Ryan Nicholson if I brought that in, I’m pretty sure I would’ve been allowed to play it because I was one of my elementary school’s music teacher’s favorite student, and she let me play recorder solos and stuff in concerts 😂
Actually there was a unique specimen of this size in the Renaissance although it was in C rather than in B-flat. It is documented in the 3rd edition of Edgar Hunt's book on the recorder on p. 31. There was a subcontrabass recorder 2.85 m. long and probably pitched in C in the Biblioteca Capitolare, Verona which was once owned by the Accademia Filarmonica of Verona and was probably one of three contrabass recorders listed in an inventory of 1569 two of which are still to be found in the Accademia Filarmonica. Its existence has been confirmed by Simone Zaniol who saw it in the 1980s. This instrument no longer appears to be at the Biblioteca Capitolare who have written saying that it was returned many years ago to the Accademia Filarmonica but the latter write that they do not have the instrument so it is probably lost.
I saw / heard this wonderful recorder played at a Royal Wind Music concert at the Amstelkerk in Amsterdam in June 2018. When it was first carried out on stage there was an audible gasp from the audience. It has a beautiful mellow, sonorous sound and is surprisingly soft considering it's size - it was a real treat to hear it in recital.
@@samueltaylor6861 Really look at the Moosemann's ... I tried them at NAMM, and they sound really really great. By "Heckel system" do you mean "German System"? You can get fairly good ones from $8,000 or so. Also consider Wolf, or Fox. But 16,000 is probably more realistic.
I think we forget that bassoons, oboes, and clarinets are much more complex instruments to manufacture. A recorder is a tube with holes in it. The other instruments have to deal with reeds and a lot of keys. That is definitely not a criticism of the recorder, merely an observation that explains why even top model recorders are less expensive than mid level oboes, for example. Or why you can get student recorders for $10 each or less but I can’t find a student saxophone for my daughter for under $250.
I am a trombone currently studying at Central Piedmont Community College in Charlotte, NC, and I always love hearing and seeing new instruments! I was recently introduced to this whole family of early instrument when I joined an early music ensemble (renaissance music) playing the sackbut (also a cool brass instrument). So thank you so much for this! I find all you have to offer really fascinating
I think I know what the stick is for. It is to keep the tube in order when closing the case so that they don't rotate and damage either themselves or the rest of the recorder when closing the case. Does that seem right?
Why? Because they have really big pipes? Do organists brag about the size of their instrument? Violinist: "I can play the Paganini caprices." Guitarist: "I can play the solo to Crazy Train." Organist: "Mine's bigger."
I would so love to try a recorder like that, but that is not likely to happen... I have known about these Breukink recorders for a long time, there is this iconic photograph of Adriana with it. Thanks for sharing!
Love this! Shared the link on FB.Sarah could you consider a YT on how the recorders graded in fifths would sound in concert (together) perhaps with a fairly well-known piece-... does that sound doable?
If anyone wishes to get something like this, Paetzold makes both a sub-great bass in C (C2) and a subcontrabass in FF (F1) for a more affordable price; I think in this channel you can find some more informations on Paetzold's "square-section" instruments. This one, anyway, still is an amazing sight.
Those square-section bass recorders are pretty amazing including the expression on overblown tones. I see now that being a professional recorder player can be much more expensive than I'd suspected prior to realizing they cover such a range! I wonder if the contrabass recorders would have a more impressive fundamental in an open or very large space like a cathedral. A pipe organ's lowest pipes wouldn't sound very impressive in a room too small to accept extremely long wavelengths either.
Really interesting! I play clarinet, but I actually have a fascination for all woodwind instruments... or treewood instruments. It kind of sounds like a didgeridoo. Thanks for this!
I think that stick is there to prevent the possibility of the tubes twisting in place and touching the body. Their swan shape makes them susceptible to inertia and stuff... maybe? I didn't even know these things existed, so .. ? Thanks for showing the coolest instrument I have ever seen. Need to hear in person!!!
Still, a high-end bassoon might set you back 60 000$, 70 000$, and by my calculations that's... many recorders! (To be clear, I bought the cheapest bassoon I could bear, and it still was around 12 000$.)
@@LeRoiJojo My recorder teacher has around 50 flutes, each cost at least 1500€, sometimes it can cost a lot more especially on the great basses, so...yeah haha.
