Coordination
Recorder Technique Essentials
Adapted from my article in American Recorder, Vol. LXII, No. 4 (Winter 2021)
When we study a piece of music, it often happens that the coordination between air, fingers, and articulation doesn’t quite fit together. The good news: we can solve this by isolating each element and then bringing them back step by step. Let’s look at them one by one, and then see how to combine everything.
Air
Every note on the recorder has a center where it resonates best. Around that center there’s a little room to push or hold back, but it’s at the core that the sound is most beautiful and alive. (For me, it’s as if the sound circles around my head.)
Start your practice with long notes, searching for this center. A very slow scale works best; if time is short, choose at least one low, one middle, and one high note.
Once the center is clear, practice connecting note to note: first by seconds, then larger intervals like fifths or octaves.
As you speed up, the search for the center must already be automatic. That’s why the slow work is essential.
Notice how going up means switching to faster air instantly, while going down demands more control to slow the air smoothly.
Don’t just think of faster/slower air—also explore wider or thinner air, depending on the character of the phrase.
Fingers
For fingers to move together:
Movements should be small, rounded, efficient but and relaxed.
Give your brain time to follow. If needed, say the finger numbers (0–7) while playing slowly. Which ones are moving?
Imagine your fingers like children skipping rope: who is jumping, who is landing?
Feel gravity. Supposedly, lifting a finger takes more work than dropping it, so use this to your advantage: your fingers will be faster.
If one finger is always late, exaggerate: move it too early, then gradually adjust until it’s on time.
If you skip a note, lengthen it more than the others until it stabilizes. Divide long, fast groups mentally into subgroups.
Use rhythmic patterns to tackle difficult passages: dotted rhythms, long–short–short, 1+3, 1+4, and so on.
Articulation
The tongue needs a steady river of air to float on. Without it, it gets heavy, like a boat stuck in shallow water. Breath support must stay active—even in staccato.
A good check: slur a melody first, then add articulation. If the slurred version is stable, the tongued one will flow more easily.
A classic tool is Kees Boeke’s The Complete Articulator. I suggest starting with Part II. Once memorized, it’s an excellent daily warm-up.
Remember: D interrupts the air without cutting it; T closes the gate completely. Practising TDDD slowly helps you feel how the tongue prepares the next stroke.
If coordination fails, simplify: practice the articulation pattern on a single note before adding finger changes.
Combining Elements
Air + Fingers
First, focus only on how the air changes from note to note. Then check that air and fingers change together, especially across wide intervals. Always keep maximum relaxation—what the body remembers is what becomes habit.
Air + Articulation
Since air is the foundation, articulation practice always includes it. The question is:
How does air help in soft articulations, in high notes, or across leaps?
How do we keep staccato controlled without losing resonance?
Remember: the strong beat isn’t always marked with a T. Sometimes it’s the subtle energy of the air that shows where the phrase leans.
Articulation + Fingers
Work slowly so the brain has time to connect movements.
Let the tongue follow the fingers (this takes the “weight” off the tongue - try doing it the other way around to see how heavy the tongue becomes).
Support strong and steady with the air, but keep tongue and fingers light.
Stay relaxed: shoulders down, posture easy.
Use rhythmic variations.
If using double tonguing (dege), reverse it (gede) and check it still matches the fingers.
In a Musical Piece
Finally, the real test: air, fingers, and articulation together in context.
Identify where things flow and where they don’t. Focus directly on the weak spots.
Isolate the tricky passage: work each element separately, then recombine.
Use rhythmic patterns to improve coordination. Divide the groups into subgroups if necessary until you have it automated. Think of "blowing through the notes" in quick groups, towards the final note of each group or subgroup.
Practise mindfully: listen, feel, and stop often to notice how it works in your body. This sharpens awareness and reduces effort.
With patience, these steps become a kind of musical mindfulness—precise, calm, and deeply satisfying.
