankful for that. Sending much love and music to you🍀🍀🍀
The protective reflex after launching the recorder was the best.
Thankfully I knew nothing about recorders so I did not have the same preconceived notions like others. To me who travels a lot it was the only affordable portable instrument out there. So grateful I picked it up. I enjoy every moment with it!
Do no insult Duo!!!! :D He'll getchyuuu!!!
I can just imagine Sarah giving her daughter a masterclass on the recorder if she has to play one in school. Everyone else will play Ode to Joy while she will be playing Bandernie, sorry if I spelled that wrong.
I think she has a son Bodil, I could be wrong
Badinerie?
@@luckybarrel7829 Daughter!
@@luckybarrel7829 Bodil is definitely a girl's name in Scandinavia, don't know about other places.
Glad to know my joke was ignored but, ok
Fairy Princess RSO! (Recorder Shaped Object). Thank you for your analysis. Keep preaching the gospel of music education!
Thank you for this video; my children and I had a good laugh (they love recorders). My kids have an idea: fill the fairy recorder with dirt through the holes, then plant succulents in the holes- what a cool planter that would make! 😄
Bassoonists often turn such “instruments” into lamps.
Oh that is a cool idea!
Oh I laughed out loud. Thanks for that and for trying to offer as balanced a review as you could. I loved it and the comment that silent recorders might be useful.
Absolutely, Sarah! I'm an education student with music as one of my teachable subjects. I agree that music and art in general does not get enough respect and appreciation from the public. I think the problem boils down the inclination towards perfectionism. It sucks because I hear so many people quit music because they don't get it right on the first try. I'm a clarinet and sax player and I still have a long way to go! All in all, people fail to recognize that there's plenty where it comes from and I hope to make that difference as a potential band teacher and private tutor. This is a topic I still don't know a lot of, so I'd love to research it! If you know any good articles, hmu!
Also your sweater is so cute! I love color block clothes
I took a record of class as a high school freshman. I loved the instrument. I played along with the radio for hours every day. In not long I could literally play anything. I must admit it does bother me when people tell me that I be should’ve learned a “real” instrument. Although, I have amazed people when I’ve played the harmonica solo to “Isn’t She Lovely” by Stevie Wonder, or “The Bottle Dance” from “Fiddler on the Roof.“
Sarah, I’m so impressed that you got any semblance of sound out of that cheap thing! And I actually said that that is the worst instrument you’ve ever reviewed. And then you confirmed it! I totally called it! Anyway, you’re a wonderful musician, and I enjoy your videos. 😊
I love the video and I love your comments on music education. Thanks.
I laughed so hard with this video! 🤣
Your comments and especially your facial expressions are priceless!
At 6:42 I was just about to break a record! 🤣
Thank you Sarah for your videos and good humor. 😉👍🏻
" *HI I'M SARAH AND I'M A* ... recorder player"
I fell off my chair!
Q: - Does it have a thumb hole?
Hahahaha! Once again, you made my day. It was satisfying you tossing that dud. :)
Yamaha is really a godsend as far as cheap plastic recorders are concerned.
I love my soprano and alto in the 300 series to bits. The quality/price value is astonishing.
I was 101% devoted to YRA-300 for decades, but then I met divine *AULOS Haka*
...and now my beloved YRA collects dust 😢
@@baroquer I've heard good things about it but I'm not going to buy one yet because it's in the same price/tier range as my Yamaha. If I ever buy a new alto, I would probably like to upgrade... And I have my sight set on the Bernolin's resin recorders with baroque pitch...
Fortunately, when I was a kid in the 90's, in Hungary, our music teacher distributed Aulos (mostly the light-brown haka) recorders. They were cheap, and well playable. All children loved them. I have a few laying around, as all my brothers had the same model. Only over 150EUR wooden sopranos have better response than these plastic instruments, they can be put into a dishwasher, so parents, buy an Aulos (or a good, not the well-known white german-fingered) Yamaha for your kids as a toy, not these terrible items.
