Which recorder should you buy? | Team Recorder

How to choose your first WOODEN recorder? This video is for people who already have a basic instrument, and want to make the step to buy a good, wooden recorder in an intermediate price range :)
In this video I demonstrate mainly altos, but it works for sopranos and tenors too!
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DISCLAIMER: 1) these are definitely not ALL the makes of recorder out there! If you have other recommendations, or are a recorder maker and want to highlight your product, please comment below! 2) prices may vary.
If you are in the Netherlands, please buy these recorders from AAFAB Recorder Center in Utrecht: www.aafab.nl
You can also go there are try out aaaalllll of the instruments!
/// THE RECORDERS
Click on the timestamps below to hear the recorders being played!
05:10 My basic plastic recorder: Yamaha YRS302B
tinyurl.com/lu...
06:04 Moeck 'Rottenburgh' in maple
tinyurl.com/my...
06:24 Moeck ''Rottenburgh' in grenadilla
tinyurl.com/my...
07:18 Mollenhauer 'Denner' in boxwood
tinyurl.com/lz...
08:11 Mollenhauer 'Dream' in pearwood
tinyurl.com/ly...
09:16 Dolmetsch 'Academy' in grenadilla
tinyurl.com/mn...
09:49 Dolmetsch 'Conservatoire' in maple
tinyurl.com/mn...
10:05 Dolmetsch 'Conservatoire' in palisander
tinyurl.com/mn...
10:56 Aura 'Studie' in maple
tinyurl.com/mr...
11:19 Aura 'Studie' in palisander
tinyurl.com/mr...
11:41 Aura 'Conservatorium' in pearwood
tinyurl.com/mr...
12:07 Aura 'Conservatorium' in grenadilla
tinyurl.com/mr...
12:41 Küng/Kueng garklein in pearwood
tinyurl.com/lz...
How to hit the low notes on your recorder! Avoid squeaks and reach a clean and sonorous tone. I give you tips on your instruments, your fingers and your air stream to make sure you can acheive a rich sound!
OPEN RECORDER DAYS AMSTERDAM
25-29 October 2017
www.openrecord...
Links to other videos I mention:
HAND POSITION
• RECORDER HAND POSITION...
HOW TO HIT THE HIGH NOTES
• HOW TO HIT THE HIGH NOTES
CLEANING YOUR RECORDER
• OILING and CLEANING yo...
In this video I play on a 440 alto by Yoav Ran, and a 442 tenor by Yamaha.
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Don't forget to check out my other videos, and SUBSCRIBE! Turn notifications on by clicking the 'bell' icon, then you never miss a thing. A new video will be posted every week!
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Website: www.sarahjeffery.com
Twitter/Instagram @sockmyshoe
Go #teamrecorder

[@Team_Recorder]

Hi everyone! Everyone is asking about the pieces I play in this video when trying the recorders: I start with 'Doen Daphne d'over schoone Maeght' by Jacob van Eyck, then I segue into the 'Allemande' Partita in A minor by Bach, then I improvise a bit :)

[@das136]

Thanks! I was just looking for that piece! Great!

[@hersheanlozadaa7284]

hi i came from phillipines.i like the music that you played while trying recorders godbless

[@andreainzaghi7373]

question: are there recorders that can play - without resorting to troubling leg-techniques-, 2 - 3 octaves. This is why some recorders are more expensive, not necessary hand made. I would love your advice on that, maybe a video on that subject. Without leg-technique, can you talk about recorders who can play HIGH NOTES with an over 2 octaves range

[@instrumentaddict30]

Sarah Jeffery / Team Recorder what piece are you playing

[@instrumentaddict30]

Javier Das what is the piece called

[@poewitx]

Don’t play the recorder, no desire to play the recorder, but Sarah is so effervescent I just enjoy watching her vids, it’s oddly uplifting, so bravo👏🏼🎸🇺🇸

[@hank1519]

She's an extraordinary person!

[@joden1057]

She is attractive. We’re I younger, single and in England I’d chase her like a duck after a June bug. ❤️

[@poewitx]

@@joden1057 your quacking me up🦆🦆🦆🤭

[@alejandrocorreafigueroa2677]

Same!

[@wainpoole5514]

Covid-19 has me in lockdown at my Independent Living apartment, so I pulled out my tin whistle and recorder collection. Maybe I will get serious enough this time to learn to play decently. I bought my recorder about 60 years ago in Heidelberg Germany. It is a Walthari-Blockfloete No.1400, price 6 Marks. Due to the short length, it must be a Soprano. I enjoyed seeing and hearing the different instruments, and look forward to your other videos.

[@melodyhagan764]

im in the same boat i learned in the 7th grade and just now starting to relearn, im working with elderly so when at home i quarantine myself

[@cecilokatrona]

wow! i live in Heidelberg

[@amyx231]

The granidilla one gave me chills. The sound is superb! The price... not so much.

[@kishascape]

Not only do I really love the sound of the Grenadilla best, I also love the aesthetics. Same with staunton chess pieces I always love a well finished black wood. It's very baroque and medieval for me :3

[@taz-on-the-looseyusef5526]

ive started liking recorders,i hated them in school

[@entpanimatics8070]

I’m a flute player so I’m biased

[@xander1052]

I'll take a Clarinet

[@meowsmakemusic718]

I may start recorder later, but right now I’m a pennywhistle kind of person.

[@DA-nk6gx]

In school, we were never really shown what a recorder could do. We just learn hot cross buns and that's it. On top of that everyone played it poorly. I always thought of a recorder as a lesser instrument though changed my opinion when listening to this channel.