This is amazing! Originally recorders are not designed to be that low in pitch, but the development is amazing!!! Great! I would like to know when you say the lowest note, it's how much lower than cello? Couldn't hear it clearly.
To those puzzled by this statement, here's my explanation: Yes, the lowest note of a cello is C (open string of CGDA), so nominally Bb is a tone lower, not a semi-tone. However, as Adriana Breukink's consort instruments are pitched at A=466 (a semi-tone higher than concert), that means the lowest note of this instrument is pitched at concert B. Whew!
The terminology for the lowest recorders seems quite muddled. I always used to think of recorders around an octave below the greatbass as subcontrabasses, as has been done here...until I learned about the lower instrument that Paetzold calls a subcontrabass, and that they call the instrument of this size a subgreatbass instead. Are the Paetzold naming conventions used exclusively for Paetzold instruments, or has the conflicting nomenclature been around for longer than that? I always use the Paetzold conventions in arrangements because sometimes I want to use that lowest instrument, and since they're the only ones who have ever offered it, it seems necessary to use their name for it. Also, I've always wondered how the holes on a large renaissance recorder can be spaced so differently from the holes on a small one without disturbing the instrument's intonation; the holes on an alto are spread pretty evenly over the lower two thirds or the instrument, while on this instrument, the distance between the middle two holes for the right hand, for example, is vastly smaller than that between the two holes covered by keys on the body joint. Are the holes drilled diagonally like some of the ones on a bassoon, perhaps, so that where they join the bore on the inside doesn't match where they break through the outside?
Michajeru have you ever seen a chromatic didgeridoo I saw one once on australian television, I think it was the only one to exist or at least the first to exist.
However the Didgeridoo is much louder and has a lot more projection. I wonder if anyone has thought of amplifying this huge wind instrument ? As it is it's too 'soft' in sound and obviously not much projection.
@@skyfacer9626 Might be that even if u turd up the volume all the way using whatever speakers you are using it is at least twice as loud ass that :P. Seriously though it can be louder obviously like twice as loud give or take a few decibels.
great Video!we had the privilege of having the biggest recorder on the African continent in Cape Town. It was a sub bass ,not quite as tall but still very impressive. I was dizzy after only a few minutes when my friend let me try it.,Sadly the instrument went to his daughter in the UK after his death.
Hi, this may be the "highest" recorder. But it is not the longest or biggest one. The Subcontrabass of Paetzold by Kunath has a sounding lenght of 3,6m. Adriana Breukink is writing, that "Big babe" is 3m long. So this should be - in the famous video - corrected.
I don't know why your videos started showing up in my recommended, it happened after I started getting into the ocarina and watching videos from David Erik Ramos and the STL videos. But your videos are very informative and entertaining, I honestly didnt even know the recorder was any more than the $1 toys I remember from when I was a kid. Just like I frankly didn't know the ocarina was a real instrument until I was told, and shown, by someone.
There is an entry in Guinness records from 1994 for a recorder 5 meters 16'5" made by Stefan Geir Karlsson in Iceland. It is apparently fully functional. Each hole is 8.5cm in diameter.
Hi Sarah! I've been getting a kick out of your recorder tutorials! i returned to the recorder in my mid twenties which is thirty years ago. And, now finally got a yamaha rosewood soprano recorder which i feel is only a notch better than my plastic one! (: but I got a yamaha tenor recorder recently too and appreciate your advice on how to stretch and hold it properly etc. I was born near Amsterdam by the way, so hearing your story was interesting!
Love the Ammato water key in the gooseneck! I played a C bass in school that was the next C below the tenor I reckon. I did have a metal neck which entered from the side of the cap. I usually played the f bass But this must be an octave and whole step below our "great bass" to which I say WOW.
That was so fun!! Unfortunately, I have a) tiny hands and b) rheumatoid arthritis. My fingers are pretty flexible because I grew up playing the piano, but sadly, my wrists and one elbow are pretty shot. Thus, I am questioning whether to even try an alto recorder! The Big Sub Contra Bass would only work for me with extensive custom keys. But SO FUN to watch!
I'm wondering how even with the keys, the holes can be clustered on the top for the left hand, on the bottom for the right hand, instead of being equally spaced along the shaft like a regular recorder. In which case of course, keys would be needed for all holes.
