Recorder Learning Methods
The best way to learn the Recorder
As a part of our ‘Beginner’s Guide To Learning The Recorder’ collection, this unique section gives you the tools to decide on which method of learning is going to be right for you as well as your individual situation.
Main ways for Recorder Learning Methods
People learn differently. Some have photographic memories; some can speed read, while others can’t read in any way. We are all different, and for this reason, there isn’t one ‘correct’ way of mastering a musical instrument.
The four important learning methods that you can get are:
– Traditional, face-to-face, one-to-one learning
– Traditional, face-to-face, group lessons
– Video Tutorials
– AppsÂ
If you’re a beginner or have been playing for years, one of those four options will be perfect for you. It’s just a matter of finding out which be is most suitable.
Traditional, face-to-face, one-to-one lessons
If you think of Recorder lessons, your first image might be something like this…
Getting exclusive, one-to-one lessons can be an incredible experience if you discover the appropriate teacher. There truly is no replacement for taking in all the knowledge of your teacher.
Our Founder, Robert Emery, was in fact taught by Ruth Nye at the Royal College of Music. She really was one of the best teachers on earth, and the reality that Robert could absorb her expertise in 4 years ended up being a precious gift.
There exists a problem though:
Not every coach has the knowledge of Ruth Nye.
In fact, the scary element is the fact that to be a music teacher, you actually don’t require any accreditation at all. Not a thing. Zip. As a total novice, you could be taking income from individuals and pass yourself off as being an expert. educatorAnd this, dear visitor, is definitely the most important downside to a conventional teacher:
Quality control.
It is advisable to find a really skilled teacher who you connect with. Who realizes both you and your demands. Who will make you laugh. Who you anticipate going to see each week. If you can discover this person, you will have then achieved a little something most people fail at. Getting encouraged because of your trainer is definitely the magical dust that can keep you studying for years to come.
Some teachers are now offering remote lessons, most using the platform Zoom. This can be a great way of studying with a teacher who lives too far to travel to in person.Â
Of all the alternatives in this posting, this can be the most costly. But as always with things in daily life, you often get what you pay for…
PROS
- Personalised feedback
- Lessons Adapted To Your Style Of Learning
- The Most Efficient Way Of Learning
- Can Be The Most Inspiring Option
CONS
- Expensive
- Difficult Scheduling
- Finding Right Teacher Is Difficult
- Requires You To Travel
Classic, face-to-face, Group courses
Based on your location, you may be able to find group lessons. The ethos is a lot like one-to-one lessons, though the pricing is lower as the trainer will have to divide their time between every one of the students.
For orchestral musical instruments, such as violins, group lessons are quite a smart idea to get started with. Virtually all professional violinists, after all, find themselves as one of many violins inside an orchestra. Recorders will be slightly different, however. It is very much a solo instrument.
How often have you seen recorder players playing together in a group? Thought not…
PROS
- Personalised feedback
- Can Be Fun Learning In A Group
- Cheaper Than One-2-One Lessons
CONS
- Difficult Scheduling
- Limited Choice Of Teacher
- You'll Learn At The Speed Of The Group
- Sharing The Teacher With Others
- Requires You To Travel
Video Tutorials
Free Courses
YouTube is naturally the international superpower in regards to video material. You will discover an enormous amount within this platform for Recorder Lessons and it’s not possible to review them all.
Like lots of things in life, 95% of the content material you’ll come across is pretty awful, with the remaining 5% being absolutely wonderful. The trick is to locate the 5%, and that can be easier said than done.
Like most mass appeal platforms, 95% of the content is complete rubbish, with the other 5% free gold dust. Finding that 5%, however, is tricky! Sarah Jeffery’s channel has some great videos and I also really like the Consort Counsellors.
In case you would prefer to not commit your money and to use the totally free content material on YouTube, you’ll need to devote a respectable amount of your time finding a well-respected teacher that you like.
Paid Courses
There are 100’s of paid recorder lessons on the web. Yet again, just like YouTube, it’s not possible to evaluate all of them. Suffice to say, two of the most popular platforms are:
Â
Learnrecorder.com is a popular site which offers three, six and twelve-month paid membership options. They use modern, web-based technology to teach the recorder using audio players and you can try some sample lessons for free to see if this method will work well for you.
A particular favourite is the Play With A Pro platform as you can take your pick from a wide range of different piccolo teachers from around the world and you can also find teaching in many different languages. There is a good mix of free and paid content and it includes basic technique, solo repertoire and orchestral excerpts.
PROS
- Low Cost or Free
- Huge Amount of Content
- Learn Whenever You Want
- No Travelling To Lessons
- Great For Popular Material
CONS
- So Much Choice It's Difficult To Find Great Content
- Quality of Content Is Questionable
- Not Great For Classical Playing
About the Author
Chloë Vincent
Chloë is a graduate of the Guildhall School and concert highlights include the BRIT awards with Billie Eilish, The Who at Wembley Stadium and performing for the Queen at Buckingham Palace. Chloë regularly records at studios such as Abbey Road, working for artists such as Kanye West, Madonna and Michael Kiwanuka as well as film sessions. Orchestral work covers tours of China and Japan and performing at the Musikverein in Vienna. Chloë lives in Oxfordshire with her trumpeter husband and enjoys cooking and playing board games in her spare time.
Twitter - @chloeflute
Other posts by this author
Twitter - @chloeflute
Zoom Lessons
If you’re looking for that one-to-one setup, but don’t want to trek around to a teachers house every week, then online lessons can work really well.
There are A LOT of companies out there that do lessons over Zoom, so you have to be ultra careful the quality is up to scratch. Â But the service we have found that has consistently great feedback is www.lessonwithyou.com. Â We like that they offer a half-hour lesson completely for free so you can try out the service and that they offer flexible scheduling with no contracts. Â They have teachers from Julliard, Berkeley, and Johns Hopkins – so the standard is high. Â Lastly, we LOVE that they don’t as for your credit card details for the trial lesson.
Recorder Learning Methods - Summary
If you want to make quick progress and receive personalised advice then Face-To-Face one-on-one lessons with a good teacher are the best option. However video content is an affordable way to learn the recorder at a pace to suit you and has the added benefit that you can take lessons from home.Â
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