@@thpeti Agree, but just one thing: german-fingered recorders are a BIG NO-NO and should be avoided! (if possible)
@@idraote Be my guest B) After the Haka, there's hardly some need for any other treble ABS recorder, if you ask me. Good luck with your future Bernolin
Sadly the Recorder is so under rated. It’s has such a large range of music. Great channel very much enjoy you insight. Thank you.
Hilarious.
But also admirable the way Sarah puts herself throught all of this to prove points.
Sadly, that will just end up being more plastic garbage in to our landfills.
I know right
Katieflute's gonna love this
My cat was both intrigued and offended by this recorder’s sound.
I want Sarah to review every single toy recorder/whistle that can be found on online shops or at walmart or something lmao
I do have a horrific Cocomelon recorder… who wants a review 😬
@@Team_Recorder Definitely me, just for science 😳
Thank you Professor Jeffery.
You managed to get more out of that pink toy that I ever did out of my single-note orange recorder that I got at Dollar Tree! I've purchased and used many 'toy' percussion instruments over the years, but those don't have to be tuned to specific notes. Even toy ukuleles and guitars can make a few correct notes. But that doesn't seem to be the case with wind instruments. I am going to have to go upscale and spend a few more bucks to get a decent recorder one of these days!
It's well worth it - just a couple of bucks more and you have a Yamaha which are always decent!
I love these reviews 😂
We love your advocacy for music education. Own that soapbox! Also, you should (not) see the plastic recorders tossed as throws from Mardi Gras parades. They bend like straws and are even worse than the fairy princess one.
My great niece has just started playing recorder at school. I could not bring myself to buy a pink recorder, so she got the same Aulos descant I started on over 50 years ago. Mine was a 205, hers is a 205E.
I love your videos so much! Your face when you play this pink piece of plastic 😅
Please review a Whistle Pop next!
The manufacturer was thinking about the parents 😂
at 0:19 I thought you were going to say "signed copies of the pink princess recorder" were available ha ha ha
Hahaaa well I can do that too
Hello Sarah, I would like to ask you if you have any videos in which you review the Hohner brand wooden soprano recorder?
4:20 wow you managed to make beautiful music with this
Ooooh yes, Yamaha YRS 24B! My current one xd I learnt on an Aulos and a Yamaha, both German fingering, but got a baroque recently and I prefer it tbh!
Be on the lookout for the manufacturer to excerpt your review to sell more of these: "....Beyond the Realms..." !!! and thanks for the Yamaha recommendations :)
In addition to the Yamaha recorders Sarah recommended in this video, I like the Yamaha Ecodear soprano (YRS-402B). To me, it sounds a bit more like a wooden recorder.
Yes the encoder is lovely too
Your message was center target. Brava on that extended chromatic run. Wow. Yamaha also manufactures an inexpensive ABS molded two piece fife down to C with a conical bore, and a wave lip plate.
you bought a magazine with a free gift that make a lot of noise... My little daughter would be delighted kkkk🤗
I laughed so hard Sarah! This is so awful it is hilarious 😂😂😂. I started on a pink transparent for $3.25 recorder but it was actually quite good. At least was good enough to make me want to learn to play the instrument well.
Sadly, there are lots of horrible instruments made for children.
You just can't beat Yamaha for value. Perhaps someone there will see this review and decide to offer a Fairy Princess pink model and corner that market once and for all. 😉
I currently have the same brown and cream plastic Yamaha recorder you showed in the video but I’ve actually wanted a pink recorder for a long time, my dream is to have the same plastic Yamaha one, keeping the cream part the same colour but having the brown part be a light light light baby pink 😋💕
There are plastic Yamaha in neon green, blue and pink... They are about 10 euro, not as good as the 300 series, though
The Mollenhauer Adri´s Dream Recorder comes in a nice sparkly red colour. My great niece thought it was cool.