We can shift tone hole position yet still get the same pitch by carefully adjusting the hole size. Moving closer to the top, the hole will get smaller. For comparison, concert flute's holes are clustered at the end of instrument and very very big.
i don’t know the physics of musical instruments very well but “Bb below the cello” is not nearly as low as i would have expected. bassoon is quite a bit smaller and hits that same note.
Great video! Regarding “The Stretch” needed for playing very large bass recorders: is there a reason more of them aren’t made fully keyed for more comfortable fingering? Is it just tradition? Or concerns about minimizing key sounds and some loss of control for the musician?
in the words of Will Smith in Independence Day, "I gotta get me one of those!" I have a Moeck contrabass. In addition to the physical stretch being a problem, the breath control is an issue, but not in the way that you might think. All of the lowest instruments (bass, great bass, contrabass, and subcontrabass) must be played with a slow wind stream or else they overblow. The contrabass also has a circular stand. That is not only so the player doesn't have to hold up the instrument, but it also allows air movement.
7:08 That’s a bit of a missconception. With an instrument of that size it would require multiple breaths to completely change the air in the tube, but you do not need to blow the air from your lungs through the tube to make sound, because as soon as you blow, that air inside the tube will move too.
is there an explanation of why it needs 3 meters to reach the same note as a basson, which is much smaller? and by the way Sarah you're channel grew soooo much, I'm so proud of you!!!
First answer is folding - the bassoon's air column is more like twice the height of the instrument because the tubing doubles back on itself, whereas Big Babe is straight. Same principle applies to straight trumpets and bugles - same pipe length but a much less compact instrument - and it's also why some contrabass saxophones are 7' tall and others are much shorter and fatter. Second answer is that this recorder is an open pipe, whereas the bassoon is a closed pipe (the reed counts as "closed"). That means the bassoon's fundamental frequency corresponds to a wavelength 4x the length of its air column, whereas the recorder's fundamental frequency corresponds to a wavelength of only 2x the length of its air column.
@@patheddles4004 Actually, the bassoon (and all other conical reed instruments) acts as an open pipe in terms of fundamental frequency and harmonic content. A reed instrument has to be cylindrical like the clarinet before it acts as a closed pipe.
wouldn’t it be fun to have all the different sizes of recorders? I have a few already. I have 2 wooden descants, 2 alto recorders, 1 plastic and 1 wooden, and a plastic tenner recorder. I would like to get my hands on a wooden tenner.
As a tuba player, I've always been fond of other contrabass instruments and this is an interesting one for sure. Though, I'm probably physically big enough to play it (assuming the mouthpiece can be adjusted to a 6'6" user), I'm only just now starting to ease into fipple flutes after recently learning of the bass recorder's existence. I'm starting with a tin whistle, however, and have found a company that makes a Bb bass whistle that I'm hoping to cover my trombone and tuba marching band music in the meantime, but a great bass recorder still sounds interesting or possibly expand to bass sax yet those options are well down the road, lol
Luckily the Woodwinds will eventually get another instrument in the Bass clef, subcontrabassoon is being worked on as we speak though I do see it being very expensive when it comes to market, even moreso than high quality contrabassoons.
After viewing several videos about unusual musical instruments, TH-cam's algorithm now suggests Lou Reed's 'Walk On The Wild Side'. But not to worry. I'm sure AI will do a fine job with your self-driving vehicle.
Another question- any advice on getting a nice clean articulation without cracking the pitch on a big instrument like this? Having problems with that on my Kung contra. Is big-bass articulation just softer in general to the smaller sizes? Also running out of air a LOT- I see Hester can sustain a hefty sound on this one and even do some heavy vibrato! (Maybe you have an articulation video I haven't found yet)
I am pretty sure material of recorder doesn't matter, only shape matters. If I am right, you can use plumbing plastic pipes to build any size recorder.
Is it larger than the Paetzold subcontrabass in F? Our orchestra here in California has one of those- I love what it adds to our sound, but it's difficult to play for a long time for the left arm.
