I'm learning the slow movement of the York Bowen recorder Sonatina. All is fine, except bar 68 where there is a knee-stopped Gb. I can't seem to coordinate everything to get this sounding right. If I concentrate too much on moving the knee/recorder I invariably mess up the fingering; if I really think about the fingering I tend not to get the rec onto the knee in time. Also, the tone of the top note is really weak and cloggy, which I can't seem to do anything about...

Any tips? I'm guessing slow practise might be one of them...

Yes, just one tip. Change the piece. Doing something like that in an exam (if that's what you're aiming for) is asking for trouble!

Liz

Eeeek, OK. I'll mention it to my teacher...

Afraid I can't offer any advice, but I'd like to ask what a 'knee stop' is? I've never heard of it before.

Matt

It's where you have to cover the hole at the end of the recorder with your knee in order to get a particular note that's impossible otherwise. Strange but true...

Matt, there are only a very limited number of ways of producing top F sharp on a treble recorder. In fact, there are basically two:

1. works only on a slur upwards from D or E and that is to simply finger top E and take the LH fingers (not thumb) off, not very far and using a light breath pressure.
2. is totally reliable BUT a pain in the neck - or the teeth, if you get it wrong. You cover the end of the recorder, with your knee or with a specially made key. Doing this with your knee standing up is asking for trouble - you could bash it against your teeth, or overbalance, fairly easily. Not recommended for a high pressure situation such as an exam! I had to use this technique in the scales for my LGSM and just played them sitting down on the piano stool. If memory serves, there are three third octave notes that require the end to be stopped on a baroque recorder.

The easiest solution by far is to get a bell key fitted, or to take the expensive way out and buy a Mollenhauer modern alto which of course has more advantages than just the top F sharp.

Liz

aren't you allowed to take an assistant to stick a finger/thumb over the hole?! would the examiner oblige?

lucky you aren't doing chopin's black keys study. It would be right jig!

A girl at the Stockport Recorder College did this piece for her Grade 8 and a masterclass, and if I remember rightly, she took the high G flat down an octave.

As Liz suggested, a bell key fitted to your recorder or Mollenhauer modern alto will be the best option

And you're quite right, high F#, A and B flat all need knee stopping (C# E and F on a descant)

SirP that etude is just A pain in the neck!

Having done a piece which had more than one knee-stopped note for grade 8, I sympathise! I found myself standing on one leg mid-bar to do them - they worked, and the note which refused to play was the top top c instead. I was lucky - those notes came during slow passages, and I don't think I'm going to hurry to learn the upper part for Bach's 4th Brandenburg Concerto, where they come in the middle of fast arpeggios. I think it might be worth looking for a "back-up" piece - sometimes time will let the note come right, but if not, you would have another option.