Slightly dim recorder question, if I may?

[OverAndAbove]

Is a soprano recorder the same as a descant recorder? And is this a "basic" recorder ie if a child is told he needs a recorder, is a descant recorder the one to buy?

I know this should be google-able, and I honestly have tried, but for some reason I can't work it out... Except that many shops sell descant recorders so I assume this is a "normal" recorder?

Yes, descant is the standard one for school.
Treble can be tricky for small fingers to cover the holes properly.

Yes, I think soprano recorder is what Americans call the descant (not to be confused with sopranino which is a smaller sized recorder that plays higher)

Treble recorder is larger & often used in early music or by soloists.

Thank you both! Great to have this answered definitively.

I think I'd always assumed that treble was a standard one so was confused about soprano etc. I know what to order now, so much obliged, as always.

Asked OH, apparently soprano and alto are the American/international terms.
He plays both.

Yep, I see, thanks; it's a learning curve for me, to be sure!

A learning curve?
Earplugs and a ban on playing outside of set hours will save your sanity in the first year or so. Be prepared to be serenaded whilst on the loo or in the bath where he has you trapped.

Oh god. And to think that I planned it really carefully, thinking that promoting learning the piano (with practice pedal wedged down, in the most sound-proofed room in the house) was a smart move. I'm not sure how we got to this. I'm seeking out my ear-defenders right now...

I need to clarify that it was my DD who followed me mercilessly whilst insisting I appreciate her woodwind skills. It is lovely having a house full of musicians, but the beginning stages are always rough.
Earplugs with a vodka nightcap works even better.

I thought beginner recorder was surprisingly easy on the ears. At least it's not loud.

Paying a bit more for a decent one seems to help - my daughter on one of the less expensive wooden ones.

Better off getting a good quality plastic than a cheap wooden.

And beginners recorder much easier on the ears than beginner strings

Yes, we survived the VileDin twice.

Call me Mean Mummy but I have nudged away from strings wherever I can. I've heard my friend's DD scratching at her violin and I was torn between hysterical laughter and an urge to poke a stick into both ears. I suspect this is how it's going to be with the recorder, descant or otherwise. Advice about the vodka nightcap is noted and appreciated!

You can actually lower the volume on a recorder by doing this:

www.saundersrecorders.com/mute.htm

I do it - not because I make an awful noise (I like to think), but because I often practice before anyone else is up! It does work and if you cut it so that there is a gap at each side it reduces the volume rather than muting it completely.

Probably best used once after the painful stage though as otherwise you wouldn't know how consistent your sound is.

Get a yamaha. The tone is much nicer than the cheapest plastic ones. I agree with other posters that beginner recorder players are not necessarily bad to listen too. Mostly it depends on the child.

Between my 3 kids we have 5 instruments. Dc1 on recorder has always been nicest to listen to. It's a beautiful instrument with a fantastic repertoire so good luck to your dc.

I still play plastic yamaha recorders... Surely
Season one is how not to make it squeal?

Lesson. Auto correct...

Yep, I teach 107 children, and teach them in Lesson 1 how to make the correct sound. They don't squeal again!

OP, for the future, Treble is also beautiful. It's hard to make it sound unpleasant.

My 6yr old plays the usual yellow bag Aulos descant, and a cheap Yamaha treble. My 8 yr old has the 30 quid Yamaha descant and treble, which we bought her after Grade 5. They sound lovely!

Wafflenose - those are the ones I play. I don't trust myself to look after wooden ones, and you have to pay a fortune to get anything noticeably nicer in sound (as you know!).

Yep, I have a £100 descant which is quite nice, and a £110 treble, which is really disappointing. I ended up doing Grade 8 on the plastic Aulos instead! In fact, I'm still on ordinary plastic Aulos for sopranino, descant, treble and tenor, so they aren't as nice as DD1's, but they suit me just fine. DD1 is delighted with her new ones, and they should last her for ever now, unless she decides to go to music college. Which I don't think she will!

Interesting!

My recorders are plastic ( wide wind way aulos) and, as I play them in a way that wooden recorders would hate - intensively for a week then little for ages.

Except my £600 plus low pitch treble which is the loveliest thing in the world ever! Only problem - DS demonstrates all it's capabilities far better than I do.

Kids don't need wooden recorders until they are teens and heading for grade 8 or diploma really.