I love my Zen-on 415, it’s so good to have a baroque pitch recorder without having to break the bank for something I honestly don’t need to use very often. Definitely a top tier plastic instrument.
Several years ago, during a summer recorder course I had an Aulos alto basic model stolen, I don't remember the model number. Immediately afterwards I bought another one of the same make but much better, namely the 709W Haka, and although I did not know the person who had stolen it, I thanked him very much because the new recorder gave me and still gives me great satisfaction that the previous one did not.
Thank you for this video! I think it's useful. In my opinion, two more videos you could make are: 1) plastic recorder vs economic wooden recorder (es. Aulos 709 vs Moeck Rondo) 2) economic wooden recorder vs expensive wooden recorder (es: Moeck Rondo Vs Moeck Rottenburgh)
Sarah, I'm sorry to have to say it, but you mixed up your Aulos recorders in this video: the one you called the 309 is actually the 709 Haka, and vice-versa.
I'm so glad you said this, because.... I was thinking that the 309 sounds better (to me). Can you explain how you know this? (just because I'm hoping to get a Haka next.)
Glad to help. I really rate the Haka. I enjoy playing it as much as my Mollenhauer Denner in castellowood. It's also definitely better than the Aulos 509, which I also own and like. (I'm a recorder nerd!) Happy playing.
Hi Sarah, could you please do a choosing your plastic tenor recorder video sometime? I've been playing soprano on and off since elementary school, and your videos have inspired me to take up recorder again completely. I really like the lower recorders' sound but the transposing for alto or basset sounds kind of intimidating. The stretch for the tenor won't be a problem for me since I'm a cellist, but I'd love to get a tenor and keep learning!
Thank you for this review! I’ve ordered a bunch of the music garden altos and sopranos now. I use Mollenhauer Dreams (thanks to your recommend of them) with my University students aural skills classes that I teach. Beautiful and they blend so well! But I’m looking for cheaper options to maybe sway my school principal to let me teach recorder to students 😂 so it’ll be interesting to see if the Music Garden ones can sway her. Also a good back up if I was to look at changing the recorders for my first year university students next year. Mollenhauer’s prices have gone up! For the price of the dream (half plastic/half wood) you can almost get both an alto and soprano music garden recorder. And there seems to be a resin shortage on their end. Only the blue one is available. All red resin is out of stock till beginning next year. The fully plastic one has been update every season saying it’s available the next - but alas! It hasn’t been. So this may well be a nice alternative. Love the video! Thank you for your in depth reviews and perspective Sarah!
Are there any plastic renaissance recorders (or similar) in existence. The sopranos I love the most are the Mollenhaur Dream recorders, both plastic and wood. But I have been sad that there is not a plastic alto equivalent. If one exists then you would be the person to ask. Many thanks.
I prefer the Ecodear Alto from Yamaha. I usually using this model to Consort playing, but the Zen-on one is great recorder too. The best thing about Zen-on are baroque 415 Models. 👍
Two quick things: The mouthpieces on either of my alto Zen Ons do not come off, making me wonder if yours didn't get glued on properly in manufacture; and two, on the clear translucent alto, do we really want to watch our saliva drip down inside as we play? Also.... as always you've made a wonderful video contributing to the recorder 'body-of-knowledge,' and improving the World in a time of war, disease, and total mayhem. Thank You! Ken S. Dallas Texas
I purchased the Zen On after watching this because I loved the sound it produced when Sarah lifted the mouthpiece up, only to discover, mine does not do that! Like you I'm wondering if it is a defect with hers?
I would really love for someone to make a modern-style plastic alto or tenor. I mean the ones that are designed to produce the overtone series similar to what we see with other woodwinds. I'm very curious to play around with how those recorders provide more volume in the low range and overall greater range .
Regardless of the instrument, in this case the plastic alto recorder, we can all heed the sage advice of our esteemed professor, “And remember, it’s not the recorder that makes the music - it’s you.” - Sarah Jeffery Recorder professor specializing in contemporary music at the Royal College of Music in London. 😊 ♫
I'd have to say that I recently bought a alto Treibert and it didn't play at all right the company is replacing it with a Yamaha 302 so in my case it was the instrument not my lack of playing skill I've owned many recorders throughout the yrs and never had problems with any of them until the Treibert so I think it's not only how you play since I have been playing for many yrs and I just ordered an defective product which the company will replace it with a 302B Yamaha
I'd go either with zen-on or aulos haka for plastic recorder. Going dirt cheap on pretty much anything is generaly bad idea nowadays. Thomman well one going for say 20 euro would work for start for kid who's just starting to playing it in school but i'd never get 12.5 euro instead i'd go for higher price as much as i can.
Do you think the the property of holding pitch whether blowing hard or soft is more generally useful outside of group instruction or would it be a hinderance in some situations?
wanted to add that there are two ecodear models.. YRA-402 B and YRA 48 B, wich is labeled for ensemble play and has a broader labium. it's my absolute favourite.
I still have my three plastic Aulos recorders from the 1970s, descant, sopranino and treble. I'm aware those aren't the names used on this channel for them but those are what they were always called when I played in the 1970s.
The gradual shift in the naming has, I think, helped the recorder reintegrate into the musical community. Any musician knows the voices SATB; 'descant' and 'treble' are a little less familiar.
@@ke9tv Also the five recorder sizes I have played (Sopranino, Descant, Treble, Tenor, Bass) is one greater than standard SATB. It's not obvious to me which one the recorder has extra.
@@owensmith7530 The commonest sizes of recorderr: Garklein in c' Sopranino in f Soprano in c = descant Voice flute in G Alto in F = treble Tenor in C Bass in F = basset Bass in C = great bass Contrabass in F (Sub-great-bass in C and sub-contrabass in F have been made, but there are only a handful around. The sub-contra is about ten feet tall. Sarah has a video on it)
@@ke9tv Thanks. I find it confusing that with modern names there is both a sopranino and soprano recorder. Also really they're all in C, the printed music is in concert pitch for all recorders, but obviously you need different fingerings. The first question asked on joining any recorder group was "do you know treble fingering?".
