How to hold a recorder! | Team Recorder BASICS
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- Опубликовано: 5 сен 2024
- How to hold a recorder properly?! It sounds simple, but here I take you through posture, angle, hands, arms, thumbs, and mouth to ensure you have good technique and don't cause yourself injury!
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due to bit of a medical issue, i don't have the most stable hands you can think of (besides the fact that I start trembling when I get the impression someone's watching me). After some horror during the first year (instrument almost fel down during the exam), we bought a plastic thumb rest. Costs like 5 euros and can be clicked unto the istrument easily. The moment we introduced that little one, I started feeling balanced and in control. I would warmly recommand it to people having difficulties to position their instrument. It's one thing less to worry about which makes it...more fun to play! Yeah!
This is a wonderful video for me. I'm a trumpet player (You know how they are :)) and I'm teaching myself. I play my trumpet at a 45 deg. angle due to my embouchure. From your video, I've learned a bunch of stuff that I am doing wrong. One thing is that I was placing the mouthpiece too far into my mouth. Duh! The main reason that I'm trying to learn the the recorder (Yamaha Alto) is that I'm 85 and my trumpet playing ability is declining. Music is a great thing to use against dementia and Alzheimers. I already know that it's better to try and learn to do things correctly at the beginning than to try and break bad habits later. Thanks so much for your valued videos.
The balancing part is so helpful to selflearners
Great lesson, really inspiring and so needed for self learners!
"You don't have to be pregnant to play the recorder" - that is D PERFECT QUOTE FOR A RECORDER T-SHIRT !!!
Loved the spontaneous chromatic 2-octave run,
Hated that I cannot reach the lowest "E" (guess your lovely Recorder is tuned against 415Hz) - but have that higher F instead :)
Always a pleasure!
Hello Sarah, congratulations again for your little baby: I wish you both health and happiness.
This "basics" video was once again extremely useful and clear.
I wonder whether you could addition it with a second video showing fingers' positions and how they should cover the holes: I still find it difficult to find the middle way between "leaky fingers" and gripping the recorder too tight.
If you are starting the recorder after playing clarinet (like me), for most clarinet players the right thumb is a little lower than what Sarah suggested, almost opposite the middle finger. However, this might not be the best position on recorder. I find the best position is achieved by placing a removable thumb rest halfway between holes 4 and 5, so the thumb is just below that.
1:47 phew, thank god. I’m a male, and this would’ve been difficult for me to do lol
I can hear LGBT people asking for your location
😂@@thomasbassil140
I can hear the sea when cupping my ear.. are you really that dumb to go down the pregnancy lane to make a moot point?
@@thomasbassil140 As one of them chill gays, I thought it was hilarious.
@@cosmos9688 cool. Stay chill😎
Thanks for clearing it up, I thought I had to be pregnant to play
what😀
😂
*Cough* *WHAT.*
@@orionedits_stuff00 it’s not that serious
I watched this in music class in school
Great video Sarah! I don't recall seeing the thumb position and movement described so clearly before.
Idk if my right hand is too small, but I'm having a hard time comfortably placing each right-hand finger on the appropriate hole. I have to compromise either my index finger or my pinky, and if I try to do both, I can't comfortably lift my ring finger.
Thank you so much, Sarah! I'm a beginner and into the second week of learning the instrument. I was desperately looking for this video and glad found your lesson. Needless to say, you are EASY to follow as your language is SIMPLE& EASY.
Very helpful video, thank you. Following these tips made it suddenly much easier to get the double hole low G# and F# on my alto and my general tone seems to improve too.
Hi
Do you have any advice for a person that learned to hold the recorder wrong! I ve learned to play the recorder in primary school and the teacher obviously did not know how to hold the instrument correctly, so he thought us to hold it with the right hand on the upper holes. Now 35 years later I find relearning to a more correct position hard, aspecially since I can play pretty ok with the wrong hand position. How would you recommend a person train to relearn and do a fast process to get it right?
