Trying a Drone App for recorder practice!

As a beginner recorder player, I'm always looking out for new things to help my practice along. Recently, I decided to try 'DroneLab'- an app which provides a customisable drone to play along too.
I bought DroneLab myself- nothing about this video is sponsored, and as I've only just started using the app I'm sure I don't show it to it's full potential here!
I'm using my new Mollenhauer Denner tenor recorder in boxwood.
The piece I play is 'Ye Banks and Braes O' Bonnie Doon'. Music for this can easily be found for free with a quick Google search :)
If you have any practice tips or techniques to share, please do leave a comment :)
Find me on Instagram: @claythorpemusic

[@eplumer]

I use a different app, Dr Drone, and found that practicing against a simple drone of the tonic and fifth of the scale of the piece or scale (without all the extra effects) is super valuable for impoving my intonation.

[@maemil7336]

Nice new recorder! I love following your channel. I am also an adult recorder beginner who just started the journey. Finding your channel gave me great deal of encouragement, as self teaching/learning can sometimes get a bit boring and unmotivated.

[@ClaythorpeMusic]

Thanks for the kind words! We all need some extra motivation at some point, I reckon. Best of luck with your recordering, and happy playing! 🙂

[@ogcontraband]

....and don't forget OG Contra Band's playalong album on spotify too :D

[@ClaythorpeMusic]

I should really work out how to use Spotify 😆

[@Jim-iw1yd]

Good stuff. It was like playing along with a highland pipe band who only knew one note and a one handed drummer. Good point about variety and changing it up a bit. I like (or don't like more to the point due to the results 😞 ) to record myself playing to see how I am doing. Beautiful looking and sounding recorder.

[@ClaythorpeMusic]

😂 they should use that description to advertise the app! Yeah, I have a love/ hate relationship with recording myself for the same reasons… this recorder is going to be great, but it hasn’t settled down into reliable playing yet, after over a month getting it broken in. I must be patient… I must be patient…

[@JeanClaudePeeters]

I will need to loch myself up and practice... Very nice (as usual)😉

[@ClaythorpeMusic]

😂👍

[@thomaswright7841]

It‘s a bit like playing alongside a bagpipe! Definitely evokes images of the Scottish highlands - an apt choice of accompaniment for sure!

[@ClaythorpeMusic]

I wonder if I could get my hands on some actual bagpipes 🤔🙃

[@margiewinslow872]

Is there any way to adjust intonation so it aligns with your instrument? Instrument was flat esp. On lower notes.

[@pedrohbrinck]

So interesting. Never heard of the app. Thank your for taking time to demonstrate it! I love when you play the recorder. Have you tried some Suzuki repertoire? Book 2 for descant/soprano and treble/alto? I would love to listen to you playing.

[@ClaythorpeMusic]

Ah, thanks for the kind words! I haven’t tried any of the Suzuki books, I’ll keep a look out for book 2!

[@pedrohbrinck]

@@ClaythorpeMusic no need to thank me. I really appreciate when you post more recorder content. It helps a lot. I'd skip book 1 for the Suzuki because most of it is folk songs arranged to teach the basics. But from book 2 afterwards there are a lot of good pieces for the recorder. I was able to buy it on kindle but i suppose they are available on other platforms. I'm working on them as I'm not able (yet) to import the syllabus from either ABRSM or Trinity. Gotta love reading recorder music and get to know its repertoire.

[@ClaythorpeMusic]

@@pedrohbrinck cool, I’ll make sure to get hold of a copy, sounds good!

[@adinaderoy-stouffer5724]

Very cool. I may try that app. Sometimes I sing a drone note while playing. Have you tried that?

[@ClaythorpeMusic]

I have tried… but my singing isn’t, erm, too ‘reliable’, so a drone note tends to turn into a random assortment of warble 😆 Makes an interesting effect through the recorder, though.

[@jonprudhomme7694]

Looks fun. Careful tho, you could end up with a giant modular synth... :)

[@ClaythorpeMusic]

Got my Dad his first mini Korg for Christmas last year… I’m just waiting for him to get bored with it so I can ‘borrow’ it…

[@Grosvdywywa]

and just a minute before noticing the movie, I thought a long time ago there was no movie from my favorite creator .

[@ClaythorpeMusic]

🥰

[@joehowden7885]

The drone in the background sounds like me on my didgeridoo in c.

[@ClaythorpeMusic]

Well anytime you feel like a didgeridoo duet…

[@luckybarrel7829]

Just play sound of silence and be done with it

[@ClaythorpeMusic]

I did consider it. 🤫