I'm a professional musician and I play all sorts of wind instruments from saxophone to bagpipes. I really enjoy improvising on my recorder along with the choir for mass and have been doing it for many years, and thus thought I knew everything I needed to know. Your channel is quite informative and showed me many things I did NOT know. Thank you! Worth mentioning is that #9 is prevalent among clarinet and sax players who pick up a recorder since biting is part of their normal embouchure. I'm guilty of this one!
Take care, Sarah. Here in Japan, Facebook for the recorder players(I think it's for Japanese player or the ones who speaks Japanese) has opened, and you and your You Tube is introduced. Many fans of yours are here in Japan!
Watching your videos I realize that I never learned to play the recorder properly as a child. That is probably why I decided to quit. Frustrated about it, always out of breath it was always a struggle and I did not want to struggle any more. Right now I have decided to buy a recorder and start again! (At age 62!!) thank you so much for your lovely, fun and informative videos!! 😘
As I've only had my recorder since yesterday, I'm hoping to avoid bad habits by watching these videos. I practiced for an hour this morning to your beginner tutorial. First goal, develop a constant good tone. Possibly, I'll be able to move to the next step in a month or so. Wish me luck on my attempts to play "Skye Boat Song".
@Daniel Gable: Re. "develop a constant good tone"; that point was impressed on me when I first started learning the baritone horn. My tutor pointed out that, if I created a good, musical tone, even if I was only playing 'Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star', it would sound very pleasant to listen to. If, in contrast, the sound I made was 'Blerrgghh!', then even if my sight reading, speed, fingering, articulation and dynamics were all spot on, WHATEVER I played would sound horrible! FWIW, I think your 'first goal' is absolutely correct. And her'e luck to you, Daniel!
Regarding tonal constancy: yes, yes, yes! That is the reason I quit violin as a youngster -- because my teacher (yes, teacher) told me I was "close enough" and to keep going whilst I grimaced and hated the ugly and irregular sounds I was producing. After years of training in other instruments (including recorder, guitar and piano, each of which contributed to obtaining that exquisite constancy), I have returned to strings (vioal da gamba and cello) to enjoy that longed for sound. Go for it and happy playing!!!
My fix for leaky fingers: I get them to press their fingers into the holes for a moment and then inspect them to see which one doesn't have the imprint of a complete circle on it.
Hi Sarah, I’ve been enjoying your lessons so much. My plan for today was to write all the fingerings for the alto recorder into a list I could refer to easily. Unfortunately I lost your description on the sceeen and haven’t been able to find it again. Can you help me to find it please. Sarah D.
that could lead to excessive tension, and a stronger grip that would be needed. a better solution its to let go off all the tension, to the point of the flute almost fall to the ground, then work on the fingers one at the time. i like to use pedal points from the low pitched Eb (all the holes uncovered) all the way down, that contrast between no fingers and all the fingers really helps the note accuracy
@@arthursouza420 Well, if the student continued to play with that grip what you say would be true. But to do that briefly with a class of eight year olds is much quicker and easier to direct than what you describe - which would suit a private student or older class much better. A brief squeeze doesn't need to lead to a permanently impaired grip. It will just point out to them which finger is the culprit when they can't get the right note.
Can I just say that these videos are helping me stay mentally afloat in this quarantine season? Thank you Sarah, for your great teaching method, your quirky humor, and just a great channel. My commitment for these next two weeks is to work on my instrument for at least 10 minutes a day following your videos and some music theory (with kids around it's a whole different ball game... or orchestra? :D). Let's see how far I get!!!
Thank you very much for your videos. For contributing a little, as a thank you, I add a link to the errors ... 0:58 - 1. Wonky recorder 1:49 - 2. Leaky fingers 2:47 - 3. Bad posture 3:56 - 4. New note, new breath? 5:36 - 5. Not blowing enough 6:34 - 6. Leaky nose 7:32 - 7. Banana notes 8:34 - 8. Tongue twisters 9:46 - 9. Biting! 10:29 - 10. Sloppy wet recorders
Tip 4 / 8 reminded me of surprising my flute instructor. She said my tonguing was a bit soft and I needed to make firmer stops. To which I replied "tonguing?" I had been using diaphragm, but it passed as tonguing. Oops? 😅
This was really useful!!! I always thought that the recorder was a dumb instrument when I was young, since in music class no one (not even the teacher really) could play it well, and it was super high pitched. I had NO idea until I watched your videos that it was actually a soprano recorder we were using, and that even then it could sound good if you knew what you were doing. So for the last few weeks I've been practicing the recorder and it's coming along pretty well!! Annoyingly I can't yet not bite with my teeth on it though, because I'm a tenor saxophone player and have braces. But I've been playing on this recorder for YEARS biting down on it and there's not even a scratch. This is one resilient little bugger :O Also this entire time I've been half-covering holes to play flats and sharps i DiDN'T KNOW THERE WERE OTHER WAYS TO PLAY THEM AAH ;_;
Very useful, thank you for these tips. I retired my trumpet after high school and decided six years later to fill the musical hole in my heart. Hoping recorder is what I need! Recorders seem like a beautiful and somewhat misunderstood family of instruments. Your videos have been helpful in getting started, like having a personal online tutor!
I know this is such an old video but I have to tell you, I am enchanted by your personality. I have randomly stumbled upon this video and it made me realize how much I loved playing a recorder as a kid, I could play things by ear and more than anything, it was bringing me SO MUCH JOY. Pure joy. It felt so good. But I was a goth kid so I settled on an electric guitar and ended up hating it which made me give up on playing music. I just thought I'm bad at music and should give up. You made me realize my mind was in the wrong place. I chose something 'cool' and 'show offish' instead of choosing something that brought me joy. To some extent I didn't even know that a recorder was a legit instrument... I wish someone like you were around back then. Also, I am awkward and queer(bisexual man) and weird like you (please don't take this the wrong way, I mean that as a compliment, haha.), also from a small village near a small town in Poland so I just vibe with your videos so much, you feel like such a similar soul. I am trying to learn how to play a bass guitar currently but after watching your videos I decided to also purchase a recorder (maybe a bass! I just love bass sounds... bass makes me so happy) and start learning how to play. I want to thank you for inspiring me. You are so amazing, I truly am enchanted by your energy, it made me realize so much and inspire me to change my life for the better... I know, super cheesy. But it's true.
