The lowest chromatic scale degrees - a semitone and a minor third above the lowest note - are played by covering only a part of a hole, a technique known as "half-holing." Most modern instruments are constructed with double holes or keys to facilitate the playing of these notes. The note is only occasionally found in pre-twentieth-century music, but it has become standard in modern music. The note two octaves and one semitone above the lowest note (C# for soprano, tenor and great bass instruments: F# for sopranino, alto and bass instruments) can normally only be played by covering the end of the instrument, typically by using one's upper leg or a special bell key. In the table, "X" signifies a closed hole, "O" signifies an open hole, and "/" signifies a half-closed hole. The numbers at the top correspond to the fingers and the holes on the recorder, according to the pictures. The higher notes are more difficult to play, and the exact fingerings vary from instrument to instrument, so it is impractical to put them into the table here. See the table above for fingerings of notes in the nominal recorder range of 2 octaves and 1 whole tone. The range of a recorder is about two octaves. HOW THE FINGERS AND HOLES ARE NUMBERED The Fingers Note 2: Individual recorders may need this hole to be closed, half closed, or open to play the note in tune. Note 1: The bell must be stopped to play this note. RECORDER FINGERINGS: LOWEST NOTE THROUGH THE NOMINAL RANGE OF 2 OCTAVES AND A TONE The bottom of the same recorder with annotations.
Ī picture of the top of a treble recorder with the main parts of the recorder illustrated. The roughly rectangular opening in the top of the recorder, adjacent to the labium is called the "window". Much of the skill of recorder playing is concerned with using the parts of the mouth (particularly the tongue), as well as the diaphragm, to shape and control the stream of air entering the recorder. However, the shape and size of the recorder player's mouth cavity has a discernible effect on the timbre, tone and response of the recorder. Because the windway shapes the air flow and conducts it to the labium, it is not necessary to form an embouchure with the lips. The length of the air column (and the pitch of the note produced) is modified by finger holes in the front and back of the instrument.
The player's breath is constrained by a wooden "block" (A), in the mouthpiece of the instrument, so as to travel along a duct (B) called the "windway." Exiting from the windway, the breath is directed against a hard edge (C), called the "labium," which causes the column of air to oscillate. The recorder is held outwards from the player's lips (rather than to the side, like the "transverse" flute). The English name may come from a Middle English use of the word record, meaning, "to practice a piece of music." How the instrument is played Today, the recorder is known as 'flauto dolce' in Italian (soft flute), 'flute à bec' in French (beaked flute) and 'Blockflöte' in German (block flute). This has led to some pieces of music occasionally being mistakenly performed on modern flute rather than on recorder.
Up to the eighteenth Century, the instrument was called 'Flauto' (flute) in Italian, the language used in writing music, whereas the instrument we today call the flute was called 'Flauto traverso'. The sound of the recorder is remarkably clear and sweet, partly because of the lack of upper harmonics and predominance of odd harmonics in the sound.
#Simple recorder music full
Today, it is often thought of as a child's instrument, but there are many excellent virtuosic players who can demonstrate the instrument's full potential as a solo instrument. The recorder was revived in the twentieth century, partly in the pursuit of historically informed performances of early music, but also because of its suitability as a simple instrument for teaching music and its appeal to amateur players. The recorder, originally popular in Medieval music, was revived in the twentieth century