That's a very good question.... it is certainly taller, and with the tube it's much longer. BUT the Paetzold subcontra sounds lower, and extended would be longer.. so I guess I have to make another 'biggest recorder' video ;)
Did Sarah say "brought to life" or "baroque to life" at 3.50? . . . and how would you clean and dry that instrument after a concert? Personally, as an ex teacher in primary schools who endured far too many assemblies of recorder groups piercing my ears and making my teeth ache, I've never been keen on the instrument and prefer breath turned into music through a reed, although the tenor does make a sound which appeals (to me). I enjoy watching Sarah's videos because of her sheer energy and liveliness. For anyone who has problems with recorder try her '10 mistakes' upload . . . th-cam.com/video/PCGjTz2LOPA/w-d-xo.html
I got baby-sized hands. I would not be able to play that. Violin and piano are sometimes hard for me because of the short reach I have and I have very flexible hands. That recorder is impressive.
1:09 when a teacher tells his students to bring in a recorder and some smart ass brings this in ...
Hilarious!:D
I guess the teacher wouldn't be mad at this 😅
Ryan Nicholson if I brought that in, I’m pretty sure I would’ve been allowed to play it because I was one of my elementary school’s music teacher’s favorite student, and she let me play recorder solos and stuff in concerts 😂
Sarah: I feel like a *steamboat*
Hester: _awkward sideways glance_
That's not a recorder that's a tree
it's a tree with a few drill holes in it
so.. i guess it's a recorder
Martin Kuliza no it's a tree recorder
So not a bockflote but a baumflote?
Making Life Less Boring e
That's cool
Actually there was a unique specimen of this size in the Renaissance although it was in C rather than in B-flat. It is documented in the 3rd edition of Edgar Hunt's book on the recorder on p. 31.
There was a subcontrabass recorder 2.85 m. long and probably pitched in C in the Biblioteca Capitolare, Verona which was once owned by the Accademia Filarmonica of Verona and was probably one of three contrabass recorders listed in an inventory of 1569 two of which are still to be found in the Accademia Filarmonica.
Its existence has been confirmed by Simone Zaniol who saw it in the 1980s. This instrument no longer appears to be at the Biblioteca Capitolare who have written saying that it was returned many years ago to the Accademia Filarmonica but the latter write that they do not have the instrument so it is probably lost.
How does something that size get lost?
@@njackson8756someone took it home and never brought it back
I saw / heard this wonderful recorder played at a Royal Wind Music concert at the Amstelkerk in Amsterdam in June 2018. When it was first carried out on stage there was an audible gasp from the audience. It has a beautiful mellow, sonorous sound and is surprisingly soft considering it's size - it was a real treat to hear it in recital.
I was expecting a higher price coming from bassoon land.
Also I was surprised they didn't call the metal tube a "bocal" as is done with bassoons.
I’m currently Looking to buy a bassoon. A heckle system goes for 20 plus. I don’t know what to do.
@@samueltaylor6861 Really look at the Moosemann's ... I tried them at NAMM, and they sound really really great. By "Heckel system" do you mean "German System"? You can get fairly good ones from $8,000 or so. Also consider Wolf, or Fox. But 16,000 is probably more realistic.
I think we forget that bassoons, oboes, and clarinets are much more complex instruments to manufacture. A recorder is a tube with holes in it. The other instruments have to deal with reeds and a lot of keys. That is definitely not a criticism of the recorder, merely an observation that explains why even top model recorders are less expensive than mid level oboes, for example. Or why you can get student recorders for $10 each or less but I can’t find a student saxophone for my daughter for under $250.
Debbie Brown don’t buy a cheap saxophone, it’s not worth it in the long run.
I am a trombone currently studying at Central Piedmont Community College in Charlotte, NC, and I always love hearing and seeing new instruments! I was recently introduced to this whole family of early instrument when I joined an early music ensemble (renaissance music) playing the sackbut (also a cool brass instrument). So thank you so much for this! I find all you have to offer really fascinating
Delighted to meet that wonder. beautiful both explaining this jewel of humanity.
I think I know what the stick is for. It is to keep the tube in order when closing the case so that they don't rotate and damage either themselves or the rest of the recorder when closing the case. Does that seem right?
there should be a way to make it so those keys don't sound so clacky.
In the context of the essemble, they are not. Noise would be very important if it was a solo instrument.
All the organists are sitting here, laughing, and going "pathetic..."
haha
I wasn’t expecting to see you here, Patrick.
Yeah they play like 1500 of these
Love your vids
Why? Because they have really big pipes? Do organists brag about the size of their instrument?
Violinist: "I can play the Paganini caprices."
