To have thrown my daughter's recorder out of the bathroom window?

[freddiefrog]

It was that, or it got shoved where the sun don't shine.

No one needs to tunelessly blow a recorder while they're in the bath do they? Especially as they've been blowing the bloody thing all day, every day since bloody Christmas.

I may shove the thing up the arse of the comedian who bought it for her

The space hopper is next on my hit list!

[ARightOldPickle]

YANBU - having gone through this 3 times I know the pain! Payback really because I can remember doing the same to my parents
Then mine moved on to other things - violins, cornet(!) and flutes. While they eventually became quite proficient the early stages were bit painful on the ears (understatement of the year!)

[TantrumsAndBalloons]

I don't think they should be allowed to bring home musical instruments until they can actually play something that slightly resembles a tune.
My dog hides under the table when ds2 gets the violin out.

[VinegarDrinker]

They learn to play tunefully a lot quicker if they practice at home though.... Despite the temporary pain it is worth it!

OP, twinkle twinkle is hard for a new recorder player. How about something only using left hand eg merrily we roll along?

[Twattybollocks]

Yanbu, tuneless loud recorder blowing is painful on the ears. I did take a slightly gentler approach of waitin until dd was asleep and hiding it, then Lying through my teeth the following day when she was looking for it.

[GwendolineMaryLacey]

I'm :o at such a stiff-arsed response from someone called comedycentral :o

[BettySuarez]

Actually, having reread the thread again it seems that you did chuck it out the window.

Did your daughter see you do that? Was she upset?

[iwantanafternoonnap]

I bought my DS a recorder for christmas however, I was working 12.5 hours on Christmas Day so my DS was with my mum and sister and co. I told DS that Auntie would really love it if he plated his recorder for her as much as possible. I still find it funny now

[iwantanafternoonnap]

played even

[NippyDrips]

Yabu if you actually did throw it out of the window? But assuming this is light hearted, no Yanbu, the recorder is horrific!
Dd got one recently, we all had a tunless blow and a giggle. Dp picks it up and out comes 3 blind mice. He is a SECRET RECORDER PLAYER!

[Proudnscary]

Yanbu

My dc would piss themselves laughing if I did this!

[2rebecca]

My kids weren't allowed to randomly blow loudly on recorders, any more than they can blow whistles in the house or bang tunelessly on the piano. If they want to play an instrument then they play it supervised by an adult. When they have finished the instrument gets put away (where they can't reach it when young, obviously couldn't put away the piano but they soon learnt random piano bashing isn't worth the grief they get.)
They both play instruments but we still have our eardrums and get on with our neighbours.
It's not the recorder that's the problem, it's her parents letting her blow it unsupervised.

[freddiefrog]

No, she wasn't upset in the slightest. She thought it was funny, she wasn't traumatised by it.

I did chuck it out of the window but I wasn't aggressive. I had had enough of it by then, but we were joking around. It's now hidden in my sock drawer

[3birthdaybunnies]

Ah you need a clavinova, dd1 started lessons in Sept and already plays nice tunes, dd1 and ds 'have a bash' but unless on full volume (usu ds) it is at least in tune if a little 'free jazz' style. Had thought about teaching them recorder so they can play in orchestra, but maybe not!

[freddiefrog]

She's learning the piano and has been having lessons for the last couple of years. She has dyspraxia so while she has fun and enjoys it, her co-ordination makes it difficult for her

The recorder is a cheapy plastic £shop one, even played properly you don't get a proper tune out of it

[quoteunquote]

OP show her this, and she might get really good

[3birthdaybunnies]

If it is a plasticy pound shop one then you were definitely NBU. A bad instrument can put them off. Dh has banned cheap toy instruments, which on the one hand is a bit precious, but he reckons that so many kids are put off e.g. Playing guitar because the can't get a good sound, but when it goes out of tune as soon as you look at it, no one can make it sound good. Easy though for him to say as it is his mission to fill our tiny house with musical instruments (1 full sized keyboard, 1 clavinova, 2 bass guitars, 1 guitar, 1 saxophone, 1 recorder as far as I know); he reckons ds will make a great drummer, we're not even going there yet!

