FAQ- Recorder

What age can my child or I start learning recorder?

I am happy to start teaching music to children as young as five. With younger students I like to use the Kodaly method to teach the basics of rhythm and pitch.

Other than that, anyone can start learning music at any age. Music is hugely beneficial for one’s health and its great fun! 

 

What do I need to bring to my first lesson?

I am happy to provide you the recorders you will need for the first lesson. Like the violin there are many sizes of recorders and we can test which one will suit your hand span to start with and see and design what musical repertoire you would like to learn.

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If you’ve already got a recorder bring it along, however most cheap recorders are just a pipe with holes drilled into them! During the first lesson we look at good and cost effective recorders that were designed properly and have correct tuning, so that the sound you produce will sound more like music and less like noise!

 

How many recorders are there and which one should I start with?

There are 10 recorder sizes, spanning from only 10 centimetres to 3 metres tall. However, most recorder players learn 2-3 recorders, depending on the size of their hand and ease of transportation. If you are under the age of 11, I recommend the descant recorder as it is the one used most at school and it is perfect for the small size of a child’s hand. After the age of 12, I recommend the treble* recorder as it has a lower sound, more repertoire is written for it and it is better for an adult sized hand.

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*Note: The descant recorder and soprano are the same instrument. This is the same case with treble/alto.