Here Are the Seven Secrets on Why You Would Learn the Recorder

The recorder is a wind musical instrument made from wood or plastic and comes in a range of different sizes. Like any wind instrument, air is blown in one end and comes out holes and the other end. The vibration of air moving down the tube causes sound. Recorder players produce different pitched sounds by pressing finger pads on the holes in different configurations. Why would anyone want to learn this instrument? Here are the seven secrets.

1. The recorder is a simple instrument to play and hence is suitable for a wide range of people to learn, including young children. It is taught widely in primary schools as part of their music program. The most popular recorders to learn are the descant or soprano recorder, which is around 12.2 inches long and the longer tenor recorder. This is because they most closely resemble the human voice.

There are two main techniques to play this instrument. One is to seal the mouth over the mouthpiece about half way down and to blow gently.Sometimes players use their tongue by saying silently "tu" or "du" in order to get clear beginnings to notes. TThis is called articulation. The other is to place your finger pads flat on the holes such that no air leaks out. You can tell if your fingers are placed on the holes properly by pressing firmly on the hole and seeing a round hole mark on your finger or by blowing the desired note and getting it. The sound will be different if air escapes around a hole. Admittedly some young children getting fingers on the holes properly quite difficult. However on the whole, most people can master both techniques quite quickly and playing pieces.

2. The most popular recorders which people learn first eg the descant and then tenor are reasonably cheap to buy, and hence accessible for many people to purchase for fun in music making.

3. The most popular sizes are very portable especially the descant recorder. You can throw a recorder in any travelling bag and pull it out easily to play a tune. If you are a tramper or skier, a small descant recorder would be great to take to the top of a mountain and play to the world. What a wonderful feeling. Can you imagine a double bassist doing this?

4. The recorder is usually the first instrument people learn. As well as learning the technic of playing the instrument, you learn how to read music, with note names, note lengths and how to interpret music with markings including expression marks ofdynamics ( lounds and softs ), speed and more. There is a lot of theory in music which is often built into a tutor book. The benefit of learning the recorder is to concentrate on learning theory and musical terminology, because the technic of sound production is usually mastered quite quickly.

5. Learning the recorder as a first instrument benefits learning another instrument. Because you have learnt a certain amount of theory and musical terminology then you can spend your time concentrating on mastering the technique of playing your next instrument. And hence learning another instrument can be quicker than if you had learnt this other instrument as your first instrument.

6. There is a large range of recorder sizes available to play ranging from six inches to over two metres. You can join a recorder ensemble on any of these instruments and the range of notes covered is like the range of notes you hear from a band or orchestra. However the larger instruments are expensive and harder to handle and so are less often used.

7. One reason to learn the recorder today is to revive the playing of old music. Recorders date back to medieval times ( 500 -1400 ), through the medieval period ( 1400 - 1600 ) and Baroque Period ( 1600 - 1760 ). They were extremely popular in the 16th, 17th and 18th century with music being played from well known composers such as Bach, Telemann and Handel. They declined in popularity from the 18th century in favour of the flute, clarinet and oboe. However it was revived in the 20th century. There are people interested in the medieval period and form societies with regular social events. At these social events the participants dress up in period costume, partake in a medieval banquet and create music with dancing. So a consort of recorders is formed and medieval music is revived. What better chance to combine two interests of recorder playing with the medieval period.

Have these seven secrets on why you would learn the recorder stimulated you to learn.