I saw this smart woodi brand of recorders on Amazon and I am wondering if they are any good. It comes with 6 recorders. Bass, tenor, alto, soprano, sopranino, and the garklein.
Which is recommended for someone who can't spread their fingers out very wide? I have the white Yamaha now and find its holes so be spaced just a bit too wide, especially for the left hand.
Too late, i bought my first Recorder last week. After recommendation in another Video from you. 😂Yamaha Yra312biii. I Like it. It ist difficult to Play Low notes without sqeeking Like a dying pig. I have covered the mouthpiece partly with Tape. That was a helpful recommendation...😊 Poor Davie 504 he tried so hard. Team Recorder+1 düdeldüdüd🎉
I might warn you that the Aulos ones started to get brittle and break after forty-odd years. I think I got my money’s worth, and it really was time to start investing in some wooden instruments by that time! Btw, are the Aulos Symphony instruments no more?
Would u do me a favor? I know u don t play covers, but would u? The Sonng "How long will i love u" isn t covered this time on recorder, would u? I think its a wonderfull ballade for recorder play.
Hi! Im gonna buy yamaha alto recorder. But there are too many models. I prefer deep voice, not high pitch. Do you have any recommendations? There are too many options and im confused. :))
I was going to post the same thing! I have an Aulos Haka soprano, and sopranino through tenor in the Autos 500 series....the light brown alto is a Haka 700 series I think.
I don't get how you can put so much power behind your low notes without overdriving them. I feel like if I put more than 1% of my breath into the low F or G, the sound instantly gets overdriven into an upper register. And, it's not a finger air leakage issue.
Not sure if anyone can help, but I'll ask ... the pieces of my Yamaha (YRA-28B) alto get STUCK and almost seem to FUSE. It's SO difficult to adjust or take apart for cleaning, etc. I've used the lubrication that came with the recorder, I've cleaned it, re-lubricated, but STILL the pieces get stuck. Any tips on how to "loosen" the "grip"? Thanks for any advice.
I had the same issue with my Zen-Ons (440 & 415), and have seen that mentioned elsewhere for these models. I bought them during lockdown and it was impractical to return them to the shop. My solution was to sand the tenons down a little bit with very fine sandpaper and all is fine with a bit of the supplied grease on the joints. If you want to give this a go try little by little, as you can't go back if you go too far!
@@cornekros1 That's what I do with plastic recorders with too-tight joints, too. You need to be careful not to oversand - sand a little bit, then wash the dust off, dry it, grease it and put back together. If still too tight, repeat. I have hand problems, and this has made my bass and tenor much easier to take apart and put together. It's no good if you can play an instrument but can't take it apart without risking injury.
@@schan5401 I hope so too... I've looked through the Yamaha website and tried finding a way to contact them to ask, but nope. This corporation is too big to have direct contact with anyone...
Hi. Aulos makes a bass recorder for their Symphony model. It is listed at a little more than $300 on Thomann. Angel, a popular recorder manufacturer also makes plastic recorders with good quality. It is sold in my country for $200. I don't know if it's easy to get them where you live, but good luck.
Hello Sarah.😊 I want to buy your book : my favorite melodies. But I can't! just because I don't want PayPal payment. Can I send you a check? Thanks a lot.
Hi Sarah, Loved the video. I got the Music Garden clear one and really love it. For 12.50 Euro the Thomann doesn't sounds pretty good. Thanks again for all your videos they are great, very entertaining and very useful for me as a beginner recorder player.
I was buying the Yamaha set from sopranino to Bass and completed it with an Aulos Garklein. Well, all of them are well playable and in tune. I won't recommend the Yamaha tenor, though, as it is a rather large instrument that is difficult to handle.
I just couldn't bring myself to play a plastic recorder. I'm sure they are ok, but the sound, the overtones and timbre of wood has spoiled my musical palette.
It is indeed lucky that today the amateur recorder player can get a well playable instrument for these affordable prices. A recorder + a method for less than 100 EUR and you're good to go. We need more music in this world of ours.
Yeah, I just bought an alto from Thomann just because I was ordering new strings for my classical guitar... and it cost me less than any of the string sets.
I bought the Ecodear one after your review of it and love the sound. I still have my Aulos one that I’ve had since I was about 9 years old which still plays well 🙂
Thank you for the review dear Sarah and for the nice words about me! May I add that the musicgarden models I designed are copies after Stanesby? True baroque instruments with overtone-design which helps to blend perfectly with other recorders and which really uses the room as an amplifier. Thanks again, Sarah! 😙
I got an Aulos Haka for outdoor playing based on an earlier recommendation of yours. A member of the U3A wind band I play said she was surprised it was a plastic recorder when I got it out once. I recon that's as good a recommendation as you'll get. For regular daily practice, I use a plastic Yamaha that I've had for many years and it's giving me excellent service
I have the Haka, Yamaha, and Zen-on (442). All of them play well. The right-hand stretch is a bit longer on the Haka, so that might be a concern for persons with smaller hands
I have plastic recorders by Aulos, Yamaha and Zen-on. I am always amazed at how different they are in character. The Yamaha models seem more "stable" (I am not sure if that is the correct descriptor!). I use my Yamahas for practising scales because of this. BUT I don't find them to be as expressive as my Aulos models, which I use for practising pieces. However, I know this is entirely subjective! It is fantastic that there is such a range available at very accessible prices. Re: the Haka model - it might be worth mentioning that the stretch to reach the F/F# is slightly bigger so might not be the best first alto if you have very small hands. I have and it took me a while before I could reliably manage the stretch. I need to play my Zen-on Bressan more - I found the F/F# to be tricky when I first got it as your breath pressure has to be soooo gentle, but I should be able to manage it now my playing is more proficient.