Wow, your tips on a "steady stream of air" reminds me of what I learned in voice class as a teenager! My first teacher was very classically-oriented so this was a big deal for her. Thank you! I'm loving this rediscovery of music on the recorder---and, as a Soprano II/Alto singer, it's great to have access to range that isn't so easily accessible via my vocal register!!
@@CKayh It's more a mental thing than anything else. But it opens up your throat a lot. Much like voice placement for singers, you visualize the air passing though- like, imagine you are warming something that is at the end of your instrument. Even just thinking it, I can feel my throat open.
OMG! I am a self-taught recorder player and have been trying to find a teacher near me in the USA. I have had no luck, so have just soldier on the best I can with a few tips from other self-taught (but more musically proficient) players. This have been SOOOO helpful! I just discovered you (Nov. 26, 2017). I can't WAIT to see how many of these I can fix. I am guilty of most of them, I think. I do clean my recorders (plastic and wood) as best I can, but not well enough, I am sure. I no longer bite my recorder (as I got better, I stopped biting). Leaking fingers, unsteady airflow, I know are problems. I will be more aware of my posture from now on, so some of those problems will go away. I am really looking forward to watching more of your videos and I am now subscribed!
Also maybe don't eat while playing. I was at a class by a national level trumpet player, who thought he was finished as a player, until he washed out all that chocolate bar residue out of his trumpet.
I just started playing in order to stop smoking. I need help with not sounding off while in public. Help. th-cam.com/video/YDSVgWvgMxE/w-d-xo.html. Thank you.
Thank you Sarah. I took up the recorder again in April 2020, after decades gap and only very little learning as a child, thanks to recorders my mum bought back then that I retrieved from her house after she died. I have been accumulating tunes I already know and love figuring out the notes. I can give pleasure to friends on the doorstep or down the telephone, sometimes with amazing reactions from listeners. I found your fab instructive videos via something else and I have learnt so much, especially how to articulate with the tongue rather than separating notes by stopping the breath. Along with the well paced and informative instruction, you have a delightful manner that really engaged me. It's very gracious of you to put these videos out free. I can see your passion for this amazing instrument, cutting through the prejudices about it being a 'toy'. It's a great thing to do during this pandemic, for so many reason. We need more home-made music, now we can't go to concerts! Thank you thank you.
You're a natural born teacher--I've said this before but feel compelled to say it again--thank you, thank you for making these videos! I've learned more from you regarding playing technique than any other music teacher I've known.
I'm a new music teacher who actually never learned recorder in my education (but I was a clarinet player, so that goes a long way!) who has been using your videos this week to start practicing now before I have to teach the instrument next year. Thank you for putting these together for your viewers! So much help! (also as a clarinet player I'm so glad you mentioned not biting the mouthpiece--that's what you're SUPPOSED to do on a clarinet lol. It didn't feel right on a recorder so I was only using my lips...but it still felt Wrong. Thanks for confirming!)
SARAH ......... I'm a pensioner in my 70's. No natural talent for music, although I did an online test a couple of years ago and got rated as 'above average' (on the good side !) when taking an 'Are you tone deaf' test. My Father played (and made) violin(s) for a hobby, so I grew up hearing music in the home. I get frustrated when hearing beautiful music (e.g. Handel's Passacaglia) that I'm not making nice music myself. Because of the 'school' experience with recorder, I've shied away from considering the recorder as an O.A.P. option . However, I stumbled on this video of yours and found it so interesting that I listened right through to # 10 ! Your bubbly style having a lot to do with making your presentation so good. I will now look up other videos of yours to further enrich what may be my initial learning experience prior to getting an instrument. (Don't worry, I'm not expecting to learn just by watching, and certainly won't be playing the Handel piece any time soon 😂). to you.
Great video, hilarious and really helpful! I just discovered this week that I breathe out through my nose while playing haha. And yes I do feel like I'm drowning so I'm heading straight over to your Breathing warm up video lol.
MHHH WOW.. YOUR REALLY GOOD IN THIS🌼WELL THIS IS MY FIRST YEAR PLAYING AN ANGEL RECORDER...SO I WOULD LYK TO THANK YOU FOR TEACHING ME ALL THESE THINGS ... ITS REALLY HELPED ME .... AND MY 2021 WISH IS TO MEET YOU SO THAT YOU CAN TEACH ME HOW TO PLAY THIS INSTRUMENT,CAUSE I REALLY WANT TO BE SUCCESSFUL LIKE YOU ONE DAY ,ACTUALLY YOU ARE MY ROLE MODEL🌜🌸🌛
Hi Sarah, thank you very much for a very enjoyable and informative series! Could you please do video guiding us on difficult trill fingurings? Thank you again!
I had my mom buy a plastic recorder (despite me being a pianist) so when I got it I was wondering what a certain little stick was for. No. 10 really helped me realise the obvious ^_^
i love to play the recorder since i was in the school and i keep playing with no much develop of my technic but with you im going ahead. now i refall inlove with this instrument and im falling in love of you !!!!!!!!