Guitarist: "I can play the solo to Crazy Train."
Organist: "Mine's bigger."
I would so love to try a recorder like that, but that is not likely to happen...
I have known about these Breukink recorders for a long time, there is this iconic photograph of Adriana with it.
Thanks for sharing!
I remember seeing this in a WW2 documentary, they called it “Schwerer Gustav”
"I'm not so tall I'm 5'3 "
me: *laughs in 5 flat*
Amazing. I love the recorder, and I love low bass tones.
Now both together!
Love this! Shared the link on FB.Sarah could you consider a YT on how the recorders graded in fifths would sound in concert (together) perhaps with a fairly well-known piece-... does that sound doable?
If anyone wishes to get something like this, Paetzold makes both a sub-great bass in C (C2) and a subcontrabass in FF (F1) for a more affordable price; I think in this channel you can find some more informations on Paetzold's "square-section" instruments.
This one, anyway, still is an amazing sight.
That thing can eat both my bassoon *and* my baritone sax for breakfast, lunch and dinner :O !!!!
really interesting. Thanks for sharing.
Hey Sarah, What a Fantastic Video!!! Really Really Cool! You are the best Recorder TH-camr ever! Brasil Loves Team Recorder too... 😁😁😁
Lucas Debortoli Ae seu BR
I think the only XD
😓 other than you
Brazil*
Those square-section bass recorders are pretty amazing including the expression on overblown tones. I see now that being a professional recorder player can be much more expensive than I'd suspected prior to realizing they cover such a range! I wonder if the contrabass recorders would have a more impressive fundamental in an open or very large space like a cathedral. A pipe organ's lowest pipes wouldn't sound very impressive in a room too small to accept extremely long wavelengths either.
Big Babe has the same bottom pitch (Bb) as a bassoon. 😄 And the contrabassoon comes in at an octave below that! 😁
That's basically playing an entire organ pipe. Shit. That's impressive.
OMG that little stool. Too cute.
Them: "14500€!!"
Me, a bassoonist: "amateurs!!"
I love that instrument though
Me, a pianist: I can't get a lid for my grand piano for that pocket money
@@Wistbacka i bow to thee brother, i hear ya
@@umbertofilineri4635 Well... At least I am no organ player... F that price range.
Really interesting! I play clarinet, but I actually have a fascination for all woodwind instruments... or treewood instruments. It kind of sounds like a didgeridoo. Thanks for this!
Thank you, it was fun!
I have a great bass and it is interesting to see other members of the family!
I think that stick is there to prevent the possibility of the tubes twisting in place and touching the body. Their swan shape makes them susceptible to inertia and stuff... maybe? I didn't even know these things existed, so .. ? Thanks for showing the coolest instrument I have ever seen. Need to hear in person!!!
You're telling me this baby is actually cheaper than a professional bassoon? Man!, time for a career change!
Thing is, unless being part of a specific project, you have to buy a lot of different recorders in order to be professionnal :p
Still, a high-end bassoon might set you back 60 000$, 70 000$, and by my calculations that's... many recorders! (To be clear, I bought the cheapest bassoon I could bear, and it still was around 12 000$.)
@@LeRoiJojo My recorder teacher has around 50 flutes, each cost at least 1500€, sometimes it can cost a lot more especially on the great basses, so...yeah haha.
@@DuckyMusique Yeah. Music sucks. XD
@@LeRoiJojo nooooooo!
Another recorder I wanna have ... Thanks for this video!
Is that even a recorder anymore? xD
Recently just became interested in recorder ensembles, so You tube is sending me interesting thinks...like THIS!
Ah brilliant!
It sounds like a cattle instrument we use in Brazil called "berrante". Just amazing.
I am nearly 5'10" and have long spidery fingers; maybe I have found my recordery niche XD I would love to have a go on one of those!
Are there any (audiophile / high end) recordings of this instrument? Love the sound!
Amazing! My siblings used to complain about me when I used my normal tenor recorder: "Why are you playing the fartophone again?"
This is amazing! Originally recorders are not designed to be that low in pitch, but the development is amazing!!! Great! I would like to know when you say the lowest note, it's how much lower than cello? Couldn't hear it clearly.
A semi tone lower than the lowest note of a cello.