[@sagardeka8373]

@@xander1052 recorder is better than a clarinet lol

[@morrigambist]

Just my 2 cents: Soprano recorders are usually well-behaved, altos not so much. Three tests have caused me to reject some (expensive) alto instruments: 1). Finger alternate E (0-23) and blow firmly. If it cracks to high C, reject; 2). Finger high B (half 0-123-5) and blow firmly. If it cracks to high E, reject; 3). Cover all the holes and blow mildly without tonguing the note; if you get a foghorn sound rather than a good F# or a simple cracked note, reject. This has served me well over the years; it has also cost me a lot of money to buy more expensive instruments. As a general rule, the more you pay, the more you get. Also beware of fancy-named instruments whose high notes are not playable.

[@anonymousfellow8879]

Blake Morris My Yamaha Alto is better behaved than my Yamaha Soprano. 🤷🏻‍♀️

[@adrianbird1964]

Great I've just tried these 3 tests on my plastic aulios and it's failed all 3

[@morrigambist]

@@adrianbird1964 At least you didn't spend $2500 on it only to be disappointed.

[@adrianbird1964]

@@morrigambist there is that 😂 I have only been playing for a few weeks. So all beginner stuff grade 1 or below. It's doing fine for that much at least.

[@rickmccloy4201]

I am obviously missing something obvious here, so please forgive what you almost certainly turn out to be my ignorance. Why is it that with all tone holes covered I should expect an F# rather than an F when testing my alto?

[@brentbreault7606]

After watching your video, I decided to buy my first ‘real’ wooden recorder. I picked the Aura Studie in rosewood. Thank you Sarah, you are an inspiration! It’s great of you to make videos that show the world what the recorder is truly meant to be! I think it’s unfair that less than 60 years of poor quality recorders in elementary schools can erase hundreds of years of great repertoire, written by the greats like Handel, Bach, Telemann, and Vivaldi, just to name a few. Anyways, I digress. Thanks again for the amazing videos!

[@Team_Recorder]

Ahh you are welcome! And congrats with your new instrument! 😄

[@screamityeah]

After 4 years did you learn to use it?

[@memetemre]

You produce such beautiful content in the name of flute and music and no matter how much I thank you, it's not enough. If I had watched this video at the age of 15, maybe I could have become a flutist too. Now, in my 40s, instead of watching it as a hobby while doing a completely different job. I'm sure there are young musicians out there who are currently 15 years old and will become great thanks to your videos. Watching you is very enjoyable. I wish your videos continue with this energy🧡

[@2628064379]

Great video Sarah. The listener can really hear the difference between the various instruments. Love your playing!!!

[@markdutta4467]

indeed.

[@jan861]

Mmh, still you can't compare listening online with actually trying it yourself in a store. Just from my little experience speaking so far…

[@yellowlynx]

I played the recorder during my high school in an class band (soprano recorder), and then later on picked up the alto recorder. Your videos inspired my to dig up those recorders I stowed away in the drawers and start playing again.

[@markerdmann9790]

Sarah, I've been watching your videos for about a year now, and this one was one of my first! Thanks to your wonderfully informative videos, I finally made the plunge and got my first wooden recorder, an alto Mollenhauer Denner! In 2002 I did a workshop at West Dean College with Marianne Mezger, who told me I would sound much better on a wood recorder, and now that I have one I totally agree! Your video gave me the confidence to make a decision on which one to buy, and I am really enjoying it!

[@ellengeorge4977]

This was a very helpful vlog. I have purchased recorders both in a recorder shop and by mail order. In the case of my alto which I purchased recently and is a Mollenhauer Denner, I went to the Von Heune Early Music location in Boston and played approximately ten different alto recorders, new and used, in the mid price range. I have also purchased recorders by mail on two occasions. In both cases, the recorder stores were willing to send me three recorders to try out based on my specifications and their advice. I then chose my favorite and sent the other ones back. This method is sometimes the only option. I live in the USA and there are very few recorder shops. I can think of three off hand and they are scattered throughout the nation. There's a third option.I have never done this personnaly , but I know people who have purchased recorders at recorder gatherings /workshops where recorder sellers bring lots of instuments for participants to try out.

[@1cagivaelefant]

Hi Sarah, As a child I played my Aulos soprano for several years. Now I'm trying to teach my son some basics and bought myself a Hohner wooden alto. I have got a new hobby and enjoy your just discovered videos. They are interesting, funny and really good! Kind regards.

[@dennisgeiger3515]

I own a Mollenhauer Denner in Pearwood and it is just so beautiful! It sounds sweet and sophisticated.

[@feliperoos9476]

Wow. This is the best review I've ever seen about recorders. Thank you so much.

[@jacekai8380]

I can't wait to get my Yamaha 302B Alto, I love playing and learning about the recorder. I've been playing a Yamaha Soprano for 9 years, and I enjoy your videos so much :)

[@Quinn000100]

Hello Sarah Jeffery, ----- Best recorder video's on the net. I'm a teacher and was tasked with teaching grades 6-7 the recorder. Well, I studied other videos (you're a relatively recent arrival). Wanted to say that you've cleared up a few things for me....HUGE....and I've watched a number of your video's. Currently tackling ' CanCan' which me luck. Also, in the market to pick up a decent recorder for me...think it's time. Just watched your 'How to pick a recorder' video......Much thanks from the Canadian Arctic.

[@allhailalona]

In all my 12 years of playing alto and treble, I tried many recorders. And never have I found a recorder better than the 10$ aulos. No need to clean too much like in wooden, and the sound remains fresh forever.

