Author: Matt74
Date: 2020-12-15 00:29
Recorder is the worst.
I have a hard time believing any modern instrument could be so difficult. It’s much more difficult than clarinet, saxophone, and flute all put together. I’ve been concentrating on it for some time now, and am only beginning to get the hang of it.
1. The thing is plain out of tune.
2. You have to learn two sets of fingerings.
3. Each recorder model, or individual recorder, has different fingering variations.
4. The air pressure is so low that there is nothing to push against.
5. The smallest change in air pressure, air speed, or voicing results in large pitch changes.
6. The second register above C/G ( v xxx|ooo ) can be very difficult - I think the thumb hole is in the wrong place because it has to double as first register F/C ( x ooo|ooo ) It would be like using the clarinet thumb hole as the register key.
7. The low F/C ( x xxx|xxx x ) is really sharp if you blow it with normal pressure.
7b. It’s very difficult to balance the volume of the lowest range with the rest because of intonation issues.
8. You can’t open/close the thumb hole, you have to half-hole it, or “pinch” it open for the second register, and adjust how much for intonation on some notes.
9. On most horns there really aren’t any dynamics to work with. I’ve tried changing my voicing to maintain pitch while blowing harder/softer with some success.
10. As a result articulation becomes very important, and has to be very subtile.
11. To play professionally you have to learn other clefs and sight transposition (more than saxophone or clarinet).
12. The windway and fipple on plastic instruments is constantly full of “spit”.
13. It’s impossible to play high F#/C# without closing the bell.
14. It’s a chromatic instrument, but even the easiest keys have awkward fingerings.
I haven’t had a chance to play really nice ones, and some are easier to play than others, but it seems that the easier they are to play, the more “bland” they sound, and the better they sound the more cantankerous they are. I think it’s like a jet fighter - agile, but very aerodynamically unstable.
I’ve benefitted immensely because it’s improved my ear so much.
- Matthew Simington
Post Edited (2020-12-15 00:36)
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The Clarinet BBoard
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