Which recorder to buy?

[diavlo]

My 7ry old dd will be starting recorder lessons shortly and i'm not sure which one to buy her. There are lots of funky/colourful ones on amazon, but would she be better with something a bit more 'substantial'?

Any recommendations would be great.

Thanks

Get an aulos or a Yamaha.

Aulos 205 (yellow case) Don't get the colourful ones- they always sound dreadful.

Do shop around they can be wildly different in price- I have seen then from as little as £12 all the way up to £20.

Thanks for those recommendations, I'll have a look online.

Mollenhauer Swing has a lovely mellow sound & is very easy to play right up to D above the stave. DD is about to take Grade 3 on hers!

Can I hijack and ask what is a good age to start recorder? DD is quite interested and seems to have a good ear, she is very nearly 5. I'm not talking about lessons (I assume they'll have that available at school when she's a bit older anyway?), just me showing her the notes really, but I don't want to try too early and put her off! Would it be insane to give it a go?

My DCs school recommends the Aulos 205. The kids have compulsory lessons in Y3/Y4 and can continue up to Y6 at a lunchtime club.

Don't think you'd be crazy fuzzpig if your DD is keen. My DD loves it and has just moved up to playing DH's fancy wooden recorder.

It depends how big she is. If she's keen, give it a go - but in 6-12 months she will probably progress faster and cover the holes more easily.

My DD started at 3.7 and learned to read and play B, A and G. She couldn't cover the right hand holes properly, so lost interest after a while, but I have a couple of VERY cute pictures of her playing in concerts aged 3 and 4. She begged to take it up properly at 5.5, and a year later at 6.5 she is doing Grade 2 next week. She is a big girl though, tall and skinny - 4'1" already.

At the private school I work at, we start them during the last term of Year 1, and about half of them can cover the holes and read the notes. At the state primary I'm about to start work in (DD's school) we are offering it to Year 2 and 3, and older kids will be able to fill any spaces. I'm not averse to teaching Year 1s, but the majority will struggle at the start of Year 1 so we are not opening it to everyone.

I've successfully taught two other Reception girls before. Hope some of this helps.

Thanks waffle, she is 5 in 2 weeks (where'd the time go?) but very tall. I may give it a go in the summer holidays.

She does really like music and I've resisted temptation to sit her down to teach her piano - I used to teach it and we got mine moved up about a year ago. She has picked out a few tunes though - nothing child prodigyish but enough for her to answer my offer to teach her with a withering look and "but mummy I already know how to play the piano"

Little madam :o

Just had a look and aulos 205 is what I had as a child.

Any book ideas? Absolute beginner obviously.

Red Hot Recorder is a good tutor book.

Recorder from the beginning (I use it a lot with this age group) or Recorder Magic.