I've had the same problem. But I'm just trying to slowly train the new position, and start from scratch. Just hold it how she does. Even if you're terrible at playing it like that. You'll have to learn the other position as if you were new to playing the recorder. You may have already done this thoigh, since your comment was a year ago..
Thanks Sarah - the thumb tips were helpful to me, as I've just reached that stage in my lessons.
I was thinking: duh...how to hold a recorder. But I learned a lot! I often play the tenor and don't have small hands so i never worried. But placing the thumbs on the right spot makes it more relaxing to play the tenor. Simpel things can make a big difference! ❤🚼🎈
Exactly! :)
My tenor recorder came with a small thumb rest and a piece of double-sided tape. I guess this is for the right thumb. The question is, shall I use it? Are there any pros and cons?
Best of luck with your baby, Sarah! How wonderful! Thank you for this video. You solved a couple of little things I've been dealing with. Here's one: I have a lovely, high-end alto by a well-known maker, but it has a little burr that makes the highest notes crack. Deciding whether or not to send it to be worked on (maybe it's me), I had a certain well-known recorderist from a certain renaissance band check it out at a workshop, and she said, it's fine, you should be holding it COMPLETELY VERTICALLY. While that did solve the problem of the cracking, she is CERTAINly flat-chested as hell, and I'm ... well, NOT. I cannot hold the recorder completely vertically. Impossible. I had previously held it at more of a 45-degree angle, so thank you for validating that. :-) Balance: I studied very well-known recorderist and teacher in NYC (who studied at the same conservatory as you, but since he's old enough to be your father's MUCH older brother, it's unlikely you had any of the same faculty) wanted me to use my pinkies to brace the instrument, which I did not want to do because I felt it limited the mobility of my fingers (and what about when I need right pinkie? Just move it, he says. So, I'm supposed to move my right pinkie back and forth from the body of the instrument to the hole? Moving fast? No. But I tried your right thumb and lip, and that solved that. Particularly for some trills around E1, F2, F#2, etc, when the instrument feels more unbalanced. Those two tips solved some problems that I had never had (for decades), until I ran into those two lovely teachers. Finally, I have, my entire life (I've been playing recorder for 47 years), always struggled with moving from pinched to covered, pinched to covered with speed, but your left thumb covering position is just a millimeter or two different from what I have always done, and now I see suddenly I can do that rapidly and securely! It's going to open up worlds of repertoire (virtuosic concerti!) that I had resigned myself to thinking would never be within reach. Sorry for the LOOOOOONG comment, but I'm very excited! Thank you!
Hi Jessica, thanks so much for your nice message! I'm so glad these tips could help you! Often when researching these videos I have the same process - trying to figure something out so I can explain it in a video, and I end up solving playing problems I had myself along the way... That's great that all this new repertoire is open to you, enjoy it!! What are you going to start with? ;) Have a great day!
I did not know left hand is to you and right is away from body,
I learned trumpet as a first instrument so left is the same n it's so fun picking up new instruments n figuring out they are so backwards in fingers in some other cases
I am the happy owner of a Möllenhauer Deram alto.
I have made a small hook of aluminiun wire and rubber band. I put the hook in the hole in the end and the rubber band round my right thump. It works well. 😊
Thank you! Always good info. You're so natural funny; it makes my day and takes away some of my fear of playing an instrument. Blessings to you and your family!
Sarah, thanks for your videos! I've taken the recorder up again after more than 20 years, a time in which I've developed arthritis. You may have addressed this elsewhere, but could one use a thumb rest on the treble? If so, what would serve the purpose best?
Another very useful video. Thank you so much. Congratulations for your lovely baby!
thank you so much, dear Sarah! Amazingly helpful. Greetz from Russia :)
Hi Sarah, your videos are just awesome!!! Couldn't you make a video one day how to read rhythms, rests, tricky entries, dotted notes, offbeat and alike, it's difficult (not for you!). Hope you write a method for teaching yourself recorder one day!
Please ma that long recorder where can I get it for my students
I am from Nigeria
Pls i need your help urgently.
