The extremely chaotic history of the ALTO RECORDER! | Team Recorder

Finally - introducing the ALTO recorder! The first 1,000 people to use this link will get a 1 month free trial of Skillshare: skl.sh/sarahjefferyteamrecord...
///TIMESTAMPS
00:00 Intro
00:54 Let's hear it then
01:32 How to read it?
03:16 Back to the Renaissance
05:14 Alto's in… G?
06:17 Oop, we're evolving again
07:11 Welcome to the High Baroque
10:34 Skillshare
11:57 Modern recorders: look at my keys!
13:13 Repertoire and what to play?
/// LINKS
How to play all the notes on the recorder
• How to play ALL the no...
Hotteterre: The Principles of the Flute and Recorder
www.amazon.com/Principles-Flu...
Quantz: On playing the flute
www.stretta-music.nl/quantz-o...
Lasocki: Not Just the Alto
davidlasocki.com/store/Lasock...
‘Alblockflötenreise’ by Daniel Hellbach
www.amazon.de/Acanthus-Music-...
Helder Evo alto
www.mollenhauer.com/en/catalo...
Moeck Eglert alto
www.moeck.com/en/recorders/re...
Küng E3 alto
www.kueng-blockfloeten.ch/en/...
‘Baroque Recorder Anthology’ by Schott
www.thomann.de/gb/schott_baro...
‘Renaissance Recorder Anthology’ by Schott
www.amazon.nl/Renaissance-Rec...
‘Kage’ by Roderik de Man, performed by Christine Lin
• Kage- Roderik de Man
‘Charavgi’ by Calliope Tsoupaki, performed by Ronja Vollmari
• Calliope Tsoupaki - Ch...
‘Workshop’ by Ned McGowan, performed by Susanna Borsch
• Susanna Borsch- Koral ...
‘Austro’ by Giorgio Tedde, performed by Susanne Frölich
• Susanne Fröhlich: Gior...
‘Dupuy Tren’ by Misha Käser, performed by Unknown! If you know please let me know!
• mischa käser - dupuy tren
‘Eagles commonly fly alone’ by Chiel Meijering, performed by Dan Laurin
• Eagles commonly fly al...
‘Recorder Concertino’ by Thomas Clausen, performed by Michala Petri
• Michala Petri plays Th...
/// INSTRUMENTS
In this video I play on:
- Mollenhauer concert soprano in 442 Hz
- Yoav Ran alto recorder in 440 Hz
- Renaissance consort alto by Peter van der Poel in 446Hz
- Transitional G alto in 440Hz by Stephan Blezinger
- Denner alto recorder in 415Hz by Joachim Rohmer
- Bressan alto recorder in 415Hz by Hans Coolsma
- Mollenhauer ‘Modern’ alto with E-foot joint in 442Hz
- ‘Eagle’ alto by Adriana Breukink in 442Hz, lunar model
- ‘Elody’ alto by Mollenhauer in 442Hz
//////
Website: www.sarahjeffery.com
Tiktok / instagram / twitter: @team_recorder
//// ONLINE COURSE!
Check out my online courses for recorder players: sarahjeffery.com/Online-Course
//// MAILING LIST
Join my mailing list to stay up to date on future news and events: mailchi.mp/0d849f2fb5c7/100k
//// MY DEBUT ALBUM
'Constellations' is out!! It can be ordered on (signed) CD or digital download here: team-recorder.myshopify.com/
LISTEN NOW ON SPOTIFY! open.spotify.com/artist/3wL36...
/////
THE TEAM RECORDER WEBSHOP!
Buy all your TR-related goodies here!
team-recorder.myshopify.com/
//////
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------
Wanna send me stuff? My PO box:
Sarah Jeffery, Keurenplein 41, Box C350, 1069CD Amsterdam, The Netherlands
This is for letter post only; for packages contact me by email for the appropriate address.
Go #teamrecorder

[@Team_Recorder]

The first 1,000 people to use this link will get a 1 month free trial of Skillshare: skl.sh/sarahjefferyteamrecorder01221

[@miamam5484]

Sounds so interesting, thank you, will do!!

