I'm trying to make the most of the instruments I've got - can you take exams on the tenor recorder? My recorder for some reason is a lot flatter than my flute - but I thought tenors were in c?

Well, there aren't any exams specifically for tenor, but for AB Grades 6 - 8 there is the option of playing one piece on tenor.

However, it might be that you could take a descant exam on a tenor, if the piano parts were suitable to be played an octave lower. Perhaps this would sound a bit weird, though?

I'd get written permission from AB about this before doing any serious prepartion!

When you say "a lot flatter", what do you mean? A quarter of a tone, a fourth, something in between?

Yes, tenors are in c - and shouldn't really be flatter than flutes, unless you've got one at a'=415Hz. I've done three exams on recorder, and have played a tenor for two - grade 8 and ATCL. In the former, I chose to use tenor for a baroque flute piece, rather than the descant, because my tenor sounds a bit like a baroque flute in the lower parts of its range; in the latter, the piece in question was originally for violin, but the tenor gave it the dignified sound I wanted to achieve, the descant sounding more hectic. However, in both cases, I still played treble and descant as well - and in neither exam was the tenor expected.

Really recorder players play recorders rather than one recorder, so doing an exam showing you can switch is a good idea (and mandatory at higher grades, I think), but you'd not do an exam just on the one pitch, it isn't what recorder playing is about.

Kinda weird to explain. When I listen to pieces i try to play along so that i can play them, and generally my recorder is close at hand so i use that, but it is never quite in tune (on the flute its always in tune). maybe like a semitone.



It wouldn't be a high grade as i focus mainly on the flute at the mo. but i do have a treble too - but weirdly not a descant!