Hello Sarah! How do you hold your soprano/sopranino with your right hand? I usually push my 5 6 fingers to close the holes, because these fingers are too long(especially on small recorders). Will it be okay? I've felt that this way increases tension on my right hand.
thanks for all the tips Sarah! As a piano player myself, I've been taught not to let my pinky fingers raise (like while holding a cup of tea) when not touching the keys. Is this a problem with the recorder?
Such a great musician you make it look so easy thanks
Thank you! That was a great lesson. I love your enthusiasm.
Hey!!! And congratulations !!!
AND HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY SARAH!!!!!
SO HAPPY FOR YOU!!!
TAKE GOOD CARE OF YOURSELF !!!
LOVE YOU!!!
Thank you! and I LOVE THE IDEA OF THE Harry Potter THEME SONG!!!!! I play that with my students and they love it! So that one is definitely coming up :)))
Love the ending
"Itsa mea, Sarah Jeffery!"
Haha!
Hello Sarah. Grateful that I found your videos. You had mentioned in a previous video about thumb support and I believe my Yamaha Tenor recorder came with one. Could you comment on that. Like how to position it etc
Sarah, thanks for these videos! I do have a question. I purchased the "Modern Recorder Player", and I see I have my work cut out for me. I'm starting from ground zero, so at the moment I'm focusing on holding the recorder. In both your video and the book, I'm not clear on how much I'm supposed to adjust the foot joint to accommodate my right pinky. The more I turn it to the side, the better my middle fingers fit, but I realize this could go too far. It is better to "scrunch" the middle (longer) fingers a bit and learn to live with the slighly more uncomfortable position? It it a matter of just training your hand? I'm just curious what professionals do. Maybe the answer is tied to how the pinky should cover the hole. Does it need to be in the middle of the "tip segment"? Utlimately, I want to develop good habits, and I figure hand position is really fundamental. Perhaps clarification on how the finger should cover the hole will also answer my question.
I hope this question isn't too picky...maybe it doesn't matter that much?? Again, thanks for all of these videos--very helpful!
If it helps - I don't think you would normally play with the tip of your pinky. Probably the pad of the finger is best, as you need to cover 2 (little) holes - so you need the most coverage possible. So turn the foot joint to be as comfortable as your pinky needs... hope that is useful...!
I love your videos! So helpful! I played a plastic soprano back in elementary school, moved on to flute, which I love. A few years ago, I got the idea I wanted a wooded recorder. I couldn't justify the price at the time and focussed on my flute. A few weeks ago, I found a Moeck Rottenburgh alto, who knows what kind of wood, at a garage sale for only two dollars - excitement plus! I set about learning about the oiling and the playing in. The original owner was not there to ask questions of, so I am assuming it has not been played for years, but it seems in good shape and has a nice sound, at least when I do it justice.
It is more challengin than I thought, for one thing, I have very long fingers, much longer than when I was in elementary school, so finding the notes without leaking was tough, but getting better with your tips on how to hold. Next challenge, remembering that on the alto, all fingers down is an F, not a C like on my flute. Fun stuff!
Your videos have inspired me to pick up the recorder as a secondary instrument. I'm a year and a half off from completing my music degree so i think it will be fun and i'll even be able to use it to compose for groups i can actualy play in!!!
Great!! What do you play already? Happy to convert you! ;)
I started off on bass guitar and started classical guitar once i started college. Fun times..
0:49 , at this movement , we f****d up!!🤣🤣
Hi Sarah, just thought I’d let you know how I’m getting on with Nigel Martin as a teacher. He’s a lovely guy, my playing is improving so much, and because Recorder is his first instrument he’s wise in all those secret recorder ways. I feel much more confident now. Thanks for the advice you gave me and look after yourself and your baby. Kind regards, Deanne. 🎶
Hi Deanne, that's great to hear! So glad that you and Nigel have clicked and you are enjoying your lessons. Say hi to him from me, and keep enjoying the recorder!