[@YorozuyaNeesan2010]

Thank you very much ^^

[@michaelassessments]

Is there a recorder thingy on skillshare?

[@markc1234golf]

So was the ancient Alto a bit like Native American Indian flutes? Without a hole at the back? Thank you for these this is brilliant stuff. Used to play the recorder and Alto and Bass at school but it's 40 yrs ago and i have just picked up flutes again. ❣❣

[@elusiveeskimo3013]

I got my first recorder flute after abdominal surgery forced me to stop playing trumpet for a while. I chose an Alto cause I liked the sound it produced, then joined the local recorder society to learn how to play it. Most new members and many existing members were playing Sopranos, so my choice of Alto was well received. To fill gaps when parts were missing I soon expanded to playing Sopranino and Bass also. Then learned C fingering so I could play Tenor, and yes Soprano even though we had more then enough. That was over 30 years ago and I no longer live near a recorder group or society. But I'm now giving private lesson to a hand full of people locally who wanted to learn after hearing me. So maybe we will become a locally performing recorder group in the future?

[@hauke3644]

I‘ve read that Händel himself arranged most of the arias from his operas for alto recorder, so that it could be played at home. At the time, many people didn’t have Spotify…

[@bmh4d0k3n]

Ooooh, have these been published?

[@hauke3644]

@@bmh4d0k3n Yes, by himself, I believe... Don't know if there is an edition today, but I have a beautiful recording: "The Gentleman's Flute"

[@Rik77]

Yes he did. There is an album called "handel at home" which explores these works but also uses them as inspiration to set purely instrumental versions of arias.

[@cmw12]

But some people had Spotify.

[@mechwarrior5727]

​@@Rik77who is this album by?

[@markfrost2707]

SOLD!! lol. I wanted to hear what a Alto sounded like and wound up here and listen to Sarah play some classical and I'M GETTING ONE!

[@jennieeveleighlamond]

Sarah- "I'm filled with re-" me-"Recorders!" Sarah- "regret." me- "Oh."

[@Team_Recorder]

😅

[@rickmccloy4201]

I actually did laugh out loud at that line; perfect delivery. Somewhere, Peter Cook is jealous.

[@FireRat96]

I just bought a soprano recorder and two method books. So excited to play a recorder for the first time since childhood.

[@ninarochette1671]

Thanks for expressing your displeasure at a key signature crammed with flats. My heart always sinks when I see one, but then I chide myself for acting like a beginner. No longer chiding.

[@jobarrieglenn]

Always such interesting content in your shows. I tend to play my Alto and Tenor the most. I play traditional folk, just a very average player. My Alto is made of grenadilla and ivory. I bought it second hand in South Africa in 1972. It is made by Hans Coolsma. I have tried without success to find the true age of it. It still plays very sweetly for me

[@opal.dreamer6736]

I just bought my first recorder (an alto, of course), and I’m so happy to find this video! Thanks for the great information, and a nice introduction to my new instrument :)

[@josephwisniewski3673]

Good stuff. I learned a bit, so I'll return the favor. Soprano recorders really caught on in the 1930s when they started to become popular introductory instruments in primary school, mainly because an 8-year-old child cannot finger an alto. (Their bodies are a musical fifth smaller than an adult. Imagine playing a tenor without keys as your first recorder). Three things converged on this great sadness: Peter Harlan's simplification of several instruments, including what we now call a "German fingering" recorder, the German "Musik bildung" (music education") movement, and the fact that a soprano recorder can actually be made cheaper than a German ocarina, but has a greater range. So there was suddenly a demand for soprano literature.

