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WisconsinMusicEducators Dr.PaulCribariStateConference BeginningRecorder
Formanyelementarymusiceducators,soundsofthesopranorecordermay
symbolizetheantithesisofwhytheyenteredthefieldofmusiceducationinthefirstplace—harshsqueaks,out-of-tunesquawks,andbrash,overblownnoteschaoticallyricochetingthroughacrowdedroom.Despitetheseall-too-familiarsounds,thehistoryoftherecordertellsaverydifferentstory.Historicallyknownastheflautodolce,or“sweetflute,”therecorderwasformerlytheinstrumentofroyaltyandthemusicaleliteandwasknownforitscleartoneandlyricalmelodies.Today,wewilllookforwaystohelpstudentsdrawoutthemorepleasingsoundsoftherecorderthroughavarietystrategiesdesignedtoobviatetheshrillsoundsthathaveunfortunatelybecomesocloselyassociatedwithstudentrecorderperformances.BeginningActivities
Beforestudentsareabletomakepleasingsoundsontherecorder,theymustdeveloptheproperexecutiveskillsnecessarytomanipulatetheinstrument.Theseexecutiveskillsincludeposture,handposition,armposition,andholdingtheinstrumentcorrectly.Inmyclass,wespendtwotothreeclassperiodsinactivitiesdesignedtopreparethebodyandbreathfortherecorder.Activitiesincludeblowingping-pongballsonadrumhead,blowingintoairpipeswithStyrofoamballs,andfoggingoverimaginarywindowsonacoldday.3Dplansfortheairpipesareavailableat:http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:221063SupportFinger
InBrigitteWarner’sbookOrffSchulwerk:ApplicationsfortheClassroom(1991,pp.225-226),sheadvocatesfortheuseofa“supportfinger.”Inthistechniquetheringfingeroftherighthandisusedtostabilizetheinstrument.Thisalleviatestheweightoftheinstrumentfromthelefthandandfreesittosealtheholesinamorerelaxedmanner.Foracompletelistoffingeringchartsandtheorderinwhichtheywerepresented,refertoAppendixD.FirstNotesSequenceofNotes
Many,ifnotmost,recordermethodsbeginwiththefamiliarB-A-Gsequence.Warner(1991)pointedoutthatmanyofthesemi-re-dobasedmelodiescontainastrongsupertonic,suggestingstrongdominant-toniccadences.Thesecadencesthusnecessitateaccompanimentsthatstudentsmaynotbepreparedforfromacurricularstandpoint.
Therefore,recorderinstructioninmyschoolbeginswiththepitchesC’-A-D’.Therationaleforthisapproachisthatitestablishesasol-mi-lapitchsetthatisconsistentwiththepentatonicscalesusedinfirst,second,andthirdgrade.This
WisconsinMusicEducators Dr.PaulCribariStateConference BeginningRecordersequencealsopreparesstudentsfortransposition,whichisacomponentofthethird-grademusiccurriculumatmyschool.OpeningActivities
Itcanbeachallengetogetkidsupandrunningontherecorderwhentheyonlyknowoneortwonotes.Ontheotherhand,drillingthesesamenotesoverandoverquicklybecomestedious.Itisthereforeimportantthatearlyrecorderexperiencesaremusical.
“Canon#1a”p.91MusicforChildren,VolumeI:Pentatonic
Thissimplepiecegivessomestudentsanopportunitytoplayrecorderwhiletheotherstudentsplaythemorecomplexmelodyatthebarredinstruments.Atfirsttherecorderpartfunctionsasaformofcolorpart:
Soon,weadaptthisparttobeabasicmelodicostinato:
Thisconceptcanbeappliedinmoresophisticatedpiecesaswell.SeetheB
sectionofMusicforChildren,VolumeII:MajorDroneBass/Triads,p.9,n.2asanexample.Ihaveusedthisadaptationwithmyfourthgraders.AnotheravenueforbeginningrecorderwithmoresophisticatedchildrencanbefoundintheI/VpiecesfromVolumeIIIofMusicforChildren.
WisconsinMusicEducators Dr.PaulCribariStateConference BeginningRecorder“TenShortPiecesforDancing”(Adapted)MusicforChildren,VolumeV:Major–DominantandSubdominantTriads
ModificationsofMelody“TwoInstrumentalPieces”MusicforChildren,VolumeII:Major-DroneBass/Triadsp.94,n.8
Themelodyofthispieceistoochallengingformanychildrentoplayontherecorder–particularlygiventhetempoofthepiece.Throughmodification,however,thispieceisagoodintroductionoflowE-D-Conthesopranorecorder.
Thisadaptationcanstandalone,orbepairedwiththeoriginalmelodyplayed
onthebarredinstruments.
Ofcourse,ourultimategoalinteachingrecorderistohavestudentsplayingfullmelodies.OneofthefirstmelodiesthatIintroduceisthefirstofthe“KleineKanons”inStückefürFlöteundTrommel.Intheoriginalscore,thispieceisinthekeyofCandspanstheoctaveofGtoG’.ItransposethispiecetoGformystudentssotheyarenotrequiredtoplayoverthebreak.
WisconsinMusicEducators Dr.PaulCribariStateConference BeginningRecorder“Kanon#1”(Transposed)GunildKeetmanStückefürFlöteundTrommel