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Hello everyone I've just registered on here. I've got my grade 8 recorder exam tomorrow aahh!! and was just wondering how many recorder players there are round here. Im playin the Babell c major concerto, the Rubbra and The Gavotte en Rondeau by Bach which are all such great pieces so hopefully I'll enjoy it! Anyone else find the scale requirements absolutely crazy?? wow there are sooo many!
well hope u all reply
bye for now

Joy xx

Hi! I play the descant and treble recorder- but i haven't done any exams.

yay another serious recorder player!!! woohoo!!!!!
Im not quite as advanced on recorder as you, im doing my grade 3 (descant) but still enjoying it all the same
This is a bit of a pointless point but never mind
xx Charl xx

I play the recorder Ive never sat an exam though ok that would be because I ve never had a lesson either I just play it for fun and enjoy it!

Hi, yes I did my grade 8 recorder last year but I didn't play any of those pieces. However the scale requirements are crazy, but that's the same for all instruments so we can even say we are being treated unfairly!

I also know two others who took grade 8 recorder, so we're not alone!

Cool name, your right, recorders do rule!

I hope your exam went well and tell us your results.

should I post my name here....

Yes, I'm working through my grade 7 at the moment. I love the pieces but hate the scales. Hoping do do grade 8 next year.

How crazy exactly are the scale requirements? Surely they'd be easier than, say flute, because you have less octaves to master? (Playing C three octaves in one breath is (currently) almost impossilble!)
Or am I just being incredibly naive!?

im a recorder player...but i play for hobby wise..

i dont take exams

Although flutes' have more octaves to play they don't need to worry about doing werid scales such as ones where you go down to the dominant. These can get very, very confusing especially on melodic minors where you get very confused about whether your meant to be flattening or sharpening notes etc. Also flutes don't have to do chromatics that start on one note, then regardless of what note that was go up to a C then all the way down to bottom C, then back up to hopefully the right note if after all that you have remembered what it was you started on.

Oh-kay!

That is crazy!

I have never heard of modulating scales before, but I guess it might help with the modulations part of the aural!

Doing chromatics to top C whatever could be beneficial though, I always play chromatics at 'zip speed' (ie as fast as is humanly possible) except in exams, and tend to loose my place, particularly since starting three octave from C, because it's thrown out the sorta autopilot I used to judge when its time to stop and come back down again.

By the way, I play both treble and descant recorders (and thus all the other when I get hold of them!) but practise very rarely. It throws out my flute fingering you see!

To Trio -


What pieces are you doing for grade 7?? i did the telemann air l'italien a minor thingy, fish & chips and the Lonati study from More Preludes and Voluntaries ( it woz a close decision between lonati and the Bach violin partita but opted for lonati on the day hehe)

To recorderzrule

I'm doing Handel, Sonate in C
Milford Aire no III (or Anrold Sonatina)
Eyke Fantasia en echo (descant)
I really like Fish and Chips too. So not the same ones as you, but it is really good when there are so many that you like and it is difficult to make a choice!

QUOTE (recorderzrule @ Jun 23 2004, 09:03 PM)

I've got my grade 8 recorder exam tomorrow aahh!!

Let us know how you got on!!!!

Trio -
i did study the handel sonata in c but went for the telemann. havnt heard the other pieces though.
the exam went well so ill let u know as soon as i get my results but my teacher is away from the 4th to the 17th so it wont be for a while.
good luck for your exam!

recorderzrule,

I think I have done on Rubbra, and the Telemann Overture in A minor (your grade 7 piece).

However, just wonder how would you handle those "Double Stop" in "The Gavotte en Rondeau" by J.S.Bach. I was too wonder on it and so gave it up and going on the Van Eyrk one.


and trio,

Handel Sonata in C - would it be quite difficult to deal with the Allergo part? I would like to take part in a "summer concert" and choosing between Sonata in C or Sonata in F. Both of them are also famous songs.


Let share more~~ I am really happy to meet Recorder people here

Handel Sonata in C - the Allegro doesn't seem too difficult, but then I am not sure how fast it should be. Does anyone know?