[@nicoswanepoel7336]

Hi Sarah, i began playing recorder at 39 years old, started with soprano, buyed an alto/treble 2 weeks ago... Now I must practice my fingering for alto... I have played soprano for 4 months now.. I am from South Africa, here in our music shops we only have beginner books available for soprano/tenor.. I love your videos and knowledge about this great musical instrument! Keep up with the good work!

[@flightsoffancy9722]

Very interesting. As an alto player I'm always glad to learn more.

[@TarunoNafs]

I hope this video will blow up! Very informative and easy to follow. Maybe a eye-catching title like "The extremely chaotic history of the alto recorder" or "The Pokemon recorder" will catch more viewers. Nah, just joking, I know nothing about YT video titles... I love how your poster says 牧童笛、豎笛、木笛 etc. in Chinese and リコーダー in Japanese. We call it 牧童笛 (A shepherd boy's flute) here in Hong Kong, and I think it's quite unique.

[@Team_Recorder]

I love this idea - do you know what, I'm gonna try your title suggestion! Thanks for the input 😄 And yes, the poster behind me was made with the help of my viewers - I asked viewers to send in 'recorder' on the language and this was the result 😊 You can buy it in my webshop..

[@pedrohbrinck]

Aaaaaaaaaaa. I loved this video. Sarah as always being very sweet, funny and educational. No wonder she's my favorite music KZbinr. And this shows that recorders are still amazing instruments that need to be taught by musicians who put the effort to learn and play it very well. I have a provocation to make: general music teachers who are required to teach the recorder because it is on the curriculum but aren't proficient players to some degree and dont understand the repertoire, technique, expression and instruments can should teach it? Or should teacher education start with preparing teachers to be proficient on recorders too as proficient on educational knowledge? Something I research academically but with the piano in specific settings... and the question comes to the recorder.

[@AnnBurgess00]

I think recorder classes in school are getting less and less common. I longed to teach recorder in my school but, although I had a good selection of instruments, was not allowed to. So I was left with occasionally, bringing in my more unusual instruments to show the class or showing them videos of seriously cool players and hoping some would sign up for individual lessons.

[@seanpanick6555]

Perfect timing! I’ve had an alto recorder for ages. I never took any formal lessons and just taught myself how to play but I really want to get a method book to take it up a notch. I really love the sound of the alto recorder and it’s cool to hear that so much renaissance music was written for it!

[@josedanielbanos1766]

The Hugh Orr method for alto is pretty good. Old but it has a nice selection of music. Good for self taught individuals. Keep practicing, it’s a beautiful instrument

[@carolagraf5403]

I'm really impressed how well you pronounce "Die Altblöckflötenreise" which in fact isn't the easiest of all German words :-D

[@TehChuckeh]

She does in fact speak German too 😁

[@Team_Recorder]

Well, a bit! I speak Dutch fluently so I can fake my way in German 😋

[@mirabilos]

@@Team_Recorder only with throat illness ☻ I fake my way in Dutch the same, but I have a hard time with the pronunciation. Chatting is much easier…

[@SuperJxl]

having to learn different fingerings for recorder reminds me how clarinet players have different fingerings depending on the register they are playing in, or how with brass instruments (euphonium and trombone for example) have different fingerings depending on the clef the music is written in.

[@YorozuyaNeesan2010]

Just had the time to watch the full video tonight. This was really fascinating. I love the information and the energy you bring to us. You are always such a joy to watch. Thank you for your hard work

[@garyschneider5781]

Wow, I had absolutely no idea how complicated the recorder is. Fascinating explanations.

[@brentusfirmus]

Always such a joy and an inspiration to watch, no matter the subject. Thank you!

[@francistaylor5097]

Great video as ever, Sarah. I love my Aulos Haka alto; probably my favourite even over tenor.

[@charlotteshepherd4908]

Thanks Sarah. I love your Team Recorder channel.

[@holgerschafer4583]

Splendid. Sarah, the level of "infotainement" is stellar high! Great Content. Thank You!