Thank you! I teach recorder to little kids, before they are old enough to start on the flute, but it is not my main instrument, so this is very very helpful! ☺️☺️☺️
Great and entertaining video, thanks ! I had to replay the "breazing in and out" illustration, was so funny :) My little girl is interested in learning so these pieces of advise are quite useful. Greetings from France
I’m watching loads of your videos since I have a band concert approaching where my director gave me a recorder solo unexpectedly. The part is pretty simple and straight to the point, but I know something is gonna go bad, maybe I’d lose my recorder, forget it. Or maybe even just play a Bb instead of B#
Hoi! Het is erg leuk, om naar jou videos te kijken! Ik oefen nu meer met de Block Fluit en jou Videos zijn een grote Hulp! Jij bent echt een sympathiek mens!
Question from a beginner -- if you are supposed to maintain a constant amount of air throughout the note, then how do you make it grow softer (diminuendo)? Thanks for the videos; I love them.
Thanks for making the video in spite of your cold! I've added Italian subtitles, hope they will be useful! P.S. what did you say at 5:17? That was the only spot I couldn' get right.
Thanks! i was doing the throat articulation thing. i was aware it was happening (it hurts a bit), but wasn't sure (until now) how to fix it. The posture, i can't do that much about (bedridden), but I'm doing my best.
It is good to point out the difference between a new breath every note and the tonguing for the staccato, some people may mix that information when learning.
Great video, wow i do lots of these and this just shows there is so much to the recorder i wish if people at my school saw this video and this channel they would all stop bullying me for playing the recorder (dont worry i shut them up in the end) i once had an arguement which instrument had more to it a bass guitar or a recorder and yes i won dw
My favorite error: Failing to put down all the fingers indicated on the fingering chart. For example, soprano F/alto Bb without the little finger hole closed. These fingerings may sound fine when you are alone, but as soon as you join up with a piano or another recorder, they sound awful and sharp. Next favorite: Breathing shallowly or locking up the air column. You should breathe all the way down to the abdominal floor (at least, that's how it feels) and maintain the air column unobstructed as you exhale. It is all too easy to create a "wall" after the breath and exhale only from the top of the lungs. This deprives the instrument of air and creates a huge amount of tension in your upper body. Third error: Hitting the high notes by only exhaling harder. Instead of this, the player should make an "ee" shape with the mouth. Fourth error: Cracking low notes by failing to make an "oo" shape in the mouth.. The larger the instrument the further up its range this need extends.
Sarah, I'm a man who has been playing guitar for many many years, I've had this recorder a couple of years and lately, been dying to learn how to play it WELL, to Record accompaniment for my guitar playing and singing!.. Some of the Greatest Classic Rock songs I love to play had flute parts in them so I'm trying to become adept at the recorder!.. THANK you, SO much, for your Tips, I LOVE your British accent, and I think you're EXTREMELY cute!
I learned the soprano and alto recorders (and most of these 10 pointers) from my parents; they were into Renaissance/Baroque music (not Renaissance Fairs, lol) and, simultaneously with piano and music theory, it was part of my earliest musical education... I'm so glad I had the exposure, because all of that made learning the transverse flute (and later, the bagpipe) A LOT easier.... I have recently returned to the recorder, and it's like riding a bike, except for the bad (recorder) habit that I acquired from years of practice-chanter, ie "resting the end of the instrument on the table".
this video brought back some memories of school I remember always getting into massive trouble, just because I didn't put the instrument together straight, it didn't help not being able to see either
The hardest thing to do when you're playing the recorder is "blowing enough". Man, I don't have this much breath!! But thank you so much for the tips. They"ll help me a lot!
Another point is a loosely connected joint which happens over time. My fix is using Teflon Sealing Tape 12mm which is plumbing tape. Keep a roll in your recorder bag! Works a charm🎼😁
Sarah, I have a question. I like the sound of the Renaissance recorder. I’m looking for an instrument that would be best for sending a message over the hills! Lol. As a nurse I know that the higher pitches are the ones that we lose first with our hearing! I’m afraid that sound will be lost. I’m thinking an alto might be okay, but I would like to try a tenor. Which would you recommend?
Nobody ever replied to this so here's my suggestion: I have a Mollenhauer Dream Edition tenor. The Dream Edition recorders are made from plum wood, but there is a cheaper option available in pear wood (I think!) called Adri's Dream. They are all modelled on the Renaissance style of recorder but use standard Baroque fingering. I have the full set and they are quite loud. I absolutely love the sound of my Dream Edition treble - I have lots of recorders and this has been one of my favourites for years.
I love your videos, Sarah. I recently de-dusted my recorder and gave it a go and your videos are helping me a ton. I bought the daily lesson and the first of the modern recorder technique book of van Hauwe and work my way through them. So I have a question concerning a problem I always have: how to avoid that the recorder gets wet during playing…. What am I doing wrong here? Love from Belgium
Hey Sarah. I am a beginner recorder player. Thank you for the tips. I wanted to ask a question concerning cleaning a plastic recorder. Is it advisable for someone to remove the small part of the mouth piece as you are wiping the head of the recorder?
I've got a new recorder and lm an absolute beginer . But the recorder l bought has a bumpy voice. Anyway l love the way to teach. I think you'll be a really good music teacher.😊👍👍
When you say the recorder should be pushed together in mistake 1, I have read that pulling it apart is so you can tune it accurately when playing with other instruments. Using a chromatic tuner, you can pitch the recorder perfectly by adjusting the gap.
Adjusting it on purpose for tuning purposes is not the same as not properly assembling your recorder in error. . She was addressing those who don't have it assembled properly in error.
Well, I don't think it is that serious, really. There is no reason to articulate with your vocal cords when playing the recorder, but if you whistle, then your tongue is otherwise engaged, and you have to articulate with the vocal chords if you want to articulate at all. I have, logged between four and five thousand hours of whistling with this technique, and my voice is still OK, for singing as well as for talking.
