Adult learner saying hello

Recorder Forum Home Page Forum Teaching and Learning Adult learner saying hello

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  • #406
    Aulos303
    Participant

    Hi, my name is Larry and I have an obsession with musical instruments. I currently have 3 guitars, a mandolin, ukulele, digital piano (my main instrument) and now a recorder. (I’m hoping to get a clarinet in the future) When I mentioned I wanted a recorder I got the usual responses-is that for Katie (my daughter)? Aren’t you a bit old? Etc. But I wanted to show that the recorder is not just that annoying thing that kids are given. I seem to remember playing one when I was at school (long time ago!), I remember the mouthpieces smelling of bleach, but like most kids I forgot about it. Years later (decades, eons…) I wanted to play one again, and so I bought a soprano by Aulos, and am slowly teaching myself to play. I dont read music and can not afford a teacher, but I do have a knack with musical instruments and so am able to work out the notes to pieces like Greensleeves and Dies Irae. I just need to practice because I’m finding those bottom notes a struggle at times. I have come to realise that maybe I should have got an alto but I wasnt aware of such things at the start. Anyway I hope to share my progress with you on here and look forward to learning more about the instrument.

    You don't stop playing when you get old. You get old when you stop playing.

    #414
    David Harrison
    Participant

    Hi Larry! I had to twist the foot joint on my Aulos soprano around a little when I started to be very, very sure that the little finger landed properly on the bottom holes, so they were covered and uncovered properly. The low notes are still a bit of a pain on my second-hand tenor too (as is everything else to be honest!).

    There are some nice tutorials on YouTube if you can’t find a teacher. Sarah Jeffery seems to cover a lot of ground on her channel, and so does
    ‘unagondolaunremo’ in his.

    As for not reading music, some of the beginners’ recorder books are a good way to learn. I hadn’t the foggiest “what the blobs meant” until working through a school recorder book earlier this year. As you learn each note’s fingering, the notation becomes familar. None of which will turn you into a music theory ninja overnight, but the basics come quickly enough.

    Please keep posting with your progress. It’s good to compare notes, so to speak!

    #415
    Aulos303
    Participant

    Thanks David. I do enjoy Sarah’s video and have subscribed. They helped me get those bottom notes-before that I thought the recorder I’d bought was a bad one (it did get a negative review on a site)
    But I’m happy to say I got there, and have uploaded some of my videos to youtube. One is shared on here!
    The thing I like about the recorder is that it’s a single line instrument. Whereas the guitar requires the melody AND accompaniment to be played, which I haven’t mastered, the recorder allows me to concentrate on getting the melody right. You can play a guitar like that but it doesn’t seem right. And its not that easy.

    • This reply was modified 7 years, 6 months ago by Aulos303.

    You don't stop playing when you get old. You get old when you stop playing.

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