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@Appleblossom sorry to interrupt but just have to tell you, look what I found on Gumtree, for only $10 🎉 is it a good brand do you know? She said it's old. Pick it up today.and can't wait to hear the tone of an alto. You described it beautifully re your mum in that courtyard 💙 Just gotta rethink re manuscript difference... 5 notes different to 🎼 normal staff I think you said? New challenge. 🎵
@Former-Member
Thats a great price. Cant argue with that. Funny you posted, we must be "in synch" as Saturday I was invited for a lunch to give a recorder lesson on altos. Rather than messing with your head I believe it is better to read and play the true position, otherwise things become confusing and they are complicated enough. ie the bottom note as an F. Find music that fits in the range of notes you play and gradually increase your range. Happy to talk anytime. Essentially there are C instruments ... soprano and tenor and F instruments ... alto and bass.
If you dont have a finger hole chart there will be some on net. The fellow I gavce lesosn to was worried about squeaks. There are typically 2 spots the lowest note which gets better with long relaxed steady breaths. Use long notes through the range to build up senstivity. The squeaks in top octave improve with more breath pressure. It is just the way of the instrument. Dont get frustrated just tweak your breath pressure in the specific phrase you are playing. There are heaps of beautiful folk tunes, pop tunes, hymns, jazz and early music written for the alto. ENJOY!
Playing by ear is good. Especially if it gets you making more music quickly. Not sure if you have much reading or theory of music under your belt.
@Former-Member
All holes covered on most recorders gives either a C or an F eg C soprano and F alto. It also means that the lowest note is a C or an F, so if you want to play a tune, the key can depend
(there are always exceptions to every rule, but lets not get bogged down here.)
sop/descant C
alto/treble F
Tenor C
Bass F
see how they alternate as they climb up in pitch or up the ledger lines?
@Former-Member You have plenty of background, especially with flute as well.
Enjoy your boy.
Its a good idea to get a specific alto method. You will progress quicker and they should provide effective exercises to help master the quirks of the instrument.
Many people were turned off recorders cos of the squeaks. The last lesson I gave, the fellow was more interested in showing me the squeaks than listening and applying technique to master stabilising the sound. The squeaking has different reasons at different parts of the range. The lowest notes are more difficult to keep stable ... bigger vibrating column of air (thats pretty sensitive), and harder on tenor, so require more relaxation and bigger breath preparation. In the higher range it requires more pressure and then the notes speak well and and have a full soaring quality. My teacher told me never be afraid of the squeaks. Lean into them and sense how to sculpt the sound. It takes practise sweetening the tone, but its not totally random.
Wanted to post this and saw your post .. no tag/
https://www.tutorfair.com/blog/loves-philosophy-percy-bysshe-shelley
I posted the poem cos it came up on a search engine and reminded me of a friend I have been walking out with. Its for me to read when I go back over thread.
Yep The next lowest larger recorder ... is a tenor in C
@Former-Member
Just play whatever tune you like in whatever key works.
At moment I am playing a Dutch dance, Nigun Atik and a dozen others. It is good for me to cam=lm my mind and focus on single line. If a tune has a limited range and depends on where it fits on instrument I try and play it in both octaves. The lower and higher have really different feels.
I bought some tops at opshop today which need to go into wash with dettol.... and 4 books for a dollar, a crystal glass and a tea pot.
Hope you are doing alright.