This was VERY helpful. I can see a couple of areas I need to work on - mostly RELAXING. :o)
this is 1 of my school musec lessons wich was putin the google classroom
can you please share a link to the recorder you used, it looks very nice.
You are such a am amazing teacher.
Very helpful. I could use some help with fingers on the holes, though. Something always seems to be leaking, especially the right hand, and I tend to overcompensate by squeezing everything too hard. Any hints?
At last! A great video on the basics: how to hold the thing without wobbling about or doing funny stuff with your hands. I'm getting back into practicing after a long time. So here's a question: there are times when one has hardly any fingers on - in fact times when you've only got your mouth and lower thumb in contact. And what I notice is that you, Sarah, bring in the lower hand 3rd finger as an additional stabiliser. I also do this (or pinky) but I can find nothing about this anywhere. So, d'you reckon this is in the realm of technique, or...? Would appreciate your comments.
Ahhhhh! Yes, I do use my 3rd finger to stabilise it. but it’s a bit of a bad habit, not an intentional technique 🙈 A lot of people ise the pinky finger, which can work, but has the disadvantage of creating an extra movement which could get in the way. A good hand position and posture should technixally mean it’s not necessary!
Hello Sarah :) been playing for about a month now and I’m LOVING the recorder and your tutorials. I have a question that I hope you or some other experienced player could answer.. I only now realized that I’ve been holding the recorder the wrong way around, meaning my left hand forward and right hand back. It’s very comfy for me but I wonder if it would be wise to switch now while I’m only just beginning? Are there going to be complication ahead if I don’t? Or should I just continue the way I am and be the Hendrix of the recorder world?? :)) Many thanks!
For anyone wondering this same thing: one benefit of using the proper hands (left high, right low) is that if you try alto or tenor recorders, those holes are not all in a straight line like on a soprano - these holes are slightly curved in arcs so that your smaller fingers can reach them, and this only works if you're using the proper hands
Many thanks for your beautiful and helpful lessons, and all the best with your baby!
Thanks! 😄
Hi Sarah, I play the recorder quite well, but I seem to have spittle come outta my mouth so much when I play. Please any video or Tips for that? I notice that after I finish playing.
Thanks I just started learning the tenor recorder last night and was having severe thumb cramps because I wasn’t holding it at a diagonal- I was trying to hold it straight on and very tense- it still hurts.
This was very helpful. Thank you! As a flutist, it was weird to have only two point of balance and nowhere to pet my left little finger. On the flute the left little finger is on a key and there are 3 points of balance. On the flute it is against your face, on your right thumb, and on the area below your left index finger. On the recorder there are only two of those.
Oh, I know that very well. I still catch myself holding the recorder with my pinky on the foot joint. Feels kinda weird to just waggle it in the air...
I wish I could like the video twice. Once for the overall instruction and again for the Super Mario Theme at the end :D
Do you have any tips for playing only one half of the last two (four?) tone holes? Right now I'm working on chromatically going up and down, but going from a low F to low #F is very difficult to play without squeaking :c
??
When I play my Basset recorder, I find it difficult to play the F#, G, and G# because there is no thumb. My recorder seems to roll away from me. I play with a crook, a sling, a thumb rest, and with the recorder at a slight angle. I am a small person with small hands and short arms. I think perhaps I shouldn't remove my thumb completely ( for F#, G, G#) as I do with my smaller instruments. Maybe I should just pivot the thumb, but I'm not sure if this is correct. Does anyone have advice on this? Should i keep experimenting? 🤔
Motherhood and Supermariohood moments.... :DD Grats!
I love watching your vídeos!❤
THANK YOU Sarah Jeffery : D
hello sarah, thanks a lot, everything you show is like i tell my folks, like your videos a lot!!
Lovely! Thank you & Congratulations, Sarah!
Thanks
Thank you Sarah, and congrats!!
So everyone agrees it's left hand on top? This would be good to know because otherwise I've been playing it wrong my whole life, but it can be awkward playing some flats where you only cover one hole?
