could somebody please tell me what the difference is between a treble and tenor recorder, I know that a tenor and descant are both in C, so is a treble tuned to F?

Sorry this is a really stupid question

You're right, a treble is in F (which means that if you cover up all the holes, you play an F).

They alternate between C and F, here is a list showing the note you get if you cover all the holes:

Piccolino - F two and a bit above middle C (but you can't actually buy these - someone just made one as an experiment!)
Garklein - C two octaves above middle C (would be written as middle C).
Sopranino - F one and a bit octaves above middle C (written F above middle C).
Descant (aka soprano) - C one octave above middle C (written as middle C).
Treble (aka alto) - F above middle C.
Tenor - middle C.
Bass - F below middle C, written one octave lower (i.e. the F below the bottom line on the bass clef).
Great Bass - C below middle C (written one ocatve lower).
Contra Bass - F one and a bit below middle C (written at sounding pitch).
Sub contra bass - C two below middle C (written at pitch).
Sub-sub-contra-bass - F below that (written one octave higher). With a forklift truck for carrying

Here is a link that shows you the ranges.
Here is a picture of the Hampshire Recorder Sinfonia modelling garklein to contra-bass to show the sizes.

Well you live and learn...I had no idea that the recorder family was so huge...the links above were fascinating...

Thanks guys thats helpful

(wow that is a very big recorder )

Another quickie does £45 seem a reasonable price for a new tenor recorder (plastic obviously) its made by John errmm *scratches head* John ......someone..... sorry I have forgotten

Hands up who now wants a contrabass?? me!!

John Packer?

No. No desire for a contra. Now a Kung knick Great Bass.... I like C instruments.

But it's just so impressively enormous! It must sound interesting...

Great bass... yet to meet one....... it is a tad worrying that I'm not much of a recorder player, but these massive basses still make me covetous!

(Must keep saving for alto and bass flute........ only about £1700 left to find )

That's me putting my hands up for a Contrabass. We have one at my SRP branch most times and it's lovely.
Actually, we have two, one that's a 'recorder shaped' one like in the Hampshire pic, but one that's a square bass like you can see here. I can't decide whether it's good-weird or not-so-nice-weird...well, I wouldn't turn it down if someone were offering me one as a gift, anyway!

Good Intentions, £45 seems like a reasonable price. From Saunders Recorders you can get a Dolmetsch Nova for £46.50 (the Yamaha and the Aulos cost more).
Saunders Recorders is John Everingham, I wonder if that's the John you mean by any chance? If he sells it, it's bound to be good. Having said that, I have a Nova tenor and I like it.

You can get Woodnote recorders from Elida, I have the bass and I think it's fab for the price (£75! For a bass!). I haven't tried the tenors but they go from £30 to £45 depending on what colour you want...

I'm afraid I'm not in the contra market.

I lost my heart (and nearly lost my wallet) to a Moeck Rondo Knick bass. One of these days....

But I can see Andante's point about the Kung Great Bass. If it weren't for the fact my fingers didn't really cover the holes, I can see it would be tempting...

that garklein one is just cute! And I'd love to try a contra bass! Just once to see what its like! I really want to get back into recorders, I'm really regretting giving mine away...!

Hooray just ordered my very own tenor recorder!

Now I will be able to practice with out getting moaned at every 5 minutes (hoping the moaning will now go down to every ten minutes )

Another question....

I seem to remember reading in another thread that you cant take ABRSM exams on a tenor until say grade 6 onwards, is this true? If so why? It seems odd to me as the music for descant and tenor is written around middle C, and descant is an octave higher, but you still play the same music. Surely therefore tenor should be fine as its range is round middle C.

Sorry that is all worded very badly, I hope its understandable - ish.

Hi Good Intentions, congratulations on getting a tenor beastie.

As far as the exams go - for grades 1 to 5 with the ABRSM, you can either take a treble recorder exam or a descant recorder exam - all one instrument either way. I don't know whether the Board would be sympathetic to the idea of taking exams using the descant syllabus with a tenor instrument. a

Grades 6 to 8 are exams for recorder. In these exams you are expected to play the treble, but MAY play one of your pieces on the descant or tenor.

The logic behind this set-up is, I believe, that children often start by learning descant and treble separately (although the skills need to be amalgamated if one is to be a recorder player), and that the mainstream solo repertoire is predominantly for the treble recorder.

I've wondered about doing exams on a tenor: I have a friend who would love to take her recorder exams on a tenor.

I knew I'd find it if I looked...just for completeness...

Here is a picture

It is a sub-contrabass recorder - lowest note C two octaves below middle C. The lady playing it is Adriana Breuknik who also made it!

Blimey!

I have wanted a sub contra for years. Just need a second mortgage.

Recorder playing and purchasing (!!) is addictive!!!