Learning the recorder

I decided on a whim to learn music. Having zero knowledge and having forgotten everything from school, I had to start from scratch. I wanted an instrument that seemed easy, inexpensive, and small. If I gave up after two days, it would not matter. I set my eyes on the recorder.

Some resources to start with:

  • this video gives a good overview of the recorder
  • FAQ from the American Recorder Society

Getting an instrument

The first step in learning the recorder is getting one. So I began reading quite a bit online and watching some YouTube videos:

The first choice is whether to play the Alto or Soprano. Many people recommend starting with the Alto, which has a lower pitch and a “better” sound. However, I had memories from middle school where “recorder” meant Soprano, so I chose that.

The second choice was the model. I hesitated between:

  • Aulos 503B
  • Aulos 703B (Haka)
  • Yamaha YRS-302BIII (or variants)

In the end, I went for the Yamaha YRS-302BIII and a bit later got an Aulos 703B (Haka), which I actually prefer.

Really starting

Not knowing how to read music, I started with the excellent tutorial videos from Team Recorder. This YouTube channel was my main resource when getting started. The videos felt too fast at first and were hard to follow, so I watched them at 0.75x speed. Once I was more comfortable, I switched back to normal speed – following fingerings and learning how to move along with a song.

Here are the first videos I watched:

After a few days, I could (badly) play a few simple songs. At that point, I wondered whether to continue or stop, and decided to go on – it was actually quite fun.

Learning to read music

It was now time to properly learn how to read music. I used the following resources:

I also used this fingering chart for Soprano, which helped me a lot in matching notes to fingerings, especially with the alternative ones.

At first, I decided to skip the more complex markings (trills, dynamics, etc.) and just focus on note length and hitting the right notes.
Now that I can read more fluently, like playing a new piece while reading the score for the first time. I am starting to add more personal expression to the music.

I also had a lot of trouble hitting high notes. I did not realize that the air stream needed to change depending on the pitch. How to hit the high notes explains it much better than I can.

Using other resources

An app

After a few days of watching and practicing with videos, I felt like I needed something else to help guide my self-learning. I downloaded Tonestro to try it out.
They use a subscription model, with a 7-day free tier. I practiced a lot during those 7 days. While not perfect, I found it helpful as a complement to the videos and decided to subscribe.

However, it might not suit everyone:

  • recording and playback can be buggy at times
  • I expected a deeper “learning” component, but it is fairly shallow for the recorder
  • it only supports Soprano (or I could not find Alto support)
  • the song library is smaller than I expected; if you practice daily, you can go through most of it in one or two months (not 100%, but close)

Book and paper

I also bought a book: J’apprends la flûte à bec, but I did not use it much.
What helped me more was looking for sheet music I liked online, specifically for the Soprano recorder – and downloading it to practice.

Since I enjoy classical music, I also frequently use IMSLP: International Music Score Library Project to find and download music scores.

Breathing

  • when I first started playing, I tried doing articulation (tonguing), but realized I was not using a steady air stream
  • starting slowly and using the tongue helps ensure notes are not “cut” from each other
  • synchronizing finger movement and tonguing is essential so that both actions happen in sync

I spent a few days really focusing on breathing, tonguing, and finger synchronization. I did get a bit better, though it is still far from perfect. I eventually decided to focus more on rhythm, as a friend told me that speed and synchronization would improve naturally over time with practice.

I have not succeeded in doing circular breathing yet – not that it matters much at a beginner level.

Using a metronome

One of my biggest ongoing struggles is rhythm. A friend recommended downloading a Metronome App and trying to play along with the beats.
I found it really difficult to play music while listening to the metronome – it feels like trying to focus on two different things at once using different senses. It is easy to get lost between following the rhythm and reading the music.

What worked better for me was to first learn the piece and play it at my own pace without worrying too much about rhythm. The goal was to minimize mistakes, since I am not yet skilled enough to read new music and stay perfectly in rhythm at the same time.

I am getting a bit better, but I am still struggling with it.

Scales

Practicing scales turned out to be very important (mandatory video). In this area, the Tonestro app helped a lot, as it includes dedicated exercises at different difficulty levels.

Many pieces of music are built around scales, so developing finger reflexes without having to think about them is extremely helpful. It also really aids in synchronizing the tongue and fingers, especially for beginners.
Practice with the C-Scale.

Other considerations

Taking it slowly

When I began to be a bit more fluent when playing music, I wanted to be as fast as possible, as if I did not care about the rhythm. However, for difficult parts of a piece, playing too fast is actually counterproductive: I always made many mistakes when going too fast, and I would often start the whole song again.

Instead, for those challenging sections, it is more effective to break down the difficult notes, fingering, and breathing, and play them very slowly a few times. Once it becomes more automatic and free of errors, the speed can gradually be increased.

Another issue I faced was always trying to play a piece of music “flawlessly” in one go. That meant restarting from the beginning every time I made a small mistake. As a result, I did not really focus on the difficult parts of the music, but instead kept playing the entire piece, which was not very helpful. I now try to concentrate more on the parts I find difficult.

Taking breaks

It is perfectly fine to fail and not play everything without mistakes. I preferred focusing on a few different songs that I enjoyed, rather than trying to play a single one flawlessly and practicing the same piece for several days (although I did that at the beginning).

Coming back to a difficult section after a few hours or days often made a big difference. I would have internalized where I had previously struggled, and it felt much smoother afterwards.

However, I still try to practice a little every day, and I have not had any long breaks without playing.

Recording myself

At one point, I started to record myself on the songs I was working on. The sensation when playing and when listening to one’s own music is very different. At first, I thought it was “acceptable” for my level, but then I shared the recordings with some friends for feedback, which helped a lot in identifying problems and areas for improvement.

After a few weeks and several recordings, I could clearly see the evolution in style, speed, and fluidity in my playing. It gave me a sense of achievement and confirmed that practice truly makes a difference.

Moving to the Alto

After about two months of playing the Soprano, I decided to try the Alto to explore different sounds. I bought an Aulos 709B Haka.

The Alto is noticeably heavier and longer than the Soprano, and I initially had trouble holding it and reaching all the holes with my fingers. It even caused a bit of discomfort at first. I took it slowly each day, and it gradually improved. I did not force myself to hold it for long sessions.

Learning the Alto required relearning the fingerings, since it is tuned in F and the notes differ from the Soprano. I first tried transposing, but I was not very successful. So I decided to relearn the notes and fingerings from scratch, which turned out to be much easier than I expected. I used fingering charts for Alto.
Practice with D-Scale.

I try to play both recorders every day, but for now, I still slightly prefer the Soprano.

Conclusion

I started learning the recorder about two and a half months ago. I really did not know whether I would quit after a few days, either from boredom or difficulty. Surprisingly, I have continued and am enjoying it quite a lot. As a result, I now spend less time playing video games.

What helped me the most at some point was recording myself and listening to what I played. It allowed me to understand the problems, the rhythm, and most importantly, to see progress from one week to the next.

I believe the recorder is a fine instrument and very accessible for self-learners, especially with the amount of content now available online.
I try to practice for about 30 minutes a day, and sometimes a bit more during the weekends. The Tonestro app I mentioned earlier helps introduce new music and improve music reading, while individual music scores I find help me practice technique on songs I enjoy.

I have even played a few duets with a friend.

Resources

I am listing the links again below for easier access: