Recorder Info

Surviving a new recorder player in the house!

Helpful tips for home practice...for players and parents!

Parents, please be patient!  Practice makes progress.  Home practice is the means by which players develop muscle memory for fingering different pitches and moving between those pitches to play a melody.

• • Students are expected to practice a minimum of five minutes each night for five nights each week. 

  • More success will be realized if the practice occurs more often for shorter periods of time than for a longer stretch only once or twice a week.

How can you help your recorder player?

Often, the biggest challenge for new players is overblowing - using too much air to make sound.  

• • • • If the recorder is making a loud screeching sound, remind the player to try the "steamy window" technique. 

      • Leaks cause squeaks. Remind the player to be sure the sound holes are completely covered.  After playing for a few minutes, there should be a round "donut hole" on the pad of each finger. 

Thank you for supporting the recorder player in your house and and encouraging him or her to practice each day!