Kara L. Laughlin - Recorders

Published by The Childs World
1980 Lookout Drive Mankato, MN 56003-1705
800-599-READ www.childsworld.com

Copyright 2020 by The Childs World
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or utilized in
any form or by any means without written permission from the publisher.

Design element: Vector memory/Shutterstock.com
Photo credits: Alenavlad/Shutterstock.com: 21 (oboe); Andrea Nissotti/Shutterstock.com: 21 (flute);
Boris Medvedev/Shutterstock.com: 21 (piccolo); Chromakey/Shutterstock.com: 21 (clarinet);
furtseff/Shutterstock.com: 21 (bassoon); horiyan/Shutterstock.com: 21 (saxophone); Inspirestock
International/123RF: 14, 18; KPG_Payless/Shutterstock.com: 4; Lars Hallstrom/Shutterstock.com:
11; Martin Gerner/123RF: 8; MIGUEL G. SAAVEDRA/Shutterstock.com: cover, 1; Sarah Marchant/
Shutterstock.com: 12; Sergey Fedoskin/123RF: 7; Wilawan Khasawong/123RF: 17

ISBN: 9781503831902
LCCN: 2018960556

Printed in the United States of America
PA02417

Table of Contents

CHAPTER ONE

The Recorder

A group of children stands on a stage. They
are playing recorders. They hum. They sing.
They tap their feet. But mostly, they blow.

Recorders are part of the flute family. All
flutes have holes. Recorders make music when
air rushes past their holes. Just like flutes,
recorders are instruments called woodwinds .

Recorders come in lots of different colors.

CHAPTER TWO

The Holes

A recorder has eight holes
for playing. Seven holes are
on the front. One hole is on
the back. Players use their
thumb to cover this hole.

Players put fingers
over the holes to change the
recorders pitch . This makes
different musical notes .

The last two holes
on some recorders are
double holes. Covering
these holes can make
half-note sounds.

This recorder is made of wood.

CHAPTER THREE

Playing the Recorder

To play a recorder, a person
blows into the mouthpiece .
When all the holes are
covered, the recorder plays a
low note. When all the holes
are open, it plays a high note.

Recorder players
might flutter their
tongues to make
different effects.

You dont have to always follow music written
by other people. You can make up your own tunes!

CHAPTER FOUR

A Beak and a Bell

A recorders mouthpiece is
like a whistle. A plug of wood
called the block aims air at
a sharp edge. This makes the
air vibrate . The vibrating air
makes the recorders sound.

The bell is the bottom
part of the recorder. This is
where the air comes out. Sometimes players
cover the bell. This can make a very high
note or very low one.

In France, the
recorder is called
the flte bec or
beaked flute. Thats
because the mouthpiece
looks a little like
a birds beak.

Recorder mouthpieces come in many shapes and sizes.

CHAPTER FIVE

A Very Old Instrument

People have played
recorders for hundreds of
years. The first recorders
were played in the Middle
Ages . Recorders have not
changed much. At first,
most recorders were made
of wood. Today, recorders
are made of wood or plastic.

Englands King Henry
VIII (14911547)
liked to play the
recorder. By the time
he died, he owned
76 recorders.

This actor is playing the recorder
at a fair celebrating the Middle Ages.

CHAPTER SIX

Recorders in Schools

Many kids learn to play the
recorder in school. Plastic
recorders are not costly. They
have a pretty good sound.
Most people can play a tune
right away. These things
make recorders a good first instrument.

People started making
plastic recorders
in the 1960s.

Children often learn to play the recorder
before they are ten years old.

CHAPTER SEVEN

One Shape, Many Sizes

Recorders come in many
sizes. The smallest is about
6 inches (15 cm) long. The
biggest is taller than an
adult. Small recorders play
high notes. Big ones play
deep notes. Most of the time,
several recorders of various sizes
are played together in bands.

The subcontrabass
recorder is the largest
recorder. It is almost
10 feet (3 m) tall!

Larger recorders need special mouthpieces.

bass recorder

tenor recorder

alto recorder

soprano recorder