“Now what?” Life After the First Recorder Lesson

Adapted from my article in American Recorder, Vol. LXIV, No. 3 (Autumn 2023)

You’ve taken the online beginner class or attended your first workshop—now what? Maybe you’ve had a first look at air and articulation, but you’re not sure how to keep progressing. Want to join an ensemble, or simply build solid personal technique? Here are your next steps.

Choosing your first instrument

As a beginner, stick to one size at first: soprano, alto, or tenor. Which one you choose depends on prior experience, hand span, and sound preference.

The soprano and tenor recorder are C instruments, while the alto recorder is an F instrument. This means that reading will be the same on the soprano and tenor recorder, but a fourth higher on the alto recorder. Unlike transposing instruments such as the B flat clarinet, which read the adapted score in C but sound in another tone, we ourselves have to transpose the music while reading, according to the key in which our instrument is.

• C instruments: soprano & tenor

• F instruments: alto (also bass, later on)

Reading is the same between soprano and tenor; the alto reads a fourth higher or a fifth lower for the same fingerings. Unlike clarinet or trumpet, there’s no transposed part — you have to adjust and transpose the music yourself when moving between recorder sizes.

Why start on alto (my recommendation)

The alto was the Baroque “main size,” is comfortable for most hands, and its air use encourages a stable, gentle airstream. Even if the reading shift feels odd at first, you’ll adapt quickly—and playing in different clefs/sizes is great brain training. (Professionals also use instruments in G and D, among others.)

If you love the tenor sound

The tenor offers a mellow, low color. Check that your hands reach the holes without strain (modern models often add keys). As this is a C instrument, fingerings read like soprano.

What about soprano?

Soprano is common for children (small hands), but the higher pitch requires finer air control. For most adults, alto first is usually more rewarding; add soprano or tenor later.

When to add a second size

Typically after ~1 year, depending on your sight-reading ease and prior musical background. The main challenge is that the same fingerings give different notes on C and F instruments, so the key is not to confuse them.

• Keep both sizes in rotation each week.

• If you start mixing them up and progress stalls, step back: consolidate your first instrument, then reintroduce the second in smaller doses.

Plastic or wood?

Plastic is perfectly fine to start—e.g., Yamaha Baroque models offer great value. Over time, you’ll likely move on to wood for richer color and response. However, plastic recorders remain really useful for warmups or as a lightweight travel instrument.

How to keep progressing

We’re lucky: even if you live far from other players, you can study online, learn from pros, and connect with recorder communities. Method books with audio, workshops, chapter play-ins, and guided programs all help.

A gentle warning about random tutorials

You’ll find many “play-along” videos made by self-taught beginners (often using German fingerings and shaky technique). They can build bad habits. Rather search for resources by professional recorder players and reputable organizations.

Why a teacher helps (a lot)

A good teacher gives you consistency and expert feedback—the fastest way to improve and avoid tension or technique traps. If lessons aren’t possible, you still need regular practice and feedback (record yourself; listen critically).

Muscle memory tip: The first 3 correct repetitions of a new passage are golden; your brain forges those pathways. Three wrong reps can “stick,” especially under nerves. Go slow enough to be right.

What “practicing” really is

Practice is learning to teach yourself—listening with ears and body.

• Technical focus areas: posture; sound production (breath support, center of each pitch, tuning); articulation; coordination; rhythm; ensemble listening.

• Musical focus areas: historical articulation (e.g., inégalité), ornamentation & improvisation, clef literacy, tempo choices, style.

Planning your week

Follow a method and set realistic weekly goals. If you can’t hit everything daily, try the overlap method:

• Day 1: start with a few items.

• Day 2: repeat part of Day 1, then add one or two new items.

• Day 3: carry some over, add new ones.

By the end of the week, you’ll have cycled through everything without overload.

Keep asking: What do I already know in this piece? What don’t I know yet—and where can I find it?

Practice habits that scale

Warm up (body → instrument)

Start with your body, then move to the recorder. Look for ease above all: the best players handle the hardest passages with the least effort. That efficiency is your compass. Even a few shoulder rolls or gentle stretches before you play can make a difference.