QUOTE (trio @ Jul 2 2004, 02:15 PM)

Handel Sonata in C - the Allegro doesn't seem too difficult, but then I am not sure how fast it should be. Does anyone know?

I just heard from some CDs - the Allegro part would take almost a quaver = 150~180, would be quite fast one. However, I am thinking if that's an exam, taking around 120 ~140 should be fine enough. AND it should be just "Allegro", not "Presto" or other else.

My concern is those fork fingering stuff... some bars really let me down...

hello agen

well i certainly woznt planning to take the allegro 150~180! i did play it slower than that obviously and it still sounded good, but it woz one for your stamina i think!

isa.recorder -

the double stopping is managed by playing the lower note and then the higher note straight after, kinda bouncing of the low one onto the high one if u understand that, tell me if u dont! the higher note is on the beat, they are played as close together as possible, bar a few exeptions where they are ever so slightly longer to allow contrast in the episodes of the rondeau pattern. hope that explains it or ask agen if it doesnt

bye for now xx

QUOTE (isa.recorder @ Jul 5 2004, 12:56 AM)

My concern is those fork fingering stuff... some bars really let me down...

What do you mean?

Great to "make sure" those double stops were handled like "Grace Note". (am i having the right terms?)

That's a lovely song. However, I do find that Van Eyrk one is much much much more easier. That's why I havn't choose the Bach one.

Trio, well. (my poor English...) I do mean those scales using lots of fork fingering (that means like low F in descant, we use 0 |1 2 3 | 4 X 6 7 | with no 5....) Hate it hate it hate it!~

Do we call this Cross Fingering in England??
Janet

Hi!

I took my grade 8 treble recorder 15 years ago with Trinity (my teachers preference) and then took it with Associated Board a couple of years later followed by the Advanced Certificate. Unfortunately since then I have had 1 pupil for recorder and know of no-one else locally who plays so it's been gathering dust on a shelf in my music room

Hope the exam went ok

(I can't even remember what I played for my exams now but my favourite piece I ever played was the Lennox Berkeley Sonatina).

QUOTE (JRBailey @ Jul 8 2004, 10:09 AM)

Do we call this Cross Fingering in England?? Janet

It seems..... yes... I am not sure.....

I reached grade 4 in both Treble and Descant exams when i was a little girl in year 7 but when i realised i couldn't carry on with recorder in high school, i decided to take up the clarinet (as the fingering is loosely linked with treble) and and have been enjoying it just as much as recorder for the past few years!

QUOTE

Do we call this Cross Fingering in England?

Do we call it anything?

Mind you, I wouldn't know, having never actually studied playing the recorder with anyone!

I agree, it is a bit a pain, but nearly all woodwinds have similarly awkward 'fingering patterns' although I would say the recorder ones are worse than the flute ones.

And no worries about your English isa.recorder, I would never have known it wasn't your first language if you hadn't have said, and your English is certainly better than my German (the only language I have ever studies)

Lennox Berkeley Sonatina - seems to be good...

tamsin, I found the same problem also, Clarinet's fingering seems to be better, and flute comes with the 2nd best. the Recorder fingering seems to like Oboe one, but it was the worst woodwind I have played.

Come and ask another question:

I have tried Rubbra - with the high F#
it was notated to use 0/ | X X X | 4 5 X X

however, I cant do it in that way

anyone could? and could you share how to do that?

i played top f sharp by using the conventional fingering of top G with covering the end hole using my knee whilst balancing on my left leg! its easy wen u get the hang of it.

got 131 for my grade 8 by the way! got my results today

Wow!

Well done, congrats etc.

That's excellent for grade 8! Well done.
Do you plan to continue playing/having lessons? Do you play in a group?

hi trio
i play with some people i met through county orchestra and i play in school too. i will continue having lessons and next I will be preparing for my GCSE performance. next year i will begin studying for diploma I think so i can do it before I leave school after A levels.

QUOTE (recorderzrule @ Jul 20 2004, 01:55 PM)

next I will be preparing for my GCSE performance.