[@rollierwin2813]

Wow this is a very GOOD introduction to the world of wooden recorders. I can hear the differences in the sounds of various models and this helped a lot. Thank you Sarah :)

[@i2harry]

Oh my listening to you playing, it really is the musician who makes the difference

[@katerlinmossa8940]

Great video Sarah!!! I’m looking to buy an intermediate level recorder and you are really helping me a lot!! Thank you so much!! ❤❤❤

[@tenorrecorderblockflutestu524]

Thanks for the video. When I shop for my "next step" recorders I just tell what instrument (soprano alto etc) and what price range I am looking for and they bring me a choice of usually 5 recorders. Then, with my eyes closed (just not to be biased by how they look) I try them all, and surprisingly, my final choice is between two winners - Kung and Molenhauer. ..and don't forget to get your VAT receipt! Yes , in a $300-500 range one can get excellent student wooden alto and fancy looking curved comfort tenor, but remember that plastic is indeed fantastic!

[@notallgarbage]

Oh boy! You are a great recorder player!! I started playing the clarinet a few months ago. Today, I was watching tin whistle stuff, then I saw a very beautiful face with a recorder and clicked it and here you are!! Great videos!! Thumbs up!

[@PhilipBallGarry]

Over the years I've bought guitars. Each one costing a magnitude more than the previous one in the belief that eventually I'd get an instrument that made me as good as Mark Knopfler 😂. Forty years later, I'm still not "Mark Knopfler" - but I can now play House of the Rising Sun". Which he didn't write. A good friend has suggested many times over the years that I should maybe save my money and practice instead? Wise words which I might one day try 😊.

[@nowthenad3286]

I doubt that i am going to buy a recorder but your video was so interesting that I was hooked. Excellent. 15 minutes well spent. Many beautiful instruments beautifully played.

[@bgdn5]

I like the sound of the bamboo flutes, they are amazing and the price is simply unbeatable. It is interesting to hear Sarah's opinion on the sound of bamboo flutes. Yes, bamboo often cracks, but the price allows you to buy them at least every year. Please Sarah, get involved in the presentation of these flutes too, and in a turban with a tassel you will look inimitable.

[@GlenShannon]

I love this video, and you were able to capture the differences in sound very nicely. One thing that wasn't mentioned is that some of those woods weigh considerably more than others. For example, grenadilla is really heavy!

[@Team_Recorder]

Very true!

[@idahagglund524]

I literally 'just' got back home from the second hand store with a larger kind of recorder (Heinrich) in tow. No idea what the difference is, but noticed at once it's much more difficult to not go up one (or two or three) octaves, than on my regular cheap recorder I've had since I was in pre-school. Very sensitive. But I love the sound. It's deeper and more... wheezy, if you can describe it like that. Your videos really helps me out getting started playing again after a lot of years of inactivity.

[@easonshum6061]

Wow Sarah, thanks for your advice on buying wooden recorders. Well, I'm a 16-year-old recorder player from Hong Kong. I bought a rosewood treble recorder by a Japanese recorder maker, Takeyama. It's great 👍🏻 and the sound is bright and beautiful. But it's a handmade instrument so it's a bit expensive. It's around €1300. But I recommend it to anyone who want to buy a professional instrument.

[@stevenuniversefan1457]

Before I even watch much of the video, ima say for all of the harry potter fans out there, this place looks like the Olivander's of recorders.

[@Oaktreealley]

thought the same!

[@expensivemagic4754]

Fr

[@zingingcutie2364]

The grenadilla alto was beautiful. I recently bought my first wooden soprano.

[@WolfyGreen]

If choosing a wooden recorder make sure you have plenty of choice - in England the Early Music Shop, Saltaire (nr. Bradford) has a wide selection of all the price ranges - and a 'second hand' section too (sometimes a bargain, sometimes not). However - take someone (a musician) with you as hearing yourself play can be deceptive. Or, record the sound you make on your phone and go and have a coffee and a listen before you buy!

[@ibib363]

Just bought a Mollenhauer Dream flute soprano in grenadilla!! A truly powerful, yet nice sound. Maybe the loudest you can get? With that I am strong enough to play dance/ folk music with a violin, viola and percussion. Actually, I even love to play baroque music with it. Gives you a quite new experience ... maybe in early days some (few?) Renaissance recorders made their way all through the baroque era ;-) who knows...

[@martilewis44356]

Congrats. I'm going to wait a while, but I've had my eye on the Moll. Adri's Dream edition alto in plum wood. I didn't know that grenadilla was available.

[@ibib363]

martilewis44356 Yes, the plum wood is pretty nice, as well. But if you need more power, i can strongly recommend the grenadilla one ( it is even more powerful than most of the baroque recorders in grenadilla) perfect for folk music!

[@ibib363]

The Adris dream flute in grenadilla is only(!) available at blockfloetenshop.eu or directly at the workshop in Fulda, Germany (where I got it from)

[@brbrofsvl]

How high can you play on it? The Mollenhauer site says only up to written D, but sometimes I need to get up to written G above the staff. Can you do it even with the wide bore?

[@gabrielvieira9832]

2 years ago I was dying for a video like this!! Thank you very much

[@chrismills2012]

I have wooden recorders made from Maple beach, and Cherry wood. my favourite one is made from Cherry wood. the recorder really does get a real slagging all because of the plastic things given to children. I only have to tell people that I like the sound of a recorder and I get laughed at. it’s these attitudes that need to change. I hope to build up a collection of wooden recorders of all sizes and woods.

[@jacobienw7332]

Thanks a lot! Very helpful to hear all your advise. I have made a step in between, so to say. I got fed up with the plastic sound, but thought it to hard to decide about a new wooden one, so I found two second hand (Marktplaats in the Netherlands). Now I have a Aura study in pearwood and an old maple Rothenburg Moeck. So nice to experience the differences. Finding out how much more I can blow in to the Moeck, and how different sounds can be. I find it hard to Judge second hand models, so I have not spent to much. Still dreaming of a fine brand new alto, but this works for now.