What a lovely baby. Congrats!
It's not even out yet.
Sorry I was referring to the Instagram post mentioned below. And 'tis a lovely baby.
What if you hold it to your side and blow at an angle
I'm having a little bit of a problem with the pinky of the right hand, especially when holding the alto recorder. My pinky is slightly bent, which I interpret as a mild case of Clinodactyly. This makes it harder to stretch the pinky to cover the the two holes at the end of the recorder. A side effect is that to do the stretch I end up gripping harder with the right hand, and even then it's hard to cover the two holes reliably.
I wonder if there is a strategy to mitigate this issue, perhaps stretching exercises by spreading the little finger away from the other fingers?
That’s a good question, and one i can’t fully answer without seeing you play live. You could try moving from the wrist, to see if you can bring your fingers closer to the holes that way? Rotating your wrist downwards a little can help the overall posture a lot. And nothing is more important than your health so please don’t push it if it’s painful!
@@Team_Recorder Thanks for the tips. I think that rotating the wrist downward is probably the best strategy for me. Also, rotating the foot joint on the recorder to just the right position is helping. I have a fairly narrow window for the right positioning of the foot joint, but I think with careful adjustment of the foot joint and with the hints you gave, my little finger can just stretch to cover the holes. Also, I decided that when I get the foot joint perfectly positioned I will mark the middle joint and foot joint with a felt tipped pen in an inconspicuous place to make alignment markings.
I think that rotating the head joint just a tiny bit also helps. Would that hurt the tone?
Now it is a matter of practice to get used to the stretch and lock the hand position muscle memory in.
By the way, I love your youtube videos.
Thanks again.
Adding just a bit to my comment above, my theory on rotating the head joints a tiny bit is that then I can split the difference in the rotation of the wrists, so that I get less extreme rotation of the right-hand wrist. Does that make sense?
You are really amazing!
Wow, girl! This video was very helpful and clear. Love it. I am already subbed ^_^
Wow . Thanks
Mmmmh
Okay, I never had any actual lessons for the recorder (or tin whistle for that matter) and already did exactly that. I just suck because of a lack of practice.
So many instruments to play though.
5:09 When holding and playing the recorder, the right and left thumb need to be alive and well (much like the subjunctive mood in the Spanish language); but the left little (pinkie) finger could be dead and dying (much like the subjunctive mood in the English language). But I digress. When holding and playing the recorder, the left little (pinkie) finger is not needed at all. 😉 ♫
This video is helpful.
What side of the left thumbhole should be partially opened for the upper register?
Kinda the top half, slightly on the the left?
Sarah Jeffery / Team Recorder That makes sense, with the flexing thumb motion you illustrated. Not sure how I missed that detail over the years. Thanks!!!
Excellent video!
A little over 45d and theres less clogging?
Congratulation.
Hey Sarah! I really really love your videos.
Can you please please please do a video for the Harry potter Theme song .
PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE
Do it whenever you can . I'll wait but please do it.
Thanks a lot!!! Love your music!!!
Sarah, some of the recorder ensemble I am a member of have and swear by thumb holds....You can get them on Amazon or make one. I don't know if I want to use one. do you use one?
I don’t personally use one but others have found them helpful- basically, do what works for you! I discuss it at length in thsi video: ruclips.net/video/b-usDFn2NIo/видео.html
Thanks!! I really am used to playing my treble without.
I'm sooo glad I don't have to be pregnant to play the recorder :D Wonderful video!
Hello Ms. Jeffrey, I came across a book by F. J. Giesbert who advocates the use of the 'buttress' finger (RH Ring finger) for recorders with baroque fingering for the lower octave, Alto F through to G'. Any comments on this technique for balancing the recorder. Have a safe confinement
Regards, Harry
Harry Joseph I use a buttress finger at times. Alan Davis does too in his recorder method.