To those puzzled by this statement, here's my explanation:
Yes, the lowest note of a cello is C (open string of CGDA), so nominally Bb is a tone lower, not a semi-tone. However, as Adriana Breukink's consort instruments are pitched at A=466 (a semi-tone higher than concert), that means the lowest note of this instrument is pitched at concert B. Whew!
Tom M Great explanation! And thanks to hgroenleer as well~! Thanks!
Such a fun video, that’s so cool! Thanks for sharing!
Paetzold makes a subcontrabass in F that goes below that thing now.
I believe the stick holds the metal pieces in place during travel.
It's amazing seeing you playing such a gigantic recorder.
I think my bassoon still has it beat, but I understand I'm trying to get a contrabassoon (16'). Someone is working on a subcontra with 32'!
WOW HESTER HAS GOT SUCH A DUTCH ACCENT
That is a symptom of netherlandism. Btw, someone from the netherlands is called a nethanderthal.
That was exactly what I thought...
Loved this. Very interesting and enthusiastically presented. You have a new subscriber.
The terminology for the lowest recorders seems quite muddled. I always used to think of recorders around an octave below the greatbass as subcontrabasses, as has been done here...until I learned about the lower instrument that Paetzold calls a subcontrabass, and that they call the instrument of this size a subgreatbass instead. Are the Paetzold naming conventions used exclusively for Paetzold instruments, or has the conflicting nomenclature been around for longer than that? I always use the Paetzold conventions in arrangements because sometimes I want to use that lowest instrument, and since they're the only ones who have ever offered it, it seems necessary to use their name for it.
Also, I've always wondered how the holes on a large renaissance recorder can be spaced so differently from the holes on a small one without disturbing the instrument's intonation; the holes on an alto are spread pretty evenly over the lower two thirds or the instrument, while on this instrument, the distance between the middle two holes for the right hand, for example, is vastly smaller than that between the two holes covered by keys on the body joint. Are the holes drilled diagonally like some of the ones on a bassoon, perhaps, so that where they join the bore on the inside doesn't match where they break through the outside?
It reminds me of a didgeridoo which is a musical instrument played by Australian Aborigines.
Michajeru have you ever seen a chromatic didgeridoo I saw one once on australian television, I think it was the only one to exist or at least the first to exist.
Michajeru I'm Aussie, and do you even know why they have them
I'm American, and why do you seem so triggered about something so simple and true?
However the Didgeridoo is much louder and has a lot more projection. I wonder if anyone has thought of amplifying this huge wind instrument ? As it is it's too 'soft' in sound and obviously not much projection.
@@skyfacer9626 Might be that even if u turd up the volume all the way using whatever speakers you are using it is at least twice as loud ass that :P. Seriously though it can be louder obviously like twice as loud give or take a few decibels.
great Video!we had the privilege of having the biggest recorder on the African continent in Cape Town. It was a sub bass ,not quite as tall but still very impressive. I was dizzy after only a few minutes when my friend let me try it.,Sadly the instrument went to his daughter in the UK after his death.
Hi, this may be the "highest" recorder. But it is not the longest or biggest one. The Subcontrabass of Paetzold by Kunath has a sounding lenght of 3,6m. Adriana Breukink is writing, that "Big babe" is 3m long. So this should be - in the famous video - corrected.
Lol Hester really being able to play lines of notes without needing to take a breath is really like a FART NOISE?!?! WOW
I don't know why your videos started showing up in my recommended, it happened after I started getting into the ocarina and watching videos from David Erik Ramos and the STL videos. But your videos are very informative and entertaining, I honestly didnt even know the recorder was any more than the $1 toys I remember from when I was a kid. Just like I frankly didn't know the ocarina was a real instrument until I was told, and shown, by someone.
Nice, welcome to Team Recorder!
Hallo wie geht's? Wow es was eine toll flute. Ich mag sie! Jetzt ich Kenne mehr uber großst flutes. Gut video. Bis bald!
Dude Gurl, I’m mesmerized!
There is an entry in Guinness records from 1994 for a recorder 5 meters 16'5" made by Stefan Geir Karlsson in Iceland. It is apparently fully functional. Each hole is 8.5cm in diameter.
Probably the same range as the Paetzold by Kunath sub sub great bass recorder in C.
When she opened the bag it looks like shes preparing to fire a cannon AHHHAHHA
IM DOING IT, IM MAKING THE CONTRABASS SLIDE WHISTLE
Hi Sarah!
