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 melody. And it has been around for centuries. So it is very interesting to know a little about the background of the recorder to make the most 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 removable spike-shaped mouthpiece.
The recorder was previously known as ‘English Flute’ or ‘Fipple Flute’ because it was derived from the Old English verb ‘to record’, which meant ‘to sing like a bird’ and it has a mouthpiece, which is the block of wood inserted at 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 (viola) 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 of the recorders and tenors is C and therefore they are in the key of C. This same lower note with fingers on the recorders sopranino, descant and bass is an F and therefore, are in the key of F.
Sopranino, Descant, and Bass recorders are played one octave higher than written music to avoid too many ledger lines. Music is written in the same pitch for the tenor and treble recorders.
Music is written in bass clef for the bass recorder and treble clef for the other four recorders.
The range of notes played covers two octaves, except for the bass recorder, which is slightly lower.
Recorders, treble and tenor are the most common
3. How do you play the recorder??
The recorder is played by placing the lips over the beak-shaped mouthpiece and directing the air through the small hole so that it passes over a sharp edge and vibrates in the main tube of the instrument.
Different sounds are created by placing the fingers over the holes in different orders. Each note or sound name has a particular finger pattern called fingering. for example, you can start by saying “A’s fingering is …”
Four. 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 recorder tutor was published in Venice in 1535.
In the 15th and 16th centuries there were various sizes of recorder available covering a wide range of notes. People played them in groups, which is known as “consort” of recorders. Therefore, the 200 years between 1500 and 1700 were a popular period for the recorder with a lot of “consort” play.
In the 18th century and after Handel’s death in 1759, the recorder began to lose popularity and almost died due to the growth of the orchestra. The fuller tone of the modern flute was found to blend better with the other instruments than the quieter tone of the recorder.
From 1919 Arnold Dolmetsch revived the recorder and is a favorable instrument among amateurs.
And today, the recorder is a popular instrument for elementary school children to learn as part of their music program.
5. Recorder connections with four great historical figures:
For. King Henry VIII (1491-1547 and King from April 21, 1509) was an accomplished musician and a prominent flute player. 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 tape recorders in his plays (Hamlet), as a mention (Midsummer Nights Dream) or used to provide incidental music, especially when a scene was quiet, religious or sad.
vs. Samuel pepys (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 nearly 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 recorder in the theater, and decided to learn it. He also played other instruments and was an enthusiastic singer.
D. George Frederick Handel (1685 – 1759): He was a famous musician and composer and was one of the 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 playback method provides five interesting background facts about recorders that could influence your decision to play the recorder.