[@scathatch]

Fascinating stuff. Thank you for all the tips on good written music. Have just started on my recorder journey. Alto! Such a fascinating instrument. I love the sweet purity of the sound. The most contemporary designs starting to sound more like fconcert flutes. Each instrument has such a distinct personality.

[@davidfplace]

So awesome, Sarah. I learned a lot!

[@twocanucksful]

Great video. Thanks for all the work you put into it. 👏

[@AnnBurgess00]

Oh, so nice to hear someone giving a shout to those brilliant twentieth century English romantics. We used to sing gorgeous songs by them in my choir in the seventies and now all you get from choirs is either standard classical repertoire or pop music.. I also love it when you have things to teach us that even music graduates won't necessarily know!

[@ZvikaDror]

Cool video, enjoyed a lot! Thanks Sarah

[@maikenelissen3767]

I strongly believe that the reason recorder music isn't transposed is so that every melody could be played on any type of recorder, provided the range allows it.

[@markbudd5250]

What a brilliant video- you have managed to pack the whole history of this beautiful instrument into 15 minutes...❤

[@tonybaker7411]

Thanks Sarah, another interesting and informative video.

[@josedanielbanos1766]

Great video. Very informative, clever, and funny. Keep up the good work

[@petermadoran4422]

Once again, I LOVE THE PROGRESS OF EDITING IN YOUR CAREER!!! AWESOME!

[@Team_Recorder]

Awwwww thank you! ❤️

[@dreamerjazz352]

I'm new to your channel, because I was looking for some information about alto recorders so I can buy one, then I ended up binge watching and just being constantly entertained. This video also came in perfect timing too, just bought my alto. Love the channel!

[@Team_Recorder]

Yay!

[@donaldmacmillan3198]

Hi Sarah, I have just discovered the alto recorder! I picked up an Aulos alto just on Sunday past at a local car boot sale 👍. I have been watching KZbin videos, downloading sonatas and concertos all week, and I’m currently waiting on delivery of Aldo Bova’s method for alto recorder to really get playing! I’m in my early 50s and have played brass instruments, currently trumpet, for over 30 years …. I love my trumpet, even though I’m not particularly good on it just yet, but I’m really excited about my alto recorder! It’s like a revelation for me! Your videos and enthusiasm are amazing too! It’s very early days for me just now in my recorder journey, I don’t think that I’ve got your ear and I certainly won’t be acquiring your technique, but I’m excited to see just how far I can progress on my lovely new instrument …. Wish me luck! 😃 Kindest regards, Donald 🎺🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

[@phredqwatson]

Sarah, thank you so much. That was quite interesting!

[@mariafellenberg257]

I’ve watched many of your Videos and I skipped this Video many times, Thinking: “Na, I do not need to know the History as well ” Turns out : I should have watched this Video before all he others. Your Research is Excellent and your presentation is so much fun. Thank you Sarah

[@chongshaohong2969]

After playing a soprano for a little bit, I went out and got a Yamaha YRA-203BIII and I'm loving the more mellow sound so far! Making the low notes sing properly, especially the low F is still a challenge for me though!

[@m.teresaboledaribalta8789]

Thank you very much for your wonderful explanation.

[@alokaflutemelody7119]

Thanks Sarah.. 🎵🎵 Loved this video ❤️❤️

[@miamam5484]

Great video, I'll have to watch it again with a notebook close by to put down all those very interesting references! :)

[@argonwheatbelly637]

Wonderful and educational!

[@Ma93nta174]

I learnt the basics entirely by watching your videos during the first lockdown. It has helped me greatly, also helped me to quit vaping nicotine, breathe properly and not gasp, which I often have in my life due to congenital allergic asthma. 3 years on and I'm looking for a new Alto. The first one I bought was a Valentino soprano. Still going strong but then about a year ago I bought a treble with a faulty moulding on the windway section, which made it tough to remove. I was learning parts from king crimson's first album more recently when I noticed on 21st century Schizoid man I couldn't consistently play the low F to F#. Hence I'm now going to buy an Alto that is at least half decent. Thanks and much gratitude 🙏

[@comtaar2245]

Thank you. This was very, very useful and informative.

