You are Going to Learn to Play the

Recorder!

This is a recorder

Your Recorder Comes with a cleaner.

We don’t use the cleaners in my room.In my class we use these to conduct with.

Why?

•The part that you need to clean is the mouthpiece.

•This rod does not clean the mouthpiece.

•You need to add a small strip of cloth to the rod to use it to clean. Many students end up with too big a strip of cloth and the rod gets stuck in the recorder.

1. Turn the recorder so that the thumb hole is away from your body

2. Cover the area below the mouthpiece with your thumb and give a quick blow into the mouthpiece. (If you do this correctly you should not hear it.)

3. Wipe off any moisture that is on your thumb and repeat two more times.

To Clean Your Recorder

The Recorder has been around for a long time.

• The recorder was very popular in Europe in the 1500s and 1600s. It was then almost forgotten until the early 1900s, when instrument maker Arnold Dolmetsch became interested in it. Through an accident his recorder was lost. Luckily, he had taken careful measurements and based a new instrument on the old design. This was the beginning of a revival for the recorder. 1

1. Taken from the Kingfisher Young People’s Book of Music 1996

This is the proper way to hold the recorder.

This is too high.

This is too low

Proper Hold

It is important to completely cover the hole with your finger!If you don’t, air will escape and you will squeak.

This hole is completely coveredand no air can escape.

This hole has a small placewhere air is escaping.

If you are covering the holes correctly you will see small round “bubbles” on your fingers.

Cover the Holes Completely

There is a correct way to blow into a recorder.

•First, you should blow GENTLY. Think about blowing bubbles.•You should start and stop the sound with your tongue. Put your tongue on the roof of your mouth behind your teeth. The sound should start and stop there. •Some people think of saying the sound dud or doot when they play,but be careful not to vocalize the sound and end up saying it out loud.

Listen to this sound produced correctly.

Listen to this sound that is not produced correctly.

Can you hear the difference?

Proper sound production

B A G

For the first song on the recorder we will use:

This is a B on the recorder.

This is a B on the Staff.

Play four short B’s. It should sound like this.

This is an A on the recorder.

This is an A on the Staff.

Play four short A’s. It should sound like this.

This is a G on the recorder.

This is a G on the Staff.

Play four short G’s. It should sound like this.

Now Play B-A-GThe pattern we are going to play is quarter, quarter, half note or ta, ta, ta-a.It sounds like this:On the staff it looks like this:

B A G

Click to play movie

Repeat that phrase.

B A G

A phrase is a musical sentence.

Click to play movie

Now for the third phrase.We will play four g’s, then four a’s. These notes are eight notes and we count them ti-ti-ti-ti ti-ti-ti-ti. It will sound like this:

And it will look like this:

Click to play movie

Play the fourth phrase

B A G

Click to play movie

You just played your first song!The song is “HOT CROSS BUNS” and the whole thing looks like this:

Click here to hear the whole song:

Hot cross buns!

Hot cross buns!

Hot cross buns!

One a pen - ny, two a pen- ny,

Click to play movie

Hot cross buns!

Hot cross buns!

Hot cross buns!

One a pen - ny, two a pen- ny,

Practice this until you can play it!

Click to play movie

Review the notes

on the recorder

Three fingers and the thumbplay what note? ______

Two fingers and the thumb play what note? ______

One finger and the thumbPlay what note? ______B

A

G

You have learned a lot!

Now you can go play your song for your teacher and you are ready to really

get started with the recorder!

Congratulations!