Free Sample
The Purple Guide to Learning the Recorder in 10 Days
A no-nonsense 10-day starter plan to get your first real notes out of a recorder and decide if it's worth keeping up
by Alumigogo Books
Chapter 1: First Day
First Day
Alright, let's get one thing straight before you even pick up the recorder: you are not going to sound good today. That is not a warning — that's a permission slip. Today's only job is to make a real sound, hold the instrument without pain, and leave the session with one tiny, honest win. If you do that, you've succeeded. If you also manage to play a single clean note, you're ahead of schedule.
Before you start, find a quiet spot where you won't feel self-conscious. I know that sounds obvious, but the recorder is loud enough that a surprised roommate or a judgmental dog can throw you off your game. You don't need a music stand, a special chair, or a quiet room with perfect acoustics. Just a place where you can make noise for fifteen minutes without apologizing. And if that place is the bathroom because it has the only mirror that shows your hands? Perfect. The bathroom works.
Now, take the recorder out of its case. If it's a new one, it will probably be in two or three pieces — the head joint (the part with the beak-like mouthpiece), the middle joint with the holes, and the foot joint at the bottom. Twist them together gently. Do not force them. They should fit snugly but not tight. You want the foot joint rotated slightly to the right so your right hand can reach the holes at the bottom comfortably.