[@ananditaisabel]

Looooved this video of my favorite recorder 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻🎶

[@curlyrecorder386]

Hi Sarah. Love your channel. Thanks for creating such wonderful content. I love to play alto and my problem is , when playing along with modern backing tracks/ accompaniments, my recorders seem a little flat/below pitch. Which recorder would you recommend that is best suited to playing along with modern pitched instruments? 😊 Thanks

[@1Bibliotech]

A bit over 40 years I taught 3rd and 4th grade students in an after school program. This is the age when recorder is often introduced in school. I had never had any music instruction, but wanted to help and encourage the kids in their practice. As an Adult with quite long fingered hands, I found the soprano a bit cramped to play. When she heard of my interest the school’s instructor introduced me to the alto recorder. This allowed me to practice with my students. She even included me in a song for the end of term concert, my one and only public performance. I continued for a number of years on my own, but put it aside after I had children. I am now once again picking it back up again. Love the Alto!!

[@michaelroche5744]

So cool Sarah

[@yegor.akimov]

Thank you, Sarah! It was interesting 😉👍

[@jothestrange]

I love my alto the best but must admit I’m new to it and I only play at home for myself so still using soprano fingering, must learn alto fingering this year! ☺️ this vid is so helpful and SO funny as usual! You are fab! ☺️

[@egstern]

My conjecture is that the reason recorder music is not transposed for different sizes is historically music was not written down specifically for recorder. Recorder players were expected to play gigs with music written down for whatever other instruments or voices that were available at the time so the player had to be able to do that with the instrument he or she had.

[@Team_Recorder]

Yes, I go into that in the video too!

[@TootlinGeoff]

I'm playing a Mollenhauer modern alto in a wind band in a local u3a. I play the flute parts and a lack of a low D & C does not cause much of a problem as most of the time the flute parts are in the upper part of the range. I do keep a dream soprano in my bag which is occasionally useful. As I am playing with Bb & Eb instruments, most of the music we play is in flat keys which has been good for taking me out off the usual range of keys that we usually meet with recorders - even to playing some Carols in Gb this Christmas just past!

[@doginabox9621]

I’ll be sure to revisit this video when I get my first alto!

[@ornleifs]

Love this video and thanks for introducing me to the composer Johann Mattheson which is new to me - have been streaming lots of stuff I found on Apple music and his music is very interesting.

[@seanshepard2000]

... as an American who speaks Dutch (lived in Hoogeveen for 4 years), bravo! lol - I came for the recorders, stayed for the amazing Dutch pronounciations! (I play the recorder as well, even started a 4 part consort in college circa 1995) - de groeten uit de vs!

[@carylltheoboist]

My mom played Soprano and changed to alto at school and every time we go to the music store and we go past the recorder she tells me stories from school. I may be an oboist but I really want to get an alto recorder.

[@clover1519-h7q]

I've just decided to begin my fun little recorder journey with an alto recorder!!!! I prefer the sweeter and more mellow (?) sound of it over the soprano

[@liquidmandotcom]

Hey Sarah I love the video, well, I like all of them - But as a technical note I think you should 'lock-off' the focus on that camera as it's constant popping (focus changing) plays havoc with the '"older" eyeballs...

[@gogotrololo]

I just picked up an alto recorder today... my first recorder since 1993 when i was but a wee boy in school recorder class! Now I have to figure it out lol

[@SeekerLancer]

I almost bought a soprano to start out on because that's what I thought of as a recorder but I went to KZbin first as I do with all new hobbies and fell in love with the alto.

[@meredith18352]

I have just purchased my first ever recorder and decided to go with the alto, seemed the right size for an old tenor/alto horn player. I also love the tenor recorder but I have very small hands and just can't reach the fingerholes. I'm sure learning a new instrument will be excellent for my brain.

