

Again, if you don’t know where to start, a baroque style alto recorder is a great choice. Fortunately, there are reasonably priced, well-designed plastic recorders, as well as innovative wooden recorders with a square shape. A Great Bass recorder can cost over $10,000.
#Professional soprano recorder professional
Recorders can vary in price from the $2 clear plastic soprano recorder version used by school children to a $3,000 professional quality instrument. There are many high quality, plastic alto recorders available, which are a better choice than an inexpensive wooden recorder when starting out. There is a great amount of solo literature written for this instrument and, because the pitch is lower, it is a great choice for beginners who don’t yet have the skill to make a soprano sing sweetly. If you are thinking of taking up the recorder, the alto is a great place to start. In recent years, many consorts also include larger recorders: a great bass in C, and a contrabass in F. Recorders are also often referred to by their lowest sounding note: "recorder in f’" refers to a recorder with lowest note f’. The sizes most commonly in use today are the soprano, alto, tenor and bass. Recorder sizes and typesRecorders are made in different sizes with names and ranges roughly corresponding to different vocal ranges. Many splendid original examples of such instruments survive today in playing condition. It was voiced to produce an intense, reedy and penetrating tone of considerable carrying power and expressiveness. It was given a more pronounced taper than ever before and had a fully chromatic range of two octaves and ultimately two octaves and a fifth. Where previously it had been made in one or two pieces it was now made in three allowing for more accurate boring.

They are ideally suited to the performance of the polyphonic vocal and instrumental music of the late fifteenth to early seventeenth centuries, blending readily and in balance with each other in whole consorts or contrasting on equal terms with other renaissance instruments or voices.ĭuring the late seventeenth century, the recorder was completely redesigned for use as a solo instrument. These recorders have a bold, rich timbre which is even in quality and dynamic level throughout their range. As the sixteenth century progressed, consort recorders were constructed with conical bores tapering gently towards the foot. It has always enjoyed a particularly rich representation in literature, drama, painting and sculpture.ĭuring the fifteenth century instrument makers began producing choirs (or consorts) of recorders and other instruments in various sizes. It has a long and interesting history and can lay claim to an extensive and highly varied repertoire spanning eight centuries. Rather than a mere toy, an educational aid, or a simple musical instrument suitable only for amateurs, the recorder is a vehicle for serious musical expression demanding years of dedicated study. Playing with One Hand/Adaptive Recorders.Place a Classified Ad on the ARS Website.Learning Resources for Recorder Players.
#Professional soprano recorder free
FREE Online Recorder Classes for Beginners.Playing It Safe: Social Distancing Resources.The ARS and Me.a memoir- Martha Bixler.Reviews from American Recorder Magazine.Sponsor A Members' Library Edition Piece.The distinctive, rich tone of a wooden recorder is not generally matched by a resin recorder, and in order to get the most enjoyment from performances it may be a good idea to consider using a wooden recorder.Įach has its own character, and the nature of the sound also varies, so if possible it is better to choose an instrument together with a specialist or music teacher who can demonstrate the sound of the instrument for you. However, they are expensive compared to resin recorders, and require intricate maintenance.

This is to suggest that soft woods produce a soft sound, hard woods produce a hard sound, and that there is a broad expressive range in warm timbres. Maple has a sweet, clear sound, with an exquisite harmony, prominent when playing within an ensemble. Kingswood has elegance and sweetness even amid its strength.Ĭastelo wood has a tone that expresses subtlety rather than strength. Wooden recorders have the timbre of rosewood, with emphasized gentle, sweet characteristics.