I’m a big fan of these recorders!
I've been willing to buy one of those, but they seem to be sold out and unavailable where I live 😢 no shop has them. The plastic Adri's dream.
You're spot on with the image of the recorder as a joke. Imagine the kid who was bought this, if their recorder-playing parent was able to spin magic tunes on that plastic pink thing because it was actually made properly, and how would that have altered that kid's life path to recorder appreciation or mastery. I learnt to play recorder with a great tone and now it inspires others to want to play it.
Hi Sarah. Thank you for your videos. You recently said that the Yamaha YRS 24B wasn’t a bad recorder for beginners. I’ve bought one to try. The tuning seemed accurate, but it was a bit strident and the low C wasn’t very pleasant. The Yamaha soprano with the curved windway is much nicer in my view. How do you rate the Aulos 303N or 303 A- E soprano recorder?
A recorder for little kids that hardly makes a sound? Sounds like a winner to me! :-D Next step - definitely put it in the dishwasher!! I desperately want to see what happens!
I am looking at buying an old Aulos 209n... The reviews for 209b seem to be pretty bad, but I can't find anything about the 209n other than it is no longer made. Is it a decent beginning recorder?
Ironically enough, this made me want to pull my recorder out and get back to work on learning it!
Hello
I have a question, I properly cover all the holes on my recorder (Yamaha soprano descant), but the lowest sound is C#, what may be the problem?
👍❗👍
СПАСИБО, THANK YOU,
ДЯКУЮ !
The first recorder that I bought was a cheap plastic Cambridge Recorder. This was over four decades ago. The pink recorder in this episode sounded better than that one. I never did get a sound out of it.
Haha you mentioned the DuoLingo Owl. In my course (Russian) it told met that "My horse is not an artist, but an architect." haha. Speaking of the best plastic Soprano recorders on the market. I agree with you that that Yamaha is absolutely amazing, but for some reason I adore the Aulos Haka model soprano 703BW even a little bit better. Don't know why, it can be just a feeling, but somehow that Aulos seems to have more... yes what.... soul? Wonderful video though. And speaking of music education, that is my 'core business' and I agree with completely. Perhaps something we could talk about one day? It's great to talk about that subject. Greetz, Marius
Reminds me of the "flutophone" we were tortured with at my elementary school. No, my flutophone was better. Tooting in that thing was the full extent of music at schools I attended - and that was in the 1950's. Might have been a real instrument, but the instruction was so minimal who could tell? I now live in an apartment building for folks 55+ and we have had a couple of visits from an elementary school choir who have presented two very well done mini concerts for us. Their teacher obviously is highly skilled and the kids are having a ball and performing well. Wish this attitude to education was more wide spread. Thanks for the "soapbox" lecture.
Thanks! 🙃🙂😎
Thanks for not just keeping it at the fairy princess recorder level, and providing some excellent alternatives that sound really decent.
You're welcome!
congrats on your courage,,, and those who listened lol!!!😁😃
I think you overlooked the most valuable thing here, THE STICKERS!!! It came with fancy stickers! 😉
They are excellent stickers 😌
Your “rant” was actually very articulate and absolutely on the money.
As a boy I was given a junior carpentry set, they were real little tools, not plastic imitation toys, in fact my dad pinched them and used them.. 😂
If you’re going to get kids interested in anything why give them what is a piece of cr*p?
Don’t feel bad about tossing it over your shoulder, I would do the same.
Think of it this way..
It wasn’t a recorder..
I’m off to continue with my school recorder book 1.. 😬
Talking about arts and music I was lucky to attend a school where that was one of its main goals. So I find it sad that this is not done as a matter of course.
Sarah I noticed your links to your book are not working.
My cat was lured by the sound of this recorder. Perfect for cat wrangling, I guess.
How did you do the high c# in the bach badinerie?