[@filharmonix]

Wow, all these advancements!!! I'm going to get one one day. Looking at the Eagle in particular!

[@elisar1980]

Very informative. :D

[@calmeilles]

Curious that at school we used the Dolmetsch (British) nomenclature of _descant_ for the C₅ and _treble_ for the F₄. Then soprano was a common alternative for descant but it's only in rediscovering the instrument (mainly by KZbin) that I've heard alto even though that seems by far the most prevalent name.

[@sam-jams6689]

Brilliant video, I love your playing! Do you play or dabble with any other instruments, apart from the recorder and all it's exciting variations?

[@Team_Recorder]

I do! I grew up playing piano and flute, and I sing.

[@lynnrixson1094]

So interesting thank you 😊

[@zingingcutie2364]

Alto is the one i started on and its still my favorite.

[@gyrobyte626]

yes i watched it yesterday and yes ill watch it again

[@andrescamiloyanes2697]

2:27 jajajajaja. 😂 Subtitles are so good. Keep doing it.

[@mikeemswiler4541]

Super cool,

[@keiththurlow-bishop1617]

Another great video, Sarah! Could you explain the difference between the Eagle and the E3?

[@reloup8969]

I think it's said on eagle's site that they are the same instrument, or maybe the E3 is an old version of the eagle I don't remember

[@Itsalaugh229]

Just ordered an alto recorder, I'm a complete beginner and learning to join our music group at the homeless shelter I work at. Wish me luck!! 🙏

[@Team_Recorder]

Good luck!!!!!!

[@danieldellaquila3460]

420 / 5,000 Resultados de traducción Traducción Hello Sister. I'm Marcelo from Argentina. I congratulate you for your videos. very instructive and rich in information and examples. Here in America I enjoy my small collection of Yamaha plastics (sopranino, soprano, contralto and tenor) We have some amazing aerophones here. quena in G, quenacho in D, pinkullos isocas and several more. but the quena is the queen of South American aerophones. THANK YOU FOR YOUR IMMENSE WAVE.

[@chrismills2012]

when people think of the recorder, the 1st type they think of is the descant, and usually these horrible plastic things used by schools to teach children. I have 1 family who when the recorder is mentioned, he will literally storm out of the room. he has only ever known the descant one witch his children played at school. I once tried to persuade him that actually the recorder can sound really beautiful but he was having absolutely none of it. I then took my 1st alto to his house and played it, and after hearing it, he was a bit more open to it. I then took my wooden descant made by dolmetch, and after playing it, he then admitted that it doesn’t screach like the plastic ones use in schools. he had never heard of the larger types

[@Cysubtor_8vb]

Having grown up playing low brass, which plays music written as sounds (at least in the US), I always found it odd how many instruments are transposed. Guess it means they only have to learn one fingering system, but all their music has to be specific to that instrument's pitch while concert pitch music can be read as is whether it's on a BBb tuba, F bass, Bb euphonium or Eb alto trombone. Having tons of concert band music in flat keys, I have gravitated to the alto recorder, though.

[@rudolphpyatt4833]

This makes me want to pull my Yamaha alto and put some proper effort into it. I have tended to play my tenor more, but the alto really is interesting, as this video shows.

[@filharmonix]

I have an Aulos alto I've been playing for almost 3 years now. She's awesome. But I hope to get something that is loud enough to play along with a band. (And she has a loose foot joint 😁)

[@luckybarrel7829]

Holy cow! It's so weird I've seem some of those youtube vids already! This was very infotainmental (idk if that's a word). I enjoyed every sec! I feel like kids start with the soprano cause it fits their hands. Adults like starting with alto cause the pitch is lower and bearable. I also find the alto bearable for learning. Once the technique is somewhat developed, soprano also ends up being fun. Your nightingale performance has motivated me to practice with the soprano some more.