I've been getting a kick out of your recorder tutorials! i returned to the recorder in my mid twenties which is thirty years ago. And, now finally got a yamaha rosewood soprano recorder which i feel is only a notch better than my plastic one! (:
but I got a yamaha tenor recorder recently too and appreciate your advice on how to stretch and hold it properly etc. I was born near Amsterdam by the way, so hearing your story was interesting!
Great! En groetjes van amsterdam :)
B flat Zero. I can sing along! I love sub contra instruments!!!
breathtaking !!!
Love the Ammato water key in the gooseneck! I played a C bass in school that was the next C below the tenor I reckon. I did have a metal neck which entered from the side of the cap. I usually played the f bass But this must be an octave and whole step below our "great bass" to which I say WOW.
That was so fun!! Unfortunately, I have a) tiny hands and b) rheumatoid arthritis. My fingers are pretty flexible because I grew up playing the piano, but sadly, my wrists and one elbow are pretty shot. Thus, I am questioning whether to even try an alto recorder! The Big Sub Contra Bass would only work for me with extensive custom keys. But SO FUN to watch!
I'm wondering how even with the keys, the holes can be clustered on the top for the left hand, on the bottom for the right hand, instead of being equally spaced along the shaft like a regular recorder. In which case of course, keys would be needed for all holes.
We can shift tone hole position yet still get the same pitch by carefully adjusting the hole size. Moving closer to the top, the hole will get smaller. For comparison, concert flute's holes are clustered at the end of instrument and very very big.
i don’t know the physics of musical instruments very well but “Bb below the cello” is not nearly as low as i would have expected. bassoon is quite a bit smaller and hits that same note.
Yep, it’s not that low at all!
Remember that the bassoon is a tube that is folded over. It still has the same overall length.
Kind of strange that they didn't arrange the holes in more of an arc for easier playing.
And/or bore the holes at an angle.
Most subcontrabass instruments sound really bizarre without an orchestra accompanying them, but this sounds really cool on it's own...
Great video!
Regarding “The Stretch” needed for playing very large bass recorders: is there a reason more of them aren’t made fully keyed for more comfortable fingering? Is it just tradition? Or concerns about minimizing key sounds and some loss of control for the musician?
I love hearing this.
Imagine putting a sax or clarinet mouthpiece on that.
a torture 😱
in the words of Will Smith in Independence Day, "I gotta get me one of those!"
I have a Moeck contrabass. In addition to the physical stretch being a problem, the breath control is an issue, but not in the way that you might think. All of the lowest instruments (bass, great bass, contrabass, and subcontrabass) must be played with a slow wind stream or else they overblow. The contrabass also has a circular stand. That is not only so the player doesn't have to hold up the instrument, but it also allows air movement.
Beautiful instrument - very very cool.
7:08 That’s a bit of a missconception. With an instrument of that size it would require multiple breaths to completely change the air in the tube, but you do not need to blow the air from your lungs through the tube to make sound, because as soon as you blow, that air inside the tube will move too.
Not only that, but it's not the air coming out of the tube that makes the sound, it's the wave produced when the air goes through the fipple.
@@1dsmurray Yes. It is not actually nescessary for the air in the tube to move anywhere, it just needs to oscillate, fair point.
I like how a recorder player uses sax backgroung music. XD
That's what I was thinking but I think her husband plays sax
Thank you!!!
The Look Of Her zoomed in At 8:30 LOL
I would've died of hypoxia from playing this thing... :)
That smile at 8:29 really reminds me of Janet from The Good Place
This magnificent instrument would add so much depth to the ensemble. I always hated band practice when the tuba players couldn't make it.
is there an explanation of why it needs 3 meters to reach the same note as a basson, which is much smaller? and by the way Sarah you're channel grew soooo much, I'm so proud of you!!!
First answer is folding - the bassoon's air column is more like twice the height of the instrument because the tubing doubles back on itself, whereas Big Babe is straight. Same principle applies to straight trumpets and bugles - same pipe length but a much less compact instrument - and it's also why some contrabass saxophones are 7' tall and others are much shorter and fatter.
