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Anyone else here play the recorder?

F

Fassa Albrecht

Feb 18, 2007
7,818
26
38
Tyneside, UK
#1
I know that they have a nasty reputation as a kid's instrument but I cannot understand why, if they're played properly, they can't sound good.

I have a cheap Stagg descant recorder which isn't too bad, and I'm thinking of taking up the alto recorder (with its slightly saxaphone-y sound) at some time.

Anyone else (still) play one of any sort?
 
#5
Poetic Maggot said:
Not to sound completely ignorant or anything, but what is a recorder anyway? I seriously don't know. Though I will say that if its something you enjoy doing, just do it!!! :D
Click to expand...

THIS is a recorder:

hohner-wooden-descant-recorder.gif
 
#6
Yep, some. Soprano. A friend of mine has a renaissance music group called Wind in the Woods. All sorts of fun period instruments in addition to the recorders. I took lessons from her for a bit. Would love to learn alto or bass, but that involves buying yet another instrument. Haven't paid off the last instrument yet!
 
#7
RosieB said:
Yep, some. Soprano. A friend of mine has a renaissance music group called Wind in the Woods. All sorts of fun period instruments in addition to the recorders. I took lessons from her for a bit. Would love to learn alto or bass, but that involves buying yet another instrument. Haven't paid off the last instrument yet!
Click to expand...


Yeah, wish there was some sort of group like that round here. Not too much use for recorder in gig situations here unless you're a Gentle Giant tribute band. Or a school teacher. Or both.
 
#12
Where I'm from, all kids who go to government schools were taught to play the soprano recorder from Primary 4-6 (ages 10-12). Not sure if the syllabus has changed since I was that age, though.

Mostly we played on really rubbish brandless plastic things that sounded like whistles... later on I bought a rosewood Yamaha which sounded tons better. Loved it til it cracked from poor maintenance :(
 
#13
rinners said:
Where I'm from, all kids who go to government schools were taught to play the soprano recorder from Primary 4-6 (ages 10-12). Not sure if the syllabus has changed since I was that age, though.

Mostly we played on really rubbish brandless plastic things that sounded like whistles... later on I bought a rosewood Yamaha which sounded tons better. Loved it til it cracked from poor maintenance :(
Click to expand...


TBH I've never understood WHY people, wanting their kids to learn the recorder, then assume that it's only a gimmicky 'toy' instrument and settle for cheap $5 crap. Seriously, would you buy a $40 violin for a kid? No, you wouldn't, and I can't see why in some instruments, buying cheaply seems to be the norm, especially with the recorder.

And yeah, I have a decent maple one. It sounds 100000000000000000 times better than the plastic one I had.
 
#14
The first time I heard a recorder was when Brian Jones played one on "Ruby Tuesday" on the Ed Sullivan Show in the late '60s. I asked one of my teachers about the instruments. He told me what it was and that one could get college credit for studying it. It was basically a flute before the modern "transverse" flutes took over.

If you want to get into this medieval instrument thing, research what double basses evolved from.
 
#15
Orangeclawhamme said:
The first time I heard a recorder was when Brian Jones played one on "Ruby Tuesday" on the Ed Sullivan Show in the late '60s. I asked one of my teachers about the instruments. He told me what it was and that one could get college credit for studying it. It was basically a flute before the modern "transverse" flutes took over.

If you want to get into this medieval instrument thing, research what double basses evolved from.
Click to expand...


On that note, I want a violon and a viola da gamba...
 
#19
Play both soprano & alto recorder. Used to be in the SCA (medieval re-enactment group) so have kept playing off & on. When we learned to play re order in Jr high music class, I had been playing (metal transverse) flute for several years, & thus ended up being one of the kids chosen to play alto recorder. I enjoyed it so much my parents bought me both a soprano & alto recorders, & I am still.using those two recorders. (Tung and lemon oil are you friends when it comes to true woodwinds!)
 

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