Fairy princess tuning, LOL. You managed to play something that sounded quite ethereal, Sarah! Presumably there will be some very disappointed children who receive this as a gift. What media outlets stoop to to sell magazines.
Haha never seen anything worse! Just a question, what was the piece that you were playing at 4:09? I would love to play it!
Oh, I was just improvising around on the notes that worked 😅
@@Team_Recorder Oh my god that was absolutely beautiful for what you did! :D Could you recommend me some pieces for a beginner who's been playing for 3 months?
Have you ever tried the Candy Apple recorder? It’s a red transparent plastic recorder that I sell in my toy store in the US, and I think it’s meant as a beginner instrument and not a toy. But I’d like to hear your review.
Thank you for this video Sarah, just what I needed at the end of a long day + will not purchase the pink princess recorder I was considering. On the other hand - Just purchased a signed copy of your book! Btw the link to the signed copies which is in your notes for this video, is ‘broken’.
Oh, thanks for the heads up! It should be fixed now. And thanks for buying my book!! ❤
I would be very interested by your advice about quality musical instrument toys for children. It is difficult to find musical toys that have an acceptable sound... by the way, it is my first comment on one of your videos, so many thanks for your amazing job !
That's a good idea for a video!
By any chance... does any one know how YRS 314BIII Yamaha recorder compare with the Aulos Haka in terms of sound? 🤔🤔🤔 I've tried to compare them listening to online recordings but would just like to hear the experience of people who have actually played both!
I'd like to know that too! And also which one is easier to play the high notes on. I love the Yamaha 314BIiii, but find the high C hard to reach sometimes (it requires a lot of air in my experience). Much easier on my cheap wooden recorder with a straight windway...
@@Evi_Evi86 I have the Haka and I find high notes quite easy to hit (easier than my old Aulos 509A) and sweet & bright sounding. The low notes are really robust with the low F on the Alto as the only exception. Hakas generally have a reedy tone and interesting sound textures which I like. They're also very loud compared with other plastics. I can't find any caveats for Aulos Haka Soprano, but for me the Alto fingering can be a bit tricky as it is slightly larger than any other plastic Altos I've used before, so there's a bit more of a stretch and took me a few weeks to get used to, especially for my right hand. I can imagine how it can be a bit of a hurdle to overcome for absolute beginners with smaller hands. I don't have much experience with Yamaha recorders, but the Yamaha 314BIII is tickling my interest, hehe.
@@nychang5709 thanks for your reply! I don't think i will purchase the haka alto then, since you mentioned it is a bit larger than others. I own the aulos symphony 509 alto and I dont think i would like a bigger stretch than that... But the soprano I am still interested in. From what I heard on videos it sounds very warm and resonant. I think I would like it for slower pieces. The Yamaha yrs314 soprano that I own sounds very clear and bright, never shrill in the high register. I like it for fast pieces and folk/irish music. But that high C though...That's my only complain. But probably not the instruments fault but my own...
@@Evi_Evi86 I absolutely love the Haka soprano! I also do notice going back to play the 509 Alto feels so much easier on my fingers after playing the Haka Alto. I've also compared them visually, and in my experience the Haka Alto definitely looks and feels larger. It's really good to know about the Yamaha -- if I ever need/want another plastic I would strongly consider getting one of those :D
It sounds like a perfect instrument for your husband -- matches his on-screen personality so well 😂
You tell 'em, Sarah!
Since you bought it at the airport, two things come to mind. 1. A parent buying it for a fidgety kid for use on an airplane. The less sound, the better. 2. A customer who is travelling somewhere else; fewer complaints/returns.
When you start to play it's like a piece for flute by Salvatore Sciarrino... Just air with a little shadow of sound
Four pounds ninety five is pretty near $5 American. You can get five much better recorders for that, if you shop carefully.
Not joking. A few years ago, I was doing some fluorescent photography and wandering through a dollar store with a black light flashlight looking for interesting props, strings of beads that glowed under blacklight, that sort of thing. I found some $1 recorders in transparent orange and chartreuse that glowed nicely. Bought half a dozen. The silly things came apart in two pieces, were in tune with themselves, and playable with a surprising amount of dynamic range.
