What is a recorder and how to choose one?

Many treat the recorder as a childish or frivolous toy, but since the 14th century this instrument can be called a symbol of European music. Even now, she can add an unusual sound to modern compositions. And despite the simplicity of the instrument, it is very important not to make the wrong choice. This is a fairly simple and versatile instrument that can be easily approached by both a child and a professional musician.

Recorder (translated from German - flute with a module or with a block) is one of the subspecies of the traditional flute, a wind instrument belonging to the whistle family. The difference between a flute and a recorder is in the material used: the first is made of metal, the second is made of wood or plastic. The head system has a special insert block. Closely related musical instruments are a sopilka, a whistle and a pipe. The main difference from similar tools is seven holes on the outside and one on the back (from the back).

Most often, the last two (lower) finger grooves are made double. During the game, the holes are closed with 8 fingers or forked fingerings are used - these are complex combinations in which the grooves are closed not one by one, but simultaneously.

The recorder can be made in a variety of musical scales (a system that sets the correspondence of the steps of a musical scale to sounds of a certain pitch) and registers, but its main variety is the alto. It is a harmonious and high-quality instrument with medium volume and bright timbre. It is for the viola that the majority of classical works were written.

The development of history begins with the flute - this musical instrument became popular in ancient times. Its predecessor is the whistle, which has been improved over time. They added holes for the fingers, which changed the tone of the sound.

Already in the Middle Ages, the flute spread around the world more globally. And in the 9th century AD, the first records of the recorder began to appear. The history of the emergence and development of this tool is divided into several stages.

• In the XIV century, the recorder was considered one of the most important instruments accompanying the singing. Her sound was quieter and more melodic. At that time, itinerant musicians contributed a lot to its spread.
• In the XV-XVI centuries, the recorder fades into the background and ceases to play a major role in vocal and dance works. In the 16th century, books on learning to play the recorder appeared for the first time, as well as the first musical notes.
• In the Baroque era (late 16th - early 17th century) all music was divided into a vocal group and an instrumental one. The recorder has been improved, and its sound has become brighter and more saturated. The instrument again becomes the main one; works by such great composers as Bach, Vivaldi, Handel are created for it.
• In the 18th century, she again goes into the shadows for a long time. It all started with the fact that her importance began to be minimized, and instead of the leading parties she played the accompanying. The recorder was replaced by a new transverse flute, since its sound is more powerful and the range is wider. All old works are rewritten for a new instrument and new ones are written for it. Over time, the recorder was removed from the orchestras, but still it remains in some operettas and among amateurs.
• Closer to the middle of XX century, the instrument again begins to gain popularity among musicians.

In the recorder, sounds begin to emerge at the end of the instrument - in the mouthpiece. It contains a special cork made of wood, which covers the hole, leaving a narrow cut.

A musical instrument has a full-fledged chromatic scale (this is a set of sounds sequentially arranged in semitones in ascending or descending order within the available range of the instrument), so that music can be created in different keys.

The recorder is a non-transposing musical instrument, which is why the C and F scales are recorded in real sound or one step lower. Manufacturers usually guarantee that the range is just over two octaves - this is the standard value.

It is also possible to reduce it by a semitone lower, for this the bell is partially closed.

The capabilities of the recorder are directly dependent on the quality, so some take higher notes than the standard swing allows. For professional musicians, such an extended range sounds no worse than the traditional one.

All recorders can be divided by fingering into German (Germanic) and Baroque (English) systems.

The way you play is different on each system. Both systems can be easily distinguished from each other by their appearance. The main difference is 4 and 5 holes. In the German, the fifth hole from the mouthpiece is smaller, and in the baroque, the fourth from the mouthpiece is smaller.

The baroque recorder is a classic instrument, and the first instruments were just that. Their fingering is more complex, but the notes sound cleaner. A little later, the masters of Germany decided to simplify the design, sacrificing the purity of some notes, and made the mechanism for taking them easier.

Children are taught to play most often in the German system, and concerts, on the contrary, are held with baroque instruments.

Some recorder models have a double-hole design. This is done to make it easier for beginners to play. When playing some notes, the musician needs to cover the finger holes only halfway; for a novice recorder, this task can be difficult.

Here it is worth mentioning another interesting variety - this is a transverse recorder (fife - fifa). The master who created the fifu combined the recorder and the flute into one whole. The hole pattern is the same as the first - seven on the top and one on the back - as well as the same fingering and full chromatic scale.

According to the material of manufacture, the instrument can be wooden, plastic or combined (metal is not made, only transverse flutes are made of metal).

