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Why is it called a recorder? -

It's true that a recorder can't actually record anything, so its name can be understandably confusing. The instrument is called a recorder because it's easy to play and memorize, and "record" used to commonly be synonymous with "memorize."

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Why does everyone learn to play the recorder? -

The recorder's simplicity is also one of the reasons it has become such a popular instrument in children's music classes. This potential for teaching wasn't always realized, though.

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Thank you, Mr. Orff -

We have German composer and educator Carl Orff to thank for introducing recorders in schools. During the mid-20th century, Orff developed a method of teaching music to children that was meant to present music-making as something very close to a child's normal practices of play and expression, instead of a daunting, theory-based ordeal.

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Orff Schulwerk -

This method is known as Orff Schulwerk, and recorders play a key role in its practices. Because the recorder is easy to learn and easy to play, it enables children to feel more accomplished at a quicker rate and helps foster a deeper interest in musical expression.

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How recorders help teach music -

The relatively limited range of the basic soprano recorders that are most commonly used in schools can also help children develop a better familiarity with notes, pitches, and octaves, since the notes on the recorder neatly correspond with the vocal ranges of most kids.

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Keeping it simple -

Recorders are much more accessible than pianos or guitars, and it doesn't take much to successfully produce a clean sound. Simplicity and accessibility can be key in keeping kids interested and motivated to make music.

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A handy instrument -

Soprano recorders in particular also fit perfectly into the hands of young ones. Unlike other, larger instruments, every tone hole on a recorder can be easily reached without children having to strain and stretch their fingers too much.

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Tough and portable -

Perhaps most important, in terms of practicality, is the recorder's small and durable build. Most recorders used in classrooms today are made of hard plastic, weigh very little, and are free of any delicate parts that could make a gentle tumble to the ground catastrophic.

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Do kids even like recorders? -

Many people have more than a few unpleasant memories involving a room filled with an ear-splitting cacophony of poorly played recorders. While countless educators swear by the attractive accessibility of recorders, some studies have shown that this very same simplicity can cause children to disregard music as a possible creative outlet.

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All the parts of a recorder -

Most mid-sized recorders, like the soprano recorder, can be easily disassembled into three parts for cleaning and transport. The names for these three segments are just as simple: starting from the mouthpiece, a recorder is made up of the head piece, the body, and the foot piece.

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How many types of recorders are there? -

While the soprano recorder is by far the most common type of recorder, there are actually several. There are five main groups of recorder, ranging from the tiny, pencil-thin garklein, to the gargantuan contrabass recorder.

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Different sizes for different sounds -

Like most instruments, the octaves available within a recorder's range depends on the size of the recorder. The largest recorder, the massive sub-contrabass recorder, stands at six feet (1.8 m) high.

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The history of the recorder -

Not only is the recorder perhaps the most common instrument in schools around the world, it also has an incredibly deep and storied history that begins in the European Middle Ages.

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The first recorders -

The first evidence of recorders appears in artwork and documents dating back to the 14th century. The oldest actual recorder ever found, known as the Göttingen recorder (not pictured), is thought to have been made some time in the late 13th century.

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Medieval melodies -

The recorder quickly rose in popularity in medieval Europe, and became a staple of music groups. The instrument commonly accompanied choral groups and royal music troupes.

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A well-respected instrument -

The recorder in medieval Europe was widely beloved by all makers and appreciators of music. Its clear and playful sound could be heard in taverns and castle courtyards across the continent.

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A Baroque favorite -

During the Baroque period of the 17th century, the recorder became particularly adored by Europe's greatest composers. Everyone from Bach to Vivaldi welcomed the recorder into their musical toolbox.

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What did the recorder represent? -

Recorders also commonly accompanied popular operas in Europe, and their sound was used to suggest sensual feelings on stage.

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Recorders on canvas -

As such a respected and upstanding instrument, the recorder was commonly depicted in medieval artwork. Recorders can be seen in the hands of angels in innumerable religious artworks, and also in the hands of portrait subjects from the nobility and peasant classes alike.

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The recorder and the Bard -

Even Shakespeare himself was a fan of the recorder, and went so far as to plug the recorder into his iconic tragedy 'Hamlet.' In the third act of the play, the titular Hamlet compares the ease with which one can play the recorder to the ease with which one can tell a lie.

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The king's collection -

King Henry VIII of England, who is most famous for his many ill-fated marriages, was also an avid appreciator of the recorder. Henry VIII's collection of instruments included no less than 76 recorders, most of which he presumably played himself.

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Recorder vs. flute -

Despite being one of the most popular wind instruments in Europe for centuries, the heyday of the recorder couldn't last forever. When the transverse flute was introduced to Europe from the East, the louder, softer, and more dynamic instrument quickly relegated the once-mighty recorder to obscurity.

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Saving the recorder -

For centuries, the recorder was ignored and considered an all-but-ancient instrument that no longer had a place in the progression of music. In the 19th century, however, interest in the recorder flourished once more as musicians and historians began to focus more on pre-classical instruments and musical practices.

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Wartime recorders -

It has been said that British POWs captured by the Germans during World War II were sometimes given recorders by their captors once they were admitted in prison camps to help pass the time and put them at ease.

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From wood to plastic -

The construction of the completely plastic world we find ourselves in today was well underway by the 1960s, as the irresistibly cheap and malleable material began to beat out traditional materials like wood and metal. It was during this decade that recorders made out of plastic became popular, especially in schools, because they were far cheaper to make and buy than wooden recorders, and sound quality didn't seem to suffer from the change of material.

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Rock n' roll recorders -

Despite being seen as an infantile and not exactly "cool" instrument, the recorder has contributed to the endlessly cool sounds of rock and roll more often than you might think.

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Famous features -

Everyone from The Beatles to The Rolling Stones to even Jimi Hendrix made use of the recorder. Even Led Zeppelin's timeless 1971 rock anthem 'Stairway to Heaven' features a recorder.

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Recorders around the world -

Flute instruments very similar to the European recorder can be found in all corners of the globe. Simple woodwind instruments are a staple in both traditional and modern music in countless cultures and communities.

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A timeless joy -

It's fairly safe to say that the recorder isn't going anywhere anytime soon. This small, unassuming instrument has managed to survive almost 800 years of musical, cultural, and technological upheaval, and continues to engage and excite children around the world who are discovering the joys of music for the first time.

See also: The world in tune: national musical instruments

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