Grade 8 distinction is well off the scale for GCSE performance!!!!
You will really be able to relax and enjoy your performance.

I know, but my teacher is sayin that she doesnt really want me to go back to something I've already studied and I should play something post grade 8!! but my school music teacher wants me to record something asap. I have plenty to choose from anyway so we'll just see what my teacher comes up with. I wanted to get my grade8 out of the way before my GCSEs so I'm in a good position to relax and yey its over!!

I'm a proud owner of Yamaha Series 300 Sopranino, Descant, Treble and Tenor recorders for about 2 months and I love playing them, especially the treble and tenor. Again, I don't have a teacher yet but I can play a few pieces now.

Question: Should I add the bass recorder to my collection?

if u cud, it wud be a nice addition, but if u didnt know, then think about if u wud possibly join a group in the future? becoz bass players can be difficult to find so if u had one they wud snap u up for the bass section. if u are just playing for fun then its ur decision

my dad got me a moeck rottenburgh ebony descant for my grade 8 exam, it matches my treble! hehe they look so cool together!

Do you know about the Society of Recorder Players?
See www.srp.org.uk for details.
There are branches in most counties and you just go along and join in with your local group, playing which ever recorder you like led by guest conductors. Very good for your sight reading practice! Nice to meet other recorder players as well.

QUOTE (trio @ Jul 23 2004, 08:48 AM)

Do you know about the Society of Recorder Players? See www.srp.org.uk for details. There are branches in most counties and you just go along and join in with your local group, playing which ever recorder you like led by guest conductors. Very good for your sight reading practice! Nice to meet other recorder players as well.

I'm outside the UK

Sorry, I didn't think of that!

After visiting to a music shop and trying out the bass recorder, I've decided not to have one.

I play the great bass recorder in a recorder orchestra. I borrowed one to start with but certainly wouldn't have considered buying one of my own if I wasn't going to use it on a regular basis.
The basses aren't really solo instruments. I feel that you need to be playing with others to get the most out of buying one!

anyone heard of piers adams? world famous recorder playing virtuoso? (who ive played a duet with! )
well he plays the bass as a solo instrument and it sounds amzing but its not common in our mere mortal world lol so wise decision not to get one, i imagine they are expensive!
Piers Adams Official Website

Yes - I have most certainly heard of Piers Adams - he came to Manchester last October. He could certainly get away with playing bass solo as could many professional recorder players. I have a great recording of the Loeki Amsterdam Quartet which is fabulous and lots is on lower recorders

How much are your recorders worth. I have just broought one for £40. It is a hohner soprano

I reckon I must have around £5500-worth of recorders which I use regularly, and then perhaps another £3000 of bits and pieces which I don't use all that often, eg 2nd and 3rd-best trebles, 2nd-best descant, renaissance ones etc.
I hadn't realised how much I had invested in my recorders till I came to add them up just now, but I have got all sizes from sopranino to contrabass, and the contra did cost a lot!

hey I play Treble recorder in my school's woodwind ensemble, I also play Flute

I played the recorder once in like fourth grade. It was a mandatory thing for all fourth graders though O_o

Hi, I started on descant and now I play treble and tenor mainly and sopranino when I can get away with it. Why does no-one like the sop?! I got to grade 7 standard and then my tone wasn't going anywhere so I stopped playing solo - a bit disheartened

I always heard the 4X67 called "fork" and I am in the UK, it is the same on the clarinet

and finally . . . is a great bass different to a standard bass and if so, how?

Cat

I like playing the sopranino - it's good fun! I'll be playing it in Recorder Orchestra this year actually.
A great bass goes down to the C below the lowest F on the 'normal' bass, so it's like playing a giant descant, but reading in bass clef. A contra plays an octave lower than the 'normal' bass.

hello! i'm another recorder player!!!!! i usually play treble but my favourite is the tenor... in groups i usually play bass... it's great! i haven't done any exams (yet) because i've been too preoccupied with my other instruments... but i'm considering putting myself in for grade 8 next year...