I love my ecodear yamaha, it's great. I would love it if there were a plastic recorder with an e-foot though - the jump from £35 to £1500+ for a piece I want to learn is just too much 😢
Thanks to you, I have rediscovered the alto size flute, and since then I have spent many hours playing it, to my great pleasure. Thank you team recorder
and i started at 29J with my Tenor Recorder from (Gebrüder) Schneider in dark wood. I love it and call it Gisela, because "she" is aehmm... ZICKIG on the upper gis and a (that german verb describes very well, my Lady ❤)
You are AWSOME - You cheer me up! I play classical guitar and want to add recorder to my bag of tricks. After listening and watching you I am going to go the Alto route and will buy a Aulos 703b Wish me luck :0
After your review of the Zen-On Alto recorder at 415 pitch, I bought the 440 pitch Bresson from von Heune in Boston. Have been quite happy with it. Thanks for all your reviews, they are quite good.
Listening to this and knowing my current limits simply confirms that going for the basic but adequate Thomann would be sufficient and non-limiting until (if ever) my playing technique improved! Better instruments do not a better instrumentalist make! (Though crap, of course, delivers exactly that!)
I have the Yamaha 314 and Aulos 509 altos. Both great. The Yamaha is a bit brighter and clearer in tone, which I love for faster pieces. The Aulos sounds warmer and more reedy, love that one for slow pieces.
I love the idea of those Soundgarden instruments, not just the look, though that is cool, but the care and attention to detail that's gone into making them
My first alto was Yamaha, It is good. But now Bernolin alto is my favourite recorder. Bernolin was very useful to improve my finger and breath tecnique. Also Zen On 415 is so good, sweet sound and not too much volume.
I have a yamaha alto recorder that has a wider airway than the model you're showing and it's harder for me to hit higher notes. I think it's supposed to be the most "entry-level" of their alto recorders.
Focus the air and start strong with air stream on the high notes with your fingers ready in the right position. Also make sure no fluff is stuck in the mouthpiece it can lodge in deep it will make high notes hard to hit . On any Yamaha high notes should be easy
My parents once bought me a wooden descant recorder in the 1970s as an upgrade. I have no idea what model or price point or what research they did. I could never play it in an ensemble because it was never in tune, being sharp or flat seemingly on a whim. I got rid of it many years ago, it probably went in the bin. I still have the Aulos plastic recorder it was meant to replace.
Sarah makes them all sound great. I actually like my cheaper white Yamaha vs. the next level brown one. I think the brown sounds more shrill with an "edge". Just my preference.
None of these sounded significantly different to me, and I've been playing for 10 months... even the Thomann sounded similar! If the Music Garden is actually pitch stable at various dynamics, should by default be the winning plastic recorder. Maybe the overtones are much more obvious to the player (when your ear is near the labium). My Bernolin resin definitely has a richer tone than my Yamaha 302, but it's more of a hassle to prep for it (brushing teeth, avoiding dairy) so the Yamaha gets played way more often!
That Thomann sounds stuffy on low F! Still, for the money, I suppose you can't go wrong. I played on an Aulos 709W Haka for quite some time, and still use it to practise or play out of doors. (I tried the Zen-On and Yamaha, and liked the tone colour of the Aulos a trifle better.) It's surely a solid instrument, with no major faults, and will get you a long way. Now I have the use of a cherry-wood alto by H.C. Fehr. The Fehr requires a lot more focus from the player - the high notes are quite delicate indeed. But the attention is rewarded - its response in the highest register is just so much quicker. The Aulos, I find, is slow to speak at the extreme high end of the range, and the chiffs and clicks in the high passages (of which Telemann was so fond) grow annoying after a while. Oddly enough, I've heard a recording of myself playing Telemann, and the high-register noises that so annoyed me while I was playing were inaudible to the audience. The Fehr has a much cleaner sound at the high end - if you can manage to keep your attention focused and manage the air stream. I needed some time on the Aulos before I was ready to move up - the finicky upper register on the Fehr would have fruustrated me earlier. Nevertheless, it was a tremendous relief when I realized on playing the Fehr: it wasn't that *I* couldn't play some passages the way I wanted, it was that the *instrument* couldn't play them as I wanted.
I'm really curious about the response in the upper range. I have the Aulos 700 series and the Yamaha, and for me they both work great when I pick them up after a pause but quickly lose their response consistency in the high range with the slightest bit of condensation. Attempting to clear them out during play doesn't solve it. Does anyone find that their particular versions of any plastic altos work better in this regard? I'm primarily talking about high F and the C# below it. E can also be a little troublesome. These are crystal clear for me with a pinching technique when I first blow into them after a few minutes' pause. But within a few seconds of playing, I can't depend on them even if I never shift my thumb from what works perfectly in the beginning.
🎉🎉 I have my collection of: - Soprano and Alto Yamaha Ecodear. - Soprano and Alto (440hz and 415hz) Zen on Recorders (Stanesby and Bressan) - Soprano and Alto Aulos Haka, I also got their Bass with metal keys and keyless Tenor - Mollenhauer Adri's dream plastic. - Music Garden soprano and alto. Now going for a Bernolin Traverso or Alto Recorder 🎉🎉😊
The other issue with plastic recorders is clogging as moisture builds up. My Yamaha alto is a devil for clogging even though I take measures against it. But my aulos tenor and soprano don't clog as much, so it would be interesting to see how others rate clog-wise
Hello Sarah I've resently picked up recorder again after a 12 years brake - barely toutching it. I found the piece that you play while testing the Zen-on at 4.53, the larghetto, among my old sheet music, but I can't seem to find the name of the composer. Do you happen to know who that is? I would like to listen to some professional recorder players playing this piece. Thak you for very great videos :) Best regards Bjarke
Hi Sarah. I have a white plastic Yamaha recorder which says B by the thumb hole 34 on the back side of the mp. This is a very beginning 1 correct? . I want to play baroque music..what would you recommend? I do have experience reading music as I play flute and saxophone. Thank you! Amanda
So. I ended up with the Aulos Bellcanto, and the Haka. And the Yamaha in rosewood. And the ecowhatever. Whoops! Want to help me make a comparison video!???