Thank you for all of those. I can relate. My WORST mistake was leaving my wooden recorders on the ledge behind the back seat of my car for several days in August (1972), It cooked the oils out of the wood and damaged the corks so badly they had to be replaced. Never again! Most of my recorders are plastic Aulos now, but I still have a wooden bass, an alto and a couple of sopranos. My favorites are my two Aulos tenors, which play close to my vocal range. My least favorite is my sopranino, which makes my ears flutter.
Hello. I am a recorder player and, like you, have made mistakes. My question though is adjusting the breathing according to the full range of the instrument. I recent purchased a Küng Studio Tenor. Never had a tenor before. Having problems with a full bottom tone and the third octave. I started on soprano went to alto t then sopranino but tenor is a bit of a mystery getting full tone across the octaves. I suspect it is the amount of air. What might you suggest. Thank you.
Nice tips to keep your recorder working. I have a question, when cleaning it with soap and considering a plastic recorder, do you recommend just to clean with a wet cloth (inside and outside) or do I literally leave it inside water for some minutes and then dry it?. Thanks in advanced!.
AULOS tenor recorder found in the garbage ( WTH ????? ) teeth marks on the mouth piece, solved it with the heat of a lighter. Thanks for sharing your knowledge and experience, I'm learning a lot from your videos !!!
A mistake all my students do is having their hands the wrong way around. So i put little pieces of washitape on the side of the holes to memorize from which side the finger is coming. Within one week, everyone had it right:-)
Maya Adler well I am a professional with the hands the „wrong way around“ if you look back in history both was possible. Of course best way is to lorn left hand up. But everything is possible
Hello Sarah, that was another lovely and useful video for absolute beginners such as myself. Personally I'm very guilty of "leaky fingers" despite having very BIG hands and LOOONG fingers. I'm getting better, but the problem is still there. Another problem is that I tend not to use the tongue at all. Luckily I don't use my throat, I simply forget to articulate. Ooops. P.S. get well soon!
*AT CHOOLS THEY DON'T TEACH 90% OF THAT* At least at mine they didn't. Nothing about posture/articulation/cleaning... Only sometimes a friendly reminder about leaky fingers. And because of biting (my biggest sin, I'm so sorry for having doing it) my old recorder had it's wood scraped at the top (I have a new recorder now and I don't do that anymore). I was holding it so hard I didn't have to hold it in my hands ;-;
Definitely guilty of biting my recorder. I guess I'm lucky I only ever had the $5 recorder I got from the school when I was in 4th grade; it's not like I'm ruining a _good_ instrument. Now that I'm looking into getting decent recorders (and a range, I'd like more than just the soprano), I have been trying to unlearn my biting habit over the last few weeks. On that note, thank you so much for making this channel! It is so nice having a _solid_ resource for an instrument that I loved as a kid but everyone around me wanted me to move on to "real" instruments!
Hello! Congratulations for these amusing, informative and helpful videos. Could you please point me to a video where you address proper half hole technique? I've already watched the video where you talk about recorder registers and respective thumb positions. However, I could not find a video addressing half holes with other fingers (especially those other than the pinky and ring fingers of the right hand). Thank you in advance.
I’m in a recorder ensemble and I can’t even count the amount of times I’ve had to tilt my head weirdly the whole time because I was late for rehearsal and didn’t have the time to put my recorder together properly lol
I'm a professional musician and I play all sorts of wind instruments from saxophone to bagpipes. I really enjoy improvising on my recorder along with the choir for mass and have been doing it for many years, and thus thought I knew everything I needed to know. Your channel is quite informative and showed me many things I did NOT know. Thank you! Worth mentioning is that #9 is prevalent among clarinet and sax players who pick up a recorder since biting is part of their normal embouchure. I'm guilty of this one!
Take care, Sarah.
Here in Japan, Facebook for the recorder players(I think it's for Japanese player or the ones who speaks Japanese) has opened, and you and your You Tube is introduced. Many fans of yours are here in Japan!
Watching your videos I realize that I never learned to play the recorder properly as a child. That is probably why I decided to quit. Frustrated about it, always out of breath it was always a struggle and I did not want to struggle any more. Right now I have decided to buy a recorder and start again! (At age 62!!) thank you so much for your lovely, fun and informative videos!! 😘
As I've only had my recorder since yesterday, I'm hoping to avoid bad habits by watching these videos. I practiced for an hour this morning to your beginner tutorial. First goal, develop a constant good tone. Possibly, I'll be able to move to the next step in a month or so. Wish me luck on my attempts to play "Skye Boat Song".
@Daniel Gable: Re. "develop a constant good tone"; that point was impressed on me when I first started learning the baritone horn. My tutor pointed out that, if I created a good, musical tone, even if I was only playing 'Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star', it would sound very pleasant to listen to. If, in contrast, the sound I made was 'Blerrgghh!', then even if my sight reading, speed, fingering, articulation and dynamics were all spot on, WHATEVER I played would sound horrible!
FWIW, I think your 'first goal' is absolutely correct. And her'e luck to you, Daniel!
Regarding tonal constancy: yes, yes, yes!
That is the reason I quit violin as a youngster -- because my teacher (yes, teacher) told me I was "close enough" and to keep going whilst I grimaced and hated the ugly and irregular sounds I was producing.
After years of training in other instruments (including recorder, guitar and piano, each of which contributed to obtaining that exquisite constancy), I have returned to strings (vioal da gamba and cello) to enjoy that longed for sound.
Go for it and happy playing!!!
Another good reason to use a sock is that you always have lots of single socks after the other was eaten by the tumble dryer.
If your socks match, you would normally only have one extra sock at most.
@Stephanie Ellison really?
@Stephanie Ellison _Aslan needs socks in Narnia!_
Bruh
? How is that even possible?!?
My fix for leaky fingers: I get them to press their fingers into the holes for a moment and then inspect them to see which one doesn't have the imprint of a complete circle on it.