Go figure.
Hmm, links to the book don't work at this moment
WoW Sarah please if you can find the electronic tenor recorder can u send me a video of the electronic tenor recorder
I see the use of recorders in music education as a great irony. The widespread use of recorders in schools was in large part led by the von Trapps who were part of the early interest in reviving early music practices. They took the instrument seriously. Then the instrument became widely used in schools and taught by music teachers with far less knowledge of the instrument, so it was largely relegated to one unit in one year of school, in which students learned only three notes. As a result, the recorder *did* become more widely known-as a toy for children-exactly the opposite of what the von Trapps were trying to achieve!
You could make it a christmas tree ornament🎄😃
😂 I think a better option would be to just put it in the recycling .
I'm well past half my expected life time now. My music education in school was taking dictations of classical composers life stories for 1 hour, and if we were lucky, singing some songs from Apuskidu or the Jolly Herring. All I can remember of that is, "Mozart was born in the Austrian town of Salzburg"
My music teacher told my parents that I had "not one ounce of musical talent". Eh, they were probably right.
But I went on to play keyboard and sing in a Country band, and lately I've been having a lot of fun making music with guitar, keyboards (still), my Harp and Recorder, and electronic groove boxes.
Yeah. Music education in the 80's wasn't all that good either, lol
Don't worry about throwing it. It's not a recorder. It's a recorder-shaped plastic object.
it's a RSO or recorder shaped object
Compounded Funny + cheese free High quality video parts!!!! MADAM HOW‽ what
I bought the Yamaha green flute. Is beautiful and sounds ok but F is not baroque 😢
I had hopes for this 😂
Can you please try a Yamaha YRA28, 27, 38 or 48? I think they're the same design and I find it much harder to hit high notes on my YRA48 than on my cheaper Angel Alto which doesn't have that nice of a sound.
Now, a challenge. Physically modify it so it can be played. (Perhaps a small saw to make it three pieces? Some sort of plastic clay to reform it?) Just a thought.
I have the Yamaha YRS-24 B
You didn't do the "look down the windway" test to check the alignment of the fipple(sp?). In order for the sound to be that bad, the alignment problem would have been painfully obvious.
As you play, a composer is being inspired by the sound of the Fairy Princess, and will soon create a piece of contemporary music that you will use your finely-honed musical facilities to recreate the very sounds of the Fairy Princess on one of your finely handmade instruments. By the way, the stickers included in the packet are used to tune this type of recorder. 😂
Brilliant!
isnt airy bypass and harmonics one of those advanced techniques? just whip out the fairy princess for those passages 😜
Could it be an ornament? It looks pretty pink.
Have you considered that having a basically silent recorder at an airport means that any little Princess who buys it can’t then annoy everyone on their long-haul flight?
But seriously this is worse than useless. A waste of resources and I agree with your points about music education.
I honestly don’t think the good people at fairy princess HQ manufactured the audio qualities of this recorder specifically with airport parents in mind 😅 It is a blessing in disguise though!
That Pink Fairy Princess recorder badly needs a Fairy Godmother with a magic wand. Maybe she can turn it into a trumpet 🙄
It wasn't, however, a complete waste of £4.95. It allowed you to make some very salient points about music education, and recorders in general. A very valuable video, bonny lass!
I rather appreciate the soapbox bit of this video. Music and the arts are not only underappreciated, but more dangerously being taken for granted. No one can imagine a world without music, but a career in music is seen as a hobby rather than a true profession. That the development of musical skill needs permanent investment of the infrastructure is somehow not perceived. I think you should dedicate a separate video to this topic.
So true!
Ha Ha - Hilarious, specially the intro when you sounded like you doubted you actually were a Recorder player.
This was hilarious hilarious 🙂