• Wooden Is a traditional recorder. The wood used as raw material is pear, maple, oak, olive, etc. Each species has its own individual tone of sound. Experienced musicians say that the best melody comes from fruit trees - it is more expressive, subtle and lively. Do not forget that a wooden instrument requires special care and storage - it is highly sensitive to moisture and mechanical damage.
• Plastic recorders more durable and require the same careful care as the previous look. They can be washed with plain water without fear of losing sound quality. This is a more hygienic option, so they are recommended to be purchased from various organizations for children, where several students will use the tool. Another significant plus is the low price. But despite the large number of advantages, it was not without its drawbacks - this is the sound. It is sharper and louder.
• Combined - wooden instruments with a plastic mouthpiece. This is a compromise option. Their cost is not high, but the sound is pleasant.

In addition to all of the above, musical instruments are divided into several groups by key. The height of the extracted melody directly depends on the size of the recorder. The more massive its body, the lower the sound is obtained.

• Sopranino - the tonality sounds from the second "FA" to the fourth octave "SALT". This timbre is one of the highest.
• Soprano - from the second "DO" to the fourth octave "RE".
• Viola - from the first "FA" to the third octave "SALT".
• Tenor - sounding from the first "C" to the third octave "PE"
• Bass - from small "FA" to the second octave "SALT".

In addition to the main keys, there are five additional and not so popular ones.

• Garklein - the sound of this flute is higher than all the others, another name for it is sopranissimo or piccolo. Sounds in the range from the third octave "DO" to the fourth octave "LA".
• Grossbass - from a small octave "DO" to the second octave "PE".
• Double bass - from the big octave "FA" to the first octave "SALT".
• Subgrossbass - from the big octave "DO" to the first octave "PE".
• Subcontrabass - from the controctave "FA" to the small octave "SALT".

The recorder is not an instrument that requires very frequent maintenance, especially if it is made of plastic. But it is still worth getting a kit for cleaning it - it includes special napkins and brushes. To protect the device from scratches, bumps and other things, you need to buy a cover. But it is better to transport over long distances in a hard case.

First of all, a teacher can help a novice musician choose the right instrument.

Of course, a wooden recorder looks much more attractive and representative, but it is not recommended for a beginner to purchase it. For a beginner musician - both for an adult and for a child - it is much more difficult to master. The instrument is capricious, the game directly depends on the humidity. To play the wooden flute, an ear for music must be developed almost ideally. If, after all, a wooden model was purchased, then it is recommended to purchase a plastic mouthpiece for it.

A plastic instrument can also be imperfect, most often there are problems with the sound - it is ugly. A beginner needs to develop an ear for music and playing technique, but with such an instrument, the desire for beautiful music will gradually disappear.

The recorder itself is pretty simple and easy to learn how to use. One of the difficulties is the limited range, that is, you will not be able to pick up and play absolutely any notes. Certain notes need to be straddled - this means moving them lower or higher so that they "match" with the flute. Now on the Internet or in specialized literature, you can find any adapted works - melodies for beginners, popular music and film music, classical works by famous composers, as well as medieval and ethnic compositions.

Before you start playing the recorder, you need to assemble it, usually it is delivered to store shelves disassembled. The tool consists of three parts.

• The main one is the part where the musician will blow.
• The body is the part with finger holes.
• Leg. This part must be turned slightly to the right during assembly. This is done in order to make it more convenient to cover all the grooves.

The next stage is the correct position of the hands. Left - the thumb is on the back and covers the lower hole; index, middle and nameless cover the upper grooves; the little finger is free. Right - thumb holds the tool; all others cover the remaining holes.

Now it's worth trying to play different notes. You might ask a teacher or colleague to play the piano sheet music as an example. This will make it easier to navigate: if the sound is higher, then you need to blow weaker; and, on the contrary, the sound turned out lower - you need to blow harder.

And finally, let's talk about some little-known facts from the "biography" of the recorder:

• since ancient times, the sounds made by the recorder were considered magical;
• in the city museum "Castelvecchio" in Verona there is a giant bass recorder - 285 centimeters;
• collections of this musical instrument are kept in several museums: in Paris, Vienna, Brescia and New York;
• the collection of King Henry VIII consisted of about 76 flutes, which did not at all "fit" with his cruelty;
• thanks to the composer Karl Orff, the recorder was included in school education;
• the composer Stravinsky for the first time mistook the instrument for an old clarinet, because it was rather rare in Russia at that time;
• Shakespeare noted the flute in his works Hamlet and A Midsummer Night's Dream.