Hi Sarah, I’ve been enjoying your lessons so much. My plan for today was to write all the fingerings for the alto recorder into a list I could refer to easily. Unfortunately I lost your description on the sceeen and haven’t been able to find it again. Can you help me to find it please. Sarah D.
th-cam.com/video/YMYDsWAy2C0/w-d-xo.html
that could lead to excessive tension, and a stronger grip that would be needed. a better solution its to let go off all the tension, to the point of the flute almost fall to the ground, then work on the fingers one at the time. i like to use pedal points from the low pitched Eb (all the holes uncovered) all the way down, that contrast between no fingers and all the fingers really helps the note accuracy
@@arthursouza420 Well, if the student continued to play with that grip what you say would be true. But to do that briefly with a class of eight year olds is much quicker and easier to direct than what you describe - which would suit a private student or older class much better. A brief squeeze doesn't need to lead to a permanently impaired grip. It will just point out to them which finger is the culprit when they can't get the right note.
Can I just say that these videos are helping me stay mentally afloat in this quarantine season? Thank you Sarah, for your great teaching method, your quirky humor, and just a great channel. My commitment for these next two weeks is to work on my instrument for at least 10 minutes a day following your videos and some music theory (with kids around it's a whole different ball game... or orchestra? :D). Let's see how far I get!!!
Miriam Ngombe I hope you’re still going strong! If not, it’s time to get back to it! :)
Agreed!
Thank you very much for your videos. For contributing a little, as a thank you, I add a link to the errors ...
0:58 - 1. Wonky recorder
1:49 - 2. Leaky fingers
2:47 - 3. Bad posture
3:56 - 4. New note, new breath?
5:36 - 5. Not blowing enough
6:34 - 6. Leaky nose
7:32 - 7. Banana notes
8:34 - 8. Tongue twisters
9:46 - 9. Biting!
10:29 - 10. Sloppy wet recorders
Tip 4 / 8 reminded me of surprising my flute instructor. She said my tonguing was a bit soft and I needed to make firmer stops. To which I replied "tonguing?" I had been using diaphragm, but it passed as tonguing. Oops? 😅
This was really useful!!! I always thought that the recorder was a dumb instrument when I was young, since in music class no one (not even the teacher really) could play it well, and it was super high pitched. I had NO idea until I watched your videos that it was actually a soprano recorder we were using, and that even then it could sound good if you knew what you were doing. So for the last few weeks I've been practicing the recorder and it's coming along pretty well!! Annoyingly I can't yet not bite with my teeth on it though, because I'm a tenor saxophone player and have braces. But I've been playing on this recorder for YEARS biting down on it and there's not even a scratch. This is one resilient little bugger :O
Also this entire time I've been half-covering holes to play flats and sharps i DiDN'T KNOW THERE WERE OTHER WAYS TO PLAY THEM AAH ;_;
haaa yay welcome to the recorder world!
I presume this revelation about half notes means that, in addition to listening to Sarah, you located and downloaded a fingering chart? LOL?!?
Very useful, thank you for these tips. I retired my trumpet after high school and decided six years later to fill the musical hole in my heart. Hoping recorder is what I need! Recorders seem like a beautiful and somewhat misunderstood family of instruments.
Your videos have been helpful in getting started, like having a personal online tutor!
Luke Hebert cool B)
I know this is such an old video but I have to tell you, I am enchanted by your personality. I have randomly stumbled upon this video and it made me realize how much I loved playing a recorder as a kid, I could play things by ear and more than anything, it was bringing me SO MUCH JOY. Pure joy. It felt so good. But I was a goth kid so I settled on an electric guitar and ended up hating it which made me give up on playing music. I just thought I'm bad at music and should give up. You made me realize my mind was in the wrong place. I chose something 'cool' and 'show offish' instead of choosing something that brought me joy. To some extent I didn't even know that a recorder was a legit instrument... I wish someone like you were around back then. Also, I am awkward and queer(bisexual man) and weird like you (please don't take this the wrong way, I mean that as a compliment, haha.), also from a small village near a small town in Poland so I just vibe with your videos so much, you feel like such a similar soul. I am trying to learn how to play a bass guitar currently but after watching your videos I decided to also purchase a recorder (maybe a bass! I just love bass sounds... bass makes me so happy) and start learning how to play. I want to thank you for inspiring me. You are so amazing, I truly am enchanted by your energy, it made me realize so much and inspire me to change my life for the better... I know, super cheesy. But it's true.
Wow, your tips on a "steady stream of air" reminds me of what I learned in voice class as a teenager! My first teacher was very classically-oriented so this was a big deal for her.
Thank you! I'm loving this rediscovery of music on the recorder---and, as a Soprano II/Alto singer, it's great to have access to range that isn't so easily accessible via my vocal register!!
Tip I give all wind instrument players: don't blow INTO your instrument- blow THROUGH it. So simple, so much difference!
Laura Klaassen Minnick how do i exactly do that?
@@CKayh It's more a mental thing than anything else. But it opens up your throat a lot. Much like voice placement for singers, you visualize the air passing though- like, imagine you are warming something that is at the end of your instrument. Even just thinking it, I can feel my throat open.
Haha
So true 😂
How ?
@@Liutgard Thank you so much for this! Visualisation is so valuable in so many things.
OMG! I am a self-taught recorder player and have been trying to find a teacher near me in the USA. I have had no luck, so have just soldier on the best I can with a few tips from other self-taught (but more musically proficient) players. This have been SOOOO helpful! I just discovered you (Nov. 26, 2017). I can't WAIT to see how many of these I can fix. I am guilty of most of them, I think. I do clean my recorders (plastic and wood) as best I can, but not well enough, I am sure. I no longer bite my recorder (as I got better, I stopped biting). Leaking fingers, unsteady airflow, I know are problems. I will be more aware of my posture from now on, so some of those problems will go away. I am really looking forward to watching more of your videos and I am now subscribed!