[@marklammas2465]

I started playing recorder with a soprano, because there was an old one made of bakelite which my mother used in her early days as a schoolteacher, lying around the house, and it seemed a shame for it never to be played. At that time, I was only a flute player. If it were purely a matter of size for childrens' hands, the sopranino would be the logical starting point, but can you imagine a classful of kids all playing the same tune in unison on sopraninos? The problem of slightly mismatched recorders and tuning would be somewhat magnified!

[@johnreidcoulter3462]

Hi Sarah, I find your videos very informative and presented with great enthusiasm! I would like to know more about the alto recorder in 18th cent. France. Were altos made in the prevailing French pitch a'=395? This equates to a tone lower than 440. Also, does the voice flute (flute de voix) qualify as an alto in d or a baroque tenor in d? John Reid Coulter John Reid Coulter

[@cathy7382]

Love the alto over the Soprano which can sound shrill I'm concentrating my practice on Alto am looking to becoming proficient on it

[@thpeti]

Nice presentation. I have four alto recorders, an Aulos from my childhood, a pearwood "student" recorder from a swiss company made in the 80's (I've bought it used when I was 16), a Dolmetsch Bressan 440 in boxwood, and a Denner 415 alto in pearwood by Filip Frydrysisak. I love to play these two wooden recorders, but I prefer only high baroque. I love Telemann, Bach, Handel and Vivaldi. I borrowed a 440/465Hz g-alto from a friend, made by Netsch, it's good for playing Van Eyck, but its fingering is a bit different, especially with the (soprano) upper f fingering with a half-covered hole. Contemporary and 20th century avantgrade music is a no-go for me, I even don't like listening to it, and it's mostly difficult to understand.

[@jubinhateclas]

Perfect ...

[@JessHull]

I know this is a video about the alto, but I had a Bass recorder question. I really want a Bass, and when I was shopping around, I notice there are version with a bocal/crook/metal tube section and there is versions without. When I look up people playing bass recorder, I rarely see people playing ones with the bocal/crook. Is there a reason? is one version more desirable than the other?

[@davesieg520]

Hi, Jess, Self-taught, I started on alto and why not? The good Yamaha plastic alto has proven to be a keeper, and my wife and I both love our used ebony Moecks voiced by von Huene Workshop. There’s 40 plus years of experience in these statements. We both love our Yamaha bent-neck bass in F instruments, and they remain our go-anywhere choice, including workshop in Switzerland. No hand-position issues, important at age 76. In F, they can be fingered as a BIG alto when needed. A startling difference in sound production qualities was found in my two used Great bass in C instruments. The Mollenhauer with the crook neck is a much better sounding instrument than the Yamaha with the bocal. The Mollenhauer is generous, lovely, and immediate in tone production. They were both voiced instruments. A great man, Mr. P.J. Perry loves to play and hear the dance movements of J.S. Bach’s Cello Suites, late at night, on his bass recorder. So do I. Don’t overlook these free transcriptions at his web site. Play for fun. The Yamaha tenor in plastic is a terrific instrument also, but you may spend years deciding on which added keys relieve your wrist & bottom note problems vs. right hand finger span problems. When you are rolling the vocal lines of so many Duke Ellington songs are in your tenor’s range! Yeah.

[@andrewcranmer9653]

For modern pieces for alto worth a mention are Zahnhausen: Flauto Dulce Solo and Satoh: Music of the Winds (OK, not originally for recorder). Neither especially easy

[@onemanfran]

Always wished I had been taught treble instead of descant because not much is written for descant. I think of all music in terms of descant fingering so now trying to pick up treble as an adult in my late 30s is nigh on impossible :(

[@inakifernandezmartin5184]

I love you so much. Really nice

[@LarryShone]

In those early times the word Flute in a score referenced the alto recorder. It was, for a while, THE flute

[@fepatton]

I actually started on the alto because of the works of Bach, Handel, Telemann, etc. I struggle with soprano and tenor fingering!