[@vivianleenet]

Oh be still my heart. The maple has won me over.

[@stephenmartin8197]

I love maple! The bright, open sound - I bought a Moeck Rottenburgh alto in maple, based on this video.

[@itsmeGeorgina]

Hehe... I also ordered A Moeck Rottenburg (Soprano) My friend has one, and it sounds so clear and wonderful -- and she uses argan oil for upkeep, and so will I

[@stephenmartin8197]

@@itsmeGeorgina Rottenburghs are impregnated with paraffin and don't need oiling. They're pretty low maintenance!

[@itsmeGeorgina]

@@stephenmartin8197 Oh, so I guess her maintenance with argan oil is just on the surface? Outside and not inside Anyway, her recorder looks great, and sounds great, I have no idea why I suffered with my squeeky Yamaha all these years

[@stephenmartin8197]

@@itsmeGeorgina I'm glad you like it ! Well, oiling won't hurt it.

[@SESChoir]

Just ordered a Denner Alto in pearwood after watching your video. Thank you so much for posting all this great info. I mentioned your name when I made my order. You deserve a lot of credit! Thanks for your recorder enthusiasm. I thought it was a bit over the top until I actually got into playing, myself. 😄

[@Team_Recorder]

Haha I’m happy to hear that I converted you 😉 Thank you for mentioning my name, and enjoy your new instrument!

[@MsFiddle3]

Wow, what a wonderful video on first Wooden recorder! So many delightful different sounds, thank you.

[@donnahughes-barton9737]

This is such a good video, thank you! It is really helpful to hear the same tunes played on recorders of different woods, and different brands, so you can make a comparison. I love that loud grenadilla Moeck, but also love the soft pearwood and maple recorders. I agree that it's important to listen without judging the wood or look, and go with what feels best.

[@senorx238]

I’m a drummer, rock and metal fan, and I’m really interested in your videos. The instrument it self, the wood, the different sounds, and of course the way you show them. Congrats!

[@hakonsoreide]

Whenever I hear sound comparisons, I always prefer the maple or pearwood instruments to the palisanders or grenadillas. The hardwoods are louder and brighter, but also harsher, and the softwoods have that gentle, dreamy sweet sound. The Aura Studie in palisander, however, actually sounds like a loud more focused softwood. Such a beautiful sound. I'll consider getting one of those some day. I've also got a Mollenhauer Dream in pearwood on my wishlist. At the moment, I am quite happy with a hand-finished Bernolin resin alto recorder, though, which also makes an excellent intermediate instrument: it is made like a wooden recorder, but turned from a block of resin rather than wood, and it's similar in sound to a maple instrument. It needs a bit of anti-condensation, though. It clogs more easily than my Yamaha plastic recorders.

[@hakonsoreide]

@Black Bamboo My first proper soprano was maple, so I actually quite like it, but not as much as I like pearwood. I think some of the bias towards the harder woods is the recorder has had to do something it wasn't designed for: compete with other evolving instruments in a battle for volume. The recorder couldn't keep up, and the traverse flute (which ironically, perhaps, sounds like it's made of soft fruitwood regardless of which material it is constructed from) took over and basically killed the recorder off as an orchestral solo instrument for a few hundred years. One could say the recorder was a casualty of the first loudness war. In addition to that, we tend to equate price with quality, and also (since we create and get inspired through all the senses) striking exotic looks with quality. It costs more and looks nicer, so it has to sound better, right? If you want that to be true, you will prefer the sound, even if it is simply to justify the expense you went to to acquire it. Of course, once you start playing recorders together with modern instruments, it may well be that a particular wood more easily blends, balances with, or stands out from it, whichever is the desired effect, and this is where the exotic hardwoods often have an edge - but it should not be taken as a given that softer woods need be ruled out until you try. Especially once you factor in amplification and the potential for processing, effects and EQ, when there is no reason a pearwood instrument can't sound exactly how you want it to together with modern instruments too.

[@GuirriGandul]

Hi Sarah, a wonderful video (as always) but may I make a suggestion for future 'comparison' presentations. Try recording without audio compression so the differences in volume of each recorder may also be compared. I understand that most devices automatically apply this processing and the manual level setting may be difficult to access or not available at all. I'm in no way trying to knit-pick but I could discern no variation in volume across the whole sample set yet I suspect at the extremes it was quite marked. As an aside, once (after recording) I accidentally had audio compression on when I was performing classical guitar live. I felt I was playing really well all morning yet I was not connecting with the audience in the way to which I was accustomed. When I returned for the afternoon session I realised the mistake, turned the compression off and the intimacy and life returned. The contrast was really profound, I would compare it to the difference between listening to a CD or being at the performance in person. Thanks, and best wishes.

[@zuditaka]

Sarah, you'll have to do an outdoor video and show us which highest notes will trigger a little bird to respond with a trill! How best to speak the language of birds with a recorder? Nothing like picking up a recorder and having a bird respond in about half a millisecond after the first note is played! (I think birds can think and twitter faaaaaaster than humans can!)

[@zuditaka]

🐦 🌳🌳 ♩♪♫♬🐦🌳

[@frannbug]

Get hold of some Messiaen! He wrote a lot of music directly derived from bird song. Though probably not for the recorder.