Excellent and very helpful video....as always. I bought the Kulossa Music Garden and I love it. Barrett Recorders are stockists for the UK. I initially contacted the makers direct but since Brexit they don't deliver to the UK and the makers put me on to Barrett's. I just wonder Sarah, what you think of EMS's Triebert range?!!!!
I have a Yamaha Ecodear, a Yamaha YRA 312 and an Aulos Haka. I Sold the Aulos 509 B because I did not Like it. The Yamaha 312 sounds so beautiful ❤ for any reason the Haka and I won't get friends 😮 I don't know why but it is the wrong Recorder for me. I am so glad you played the Sound Garden Recorder ❤ there is no other Video where the Alto Recorder from Sound Garden is played. 😊
I went ahead and bought the yamaha 304 soprano and the zen-on bressan 1500bn alto per your recommendations. Very happy with both. Returning the maple Eastar, whose limitations are now glaringly apparent. Your channel is invaluable and I''ll join Patreon shortly. Playing the alto out on Astor Place near the cube, several people came up and asked me, what IS that instrument? They took pictures of me playing. This was within 30 minutes of unboxing it. How do you store your recorders? Do you dismantle them each night? Do you have a case where you keep them assembled or a rack you hang them on?
Hahaha...sorry, haven't even really started watching this, but I'm amused at the old M-Audio keyboard in the background, it's kind of a POS (volume glitches for which I had to write custom drivers) but its still in service for me.
Thank you very much! I played the soprano a bit when I was younger, but got back to it lately (I'm a multi-instrumentalist so learning any instrument isn't really an issue) with a bit of experience from different genres and stuff and started trying a few tricks that occurred on its own :) and I recalled I loved an alto sound back then and decided to get an alto. I couldn't decide which one but your video (as 1st after like 5 similar videos) really helped me!!! Kudos :)
It's too bad the Dolmetsch Nova plastic instruments aren't available any more. All of them from soprano through bass (basset) are very nice and they were very inexpensive. The Aulos 500 series sopranino is much better than the Nova sopranino, though. (Also, as noted elsewhere, I think you got the two Autos models swapped in this video...)
The video is great! Thank you very much! And I think the microphone is good too. But in some passages all the flutes sound almost the same, even when I'm listening with good headphones. (of all these recorders I have the Aulos and the Thomann, they are very different, the Thomann is a good consort flute, the Aulos good for solo, I think. The character can only be guessed at here, unfortunately) Unfortunately, the limitation is the transmission technology. MP3 and similar technology reduces the data - a lot - and unfortunately this almost completely removes the fine details that matter. I don't think that can be improved much on TH-cam either, unfortunately.
Why was your green thumb so pale, it almost looked white? Sadly my 76 year-old ears could not discern any difference in the music produced. Maybe it's because 8+ years working around jet engines and another 8+ years working in and industrial setting of punch presses and high-speed drills repairing the computers that controlled them.
I don't even play recorder and I'm binging these videos lol
You should take it up! It's great!
I love my Zen-on 415, it’s so good to have a baroque pitch recorder without having to break the bank for something I honestly don’t need to use very often. Definitely a top tier plastic instrument.
i love my yamaha 302, but those transparent recorders just look so cool!
I love these types of videos! Also, request for you to do another updated recorder collection video.
Several years ago, during a summer recorder course I had an Aulos alto basic model stolen, I don't remember the model number. Immediately afterwards I bought another one of the same make but much better, namely the 709W Haka, and although I did not know the person who had stolen it, I thanked him very much because the new recorder gave me and still gives me great satisfaction that the previous one did not.
May I steal your Haka, so you can buy a Zen-On? :)
@@Metanoia77777 No need for that. The 709W Haka is unbeatable
My 709W brother 🤗
@@baroquerjust the Music Garden one is a bit better
@@silviab9810 I wouldn't bet on that + De gustibus non...
Thank you for this video! I think it's useful.
In my opinion, two more videos you could make are:
1) plastic recorder vs economic wooden recorder (es. Aulos 709 vs Moeck Rondo)
2) economic wooden recorder vs expensive wooden recorder (es: Moeck Rondo Vs Moeck Rottenburgh)
Sarah, I'm sorry to have to say it, but you mixed up your Aulos recorders in this video: the one you called the 309 is actually the 709 Haka, and vice-versa.
I'm so glad you said this, because.... I was thinking that the 309 sounds better (to me). Can you explain how you know this? (just because I'm hoping to get a Haka next.)
I know because I own both of them myself. The Haka is definitely the one to go for in my opinion. Hope this helps!
@@markdeegan4916 I truly appreciate that- thank you so much for your help :) !
Glad to help. I really rate the Haka. I enjoy playing it as much as my Mollenhauer Denner in castellowood. It's also definitely better than the Aulos 509, which I also own and like. (I'm a recorder nerd!) Happy playing.
@@markdeegan4916 I can definitely appreciate the comparison- thank you again!
I have all aulos from sopranino to bass
I agree, they're very reliable
I totally agree with you. I've bought the tenor a couple of years ago and I was soooo surprised how good it is.
The Yamaha ecodear recorders have a lovely tone
Recently I have bought a Yamaha Alto recorder with Amazon and I‘m very happy with it.
Hi Sarah, could you please do a choosing your plastic tenor recorder video sometime? I've been playing soprano on and off since elementary school, and your videos have inspired me to take up recorder again completely. I really like the lower recorders' sound but the transposing for alto or basset sounds kind of intimidating. The stretch for the tenor won't be a problem for me since I'm a cellist, but I'd love to get a tenor and keep learning!
@@mauchan87 Thank you so much! That was extremely helpful 😄
Just a note: I think you got the Aulos models the wrong way around. The lighter reddish one is the Haka and the darker one is the bel Canto.
