Recorder Resources

Why Recorder? (Martina Vasil and Karen Medley)

The recorder is another melodic instrument to add to the many timbres used in an elementary music classroom. Typically, the recorder is introduced in 4th grade, because children are starting to have the fine motor skills needed to successfully play an instrument like the recorder. Carl Orff is credited with bringing the recorder to music education; his intent was that it be used as yet another tool for performing and creating music and he did not treat it like a stand-alone class to be taught out of a musical context. Always include speech, singing, movement, and creation in recorder lessons.

Reasons to use the recorder in elementary music education:

• Melody instrument that complements other, more percussive sounds in the classroom
• Helps students develop expressiveness and improvisation skills
• Can help introduce/reinforce note-reading skills
• Beginning instrumental technique that is relatively easy
• Enhances ear training
• Enhances pitch perception
• Good musical alternative for students who are non-verbal
• Can provide a challenge for upper elementary/middle school students (grades 5–8)
• Affordable price

Teacher Tips for Playing the Recorder

• Left hand on top, right hand on bottom (like any other woodwind instrument)
• Recorder held at a 45% angle
• Hands are relaxed and curved
• Pads of the fingers over the holes
• Dit and Du (staccato vs legato articulation)
• Rest upper lip on the mouthpiece to create a seal on top of the mouth piece, lower lip covers the bottom teeth. Like blowing through a straw.
• Tuning (if sharp, pull the mouth piece out or use slightly stronger air; if flat, push the mouthpiece down)
• The most common notes you will use when modeling and teaching recorders are listed below (from Teachers Pay Teachers):

Tips for Starting Students on the Recorder

When introducing the recorder, get the students playing as quickly as possible. Use lots of modeling and mirror the children (you do everything backwards so to them, it appears like they are looking at a mirror when they look at you).

• “Statue of liberty” positioning (left hand on top, right hand on bottom)
• Cover the holes, 123 thumb
• Right hand holds for now
• Rest position is “chin position”
• Hands are relaxed and curved, like holding a cheeseburger
• Pads of the fingers over the holes; kids can squeeze their fingers and look to see circles on the pads of their fingers
• Tropical breeze club (slow, warm breath, like fogging up a window pane, or like sighing)
• Articulation: Say “Du du duuuuuuu”; then whisper it, then just articulate it, then put on instrument on a note
• Use lots of echo/imitation when teaching (I do then you do)
• Immerse the children in the song you are introducing with “repetition with variation”. Have them listen for particular things (e.g., how many phrases? What’s the highest note?), have them track the highs and lows through body percussion, have them sing it.
• A useful teaching strategy is to split children into groups; each group gets one note. That helps you keep the song as a whole and each time you repeat it, the children get a different note to be responsible for (repetition with variation).

Common Problems Children Have

Assembly 

If the recorder sounds out of tune, it’s likely not aligned correctly and/or pushed together in the wrong way or not pushed in all the way.

Hand Position

Poor hand position can affect covering the holes all the way. Children often put the wrong hand on top and sometimes are pressing too hard on the finger holes, playing with too much tension.

Embouchure

Many times children have too much of the mouthpiece in their mouth, place their teeth on the mouthpiece, or have too little of the mouthpiece in their mouths.

Posture

Children will often look down at their recorder, have stiff arms and shoulders like tight chicken wings, or rest their elbows on their knees, therefore collapsing the lungs.

Air

The most common air issue is overblowing.

Articulation

Many times children forget to tongue and it sounds like a train whistle. They often use “air” breaths where they take a breath to separate each note instead of tonguing.

Fingering

Many problems can occur because of how the fingers are laid on the instrument. This may be that the thumb is not covering the back hole all of the way, students are lifting their fingers too high, students are sliding their fingers over the wrong holes (e.g., playing from G to F#), or students are forgetting to place their pinky down for low F or low C.

Recommended Order for Introducing Fingers on the Soprano Recorder (Ms. Karen Medley)

• BAG – introduced together in the first lesson; there is a lot of folk and popular music with these pitches. Allows children to play “real” music immediately, not just exercises.
• Low E – Introduced next. Gets the right hand involved as soon as possible to avoid poor hand positioning.
• Low D – Introduced soon after low E. This is much easier for children because you are adding fingers. This also positions the child to be able to improvise in G pentatonic.
• C’ and D’ – Introduce as a pair. C’ should be taught in reference to A. Show an A, then lift the index finger. This avoids the common mistake of children sliding their first finger down to the second hole. Lifting fingers is easy.
• F# – Introduce next in reference to D. Show low D and pick up the first finger (index) of the right hand. This helps avoid sliding the two fingers down to cover the wrong holes.
• Low C and low F – Introduce as a pair. F in reference to low C. Show low C and pick up the second finger (middle). This avoids the common beginner problem of not putting down the pinky.
• E’ – Introduce next, with thumb hole open. Introduce in reference to the Low E. Show Low E and take the thumb off the back.
• Bb – Introduce last for first-year students. Introduce in reference to Low D. Show Low D and pick up second finger (middle) on each hand.

Resources for Recorder

Recorder Routes by Carol King is a strong resource because it teaches the recorder the way Carl Orff intended; as another musical timbre embedded in lessons that have connections to children’s lives. The recorder songs we have done in class are from that source “All Through the Night” and “Pickin’ Peas.”

References

Music with Sara Bibee (n.d.). Recorder Fingering Charts- Three Different Printout Options! Teachers Pay Teachers. https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Recorder-Fingering-Charts-Three-Different-Printout-Options-862426