I'm self-taught as well in the USA. I feel like there is hardly anyone in our country who plays the recorder.
Where are you guys from? I'm near Omaha
@@Fretfeeler
Where is Ohama
@@meukunsarangbe2238 Nebraska, USA
@@Fretfeeler
Oooook
Wow, this lesson solved all of my problems with the tenor recorder. Thanks Sarah.
Also maybe don't eat while playing. I was at a class by a national level trumpet player, who thought he was finished as a player, until he washed out all that chocolate bar residue out of his trumpet.
Jerry Kitich hahaha!
Jerry Kitich gross lol
Delicious
I just started playing in order to stop smoking. I need help with not sounding off while in public. Help. th-cam.com/video/YDSVgWvgMxE/w-d-xo.html. Thank you.
Oh, he was finished! Any trumpet player eating and playing...finished!
I just took my recorder apart because she mentioned cleaning it... I will never take so long to clean it ever again. It was disgusting.
Thank you so much. Your videos are a fabulous tool. I share them with my recorder classes. The students love learning from you!
You are such a wonderful teacher! So glad I found your channel! ☺️☺️☺️☺️☺️🤩🤩🤩🤩
Thank you Sarah. I took up the recorder again in April 2020, after decades gap and only very little learning as a child, thanks to recorders my mum bought back then that I retrieved from her house after she died. I have been accumulating tunes I already know and love figuring out the notes. I can give pleasure to friends on the doorstep or down the telephone, sometimes with amazing reactions from listeners. I found your fab instructive videos via something else and I have learnt so much, especially how to articulate with the tongue rather than separating notes by stopping the breath. Along with the well paced and informative instruction, you have a delightful manner that really engaged me. It's very gracious of you to put these videos out free. I can see your passion for this amazing instrument, cutting through the prejudices about it being a 'toy'. It's a great thing to do during this pandemic, for so many reason. We need more home-made music, now we can't go to concerts! Thank you thank you.
This video brings my memory back when I played recorders in my teenage.
You're a natural born teacher--I've said this before but feel compelled to say it again--thank you, thank you for making these videos! I've learned more from you regarding playing technique than any other music teacher I've known.
Great video! I've shared with my students in my Music for Children Class.
I'm a new music teacher who actually never learned recorder in my education (but I was a clarinet player, so that goes a long way!) who has been using your videos this week to start practicing now before I have to teach the instrument next year. Thank you for putting these together for your viewers! So much help!
(also as a clarinet player I'm so glad you mentioned not biting the mouthpiece--that's what you're SUPPOSED to do on a clarinet lol. It didn't feel right on a recorder so I was only using my lips...but it still felt Wrong. Thanks for confirming!)
You're welcome! ❤️
SARAH ......... I'm a pensioner in my 70's. No natural talent for music, although I did an online test a couple of years ago and got rated as 'above average' (on the good side !) when taking an 'Are you tone deaf' test. My Father played (and made) violin(s) for a hobby, so I grew up hearing music in the home. I get frustrated when hearing beautiful music (e.g. Handel's Passacaglia) that I'm not making nice music myself. Because of the 'school' experience with recorder, I've shied away from considering the recorder as an O.A.P. option . However, I stumbled on this video of yours and found it so interesting that I listened right through to # 10 ! Your bubbly style having a lot to do with making your presentation so good. I will now look up other videos of yours to further enrich what may be my initial learning experience prior to getting an instrument. (Don't worry, I'm not expecting to learn just by watching, and certainly won't be playing the Handel piece any time soon 😂). to you.
Thank you for your lovely comment!
They showed us this in music class
Are you still playing?
Cool
Wow
That's nice, but very vague... Who are "they", who was "us", and where was did you go for "music class"?
Wow! For a beginner, like me, this video was filled with loads of tips and encouragement to learn to play the recorder in the right manner.
Great video, hilarious and really helpful! I just discovered this week that I breathe out through my nose while playing haha. And yes I do feel like I'm drowning so I'm heading straight over to your Breathing warm up video lol.
MHHH WOW.. YOUR REALLY GOOD IN THIS🌼WELL THIS IS MY FIRST YEAR PLAYING AN ANGEL RECORDER...SO I WOULD LYK TO THANK YOU FOR TEACHING ME ALL THESE THINGS ... ITS REALLY HELPED ME .... AND MY 2021 WISH IS TO MEET YOU SO THAT YOU CAN TEACH ME HOW TO PLAY THIS INSTRUMENT,CAUSE I REALLY WANT TO BE SUCCESSFUL LIKE YOU ONE DAY ,ACTUALLY YOU ARE MY ROLE MODEL🌜🌸🌛
great video! i love your personality!
Great video. Banana note made me laugh 😂 😹 🤣
I can't tell you how much I love your station! I'm passing this along to all my general music students.
Hi Sarah, thank you very much for a very enjoyable and informative series! Could you please do video guiding us on difficult trill fingurings? Thank you again!
Thank you so much for your tips, I have an Grade 1 exam coming up and your tips will come in handy!
Cece Unicorn Hope you did well!
I had my mom buy a plastic recorder (despite me being a pianist) so when I got it I was wondering what a certain little stick was for. No. 10 really helped me realise the obvious ^_^
i love to play the recorder since i was in the school and i keep playing with no much develop of my technic but with you im going ahead.
now i refall inlove with this instrument and im falling in love of you !!!!!!!!
you are so awesome! we bought the recorder you've recommended for the beginner kids, and these lessons made things so much easier!!!!
Thank you! I teach recorder to little kids, before they are old enough to start on the flute, but it is not my main instrument, so this is very very helpful! ☺️☺️☺️
Very useful! Thank you so much for posting.