Yep. I noticed that too!
I was going to say the same thing
Thank you for this review! I’ve ordered a bunch of the music garden altos and sopranos now. I use Mollenhauer Dreams (thanks to your recommend of them) with my University students aural skills classes that I teach. Beautiful and they blend so well! But I’m looking for cheaper options to maybe sway my school principal to let me teach recorder to students 😂 so it’ll be interesting to see if the Music Garden ones can sway her. Also a good back up if I was to look at changing the recorders for my first year university students next year. Mollenhauer’s prices have gone up! For the price of the dream (half plastic/half wood) you can almost get both an alto and soprano music garden recorder. And there seems to be a resin shortage on their end. Only the blue one is available. All red resin is out of stock till beginning next year. The fully plastic one has been update every season saying it’s available the next - but alas! It hasn’t been. So this may well be a nice alternative. Love the video! Thank you for your in depth reviews and perspective Sarah!
Are there any plastic renaissance recorders (or similar) in existence. The sopranos I love the most are the Mollenhaur Dream recorders, both plastic and wood. But I have been sad that there is not a plastic alto equivalent. If one exists then you would be the person to ask. Many thanks.
I prefer the Ecodear Alto from Yamaha. I usually using this model to Consort playing, but the Zen-on one is great recorder too. The best thing about Zen-on are baroque 415 Models. 👍
I love my Yamaha Alto. I feel it has a very nice tone.
Two quick things: The mouthpieces on either of my alto Zen Ons do not come off, making me wonder if yours didn't get glued on properly in manufacture; and two, on the clear translucent alto, do we really want to watch our saliva drip down inside as we play? Also.... as always you've made a wonderful video contributing to the recorder 'body-of-knowledge,' and improving the World in a time of war, disease, and total mayhem. Thank You! Ken S. Dallas Texas
I purchased the Zen On after watching this because I loved the sound it produced when Sarah lifted the mouthpiece up, only to discover, mine does not do that! Like you I'm wondering if it is a defect with hers?
Thanks Sarah!
I would really love for someone to make a modern-style plastic alto or tenor. I mean the ones that are designed to produce the overtone series similar to what we see with other woodwinds. I'm very curious to play around with how those recorders provide more volume in the low range and overall greater range .
Regardless of the instrument, in this case the plastic alto recorder, we can all heed the sage advice of our esteemed professor, “And remember, it’s not the recorder that makes the music - it’s you.” - Sarah Jeffery Recorder professor specializing in contemporary music at the Royal College of Music in London. 😊 ♫
😊
@@victoryinhim9689 :):)
I'd have to say that I recently bought a alto Treibert and it didn't play at all
right the company is replacing it with
a Yamaha 302 so in my case it was the
instrument not my lack of playing skill
I've owned many recorders throughout
the yrs and never had problems with any of them until the Treibert so I think
it's not only how you play since I have
been playing for many yrs and I just
ordered an defective product which
the company will replace it with a 302B
Yamaha
I'd go either with zen-on or aulos haka for plastic recorder. Going dirt cheap on pretty much anything is generaly bad idea nowadays. Thomman well one going for say 20 euro would work for start for kid who's just starting to playing it in school but i'd never get 12.5 euro instead i'd go for higher price as much as i can.
Do you think the the property of holding pitch whether blowing hard or soft is more generally useful outside of group instruction or would it be a hinderance in some situations?
wanted to add that there are two ecodear models.. YRA-402 B and YRA 48 B, wich is labeled for ensemble play and has a broader labium. it's my absolute favourite.
Ooh that’s great to know!
@@Team_RecorderSarah, for verify, it's the Bel canto aulos? No the 509b?
I still have my three plastic Aulos recorders from the 1970s, descant, sopranino and treble. I'm aware those aren't the names used on this channel for them but those are what they were always called when I played in the 1970s.
The gradual shift in the naming has, I think, helped the recorder reintegrate into the musical community. Any musician knows the voices SATB; 'descant' and 'treble' are a little less familiar.
@@ke9tv And in the new names I have no idea which three recorders I have.
@@ke9tv Also the five recorder sizes I have played (Sopranino, Descant, Treble, Tenor, Bass) is one greater than standard SATB. It's not obvious to me which one the recorder has extra.
@@owensmith7530 The commonest sizes of recorderr:
Garklein in c'
Sopranino in f
Soprano in c = descant
Voice flute in G
Alto in F = treble
Tenor in C
Bass in F = basset
Bass in C = great bass
Contrabass in F
(Sub-great-bass in C and sub-contrabass in F have been made, but there are only a handful around. The sub-contra is about ten feet tall. Sarah has a video on it)
@@ke9tv Thanks. I find it confusing that with modern names there is both a sopranino and soprano recorder. Also really they're all in C, the printed music is in concert pitch for all recorders, but obviously you need different fingerings. The first question asked on joining any recorder group was "do you know treble fingering?".
I have a Yamaha tenor. If I practiced more, it would sound great, too!
I saw this smart woodi brand of recorders on Amazon and I am wondering if they are any good. It comes with 6 recorders. Bass, tenor, alto, soprano, sopranino, and the garklein.
Which is recommended for someone who can't spread their fingers out very wide? I have the white Yamaha now and find its holes so be spaced just a bit too wide, especially for the left hand.
Too late, i bought my first Recorder last week. After recommendation in another Video from you. 😂Yamaha Yra312biii. I Like it. It ist difficult to Play Low notes without sqeeking Like a dying pig. I have covered the mouthpiece partly with Tape. That was a helpful recommendation...😊
Poor Davie 504 he tried so hard. Team Recorder+1 düdeldüdüd🎉
The top comes off the Zen-On Bressan copies? Mine doesn't :o
(not sure if it makes a difference, but I only have the 415)
I might warn you that the Aulos ones started to get brittle and break after forty-odd years. I think I got my money’s worth, and it really was time to start investing in some wooden instruments by that time! Btw, are the Aulos Symphony instruments no more?
