Recorders - which are best?

[ohmygosh123]

We're coming back from overseas - DD has a Mollenhauer soprano recorder. (wood with plastic mouthpiece).
www.thomann.de/intl/mollenhauer_1054_prima_sopranblockfloete.htm

I remember everyone having the same at primary school ....... confirmist lot that we (or more like our parents) were ..... will it matter if she's different / hack off the teacher etc? I'm assuming they are less common in the UK, as I don't remember them from when I was at school a very long time ago!

I'm probably worrying about nothing - but she's the only new kid starting, and I don't want her sticking out like a sore thumb and getting shy (she's youngest in the year, and can be a bit sensitive if people start taking the mick)

when i was in school everyone had the same recorder. aulos

DS learnt in primary- a few years ago now - and school sold him one. It was some other brand which I had never heard of. However I could see that some of the children had different brands. DS used my old one now and again (it is v old.. I was at primary school in the mid 70s).

I don't think it will matter much - the other kids may be impressed by something new and exciting!!

A silent one!

Just noticed it is called a soprano? does that mean it will be higher pitched than a descant? I am not very musical.

arghh - isn't descant & soprano the same thing - runs off to worry about that as well. All I know is that they were using a similar book to what I used at school (also in the 1970s)! I mean how much higher and squeakier can the damn things sound - she had a cheap plastic one and we graduated to wood for the sake of my rapidly diminishing sanity. Sadly couldn't find a silent one!

Shrimp - that looks familiar - I think I might have been the rebel with the Yamaha!

Panic over - I now am sure descant/soprano are the same, followed by treble / alto, then tenor, then bass. How I wish they taught them the alto recorder, I'm sure it would sound so much better!

Thanks folks - and I guess if the worst comes to the worst I can replace it when I'm back in the UK with the fashion of the moment!

You might want to find out what kind of fingering to use with your recorder:
Baroque or German (www.mollenhauer.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=36&Itemid=118&lang=en)

I think English schools use the ones with the Baroque fingering, but my DD uses mine (a 30-year-old recorder, bought in Italy when I had to play the recorder in school), and it has the German fingering.

There isn't much difference, but it's good to know which one you DD has.

If she's good at it, you might want to think about oboe lessons. The oboe has a nicer sound than the recorder.

A lot of people choose Aulos recorders, they all play slightly out of tune, but at least they are the same amount out of tune!
There is a sopranino recorder that is smaller (higher) than the descant recorder - it's fairly tiny maybe 20cm long whereas a descant is approx 30. The fingering is different between the two - the sopranino has the same fingering as the treble so bottom note is F rather than C.

Personally I'd keep with the wooden one, much nicer tone :)

I think Aulos is the 'standard', but may be more expensive than some. Yamaha is pretty good, also German Hohner (but not sure if they still made).

Beware of Early Learning Centre, JHS (John Hornby Skews), and some of the School Catalogues 'own brands' which are not so good.

If breathing and tonguing are correctly executed, then the recorder does NOT have to sound awful!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=endscreen&v=sRsdeyWBfqc&NR=1

I'll try that again and hope the links work!

I think Aulos is the 'standard', but may be more expensive than some. Yamaha is pretty good, also German Hohner (but not sure if they still made).

Beware of Early Learning Centre, JHS (John Hornby Skews), and some of the School Catalogues 'own brands' which are not so good.

If breathing and tonguing are correctly executed, then the recorder does NOT have to sound awful!

www.youtube.com/watch?feature=endscreen&v=sRsdeyWBfqc&NR=1