Great and entertaining video, thanks ! I had to replay the "breazing in and out" illustration, was so funny :) My little girl is interested in learning so these pieces of advise are quite useful. Greetings from France
I’m watching loads of your videos since I have a band concert approaching where my director gave me a recorder solo unexpectedly. The part is pretty simple and straight to the point, but I know something is gonna go bad, maybe I’d lose my recorder, forget it. Or maybe even just play a Bb instead of B#
I play the recorder and this channel really has helped me a lot especially this video
thank you for your tips. want to hear more from you soon.
I learn a lot from you. Your videos are great. Thank you very much indeed!
Hoi! Het is erg leuk, om naar jou videos te kijken! Ik oefen nu meer met de Block Fluit en jou Videos zijn een grote Hulp! Jij bent echt een sympathiek mens!
Question from a beginner -- if you are supposed to maintain a constant amount of air throughout the note, then how do you make it grow softer (diminuendo)? Thanks for the videos; I love them.
Dynamics aren’t used as much on recorder as other instruments. Sarah did another whole video on dynamics.
Thanks for making the video in spite of your cold! I've added Italian subtitles, hope they will be useful!
P.S. what did you say at 5:17? That was the only spot I couldn' get right.
She said: "Uhh! Just so much better!"
Thanks! i was doing the throat articulation thing. i was aware it was happening (it hurts a bit), but wasn't sure (until now) how to fix it. The posture, i can't do that much about (bedridden), but I'm doing my best.
It is good to point out the difference between a new breath every note and the tonguing for the staccato, some people may mix that information when learning.
Great video, wow i do lots of these and this just shows there is so much to the recorder i wish if people at my school saw this video and this channel they would all stop bullying me for playing the recorder (dont worry i shut them up in the end) i once had an arguement which instrument had more to it a bass guitar or a recorder and yes i won dw
My favorite error: Failing to put down all the fingers indicated on the fingering chart. For example, soprano F/alto Bb without the little finger hole closed. These fingerings may sound fine when you are alone, but as soon as you join up with a piano or another recorder, they sound awful and sharp. Next favorite: Breathing shallowly or locking up the air column. You should breathe all the way down to the abdominal floor (at least, that's how it feels) and maintain the air column unobstructed as you exhale. It is all too easy to create a "wall" after the breath and exhale only from the top of the lungs. This deprives the instrument of air and creates a huge amount of tension in your upper body.
Third error: Hitting the high notes by only exhaling harder. Instead of this, the player should make an "ee" shape with the mouth. Fourth error: Cracking low notes by failing to make an "oo" shape in the mouth.. The larger the instrument the further up its range this need extends.
This was very helpful to me. Thank you.
My teacher told me to watch this video and it helps me a lot 💕❤️
Hope your cold will go away soon, and thanks for all this good advice!
Thank you! This video was super helpful! My recording playing improved massively after watching this!
I am so guilty of most of the problems mentioned :D. The curse of the beginner musician, LOL!
Beauty and talent - pure pleasure! Thank you for your vids!
Sarah, I'm a man who has been playing guitar for many many years, I've had this recorder a couple of years and lately, been dying to learn how to play it WELL, to Record accompaniment for my guitar playing and singing!.. Some of the Greatest Classic Rock songs I love to play had flute parts in them so I'm trying to become adept at the recorder!.. THANK you, SO much, for your Tips, I LOVE your British accent, and I think you're EXTREMELY cute!
I learned the soprano and alto recorders (and most of these 10 pointers) from my parents; they were into Renaissance/Baroque music (not Renaissance Fairs, lol) and, simultaneously with piano and music theory, it was part of my earliest musical education... I'm so glad I had the exposure, because all of that made learning the transverse flute (and later, the bagpipe) A LOT easier.... I have recently returned to the recorder, and it's like riding a bike, except for the bad (recorder) habit that I acquired from years of practice-chanter, ie "resting the end of the instrument on the table".
this video brought back some memories of school I remember always getting into massive trouble, just because I didn't put the instrument together straight, it didn't help not being able to see either
So helpful, thank you !!!!!
The hardest thing to do when you're playing the recorder is "blowing enough". Man, I don't have this much breath!!
But thank you so much for the tips. They"ll help me a lot!
Thank you for the tips, very supporting. ;)
Another point is a loosely connected joint which happens over time. My fix is using Teflon Sealing Tape 12mm which is plumbing tape. Keep a roll in your recorder bag! Works a charm🎼😁
Thank you so much for this video! I started just playing recorder and I want to know all the mistakes before it’s too late 😂
Very clear and useful explanations! Contrats!
Thank you for videos, I adore watching them ) You are the best )
Me: watches the entire video
Also me: quickly grabs my recorder to clean it because i haven't touched it in months
Sarah, I have a question. I like the sound of the Renaissance recorder. I’m looking for an instrument that would be best for sending a message over the hills! Lol. As a nurse I know that the higher pitches are the ones that we lose first with our hearing! I’m afraid that sound will be lost. I’m thinking an alto might be okay, but I would like to try a tenor. Which would you recommend?
Nobody ever replied to this so here's my suggestion: I have a Mollenhauer Dream Edition tenor. The Dream Edition recorders are made from plum wood, but there is a cheaper option available in pear wood (I think!) called Adri's Dream. They are all modelled on the Renaissance style of recorder but use standard Baroque fingering. I have the full set and they are quite loud. I absolutely love the sound of my Dream Edition treble - I have lots of recorders and this has been one of my favourites for years.
I love your videos, Sarah. I recently de-dusted my recorder and gave it a go and your videos are helping me a ton. I bought the daily lesson and the first of the modern recorder technique book of van Hauwe and work my way through them. So I have a question concerning a problem I always have: how to avoid that the recorder gets wet during playing…. What am I doing wrong here? Love from Belgium
You're just wonderful! Amazing!
