The recorder - woodwind instrument

[bass_dinger]

2 hours ago, Rosie C said:

Much of the tone is from the instrument

Oooh, just like the electric bass guitar,  then!? 

 

I feel another Tier 2 fail coming on... But first, let me exhaust the possibilities of my current instrument. 

 

My daughter's orchestral violin teacher used to joke, seriously, with people, when they said his fiddle had great tone. He would hold it up, and put it to his ear, unplayed, and shake it. "I can't hear the violin's tone...".  His point was, the tone was only released by the player. 

[bass_dinger]

15 minutes ago, Richard R said:

 

Let's get the inevitable of the way and never revisit it again:

Jaco would have only needed four holes.

 

...indeed.   However ...

 

On 06/02/2025 at 09:15, Rosie C said:

Let's go back into the midsts of time to Pythagoras... he made an instrument with one single long string on it - much like a bass guitar

 

.... Pythagoras only needed one string...

Edited February 7 by bass_dinger

[tauzero]

On 06/02/2025 at 09:15, Rosie C said:

If this is interesting I can recommend "How Equal Temperament Ruined Harmony" by Ross Duffin: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/0393334201/ 

 

 

"Temperament" by Stuart Isacoff explains the history.

 

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Temperament-Stuart-Isacoff/dp/0571234461

[zbd1960]

8 hours ago, bass_dinger said:

Yamaha have a good resource  - a Web page that allows one to select a note on a stave, which produces a diagram of the relevant fingering

https://www.yamaha.com/en/musical_instrument_guide/recorder/play/play002.html

 

As for this video, 

...that pure tone is what attracted me to the instrument - sweet, woody, dry (very few overtones and no vibrato). 

 

However, I am struggling to get that sound.  My fingers don't cover the holes consistently, my breath control gives  wavering notes, and my playing doesn't feel as in-control as yours.

 

I have a friend who teaches recorder, so, I will approach her for a couple of technical lessons.  But first I must learn (memorise) the fingerings, so that I better understand what my difficulties are. 

 

I am encouraged to play more.

 

PS where can I find the sheet music for that Tielman piece of music?

The Early Music Shop stocks a lot of early music for all sorts of instruments. 

 

https://earlymusicshop.com

 

[NickA]

How did I miss this thread!  Yes I have an alto recorder ... Got keen enough to spend £500 on a lovely passander one by Feyr.... But it was always flat unless blown hard, yet I could only get the bottom f and g by blowing gently ... Sold on, with the intention of getting a moek rottenburg; but never did.  Back to the placky Yamaha ( excellent but clogs with spit).

 

Meanwhile diverted into bass viol playing.  Do we have a bas de viol thread?

[NickA]

On 07/02/2025 at 11:14, bass_dinger said:

He would hold it up, and put it to his ear, unplayed

Think David Oistrakh came up with that.  I use it whenever anyone tells me how great my fretless Wal sounds 🙂 

 

( Truth = it really is the wal not me)

[Rosie C]

49 minutes ago, NickA said:

Got keen enough to spend £500 on a lovely passander one by Feyr.... But it was always flat unless blown hard, yet I could only get the bottom f and g by blowing gently ... Sold on, with the intention of getting a moek rottenburg; but never did. 

 

Sadly I have allergies to most of the exotic woods, but I have a pearwood rottenburg treble. It doesn't get played so much though since I bought a descant/treble pair of Adri's Dream recorders in pearwood/boxwood. Lovely recorders with renaissance style wide bore. Perhaps not so good for ensemble playing, but great for solo or leading a band  

 

[NickA]

My big brother did recorder as his main instrument at music college...

 swears by boxwood.  Prices have shot up though... von heune boxwood alto now £2500; a mere £1300 last time I looked.

 

.... and all the fancy extended range altos and tenors with clarinet style keys all over them!!! Times change.

[bass_dinger]

22 hours ago, NickA said:

Do we have a bas de viol thread?

 

I did a quick search but didn't spot a bas de viol thread.  Would you like to start one? I am interested to learn more about the instrument. 

[Rosie C]

6 minutes ago, bass_dinger said:

 

I did a quick search but didn't spot a bas de viol thread.  Would you like to start one? I am interested to learn more about the instrument. 

 

Likewise, I'm tempted by a rebec or viol...

[bass_dinger]

Just now, Rosie C said:

 

Likewise, I'm tempted by a rebec or viol...

23 hours ago, NickA said:

Do we have a bas de viol thread?

 

Two votes, @NickA - in the world of Early Music, that's practically enough interest to commission a book on the subject!

 

I look forward to seeing your thread. 

[Beedster]

This is a bass forum 

 

[NickA]

Sub contra bass recorder! Sadly my house is too small, tho I guess I could play it at an angle, like an alpenhorn.  Or buy the £8000 paetzold rectangular section jobby which is a bit shorter at a mere 2.5m or so.

 

https://earlymusicshop.com/products/paetzold-solo-sub-contra-bass-recorder-in-f

 

Does sound like a plumbing problem rather than music tho.

 

 

Once school found I could read bass clef I was handed a bass recorder and never got to play a tune again ... so not sure I could face it anyway.  Recorders have been my occasional respite from playing bass lines.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[zbd1960]

On 15/03/2025 at 21:01, NickA said:

How did I miss this thread!  Yes I have an alto recorder ... Got keen enough to spend £500 on a lovely passander one by Feyr.... But it was always flat unless blown hard, yet I could only get the bottom f and g by blowing gently ... Sold on, with the intention of getting a moek rottenburg; but never did.  Back to the placky Yamaha ( excellent but clogs with spit).

 

Meanwhile diverted into bass viol playing.  Do we have a bas de viol thread?

I play viol. I started in bass but play mostly tenor