Sample Lesson

From the book: Beginning Recorder Drama and Poetry

Lesson Contents

Marching in a Ring

Beginning Recorder, Drama and Poetry

Lesson 7

Now that we have learned several songs on the recorder using only one, two or three notes, we will now try the song Marching in a Ring using 6 different notes.

We have learned the notes G, A, and B. These three notes are played with the left hand. Lefty pointer, middle and ring finger cover their holes to form the G note. The left hand also covers the thumb hole. Then, remembering to keep the thumb hole closed, we lift ring finger off the hole to form the note A, and then we lift both ring and middle fingers to play the note B.
Now look at the two fingering below. The first note is high D and the other note is low D. Look how easy it is to play the high D. All you have to do is to cover Lefty middle finger’s opening and take the thumb off of the thumb hole. Practice this allowing the recorder to rest on the right hand's thumb while Lefty middle finger plays the note.

Now let’s try the high D. All of Lefty’s fingers are closed along with the thumb hole, and now Righty pointer, middle and ring fingers close also—3 and 3! Try playing this note. Sometimes you have to pull your chin in closer to your chest. Blow softly to get the note to sound. Aim to keep the stream of your breath steady.
Our song has one more new note. It is the note E following the low D. If we look ahead to the song we will see on the 7 th measure the notes D and E. The sequence in that measure goes D, E, G, A, so as soon as your D note starts to sound solid, lift Righty ring finger. Simply by lifting this finger, the new note E will sound. Practice going back and forth from D to E with this simple move.

Now try going from D to E and then lifting all of Righty’s fingers up while keeping all of Lefty’s fingers in place. This note you already know—we are back to G. So practice the sequence D to E to G.
On the next page we will proceed with the song note by note.

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