Hey Sarah. I am a beginner recorder player. Thank you for the tips. I wanted to ask a question concerning cleaning a plastic recorder. Is it advisable for someone to remove the small part of the mouth piece as you are wiping the head of the recorder?
I've got a new recorder and lm an absolute beginer . But the recorder l bought has a bumpy voice. Anyway l love the way to teach. I think you'll be a really good music teacher.😊👍👍
When you say the recorder should be pushed together in mistake 1, I have read that pulling it apart is so you can tune it accurately when playing with other instruments. Using a chromatic tuner, you can pitch the recorder perfectly by adjusting the gap.
Adjusting it on purpose for tuning purposes is not the same as not properly assembling your recorder in error. . She was addressing those who don't have it assembled properly in error.
very interesting thanks for the great points! I enjoy your fun delivery, got me laughing all the way!
You rock, as usual, Sarah! ❤️💕🎶🥳🎉
You and your videos are so beautiful! Thanks a lot!
her:moves the pieces in the recorder
me: *grunts* trying to move the pieces in my recorder.
Have you lubricated the joints? :-)
I'm a celtic harp player and new to recorders (felt in love with the alto and tenor ones). Thanks for the tips, it's very helpful! :)
I love this I even learned a new song
So when I got my record the head was made hafe way out and it is made like that so I can move it or remove it
throat articulation ruins your voice'?? scary :-I I did not know that, you saved my voice.
Well, I don't think it is that serious, really. There is no reason to articulate with your vocal cords when playing the recorder, but if you whistle, then your tongue is otherwise engaged, and you have to articulate with the vocal chords if you want to articulate at all. I have, logged between four and five thousand hours of whistling with this technique, and my voice is still OK, for singing as well as for talking.
Newbie at 66 thank you found this invaluable
How's it going? I'm a rank beginner at age 70. Just now received my new recorder.
love your lessons and your English :) I am still learing but I am "old".... it takes some time to get it
Beautiful new alto, Sarah!
Thank you so much. I needed those tips.
Thank you for all of those. I can relate. My WORST mistake was leaving my wooden recorders on the ledge behind the back seat of my car for several days in August (1972), It cooked the oils out of the wood and damaged the corks so badly they had to be replaced. Never again! Most of my recorders are plastic Aulos now, but I still have a wooden bass, an alto and a couple of sopranos. My favorites are my two Aulos tenors, which play close to my vocal range. My least favorite is my sopranino, which makes my ears flutter.
2:27 i use leaky fingers like an octave key on a saxophone. I usually do it on the back hole, but the middle key is also an option
Hello. I am a recorder player and, like you, have made mistakes. My question though is adjusting the breathing according to the full range of the instrument. I recent purchased a Küng Studio Tenor. Never had a tenor before. Having problems with a full bottom tone and the third octave. I started on soprano went to alto t then sopranino but tenor is a bit of a mystery getting full tone across the octaves. I suspect it is the amount of air. What might you suggest. Thank you.
Nice tips to keep your recorder working.
I have a question, when cleaning it with soap and considering a plastic recorder, do you recommend just to clean with a wet cloth (inside and outside) or do I literally leave it inside water for some minutes and then dry it?.
Thanks in advanced!.
And... you do it again. Great video, awesome channel. Cheers!
Zvika Dror luv da afro
Agreed
AULOS tenor recorder found in the garbage ( WTH ????? ) teeth marks on the mouth piece, solved it with the heat of a lighter.
Thanks for sharing your knowledge and experience, I'm learning a lot from your videos !!!
This is new to me. Thank you so much for this video!!
A mistake all my students do is having their hands the wrong way around. So i put little pieces of washitape on the side of the holes to memorize from which side the finger is coming. Within one week, everyone had it right:-)
Maya Adler well I am a professional with the hands the „wrong way around“ if you look back in history both was possible. Of course best way is to lorn left hand up. But everything is possible
Thank you! Good instruction. Hope you feel well now. ;-)
Hello Sarah, that was another lovely and useful video for absolute beginners such as myself.
Personally I'm very guilty of "leaky fingers" despite having very BIG hands and LOOONG fingers. I'm getting better, but the problem is still there.
Another problem is that I tend not to use the tongue at all. Luckily I don't use my throat, I simply forget to articulate. Ooops.
P.S. get well soon!
*AT CHOOLS THEY DON'T TEACH 90% OF THAT*
At least at mine they didn't. Nothing about posture/articulation/cleaning... Only sometimes a friendly reminder about leaky fingers. And because of biting (my biggest sin, I'm so sorry for having doing it) my old recorder had it's wood scraped at the top (I have a new recorder now and I don't do that anymore). I was holding it so hard I didn't have to hold it in my hands ;-;
Definitely guilty of biting my recorder. I guess I'm lucky I only ever had the $5 recorder I got from the school when I was in 4th grade; it's not like I'm ruining a _good_ instrument. Now that I'm looking into getting decent recorders (and a range, I'd like more than just the soprano), I have been trying to unlearn my biting habit over the last few weeks. On that note, thank you so much for making this channel! It is so nice having a _solid_ resource for an instrument that I loved as a kid but everyone around me wanted me to move on to "real" instruments!
Hello! Congratulations for these amusing, informative and helpful videos. Could you please point me to a video where you address proper half hole technique? I've already watched the video where you talk about recorder registers and respective thumb positions. However, I could not find a video addressing half holes with other fingers (especially those other than the pinky and ring fingers of the right hand). Thank you in advance.
Then I've realised that there is no combination using half holes with fingers other than left thumb, right ring and right pinky... =|
I’m in a recorder ensemble and I can’t even count the amount of times I’ve had to tilt my head weirdly the whole time because I was late for rehearsal and didn’t have the time to put my recorder together properly lol