How To Play The Recorder (Page 2 of 4) in pdf

How To Play The Recorder Page 2

Recorder Troubleshooting

Squeaking

Squeaking is one of the most frustrating obstacles you may encounter when beginning the

recorder. Generally, there are three main culprits of the squeak: fingers, breathing and

bubbles.

Fingers

Leaky fingers are the most common cause of squeaks. You must make sure that your fingers

are completely sealing the hole. Always play with flat fingers, never curved ones. Imagining

you are being finger-printed when you play may help you to flatten your fingertips. Also,

(according to the size of your hand), the tips of your fingers will reach, or possible hang over

the side your recorder.

Sometimes, squeaks occur when changing notes. This is due to one of your fingers moving

enough to barely unseal a hole. When this happens, it is often the left thumb or your first

finger that is moving. Repetitive practice moving between notes will help train your fingers

not to move.

Breathing

If your fingers are sealing the holes tightly and you are still squeaking, you may be blowing to

hard. Remember, you want to breathe softly, almost like you are whispering “Tu”, when you

are playing. You may also want to check that you do not have too much of the mouthpiece in

your mouth. The tip of the mouthpiece should be in-between your lips, not touching your

teeth!

Bubbles/Saliva/Debris

Occasionally, a small condensation bubble may become trapped in your mouthpiece. These

squeaks typically occur after you have been playing your recorder for a while, usually longer

than 15 minutes. To clear condensation bubbles, cover the sound hole directly below the

mouth piece by sticking one of your fingers in it (if you don’t, you’ll make a really loud sound

and hurt your ears!) Place the recorder in your mouth as if you were about to play and blow

as hard as you can to remove any bubbles, saliva or debris that can enter the recorder.

How To Play The Recorder Page 2