[VinegarDrinker]

I think you are married to my DH 3birthdaybunnies! We have a piano, a clavinova, guitar, several ukuleles, an alto sax, clarinet, flute, trumpet, hundreds of recorders, oodles of percussion, a didgeridoo, various djembes, a harmonium, a violin and a harp (tbf the last 2 are mine).

I agree re pound shop recorders btw. Nasty things.

[earlymuso]

I?ve not posted on here before, but as a professional recorder player (no, your eyes are not deceiving you!) I felt I had to chip in. Before I say anymore please, please, please have a listen to this.......

Surprised?

Like most kids I started to play the recorder at the age of seven, but I just never stopped and ended up studying it at The Royal College of Music for four years. I teach so many kids the recorder who, generally through lack of patience from Mum and Dad, are not allowed to practice at home or even take their recorder home. How on earth can you expect children to progress and learn to play an instrument if they are not allowed to actually play it? Every instrument has to go through a painful stage so here are a couple of top tips to help set them on the right path.
1 First, scrap the horrific yellow sparkly toy ?recorder? from the pound shop. It doesn?t do anyone any favours. It will probably be a quarter tone flat and sound dreadful when played with other recorders. Go and buy a recorder by Aulos, Dolmetsch, Yamaha etc for not much more money, and giving a much more satisfying result.
2 Sat to them ?anyone can make a horrible noise like that ? blowing like that isn?t special or clever. But blowing gently like this make a beautiful sound that is a very clever thing to do? etc.
3 Try taping over the thumb hole and top hole at the front (making sure they still put their fingers over the tape). This will mean they can play a nice clean B with no squeaks. Producing a good note will encourage them to make more good notes and will also help them cover the next couple of holes. The hardest thing for children with small hands is covering the holes accurately. Taping holes means they don?t have to squeeze so hard and get into nasty habits, and gives them a sense of progress. They don?t stay on forever!
4 Always encourage them to start the note with the tip of the tongue saying ?too? or ?doo? rather than just blowing a hurricane.
Put these things into practice, and you may end up with some tolerably pleasant sounding notes. If you want your children to play as beautifully as The Royal Wind Music (see link) then you?ve got to let them start somewhere! Enjoy!

[OldBeanbagz]

Try listening to 2 DCs and a DH all playing recorder at the same time. That's what i have to put up with!

[3birthdaybunnies]

[freddiefrog]

She's just driving me nuts with it

She's obsessed with it, bounces everywhere, leaving it abandoned all over the house so I'm constantly falling over it. The dog has taken a bit of a shine to it and is regularly found attempting to hump it and she's discovered that its an amazing weapon for hitting your sister with.

It's been stashed in the garage now

[Chopstheduck]

that link is beautiful. Recorders get such a bashing. I've never let my squawk on them, and it's a lot more bearable than ds1's horrid violin, though a year in it is getting better.

I used to have a whole collection, 4 different recorders and play them properly, so I hate seeing them badly taught. Only have two now, tenor and soprano, and I teach the kids the soprano when they can be bothered to try to learn it properly.

Ditch the shitty thing and get her a proper one and teach her to have a little respect for it, rather than chucking it out of the window.

[TameGaloot]

I don't mind mine playing theirs. You have to start somewhere and it is a beautiful instrument. I can help mine learn though. A while back I did try to find a teacher for me but couldn't find anyone who is better than me. I'm not that great but i am way above primary school level which is what all the teachers were and its not awful sounding when I play

[TameGaloot]

I'm another instrument collector
Numerous recorders over 4 keys
Fifes, Ocarinas, Whistles, Clarinet, Ukelele' Guitar, Jews harp, Zither, types of drums (bodhran etc)...

We have an electric drum kit too