[@zuditaka]

♩♪♫♬🐦 Thanks for the suggestion. I'll check Messiaen out. ;D

[@zuditaka]

Tee-hee! Giggle! 🐦

[@zuditaka]

🎶 🐦 Well, I don't know if the nightingale's natural song can be improved upon, or the blackbird's, but it's interesting to learn that human beings were training birds to sing particular tunes, or, at least, after a style. It's known that blackbirds mimic ambulance sirens and outdoor telephone sounds, and things. I notice that blackbirds talk, and sing too, to themselves under their breath! Like subvocalisation in humans. I guess they are "thinking aloud"! lol 🎶🐦 🌳

[@hugohazendonk340]

Very good primer on recorders. As a Dutchman, it was interesting to see such craftsmanship coming from my father's home town I think, Utrecht. Just bought a used rottenbergh soprano on line. Pretty sure previous owner used Jet dry. Looking for instructions to clean or revoice instrument. No shop here in the early music desert of continental Canada. I'm also waiting enthusiastically for my used alto Denner (mint, from shop in Switzerland). I'm much more confident in my choices after seeing this. But wow Aura is a great choice from the sound of those two you played. (And I have to admit some national pride there too). I will definitely look for Aura in the future especially for the more premium woods. Just a note, if in the market for used, Zamir is a great brand to try. I have a Tenor, single key. It has an excellent tone and very playable. Just needs a finger rest.

[@tobyteng7522]

Hi Sarah! My favourite is the Moeck ''Rottenburgh' in grenadilla. Thank you for showing us so many choices! I have not own any of the instruments you have shown except the Yamaha one.

[@honeychurchgipsy6]

Toby Teng - good choice - I have two Moeck Rottenburgh's a treble in pearwood which I bought secondhand off ebay and my gorgeous soprano in pallisander. Look out for old Moeck Tuju's on ebay too - easy to play and a nice clear sound - good for folk music.

[@tobyteng7522]

honeychurchgipsy6 Thanks for the recommendations!

[@josephgladney4136]

What a fantastic video. I literally am in love with this girl. Great recommendations!

[@thapeloheath]

I love the Dream one in pear! Another great video, useful and really fun. I'm looking forward to a trip to a music store or ten. My latest blue translucent device sounds a bit harsh, but what can one expect for less than a Euro? Well, the best value i've found for a new recorder was a Wal-Mart special made with a million injection moulded parts. ...After my machinist friend waved a variety of magical charms over them for a while chanting incantations to appease the gods of mass-production, we had two really nice-sounding, well-tuned instruments. For less than a Euro's worth for the PAIR of them.

[@rodrigoabdogelpi8550]

Sarah! Congratulations, from Brazil. Wonderful job.

[@hakneyj]

Very useful thanks. I am considering an Adri's Dream soprano for my birthday in July, but will also look again at Aura and Mollenhauer with fresh ears.

[@ziomatthewmusic4205]

After loving my first week practicing every day on my first ever (€10) recorder I bought myself a nicer pearwood one for €25 and a book for only €5. Excited to hear if there is a difference.

[@ironkiko]

Where can I also get a pear wood recorder. That sounds like a good deal. I'm still new to the recorder. Thanks 😊.

[@beckiejbrown]

There are so many!! :)

[@johnnybunnyh4069]

Yeah so many recorders

[@dcartier1692]

But - our dear Sarah - they ALL sound perfectly desirable in your capable hands! Ps.it would be great to see you do an in depth review and comparison of several of the more idiosyncratic models, like the “Dream”, Küng Marsyas, etc.

[@rachaelbratsch]

I love the sound of the Dolmetsch Academy the most. So beautiful 😍

[@jaytei2]

I just found you. I have to say you are gorgeous!! 🌞🌷 I love your enthusiasm for your trade 🦋😚 I used to play recorder at school and I really enjoyed it. I'm actually a percussionist but I can't really have a drum kit where I live, if I did, it would absolutely have to be acoustic!.. So I've recently bought a bass guitar and I also need a recorder... Thanks for your help you little star 🌟 🤗

[@miyazakytrb]

Thank you for your amazing movie ! BTW, I'd like to make a advise for Yamaha recorder's name, not YRS-302 but YRA-302 :) . "A" is alto, and "S" is soprano for each in Yamaha.

[@TruthSeekerAi]

wow Sarah you are awesome with this instruments i just got the Yamaha YRS-302B Soprano Recorder, Baroque fingering, Key of C and i am clueless to playing it lol i had this in my music class back when i was in school in the 80s 90s but i was raised in a very bad time and place in nyc east ny brooklyn so i couldn't learn things like this i had to learn to stay alive lol but i always made music all my life tho electronically even tho i never learned music theory i can hear what i like as a start and build from there. after awhile of fighting to make music i found i luv not knowing cause it comes from a place of mystery, i think i am a real musician in the sense as in i hear music in me and fight to get it out with anything i have. this has worked for me well for almost 36 years out of my 46 on earth but i said when i turn 47 on april 26th this year i will do more live instruments not for recording them but to play them and master 1 i like this instrument indeed. it was great finding you you are amazing with this instrument i hope to be as good 1 day. i like this instrument because it is so small but powerful and wow sounding when played right is the key or in key lol i wish you goodness health and protection evils 1 luv Ameer/Reemabeats taurus age46 nyc check out some of my works if you wish soundcloud.com/ai-ri5

[@DavidMaurand]

left out is 'why' grenadilla is more expensive than, say, palisander or maple. Two reasons, primarily. First the difficulty in getting raw stock billets for the head, center, and foot that visually match and don't have knots or cracks. The second is the difficulty in working the wood - hard woods like grenadilla are more difficult on tools and craftsman. i have instruments of each type, in both modern and baroque pitch and have even played the plastic in concert. (i roughed up the exterior with sandpaper - looks like wood grain - and had a wood block in one of them.) Practice is more important than the wood.

[@nicoledebeer2833]

Thanks for this great overview! I have the Yamaha, a Mollenhauer Denner in pearwood, and an Aura study in palissander (all altos). I like each instrument for different purposes: the Yamaha is great for practice, the Denner has a more mellow sound and is great for baroque ensemble, and the Aura has a cleaner and a bit sharper sound, which is nice for contemporary music. I'm looking into getting a tenor, maybe a Denner in pear or boxwood. Problem is how to compare models from different makers, so I'll probably have to wait until this summer's Oude Muziek Markt...

[@bipolatelly9806]

My playing has improved muchly in the short time I've been watching you. Dankeschon mon amigo!

[@LarryShone]

Some beautiful instruments here, those Aura ones seem great value for money. But can I just say, the acoustic in there sounds to die for!

[@davidbyrhtnoth375]

Brilliant. Thanks for explaining in such detail. You're a real star!

[@BirB11]

Oh ik heb mijn eerste houten blokfluit ook in utrecht gekocht 😊 Ik was 8 en mijn vader nam me mee naar een muziekwinkel in het centrum van Utrecht. Mocht een mooie kiezen, met ragertje en wax. Rook zo lekker… en nu speelt mijn zoontje erop! 🥰

[@Team_Recorder]

Wat leuk!

[@renuu5199]

I play a Denner Bass Recorder made of pearwood and I can only recommed it. I've learned a lot form your vidoes and I am suprised and jealous every time I watch your videos. You play like a goddess C:

[@KnottaDoctor]

Instantly a big fan! Just came here to find a recorder for my son and was drawn in by your presence! Keep it up!

[@abooksreview]

I love the sound of the Mollenhauer Dream! While looking for an alto in US$, I discovered the alto (and only the alto) also comes in grenadilla. As my second favorite is the Aura Conservatorium in grenadilla, I am wondering if the sound difference between the two woods specifically in the Dream is worth twice the price.

[@greycarson3151]

WOW!! What a great video, Sarah!! I don't play the recorder but wondered if I could pick one up and learn enough to play the flute part in the song 'Heard It In a Love Song' in my band.....thought the recorder might be easier to play than a flute (maybe I'm wrong). Now, I'm fired up to learn the recorder!!

[@Team_Recorder]

Yassssss!

[@greycarson3151]

Haha!!! Bought a $8 Yamaha plastic recorder at the local Sam Ash and having some fun with it! Already playing some simple tunes. Thanks for the inspiration! As a classical music fan, I'm now looking for some more recorder pieces to add to my collection....and probably hear how TERRIBLE I am on the instrument!!

[@notafan1275]

There's a number of shops (in Germany, but they should exist elsewhere as well) that will send you a selection of recorders to choose from and I think it's well worth finding one of them. Nothing beats a direct comparison, and I've ended up buying recorders I might not necessarily have chosen otherwise.

[@davidecristanelli]

I've always loved the recorder, and I love it even more since I came across Sarah's channel. Btw: this shop is a heaven on earth!

[@steve3150]

I bought a second-hand, Vintage wooden Schott Concert and it is really in good condition and a joy to play. It has a nice tone to it. Not sure what wood it is made from.

[@HolyHenry-u2u]

Thx for this great video. It was very interesting to hear the different sounds of the instruments. I really like the sound of the grenadilla instruments but I here in Germany these are very expensive. I've got an alto made of cherry wood which sounds very light and sweet. It's a really different sound compared to the sound of an alto made of maple I played before. Btw I subscribed your channel :)

[@robertnoblitt518]

My first wooden recorder was a Moeck Flauto Rondo soprano in maple. I like it a lot and feel it is a bargain at the price (from Thomann). It is easy to play and sounds better than my plastic recorders. I chose it because I saw Sarah playing a similar Moeck Rondo soprano in another video about Folk Ornaments and it sounded great. However I recently upgraded to a Mollenhauer Denner soprano (Pearwood), and it is a significant improvement over the less-expensive Moeck Rondo. Now I wish I had bought the Mollenhauer to begin with.

[@hansverdunkorvemaker6432]

Sarah, I spent a lot of money on a Yamaha Rosewood recorder, but really one I find easiest to play and sounds great is a plastic one made in Korea!!! I have yet to find an instrument that I like better!!!

[@ernestochang1744]

Dalmetsch academy alto sounds like the type of instrument that my ears would apreciate the most 9:15

[@josequins9099]

I liked that one too.

[@dantewilson880]

as you released this video i got my first wooden alto recorder, which is the one you are holding in moment 5:31, I cannot believe the difference. I have played my Alto Yamaha YRA302B Yra-302B for about a year and a half (every day) and I just got the Moeck. Thought it was pronounced Moe-awk (almost like Moe Hawk lol) anyways. Ya it has a great sound, too tempted to played it for a while but i know its best to break it in throughout the summer.

[@akosmos]

I have a Yamaha YRS-23 recorder, i love it.

[@miketango1141]

Watching your videos cheered me up🙂 thankyou..

[@markdeegan4916]

Thanks for a very interesting video: it's great to hear so many different recorders compared. I found your comments on maple and pearwood instruments interesting. I've read in a few places that these softer woods are not as long-lasting as the harder woods and that the instruments can "play out" fairly quickly. It'd be interesting to read people's comments on this: how long can you expect a softer wood recorder to last? My own wooden treble is a Mollenhauer Denner in castello wood, by the way. It's a lovely instrument to play and I would recommend it to anyone.

