 The Fingering Forum
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Author: Chris Ransom
Date: 2000-08-17 07:26
Hi There,
I've been playing an alto recorder for a while, and I would really like to get a tenor. I didn't want to spend too much money, just to get one that sounds fairly nice and won't fall apart on me.
What's the Yamaha Tenor Recorder like? It's advertised here: http://www.recorderspot.com/2160008.htm .
Thanks in advance for any input
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Author: Eoin McAuley
Date: 2000-08-20 22:19
I haven't tried the Yamaha Tenor Recorder (YRT), but I have tried the soprano in the same series, the YRS. It is one of the nicest plastic recorders I have ever played. I would say that the tenor is probably as good as you can get while sticking with plastic.
A good wood tenor would cost a lot more, so I'd say, go for it!
And let us know how you get on.
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Author: Andrea
Date: 2000-10-08 23:56
Hi, Chris.
I bought the Yamaha tenor recorder, YRT 300 series with the
double little finger key for C and C#, five years ago and I
agree with Eoin that IS an excellent instrument: the low register is full and sonorous, the middle register is clear enough even under fast fingerings and makes good use of the little finger keys for trills and flattements, and the high register runs with comparatively little effort up to the high A! I field-tested it in noisy venues (playing along with concert flute, tinwhistle, guitar, and voice in a crowded Irish pub) and recorded a concert (via P.A. system
in a small club). It's telling enough to keep the music
alive, as compared with the cheap wooden ones, and the thumbrest is included in its pouch along with a cleaning rod and a generic fingering chart. This latter is not very
accurate, for shows only the standard fingering common with recorders (it does not depict the keys, for instance). I had to discover individual oddities myself. I will use
the more or less standard numerical layout to explain what
I found out; p stands for pinched thumb-hole, h indicates
half-holed or vented holes. Examples: 5h is a vented 5, 6h
is one of the twin holes. C and C# are the keys. Here are some alternate fingerings I customarily use.
1) the low B alternate fingering (023) is too sharp to be employed even in quick passages, thus needing correction
under any circumstance (023/56h).
2) low F# is better fingered 0123/56C# when a more distinct shift from low F or low G is desired; otherwise the standard fingering is good, but tends to be a bit sharp
other than being muffled when played ff.
3) low G is formidable. It changes color in three subtle ways adding at choice 6, C#, C to the fingering, alone or in combination. Not only for flattements but also for dynamics. The same holds true for low A.
4) low C# is strong and reedy (gives you the feeling of
"kicking into gear" even at its loudest), while the same thing cannot be said for low Eb, that sounds a little
"out of focus" while being well tuned. Low D/Eb trill
(0123/456hC) is feasible but a little too muffled.
5) low Bb is strong and in tune with the nominal fingering,
but changes color and sounds reedier when fingered this
way: 013/56.
6) middle C fingering (03/45) for trills with the Bb below is well tuned and handy. The color change is almost not
noticeable. Trills with middle D are praticable with care because this odd fingering is prone to overblow (023/456C#).
7) alternative middle F (p123/56h). Well tuned and great,
to the point that I sometimes use it in place of the standard one, since my hands are very small.
8) middle E can be slurred up to F opening hole 2. However, this requires care and cannot be played too loud. Frankly,
I found this fingering a lot more consistent on smaller
recorders, soprano and sopranino having the most focused
sound. Also, it is better managed by the long scale recorders (modern models and german-made student instruments, rather than by the true baroque ones). There
is no noticeable change in pitch fingering it 23/56.
9) alternative middle E for slurs from the standard F above (p123/46C) is too flat even at loud playing. p123/46C# is
too sharp. Thus neither is acceptable. Sorry, a minor fault but an annoying one...
10) alternative middle G#: p123/C. Swift and handy.
11) alternative middle Bb: p12/C. Same as above. More use of the foot keys will come in experimenting every possible combination.
12) baroque recorders often don't allow to sound high C#, but the Yamaha does it, and in two ways. Standard fingering (p13/45C) is perfectly tuned. Harmonic fingering (012h3/45h6C) works well. It is even possible to trill
from the high D above (p13/46C). The difference in pitch is barely noticeable.
13) high D is perfectly tuned with the standard fingering. It does not require the foot keys. But I found a way to
sweeten and steady the attack when playing at moderate pressure with this simple trick: p12h3/46.
14) High Eb is fingered p23/56. The alternate fingering
p13 is not feasible, for it falls apart too easily, plus is
windy and definitely useless.
15) high E should be fingered p2, but in practise it needs a sort of primer for a better attack. You have two choices. p23h affords a clean slur from the notes below, but flattens the pitch and 3h should be raised once the note is sustained. 23 is harsh and windy, but better in tune when descending from the notes above. However, this and the next notes are already beyond the accepted compass for an instrument without the terminal key, so their use should be
limited to runs, arpeggios, and color effects in a contemporary context when a shrill tone can sometimes be exciting if put in the right place.
16) two high F fingerings: p1h23456C, or p123456C#. Both in tune, blow easily and are less shrill than high E.
17) high F# is fairly standard: p12/45. Of course is rather piercing, but works well. Alternate fingering is p12/4C, depending on the required dynamic.
18) high G is p1/4 but, when needed, it can be flattened fingering p1/46. Much depends on the wind pressure.
19) high G# should be p1h, but in practise is best avoided. It is difficult to attack, windy, harsh, and too flat.
20) high A is clear and in tune, but I would never play it indoors! p12/56. Can be adjusted by pressing C# or C key, and flattened by hole 4h.
21) just for the daring: high Bb (sort of...) is p13/6h. No high B...anyone cares? Altissimo C: p2/6C. Altissimo D: p13/C#. Need more? Ear plugs not included!
22) Wind channel clogs a little too easily, at least for my taste. Warm the head separately before a performance, and never let it cool until finished. This can be obnoxious, especially when doubling on other instruments or when long pauses are needed. But it is the only trick to obtain clean notes from this othervise excellent recorder. Recorder care kits are available almost anywhere, and some include anticondenser liquid. Use it, and enjoy this tenor that is really worth the money. It is plastic, it is fantastic!
Bye!
Andrea
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