I've been teaching myself the recorder for a few months and it's been an enjoyable experience. But I have a problem with the windway condensation so bad that it's so blocked that I can't get the top notes in clean, clear sound. It usually happens in winter with the recorder is a bit cold. What do you do minimise condensation in the narrow, arched windway of the Yahama 30x series descant, treble and tenors recorders? Soak the beak in hot water and blow out the water before playing?

Plastic recorders can be a real pain for getting 'fogged up' quickly - wooden ones in general aren't nearly so bad.

You can buy anti-condensing stuff in some music shops, which you then dribble carefully down the windway. Or if you put a little washing-up liquid in a bowl with water and then immerse the head-joint for a while, that should help - it makes the condensation form a sheen rather than big droplets, apparently. Don't put too much washing-up liquid in though, or you'll end up frothing rather than playing !

But you'll never get rid of the problem completely; it's just something we have to deal with. 'Sucking back' during rests is the most efficient way of clearing the windway quickly and relatively quietly.

QUOTE (jo.clarinet @ Jan 13 2005, 12:28 PM)

Or if you put a little washing-up liquid in a bowl with water and then immerse the head-joint for a while, that should help - it makes the condensation form a sheen rather than big droplets, apparently. Don't put too much washing-up liquid in though, or you'll end up frothing rather than playing  :D !

After immersion, don't rinse, just let it dry by itself. You'll get used to the nasty taste eventually.

I have exactly the same problem and was only grumbling about it last night! I find a wooden recorder much better to play than plastic. I always try to be as "dry" as possible when I play and if it gets a real problem, I have a thin piece of j cloth (dish cloth thing from Sainsburys) that I feed through the mouth piece to soak up the dribble. I sometimes find that the dribble runs out of the hole on the back of the recorder!

Best of luck to you and get a wooden recorder, they are miles better although so expensive

QUOTE (jo.clarinet @ Jan 13 2005, 12:28 PM)

Plastic recorders can be a real pain for getting 'fogged up' quickly - wooden ones in general aren't nearly so bad.

I used a good Aulos descant and a good Yahama treble for grade 7 recently, but found the 'fogging up', a bit of a worry. I am happy with the instruments in every other way. Would you suggest I upgrade to wooden recorders for grade 8 then?