- This topic has 3 replies, 3 voices, and was last updated November 25, 2019 at 9:46 pm by
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Hello all, after 4 decades(!) I decided to take on the recorder again. After some trying out on the old one I had I bought a new one. It went beyond expectation, within a week I was playing simple pieces and now after 6 months I can say that I made really good progress. But I’m thinking of the next step. I play German fingering and perhaps I should switch to Baroque. Or start playing a Baroque alto so it will be a totally different instrument. Or just stay with German, but then there’s not much choice in instruments. Could experienced players please advice me? Thank you!
I would recommend learning Baroque fingering. To quote the FAQ area of the American Recorder Society website:
“Avoid the German-fingered ones [recorders]; Baroque/English fingering is now more common than this older system. While German fingerings may seem easier at first, a novice player using them will soon experience tuning problems not associated with English fingerings.”
I’d advise getting yourself a good plastic Yamaha or Aulos recorder and starting over again (sorry). You HAVE to stop using that German fingering!! (IMHO). Baroque isn’t all that much more difficult. As I understand it, German was developed to make it easier for children to learn (no “cross-fingerings”). ‘Nuf said…
I’m a relative beginner, but everything I’ve read agrees with Richard’s advice to switch to baroque fingering. German fingering changes fingerings for the fourth scale degrees so they’re identical in both octaves, which is superficially simpler (i.e., for basic scales in the recorder’s “home” key). However, German fingering results in some side effects: more difficult to play in keys other than C/F, more tuning/intonation issues, and a more “breathy” tone.
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