[@honeychurchgipsy6]

Mark D - I've heard this too, and yet they often make the big recorders out of these woods for lightness, and if you are paying out a few grand for a bass or contrabass, I think you'd expect it to last. I have an old Moeck Tuju in Maple which has a straight windway so probably made in 1970's ??? and it takes so much abuse from me - not cleaning it etc. and it plays amazingly well. However, it did start complaining recently - sounding husky etc. - and I thought maybe it was nearing the end (which would be very sad as i love it) so I removed the block cleaned and oiled it etc. after watching one of Sarah's vids, and now it sounds fantastic again - apparently the Tuju sopranino was very good - I keep my eyes open for one on Ebay but they never come up!

[@Team_Recorder]

That's a good question - I have heard the same! But indeed, in some of my ensembles we have maple consort instruments that are over 20 years old and are still going strong. I think it depends very much on what kind of music you are playing, how much you play, and how well you take care of the instrument. I had an alto in grenadilla that I used to play hardcore contemporary music on - a lot!!! - and after about 8 years it was well and truly done. I think I could have taken better care of it thought. So I would go for the recorder that you like the sound of the most, and that feels the best for you, and just take good care of it :)

[@ves6189]

Very good video. I remember when I have bought my first recorder. In my country we have the same word for flute and recorder so I was sure I was buying a flute. Not really. But still I'm happy with my 5 year old recorder.

[@christianmonturanoii6539]

I forgot about her watched her over a year ago and forgot. I love the recorder

[@PianoBeaShar]

Oh my gosh, I love the grenadilla at 9:14 ! 😭

[@stevemartin2767]

I just got a Moek Rottenburgh, in maple because I loved the sound of it in your video. I couldn't be happier!

[@Michajeru]

I recently bought a Kung Studio soprano recorder in pearwood. I am new to playing the recorder and still rather pathetic, but I must say that this instrument seems quite good to me for the price (around £80). It has a rich full, albeit dark, sound and is easy to play throughout the full range of notes from low to high.

[@oceanengineer4895]

Ive just flipped a rondo alto from moeck for 50 euros, its original and in perfect condition, and also my first even wooden recorder :)

[@lilikatebuggins374]

I am in love with the tone of the Moeck in Grenadilla, sadly there is no way I can afford one but just happy to know that I have an expensive ear :) Maybe one day...

[@mispanludensprinck5652]

For me the Aura Conservatory Pearwood is the best. The tones are like weeping bells, a little bit like an oboe. The grenadilla sounds in my opinion more like a wooden transverse flute. I wonder how all the other woods (olive, plum, eben, boxwood, cactus, cucumber...) sound.

[@michaelsproule2508]

Absolutely agree! The best!

[@britainonabudget]

Thank you so much! Trying to decide on a new recorder, so I really appreciate your advice. 😀🎵

[@firehandszarb]

I seem to have a thing for recorders in Palisander, maybe i heared you play one that i liked and then my brain became biased or maybe they really do have a distinctive sound. I only started to play the recorder (an aulos 209b purchased from a charity shop) since a few weeks ago (playing woodwinds for a number of years). recorder is actually really difficult to play compared to a saxophone though few would believe me unless they had experienced playing both. Anyway I have been following your videos for a few years now and you have inspired me to take up the recorder.

[@Folkskelet]

I love your video's! en je Nederlands is echt goed! 😎 I play a vintage aura alto from 1962 and a Roessler alto that I received as a gift from a friend. It is a renaissance model and in a slightly different pitch. And I have a Moeck soprano in either pear or maple (I forgot...) :-p. and then! No recorder, but close: I looooove my Burke whistles so much! The best out there imo.

[@aptknifethrowerguy8342]

If its your taste...arrr arrah! Priceless..your husband must smile and shake his head alot....love your videos

[@sergioandrescarreno2433]

No hablo inglés pero entendí casi todo! The best teacher!!!

[@notforsharing]

I agree with Sarah that individual recorders vary a lot, even for the same model made of same type of wood. That attributes to a lot of factors, the drilling, the voicing, the patch of wood, weather when it was made, etc. In addition, players have different breathing. An instrument suitable for your friends may not be suitable for you. It is essential that you try the instruments on your own. If you cannot visit the recorder shops, you can actually ask the vendors to send you multiple instruments (of course you pay for them first) for testing and return those you do not want for refund. I think Early Music Shop from UK, Thomann from Germany and Von Huene Workshop from US accept such practice. Be sure you ask for permission first and try the recorders with utmost care. The other thing is that recorders need breaking-in and maintenance. Do not play more than a few minutes in the first week and double the time up for the subsequent weeks. When you new recorder gets blocked or stop delivering its normal sound, its time to give it a rest. And I strongly suggest you send the recorder back to the maker for maintenance after 8-16 months . Wood absorbs water and expands. It definitely needs fine tune after a period of intense playing. I have had several recorders that need to replace the blocks.

[@notforsharing]

One more note for the woods choice. Because of the CITES restrictions on trade of all rosewood species, price of rosewood recorders, such as Palisander, Kingwood, Cocobolo, Tulipwood, Grenadilla increase very recently. It may continues to increase, after all there will be less supply (although I was told that the major makers anticipated this and store tones of stock). If money is not an issue, I would recommend a recorder made of rosewood. And there are two types of boxwood, the European Boxwood (Buxus sempervirens) -- the authentic and harder "boxwood", traditionally used for making recorders (very expensive) ; and generic boxwood -- yellowish, cheaper and softer woods such as Castello, Maracaibo and Zapatero. For soprano and alto, I do not recommend the generic boxwood - it is higher in price but the performance is often similar or even inferior to maple.

[@flavioserci6046]

Wow... this shop is a paradise!

