Recorder31 Day 21 | Staff Picks: Tutor Books

You've got your instrument, but now it's time to practise! For today's Recorder31 blog, we asked two of The Early Music Shop's recorder specialists, Olivia and Finn, to recommend a few of their favourite tutor books for different experience levels on the recorder.

We'd love to know which books you use in your own playing! Let us know in the comments below...

Beginner

Watts: Red Hot Recorder Tutor Book 1

I love this book for beginners – it's really engaging and great for learners who like doing – there's a lot of clapping, singing along, playing along... (there’s a free CD included with the book!). It makes learning fun and that’s great for child learners! - Olivia

Harris: Recorder for Beginners: The Tudor Way

This book, released a few years ago by The Early Music Shop’s publishing arm Jaywood Press, is a step-by-step guide from the very beginning presented by Paul Harris, whose wealth of experience in music education makes this an engaging, methodical and fun way to learn. It’s suitable for all ages and the clever use of fragments of early music prepares players for repertoire they will encounter further down the line should they choose to pursue the recorder further. A teachers’ book with piano accompaniments is available separately. - Finn

Intermediate

Hauwe: The Modern Recorder Player

I think it’s important for players not to wait until they’re really advanced to spend time focusing on the fundaments of playing recorder (posture, tongue position, etc.). This book really helps to bring awareness to the body, through clear and concise writing on the correct positioning of the instrument, to exercises to help implement these ideas. There are 3 volumes; this first one already talks about the 3 fundamentals: fingers, breath, and articulation. You can save the later volumes for a bit later, but I really recommend this one to start! - Olivia

Intermediate (to Advanced)

Van Eyck: Der Fluyten Lust-hof

I think it’s vital to practise technique in the context of repertoire as well as isolating it in exercises, and therefore volumes of music such as Van Eyck are just as valuable as tutor books! The breadth of music across the three volumes offers a chance to explore areas such as beautifully controlling your tone in the slow themes, working on precise articulation in the fast variations, and focussing on phrasing and musicality to bring out the melodies. Plus, it’s really core repertoire, so it’s great music to be familiar with and something you can come back to again and again! - Finn

Advanced

Monkemeyer: Advanced School of Recorder Playing

I used this book for many years myself – it's full of scales and exercises to help build finger dexterity and to improve tongue-finger coordination. It works through many keys (including ones which aren’t fun to play on recorder..!), and you can make it easier or harder by slowing down or speeding up as you like. It’s very easy to forget about flat & sharp keys on the recorder, and study books like this can be a helpful reminder to put some time into focusing on trickier finger work! - Olivia

Heyens/Bowman: Advanced Recorder Technique

Working through a variety of important topics in methodical and meticulous detail, these volumes are perfect for players wanting to delve further into technique and acquire a thorough grasp of the instrument. Amongst other themes, Volume 1 offers the chance to explore scales in great detail, improving finger dexterity and familiarity with patterns and shapes. Meanwhile Volume 2 explores some interesting themes on air and sound production, including breathing exercises both with and without an instrument. - Finn

Discover all recorder sheet music from The Early Music Shop by clicking here.

Please note: these selections do not mean any endorsement from The Early Music Shop, and nor are we saying these are the best books our catalogue. They are simply a few selections of books we've enjoyed using, or we thought would be good to showcase.

We have a huge range of sheet music in stock online and in-store, and we encourage you to explore the whole catalogue to find the best options for you. If you need some assistance, just get in touch and one of us will get back to you!

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Today, for something a little different, we showcase the Medieval Soprano in Maple by UK-based maker Terry Mann. With its cylindrical bore, and soft-sounding maple wood, it's a great option for some of the earliest music in the recorder's repertoire. Check out the audio clips below or follow this link to find out more about this instrument.