Would u do me a favor?
I know u don t play covers, but would u?
The Sonng "How long will i love u" isn t covered this time on recorder, would u?
I think its a wonderfull ballade for recorder play.
Oddly, to my ear, aulos 309 and thomann sounds the best :D
When it comes to sound, there is no right or wrong! And depending on what we're playing, sometimes different sounds can be really cool. 🙂
@@communityband1 Also, "listening" to them over speakers is not the same as hearing them in real life.
Hiii I want to start to play record can you tell whats the better type for begginners?
Hi! Im gonna buy yamaha alto recorder. But there are too many models. I prefer deep voice, not high pitch. Do you have any recommendations? There are too many options and im confused. :))
My alto recorder aulos is 309 e
Errrrr....Sarah?
You MIXED UP two Aulos altos: 309A and the 709B Haka. The Haka is that LIGHT BROWN coloured, actually 😅
I was going to post the same thing! I have an Aulos Haka soprano, and sopranino through tenor in the Autos 500 series....the light brown alto is a Haka 700 series I think.
Sarah, please review some Sopraninos
I don't get how you can put so much power behind your low notes without overdriving them. I feel like if I put more than 1% of my breath into the low F or G, the sound instantly gets overdriven into an upper register. And, it's not a finger air leakage issue.
See my videos on sound, and how to hit the low notes- it’s all about warm air!
Not sure if anyone can help, but I'll ask ... the pieces of my Yamaha (YRA-28B) alto get STUCK and almost seem to FUSE. It's SO difficult to adjust or take apart for cleaning, etc. I've used the lubrication that came with the recorder, I've cleaned it, re-lubricated, but STILL the pieces get stuck. Any tips on how to "loosen" the "grip"? Thanks for any advice.
I had the same issue with my Zen-Ons (440 & 415), and have seen that mentioned elsewhere for these models. I bought them during lockdown and it was impractical to return them to the shop. My solution was to sand the tenons down a little bit with very fine sandpaper and all is fine with a bit of the supplied grease on the joints. If you want to give this a go try little by little, as you can't go back if you go too far!
@@cornekros1 Thank you!
@@cornekros1 That's what I do with plastic recorders with too-tight joints, too. You need to be careful not to oversand - sand a little bit, then wash the dust off, dry it, grease it and put back together. If still too tight, repeat. I have hand problems, and this has made my bass and tenor much easier to take apart and put together. It's no good if you can play an instrument but can't take it apart without risking injury.
Only put on a tiny bit of the cream or get new cream as it might be acting as a glue if it’s a faulty batch of cream also twist and pull
Btw, are there any manufacturers of great basses in plastic? I haven't been able to find any, and I can't afford one in wood
@mquietsch6736 I don't think there are any plastic great basses yet. I'm sure the demand is there though. Hoping the manufacturers are reading this!
@@schan5401 I hope so too... I've looked through the Yamaha website and tried finding a way to contact them to ask, but nope. This corporation is too big to have direct contact with anyone...
Hi. Aulos makes a bass recorder for their Symphony model. It is listed at a little more than $300 on Thomann. Angel, a popular recorder manufacturer also makes plastic recorders with good quality. It is sold in my country for $200. I don't know if it's easy to get them where you live, but good luck.
@@barefacedquestions Not a bass recorder, a great bass. That's one size bigger.
Ik verkocht in de school die plastic fluiten steeds als "synthetisch ivoor", en alle weerstand verdween...
My plastic recorder stinks when I smell inside the pieces, can anyone help 😅
wash it in the kitchen sink with dish soap!
Hello Sarah.😊
I want to buy your book : my favorite melodies. But I can't! just because I don't want PayPal payment. Can I send you a check? Thanks a lot.
We can’t accept cheques I’m afraid, but you can also pay with credit card or apple pay 😊
Hi Sarah, Loved the video. I got the Music Garden clear one and really love it. For 12.50 Euro the Thomann doesn't sounds pretty good. Thanks again for all your videos they are great, very entertaining and very useful for me as a beginner recorder player.
😊
I was buying the Yamaha set from sopranino to Bass and completed it with an Aulos Garklein. Well, all of them are well playable and in tune. I won't recommend the Yamaha tenor, though, as it is a rather large instrument that is difficult to handle.
I just couldn't bring myself to play a plastic recorder. I'm sure they are ok, but the sound, the overtones and timbre of wood has spoiled my musical palette.
✝️
It is indeed lucky that today the amateur recorder player can get a well playable instrument for these affordable prices. A recorder + a method for less than 100 EUR and you're good to go. We need more music in this world of ours.
Yeah, I just bought an alto from Thomann just because I was ordering new strings for my classical guitar... and it cost me less than any of the string sets.
I bought the Ecodear one after your review of it and love the sound. I still have my Aulos one that I’ve had since I was about 9 years old which still plays well 🙂
Unlike the amazing YRA-300 Series, Ecodear is my biggest Yamaha disappointment: such a dull sounding and characterless recorder -.-
Thank you for the review dear Sarah and for the nice words about me! May I add that the musicgarden models I designed are copies after Stanesby? True baroque instruments with overtone-design which helps to blend perfectly with other recorders and which really uses the room as an amplifier. Thanks again, Sarah! 😙
I like your music garden recorders. When will you do a tenor and bass?
@doriskulossa-delfino511 Please design a keyless plastic transparent tenor recorder to complement the existing soprano and alto models. Thank you!
Thank you Doris! 💖💖💖
I got an Aulos Haka for outdoor playing based on an earlier recommendation of yours. A member of the U3A wind band I play said she was surprised it was a plastic recorder when I got it out once. I recon that's as good a recommendation as you'll get. For regular daily practice, I use a plastic Yamaha that I've had for many years and it's giving me excellent service
I have the Haka, Yamaha, and Zen-on (442). All of them play well. The right-hand stretch is a bit longer on the Haka, so that might be a concern for persons with smaller hands
That’s such useful feedback, thank you!