Breathing

Begin with breathing drills off-instrument. Place one hand on your abdomen and feel the muscles that move the diaphragm. A mirror helps you see what you feel. Do this consistently for a couple of months—even outside practice time.

When you can breathe on the recorder without chest or shoulder lifting, start long tones on easy notes. Focus on posture and find the center of each pitch, where it resonates freely.

Articulation

First refine T (and D depending on language). On a single note: TTTT then TDDD. Keep the tongue light, the air continuous. This builds clarity without heaviness.

Fingers: combinations, scales

Start by linking simple note patterns with T/D—like three-note steps (C–D–E, D–E–F) or short five-note scales. Move slowly enough to stay relaxed in every position and transition. Add notes to your scales as you learn them. Later bring in arpeggios, larger intervals, and articulation patterns. Études become powerful once the basics are in place—they isolate specific challenges and turn them into skills.

Methods & repertoire roadmap

• Years 1–2: work primarily with method books (many include audio). They give you sequenced repertoire and target specific steps.

• Years 3–4: start with sonatas—English Baroque is a great entry point.

• French Baroque: deceptively “easy” notes, but style demands inégalité (e.g., ti ti–Di ti–Di ti–Di, with Di on the downbeat). Tackle once you’ve got the articulation language.

• After 1–2 years: add a second size.

• After 3–4 years: explore the bass recorder (F instrument, bass clef).

• Year 5+: most repertoire opens up. Start reading from facsimiles (IMSLP): beams, barlines (or their absence), and engraving details reveal historical context often lost in modern editions.

Method suggestions: choose books by professional recorder players. The ARS Personal Study Program (Level I list) is a great curation; Sarah Jeffery’s video guides for adult beginners are also helpful. Classics include Brian Bonsor’s Enjoy the Recorder and Walter van Hauwe’s The Modern Recorder Player, Vol. 1.

Grow your musical understanding

Alongside playing, build core theory: clefs, accidentals, note values, key/time signatures. Later add harmony, modes, genres, and historical style. Ask yourself: What’s the story of this piece? From which time and place does it come? Which instruments? Let style guide your decisions.

Listen, interact, play with others

Nourish your ear: listen to professional recordings and watch performances. On social media, if you use them, analyze players’ strengths—and prioritize those with formal training (self-taught videos often encode tension and bad habits). The ARS site also hosts excellent technique videos by professionals.

Play-along libraries are a bridge: first listen to all the parts, then practice with a “minus one” track. But nothing replaces live partners—real musicians breathe, shape, and flex in ways recordings can’t. Adapting to that is the essence of ensemble playing.

Join a chapter or ensemble

Wherever you are, look for ways to connect. In the U.S., ARS chapters meet regularly—some sight-read, others send music in advance. Elsewhere, you might find recorder societies, community ensembles, or informal meetups. Look for local music institutions too: preparatory conservatories, music schools, or community academies often have students or ex-students eager to play together, and teachers can usually point you toward opportunities.

And if no formal group exists nearby, start small: a neighbor who plays piano, another wind player, or even a friend who likes to sing. Online communities (including Facebook groups) also make it easier to find partners, ask questions, and share progress.

Even if you don’t feel “ensemble-ready” yet, reaching out will give you duet partners, mentors, and the motivation that only comes from making music with others. Look for local music institutions: there may be students or ex-students who would be interested in forming an ensemble, or the teachers can help you with information as well.

Links of interest

• Technique series (extras): americanrecorder.org/extra

• Series videos: youtube.com/americanrecordermag

• ARS Learning Resources: americanrecorder.org/resources

• Method reviews: americanrecorder.org/methodreviews

• ARS Personal Study Program: americanrecorder.org/psp

• ARS chapters: americanrecorder.org/chapters.php

• Play-along Library: americanrecorder.org/playalong

• ARS Facebook group: facebook.com/americanrecordersociety

• Team Recorder (Sarah Jeffery): youtube.com/@Team_Recorder

• Music Theory roundup: wikihow.com/Learn-Music-Theory-Online