Second answer is that this recorder is an open pipe, whereas the bassoon is a closed pipe (the reed counts as "closed"). That means the bassoon's fundamental frequency corresponds to a wavelength 4x the length of its air column, whereas the recorder's fundamental frequency corresponds to a wavelength of only 2x the length of its air column.
@@patheddles4004 Actually, the bassoon (and all other conical reed instruments) acts as an open pipe in terms of fundamental frequency and harmonic content. A reed instrument has to be cylindrical like the clarinet before it acts as a closed pipe.
Right! I'm always amazed that the tenor recorder can only go as low as a flute!
wouldn’t it be fun to have all the different sizes of recorders?
I have a few already. I have 2 wooden descants, 2 alto recorders, 1 plastic and 1 wooden, and a plastic tenner recorder. I would like to get my hands on a wooden tenner.
I expected A Higher Price Coming From Tuba Land! But Still very Cool!
How was it made ? Bigger lathe is needed. It isn't easy to make a set of reamers for it.
It really has a beautiful sound.
As a tuba player, I've always been fond of other contrabass instruments and this is an interesting one for sure. Though, I'm probably physically big enough to play it (assuming the mouthpiece can be adjusted to a 6'6" user), I'm only just now starting to ease into fipple flutes after recently learning of the bass recorder's existence.
I'm starting with a tin whistle, however, and have found a company that makes a Bb bass whistle that I'm hoping to cover my trombone and tuba marching band music in the meantime, but a great bass recorder still sounds interesting or possibly expand to bass sax yet those options are well down the road, lol
Luckily the Woodwinds will eventually get another instrument in the Bass clef, subcontrabassoon is being worked on as we speak though I do see it being very expensive when it comes to market, even moreso than high quality contrabassoons.
After viewing several videos about unusual musical instruments, TH-cam's algorithm now suggests Lou Reed's 'Walk On The Wild Side'. But not to worry. I'm sure AI will do a fine job with your self-driving vehicle.
Another question- any advice on getting a nice clean articulation without cracking the pitch on a big instrument like this? Having problems with that on my Kung contra. Is big-bass articulation just softer in general to the smaller sizes? Also running out of air a LOT- I see Hester can sustain a hefty sound on this one and even do some heavy vibrato! (Maybe you have an articulation video I haven't found yet)
I am pretty sure material of recorder doesn't matter, only shape matters. If I am right, you can use plumbing plastic pipes to build any size recorder.
My cellphone starts vibrating. And not from its settings.
Awesome ladies.
Its still less expensive or as expensive as a triple hirn which comes at around 13500 to 15000 from Paxmans. Thus is such a unique instrument though.
Is it larger than the Paetzold subcontrabass in F? Our orchestra here in California has one of those- I love what it adds to our sound, but it's difficult to play for a long time for the left arm.
That's a very good question.... it is certainly taller, and with the tube it's much longer. BUT the Paetzold subcontra sounds lower, and extended would be longer.. so I guess I have to make another 'biggest recorder' video ;)
A practical Alp-horn.^^
I wonder what would happen if someone buzzed into the tube. Also, would any brass instrument's mouthpiece happen to fit in the tube?
You would get an instrument like the serpent. th-cam.com/video/t4jQTre1jYs/w-d-xo.html
It's from the turn of the century you know ;)
Extremely awesome!
i'm now watching 2016 videos!
...this crush on Sarah is getting out oof hand!!! AND I DON'T EVEN PLAY THE RECORD!!
ps: nice video!
Did Sarah say "brought to life" or "baroque to life" at 3.50? . . . and how would you clean and dry that instrument after a concert?
Personally, as an ex teacher in primary schools who endured far too many assemblies of recorder groups piercing my ears and making my teeth ache, I've never been keen on the instrument and prefer breath turned into music through a reed, although the tenor does make a sound which appeals (to me). I enjoy watching Sarah's videos because of her sheer energy and liveliness. For anyone who has problems with recorder try her '10 mistakes' upload . . . th-cam.com/video/PCGjTz2LOPA/w-d-xo.html
I think the stick is to keep the things from twisting
Bigzell The stick is the most interesting part of the video
Today I saw one which seemed to be played by pressing little flaps what's that about
Sounds beautiful
So large handed, large lunged people are suited for it. Tuba players rise up!
I got baby-sized hands. I would not be able to play that. Violin and piano are sometimes hard for me because of the short reach I have and I have very flexible hands. That recorder is impressive.