Category Archives: Recorders

My Small Group Beginner Recorders

I’ve a couple of small groups of recorder pupils – two or three in each group – young children aged around seven or eight years old. After talking to other woodwind and recorder teachers and looking through various books, including … Continue reading

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37/60 Finger Puppets and Recorders

My finger puppets have been working hard. I was able to teach a class of thirty year 3 children how to play the note “C” in just a few minutes. This was in the seventh of a series of ten … Continue reading

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Monday 22nd June – Hot Cross Buns

  When teaching “Hot Cross Buns” to beginner recorder groups – well, any beginner woodwind groups, try changing the words to “Hot Cross Buns, Hot Cross Buns, THREE-a-penny, two a penny, Hot Cross Buns” It’s just that if the fingering is … Continue reading

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Monday 15th June – Year 1 Recorders

Years ago, I had a fairly torrid time, teaching recorders to a group of year 2 children. I was inexperienced, easily coerced, and gave way with certain misgivings which were well-founded. It was grim and unrewarding and left me with a … Continue reading

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Sunday 26th April – Play and Stop

At the beginning of the week I embarked upon my first ever time of teaching recorders to year 1 classes. I was feeling my way here… Following a chat with a professional recorder player who teaches recorder at every level from beginner … Continue reading

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Issue 147: ‘So-Mi’ songs

Songs that use these two notes are the bedrock of early lessons in almost any instrument; clarinets – use G and E. Piano, use F and D. Ukuleles, open G and E strings. Descant recorders, C’ and A. Or G and … Continue reading

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Issue 147: A Recorder lesson, but with NO recorders

I was half expecting this to happen; first lesson with a new year 2 class, and the recorders weren’t ready. They were going to re-use the recorders from last term’s lessons, but what with one thing (Christmas Nativity Shows) and another … Continue reading

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Issue 146: Hot Cross Buns save the day again

Actually Hot Mince Pies, to be seasonal, but you can do this with Hot Cross Buns later this term if you like! The lesson works with ukuleles, chime bars, recorders, keyboards, any instrument where you’ve got three notes. Teach the … Continue reading

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