[@MusicalArtizanProductions]

if just started to play the alto recorder. Im finding it difficult to transition from the soprano having played it since school days. I fnd it requires different breath pressure and the stretch is a bit more but not as much as the tenor which now have too

[@janjic]

I got a tenor a few weeks ago. I can barely play the G on it :-) It will take quite some time for the fingers to adjust.

[@1015SaturdayNight]

Holy crap! Alto flute music is already transcribed, so no different fingerings. Crazy!

[@myrona.gilmorejr.]

I just found out that I have an Yamaha YRS-23Y soprano. Is that a good recorder

[@thomasnguyen6144]

I love my tenor the most.

[@MrInitialMan]

My favourite would be the Alto parts of various hymns. :) By the way, I wonder where I could get a Dutch hymnbook...

[@luigipalumbo3294]

👍

[@janesmith8316]

This is great content! I have almost mastered the soprano and tenor and can't wait to learn alto which is the one I really want to learn!!!! I am also very confused about the notes on each recorder. The soprano's lowest note is C but the alto is F which is higher???

[@lazybee9011]

The soprano plays an octave higher than it's notated

[@janesmith8316]

@@lazybee9011 Thank you. So, if I want to play a piece that is in middle C range of a piano would the alto be in that range?

[@southboundagain]

@@janesmith8316 Its lowest note is the F just above middle C.

[@mirabilos]

@@lazybee9011 … if the one doing the notation didn’t do their research. In contemporary proper notation, the tenor voice is notated with a 𝄠 clef and the soprano recorder with a 𝄟 clef, so they do indeed sound at the pitch they are notated, it’s the clefs that shift the octaves. (In some olden times, they didn’t have that 8 to add to make the ottava alta/bassa clefs… but thankfully, these times are long past.)

[@TheFlora80]

Hi there. I teach music as a school subject and would love to introduce a recorder club. But most people fear the sound of more than one soprano recorder at a time (and, to be honest, so do I, although I dearly love recorders). I think it is because of the really high pitch played by not yet skilled musicians. So I was thinking about NOT starting with soprano recorders, but Altos. I think there are the not that expensive plastic recorders by Yamaha for example that could maybe be bought. But then there is the problem of teaching materials for school classes on the Alto. What do you think of the idea? And any recommendations for teaching materials? I'm not sure how to start this in a good way without causing any school recorder trauma... 😂🙈

[@liJK88]

Oh my dear! I've just noticed you have a poster of the Recorder's name in languages and i can see it's my mother tongue Vietnamese there. Interesting though!

[@rudolphpyatt4833]

Sarah, I would love to hear you playing an alto over that manouche-style guitar part in your outro music.

[@Team_Recorder]

I.... actually love this idea

[@christinebutler7630]

I love the sound of the alto! I tried to learn to play on a soprano but the high pitched squeaking drove me nuts. I'll try with an alto.

[@elisar1980]

I had the same problem with the soprano, especially with my plastic Yamaha (less with my wood Honer). I started wearing earplugs but I found them unconfortable, so I switched to the alto. Much better, besides the pain in my right hand in the first three months, and getting used to the fingerings.

[@janjic]

I am still torturing myself (and neighbours) with soprano :-) Can't wait to finish the book which I use for practicing and switch to tenor or alto.

[@SteveCaddy]

I have a question: at what point did the "treble" recorder start being called the "alto" recorder? Or was it the other way round? Seriously, until relatively recently I always knew this instrument as the "treble" recorder (and I knew the "soprano" recorder as the "descant"). What's with the name changes?

[@Team_Recorder]

It’s a British/rest of the world thing! In Britain (and a few other places I think) we say descant and treble, but elsewhere it’s soprano and alto. I use the latter as I live in NL, and I think it’s clearer with soprano alto tenor bass.

[@SteveCaddy]

@@Team_Recorder The first time I heard someone call a "descant" recorder a "soprano" I thought they were just mispronouncing "sopranino"... oh, the "fun" that caused!