Deanne Sherriff thanks for replying I'm 65 and a rank amateur; even so the thought of 'unlearning' this technique, though it hampers dexterity to some extent especially semi quaver passages involving a tethered note & a moving top or bottom line. Trying to learn from books has its own hazards! Harry
Harry Joseph I wasn't sure what you meant, so I googled it and found this:
Buttress
As in "buttress finger". For very many notes which use a few of the left hand fingers only, it is possible to add the ring finger of the right hand without detriment to the tone or intonation. In doing so the hold on the recorder is greatly improved. This technique, known as "buttress finger technique" was common in the C18, but largely disregarded except by advanced players, today. It is a valuable tool, to be used alongside alternative fingerings to facilitate rapid passage work.
pachamamatrust.org/f2/1_K/music/Crg_recorder_glossary_KMu.htm
Could be a useful thing to know
My recorder squeaks too much, even if I play it correctly. I've asked my teachers for music, I've tried youtube and basically everything! My recorder is a Yamaha Soprana/Descant Recorder Baroque YRS-24B
If you could state that that would be great.
Kind Regards,
Stormz
I have this problem as well. It makes me squeeze the recorder to make sure I cover the entire hole with each finger, which is tiring...:-( I was hoping this video would address this problem.
@@tomnesler2089 damn i didn't think anyone would actually reply back...
Please, what's the name of the last piece you play? Thank you!
Super Marios theme song.
ruclips.net/video/NTa6Xbzfq1U/видео.html
i laughed my fucking ass off on the intro lmao
❤💙💖
hello very good and beautiful.
What kind of microphone do you use for your tutorials?
ciao bravissima e bellissima.
Che tipo di microfono usi per i tui tutorials?
Alessio Peluso
from Italy
Aw that big belly is so cute 😍
I was a hundred months pregnant 😂
@@Team_Recorder lol 😂
I have really bad tennis elbow, wondering if playing the tenor recorder is contributing to this , anyone else had this?
Wooooow😗😙😚😘😯😮😳😲
He/She's about 6 now, secretly hates recorder but smiles while playing?
(just a joke ofc, I'm the one going down the rabbit hole of recorder playing caterpillars.. ;) )
congrats miss sarah..such s bkessing baby..im widhing thst your baby eill like
anyone here from online class
1:50 stop flexing with your arpeggios I'm a beginner.
0:49 this is not flexibility, go bless yourself
You don't have to be pregnant to play a recorder?
I know, right?
ive been meaning to ask do you have tourettes?...im asking because i have it...
Hi, I don't!
Sarah Jeffery / Team Recorder oh...
Sarah J Except when you're playing Gesti and other contemporary stuff.. 😂
Tom M oh....
What truly IRRITATED ME with all the "how to play recorder" video is that NO ONE IS DISCUSSING THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN OPEN HOLE VS SEMI-OPEN HOLE?!?!?
like it's easy with the 6th&7th hole (just leave one open & the other close) BUT HOW ABOUT THE THUMB HOLE!!!!
HAVE Y'ALL REALIZED THAT IF THE STUDENT NEVER FIGURE OUT HOW TO SEMI-CLOSE/HALF COVER (or whatever you want to call it)
NO MATTER BLOWING TECHNIQUE OR POSTURE Y'ALL TEACH, THAT STUDENT WILL ONLY BE ABLE TO PLAY JUST 1 SCALE!!!
I don't even have issue with tonguing & everything else!!!
SERIOUSLY, WHY'S NO ONE DEALING WITH THIS?!?!?
Y'KNOW JUST GONNA "RETURN TO SENDER" THIS RECORDER (or just leave this in his grave) I already know piano, guitar & drum... there's a lot of complete & comprehensive video for those instrument anyway!!! Even the dreaded barre chords in guitar, one can find a lot of techniques!!!
I’ve got you! You can find this topic (thumb position) discussed here: ruclips.net/video/LtpevgBSDfA/видео.htmlsi=CqPKAh4VX2cZTj4p
and here: ruclips.net/video/S5BJDurzX6M/видео.htmlsi=JDfkftAVPNvB7TYl