I have plastic recorders by Aulos, Yamaha and Zen-on. I am always amazed at how different they are in character. The Yamaha models seem more "stable" (I am not sure if that is the correct descriptor!). I use my Yamahas for practising scales because of this. BUT I don't find them to be as expressive as my Aulos models, which I use for practising pieces. However, I know this is entirely subjective! It is fantastic that there is such a range available at very accessible prices. Re: the Haka model - it might be worth mentioning that the stretch to reach the F/F# is slightly bigger so might not be the best first alto if you have very small hands. I have and it took me a while before I could reliably manage the stretch.
I need to play my Zen-on Bressan more - I found the F/F# to be tricky when I first got it as your breath pressure has to be soooo gentle, but I should be able to manage it now my playing is more proficient.
Never played a recorder before but I've got the Yamaha Eco after watching your review and I'm very happy with it, thank you! ❤😊
I love my ecodear yamaha, it's great. I would love it if there were a plastic recorder with an e-foot though - the jump from £35 to £1500+ for a piece I want to learn is just too much 😢
Thanks to you, I have rediscovered the alto size flute, and since then I have spent many hours playing it, to my great pleasure.
Thank you team recorder
I've been a soprano player since I was 8. It'so timo to go Alto! Thank you very much, Sarah! Love you vids
and i started at 29J with my Tenor Recorder from (Gebrüder) Schneider in dark wood. I love it and call it Gisela, because "she" is aehmm... ZICKIG on the upper gis and a (that german verb describes very well, my Lady ❤)
You made them all sound wonderful!
Well, I took the plunge and ordered an Aulos 709. Should be arriving in the post soon. Thanks for your reviews!! Love the videos.
You are AWSOME - You cheer me up! I play classical guitar and want to add recorder to my bag of tricks. After listening and watching you I am going to go the Alto route and will buy a Aulos 703b Wish me luck :0
The way I just got my Yamaha Alto in the mail this morning🎉
wow, i always thought, in plastic recorders, i mostly like the yamaha one. but, thanks to you, im in love with the aulos haka 😊
After your review of the Zen-On Alto recorder at 415 pitch, I bought the 440 pitch Bresson from von Heune in Boston. Have been quite happy with it. Thanks for all your reviews, they are quite good.
I think you got a mistake 😅 the aulos 709b haka is the brown one!
Listening to this and knowing my current limits simply confirms that going for the basic but adequate Thomann would be sufficient and non-limiting until (if ever) my playing technique improved! Better instruments do not a better instrumentalist make! (Though crap, of course, delivers exactly that!)
I have the Yamaha 314 and Aulos 509 altos. Both great. The Yamaha is a bit brighter and clearer in tone, which I love for faster pieces. The Aulos sounds warmer and more reedy, love that one for slow pieces.
Agree, I love the relative mellowness of the Aulos, but do revert to my Yamaha when I have a lot of high-pitched notes to play
I have an Aulos Haka soprano and alto that I've been very happy with, especially for outdoor playing.
I love the idea of those Soundgarden instruments, not just the look, though that is cool, but the care and attention to detail that's gone into making them
My first alto was Yamaha, It is good. But now Bernolin alto is my favourite recorder. Bernolin was very useful to improve my finger and breath tecnique. Also Zen On 415 is so good, sweet sound and not too much volume.
I was a little surprised that my Zen On 442 is not as nice as the Zen On 415. I like my Aulos Haka better at 442.
I have an aulos haka but it is brown , same on the video with name belcanto 309
Sarah, as always. Thank you for your wonderful videos. What do you think of EMS Triebert range?
I just recently ordered a Treibert alto and am amazed at the wooden like
sound it produces
I did order a Treibert alto and had some
serious issues with it wouldn't recommend
What do you think of Aulos 509E-B?
I have a yamaha alto recorder that has a wider airway than the model you're showing and it's harder for me to hit higher notes. I think it's supposed to be the most "entry-level" of their alto recorders.
Focus the air and start strong with air stream on the high notes with your fingers ready in the right position. Also make sure no fluff is stuck in the mouthpiece it can lodge in deep it will make high notes hard to hit . On any Yamaha high notes should be easy
I have purchased a Yamaha alto, precisely!
Well, I also own the same master M-Audio keyboard on blackground... ;-)
My parents once bought me a wooden descant recorder in the 1970s as an upgrade. I have no idea what model or price point or what research they did. I could never play it in an ensemble because it was never in tune, being sharp or flat seemingly on a whim. I got rid of it many years ago, it probably went in the bin. I still have the Aulos plastic recorder it was meant to replace.
Sarah makes them all sound great. I actually like my cheaper white Yamaha vs. the next level brown one. I think the brown sounds more shrill with an "edge". Just my preference.
None of these sounded significantly different to me, and I've been playing for 10 months... even the Thomann sounded similar! If the Music Garden is actually pitch stable at various dynamics, should by default be the winning plastic recorder. Maybe the overtones are much more obvious to the player (when your ear is near the labium). My Bernolin resin definitely has a richer tone than my Yamaha 302, but it's more of a hassle to prep for it (brushing teeth, avoiding dairy) so the Yamaha gets played way more often!
Best thing about plastic recorders: they allow much longer practicing times😅
Thomann no longer available.
So helpful! Thank you!
That Thomann sounds stuffy on low F! Still, for the money, I suppose you can't go wrong.
I played on an Aulos 709W Haka for quite some time, and still use it to practise or play out of doors. (I tried the Zen-On and Yamaha, and liked the tone colour of the Aulos a trifle better.) It's surely a solid instrument, with no major faults, and will get you a long way.
Now I have the use of a cherry-wood alto by H.C. Fehr. The Fehr requires a lot more focus from the player - the high notes are quite delicate indeed. But the attention is rewarded - its response in the highest register is just so much quicker. The Aulos, I find, is slow to speak at the extreme high end of the range, and the chiffs and clicks in the high passages (of which Telemann was so fond) grow annoying after a while. Oddly enough, I've heard a recording of myself playing Telemann, and the high-register noises that so annoyed me while I was playing were inaudible to the audience. The Fehr has a much cleaner sound at the high end - if you can manage to keep your attention focused and manage the air stream.