[@chrisjacob8774]

Sarah - enjoying your videos so much! Would love to see a video focusing on tenor recorders. I am looking to upgrade my Yamaha 304BII to an intermediate wooden instrument. Seems to be so much variation in finger hole distances, knick, comfort, etc. Thanks.

[@jorgegustavozarantemaldona2277]

I have soprano, alto and tenor recorders,the traverse flute,a good colection of harmonicas,then the guitar, bass guitar and a venzuelan cuatro which actually is the Ukelele,finally a bongó. Therefore my instrument is the staff,for I have no other choice but to compose, as I can't find suitable companions to play with.

[@chrismills2012]

you don’t need to find anyone else to play with. just enjoy playing on your own. at least if you get a wrong note, or they don’t like your instrument or the music you play, if you just play on your own, nobody can complain.

[@jorgegustavozarantemaldona2277]

@@chrismills2012 I wrote about 100 successful song lyrics in spanish, a few in english, none at my name. I have studied music enough to make the arrangement of new ones. I would like to conform a group of four, with my instruments. Right now I am working in design of sailig yachts, therefore the music maybe forgotten.

[@emmaoneill3346]

It's 1.15am and I love your videos.Fabulous re the different types of wood sound makes price brilliant video.Do you teach somewhere?!

[@mrsrev62]

I've tried loads of recorders at exhibitions and playing days, and kept coming back to grenadilla, but it was way out of my budget (I didn't know about Aura!). I ended up going to the Early Music shop in London to see what I could afford, and got a second hand 1970s Dolmetsch alto in grenadilla for £300. It's in pretty good condition with thumb bushing and, very excitingly, a bell key 😃. I don't know when it was last played so I'm playing it in slowly as per your advice. I think it might be from the period when they were basically factory made but then hand finished, I'm going to contact them to find out what they can tell me based on the serial number. For everyday use I'm on my second plastic Yamaha. interestingly the older one (from about 1980s) plays better with keyboard and guitar, while the 1990s mock rosewood one is better with other recorders! I'm wondering about the Ecodear as my next one but I'd like to try one first.

[@honeychurchgipsy6]

mrsrev62 - I keep going to the EMS web site and always notice that they have old Dolmetsch recorders for a reasonable price. If you go on the Dolmetsch web site they have a chart with the makers marks so you can check if it's handmade or not. I am currently lusting after a Dolmetsch Stanesby fourth flute in A415 - so it is basically either a soprano in modern pitch A or an Alto in A, but don't know who makes/sells them now. Good luck with playing yours in, and I'd love to know your opinion of it after a while of owning it.

[@mrsrev62]

honeychurchgipsy6, thanks for reminding me, I did look on the website weeks ago but then never got around to taking a photo of the recorder so I could check it. Looks like I have a 1976-ish model (they say it can be 2 years either way from the serial number) so it would almost definitely have been voiced by one of the Dolmetsch family. This is particularly pleasing to me as it was a 1975 concert by the Dolmetsches ( when I was 12) that made me realise that adults played the recorder and it would be ok to carry on playing it as my first instrument. I still want to get in touch with them because I'd love to know if they know exactly which of them did the work, and how much it cost originally. Knowing them, they probably even know who the original purchaser was... I'm loving what I have heard of it so far, the high register is still a bit squeaky but I think that is partly that I'm not used to the breath pressure required for a hardwood! I'm thinking of getting Julie Dean or Anthony Barrett to give it a service, my friend had it done on a similar instrument and said it made it much better.

[@honeychurchgipsy6]

I live up the road from Haselmere where the original Dolmetsch factory is/was! Your recorder may benefit from being revoiced - whether Dolmetsch could do this for you I don't know - but if you know someone who you trust then I'd give it a go. However, my experience of Pallisander (same family of woods as Grenadilla) is that the high notes are very breathy/reedy - I love the sound but it isn't as sweet as Maple. I find Pear wood's high notes can be harsh. Having said all of that: listen to Anna Fusek playing the Bach Italian Concerto (on KZbin as part of a long concert) on what looks like a Moeck Steenbergen in African Blackwood and the high notes are so so sweet - this is currently my favourite 'live' recorder music to listen to.

[@mrsrev62]

honeychurchgipsy6 I'm not so very far from Haslemere either! I would love to have it revoiced there if they still do it, I'm going to see if it's feasible for my birthday present 😃. if they don't then I have a plan b. The high notes are improving as I get used to it but I think the entire instrument could do with a bit of TLC. Off to look for Anna Fusek now...

[@mmartinsrj]

Such a clarifying video! Thanks a lot!

[@danielthecarrot9116]

ha, ironic. I just got my 2 new wooden recorders 2 weeks ago. I've got a moeck palisander treble (alto) and a kung special thingy (maple painted in blue and gold). my treble sounds really nice, with a deep tone and helps alot with sticcato. however, each side is a different shade. the kung descant look AMAZING and the sound is better than my plastic, but the bottom can't be moved (my teacher's daughter wouldn't be able to use it). A tip when buying: TAKE YOUR TIME. I spent around 1 hour choosing the TREBLE ALONE.

[@yvesdelombaerde5909]

Blingirl-Art And More! My tenor Kung with dubble key was great!

[@yvesdelombaerde5909]

If I may add some piece of advise, speaking of Moeck or Mollenhauer or equivalent makers, the quality of the flutes differs from the one to the other within the same maker within the very same model exactly as it is saidl!! At the shop they had three same alt boxwood recorders and they sounded different. I took the opportunity to choose my favourite. Sorry for the poor English.

[@yvesdelombaerde5909]

I still have my Roessler sopranino. Great sound.

[@fattylumpkin78]

Thank you for sharing your wonderful talent, this was very helpful!