How to blow into a recorder correctly
The recorder is a very “economical” instrument: a calm breath is enough for a beautiful sound. If you blow hard, the sound becomes sharp, and sometimes the recorder jumps an octave up and squeals. If you blow too weakly, the sound is quiet and lower than it should be.
A good guide for a child: breathe into the recorder as if you are warming frozen hands. We breathe in through the mouth, calmly, without lifting the shoulders.
Why say “tu”
Every note starts with a light movement of the tongue — this is called the attack of the sound. The easiest way is to silently say the syllable “tu” into the recorder. Then the note starts clearly, instead of “floating out” of a hiss. Later, for fast melodies, you will use “tu-ku” and “du”.
Fingering for the note B on the recorder
The note B is the first note in almost all recorder schools, because it needs only two fingers of the left hand:
- the thumb of the left hand covers the back hole;
- the index finger of the left hand covers the first hole in front.
All the other holes are open. The fingers of the right hand support the recorder from below, and the right thumb is at the back, between the fourth and fifth holes.