I needed some time on the Aulos before I was ready to move up - the finicky upper register on the Fehr would have fruustrated me earlier. Nevertheless, it was a tremendous relief when I realized on playing the Fehr: it wasn't that *I* couldn't play some passages the way I wanted, it was that the *instrument* couldn't play them as I wanted.
709W = 👑
I'm really curious about the response in the upper range. I have the Aulos 700 series and the Yamaha, and for me they both work great when I pick them up after a pause but quickly lose their response consistency in the high range with the slightest bit of condensation. Attempting to clear them out during play doesn't solve it. Does anyone find that their particular versions of any plastic altos work better in this regard? I'm primarily talking about high F and the C# below it. E can also be a little troublesome. These are crystal clear for me with a pinching technique when I first blow into them after a few minutes' pause. But within a few seconds of playing, I can't depend on them even if I never shift my thumb from what works perfectly in the beginning.
🎉🎉 I have my collection of:
- Soprano and Alto Yamaha Ecodear.
- Soprano and Alto (440hz and 415hz) Zen on Recorders (Stanesby and Bressan)
- Soprano and Alto Aulos Haka, I also got their Bass with metal keys and keyless Tenor
- Mollenhauer Adri's dream plastic.
- Music Garden soprano and alto.
Now going for a Bernolin Traverso or Alto Recorder 🎉🎉😊
The other issue with plastic recorders is clogging as moisture builds up. My Yamaha alto is a devil for clogging even though I take measures against it. But my aulos tenor and soprano don't clog as much, so it would be interesting to see how others rate clog-wise
Are you sure that the beak of your Zen On has not detached? I have both pitches and the mine ones are firmly attached, they won't neither rotate.
Mine is the same!
Mines the same too. Just purchased one after seeing this video, to then discover mine is not budging an inch!
That was a great video.
I am going for the yamaha.
Thank you.
I have Yamaha alto and I'm happy. And I can play with small hands ;)
Hello Sarah
I've resently picked up recorder again after a 12 years brake - barely toutching it. I found the piece that you play while testing the Zen-on at 4.53, the larghetto, among my old sheet music, but I can't seem to find the name of the composer. Do you happen to know who that is? I would like to listen to some professional recorder players playing this piece.
Thak you for very great videos :)
Best regards Bjarke
Hi Sarah. I have a white plastic Yamaha recorder which says B by the thumb hole 34 on the back side of the mp. This is a very beginning 1 correct? . I want to play baroque music..what would you recommend? I do have experience reading music as I play flute and saxophone. Thank you! Amanda
So. I ended up with the Aulos Bellcanto, and the Haka. And the Yamaha in rosewood. And the ecowhatever. Whoops! Want to help me make a comparison video!???
Excellent and very helpful video....as always. I bought the Kulossa Music Garden and I love it. Barrett Recorders are stockists for the UK. I initially contacted the makers direct but since Brexit they don't deliver to the UK and the makers put me on to Barrett's. I just wonder Sarah, what you think of EMS's Triebert range?!!!!
I have a Yamaha Ecodear, a Yamaha YRA 312 and an Aulos Haka. I Sold the Aulos 509 B because I did not Like it. The Yamaha 312 sounds so beautiful ❤ for any reason the Haka and I won't get friends 😮 I don't know why but it is the wrong Recorder for me. I am so glad you played the Sound Garden Recorder ❤ there is no other Video where the Alto Recorder from Sound Garden is played. 😊
Can you please tell me the difference between Aulos alto 709B and 709A and 309A and 309B ?❤
I went ahead and bought the yamaha 304 soprano and the zen-on bressan 1500bn alto per your recommendations. Very happy with both. Returning the maple Eastar, whose limitations are now glaringly apparent. Your channel is invaluable and I''ll join Patreon shortly. Playing the alto out on Astor Place near the cube, several people came up and asked me, what IS that instrument? They took pictures of me playing. This was within 30 minutes of unboxing it.
How do you store your recorders? Do you dismantle them each night? Do you have a case where you keep them assembled or a rack you hang them on?
Hahaha...sorry, haven't even really started watching this, but I'm amused at the old M-Audio keyboard in the background, it's kind of a POS (volume glitches for which I had to write custom drivers) but its still in service for me.
Thank you very much! I played the soprano a bit when I was younger, but got back to it lately (I'm a multi-instrumentalist so learning any instrument isn't really an issue) with a bit of experience from different genres and stuff and started trying a few tricks that occurred on its own :) and I recalled I loved an alto sound back then and decided to get an alto. I couldn't decide which one but your video (as 1st after like 5 similar videos) really helped me!!! Kudos :)
It's too bad the Dolmetsch Nova plastic instruments aren't available any more. All of them from soprano through bass (basset) are very nice and they were very inexpensive. The Aulos 500 series sopranino is much better than the Nova sopranino, though. (Also, as noted elsewhere, I think you got the two Autos models swapped in this video...)
The video is great! Thank you very much!
And I think the microphone is good too.
But in some passages all the flutes sound almost the same, even when I'm listening with good headphones.
(of all these recorders I have the Aulos and the Thomann, they are very different, the Thomann is a good consort flute, the Aulos good for solo, I think. The character can only be guessed at here, unfortunately)
Unfortunately, the limitation is the transmission technology.
MP3 and similar technology reduces the data - a lot - and unfortunately this almost completely removes the fine details that matter.
I don't think that can be improved much on TH-cam either, unfortunately.
Why was your green thumb so pale, it almost looked white? Sadly my 76 year-old ears could not discern any difference in the music produced. Maybe it's because 8+ years working around jet engines and another 8+ years working in and industrial setting of punch presses and high-speed drills repairing the computers that controlled them.