It is very relaxing to play a musical instrument, such as the recorder, alone, with another person or in a group. The recorder is a simple instrument that is easy to learn and play a tune on. And it has been around for centuries. So it is very interesting to know a little history about the recorder to get the most out of your musical experience with it.
You will discover what the recorder is with its different sizes, how to play the recorder with examples of fingerings and sound and the history of the recorder with recorder connections to four great historical figures.
1. What is the recorder?:
The recorder is an ancient woodwind instrument made of plastic or wood. It consists of a straight tube, 7 finger holes at the front, 1 thumb hole at the back, and a detachable beak-shaped mouthpiece.
The recorder was formerly known as the ‘English flute’ or ‘fipple flute’ because it was derived from the Old English verb ‘to record’ which meant ‘to sing like a bird’ and has a fipple, which is the block of wood inserted into the end. of the mouthpiece to create the trachea.
2. Recorders of Different Sizes:
There is a range of recorders of different sizes.
Here are five of them in order of size from smallest to largest:
– Sopranino in the key of F
– Descant (soprano) in the key of C
– Treble (alto) in the key of F
– Tenor in the key of C
– Bass in the key of F
They all use the same fingering but are set to two different keys as mentioned above.
The lowest note on the contrasting and tenor recorders is C, and therefore they are in the key of C. This same lowest note fingered on the sopranino, discant, and bass recorders is an F, and therefore Therefore, they are in the key of F.
The sopranino, descant, and bass recorders sound an octave higher than the written music to avoid too many count lines. The music is written in the same key for the tenor and treble recorders.
The music is written in the bass clef for the recorder and in the treble clef for the other four flutes.
The range of notes played covers two octaves except for the recorder which is slightly less.
Contrast, treble and tenor recorders are the most common.
3. How do you play the recorder??
The recorder is played by placing your lips over the beak-shaped mouthpiece and directing the air through the small hole so that it passes over a sharp edge and vibrates into the main tube of the instrument.
Different sounds are created by placing the fingers over the holes in different orders. Each sound or note name has a particular finger pattern called a fingering. for example, you can start by saying “the fingering of A is…”
4. What is the history of the recorder??
The recorder was first established in the 12th century.
The word ‘recorder’ first appeared in a document in 1388.
A Tutor for the Recorder was published in Venice in 1535.
In the 15th and 16th centuries various sizes of recorder were available covering a wide range of notes. People played them in groups, known as a “consort” of recorders. Thus the 200 years from 1500 to 1700 was a popular period for the recorder with many ‘consort’ playing.
In the 18th century and after Handel’s death in 1759, the recorder began to decline in popularity and nearly died out due to the growth of the orchestra. The fuller pitch of the modern flute was found to blend better with the other instruments than the lower pitch of the recorder.
Beginning in 1919, Arnold Dolmetsch revived the recorder and it is a favorable instrument for hobbyists.
And today, the recorder is a popular instrument for elementary school children to learn as part of their music program.
5. Engravers’ connections with four great historical figures:
TO. King Henry VIII (1491 – 1547 and king from 21 April 1509) was an accomplished musician and noted flutist. He had seventy-six recorders plus other instruments, including ten trombones, fourteen trumpets, and five bagpipes.
b. William Shakespeare (1564 – 1616) was a famous poet and playwright. He had recorders in plays of his (Hamlet), for mention (A Midsummer Night’s Dream) or to provide incidental music, especially when a scene was quiet, religious, or gloomy.
against samuel pepis (1633 – 1703) lived in London during the Great Plague and the Great Fire of London in 1665 and 1666 and was an English naval administrator and member of Parliament. He was most famous for his diary which recorded almost ten years of his life between 1660 and 1669. The diary included accounts of the Great Plague and Fire and the Second Dutch War and was first published in the 19th century. . He loved music, including the sound of the flute in the theater, and he decided to learn it. He also played other instruments and was a great singer.
d. George Frederick Handel (1685 – 1759) – was a famous musician and composer and was one of many great composers who wrote music for the recorder.
Knowing what a recorder is with its different sizes, historical connections, and an introduction to sound production and playing method provides five interesting facts about recorders that could influence your decision to play the recorder.
