Using Flute Music as Recorder Music

Most instruments used in Western music are part of a larger instrument family. A family is a group of instruments that, while not exactly the same, share some common traits or “family resemblances”. For example, you probably already know that there are several different instruments within the flute family, such as the piccolo, the flute, the alto flute, etc. However, if we broaden our focus even more, we can examine instruments within the larger woodwind family that share certain commonalities with the flute as well.

One of the best examples of this is the recorder. In fact, the recorder is sometimes referred to as a fipple flute (meaning, a flute that is played by blowing air into the instrument). Both the flute and recorder have histories that stretch back thousands of years. It’s believed that humans were playing flutes about 35,000 years ago! But the modern version of these instruments began to appear around the 1400s. While the modern flute is arguably the more popular of the two instruments today, the recorder had long periods of fame in both the Renaissance and Baroque musical eras. Even today despite its diminished popularity, the recorder is still a prominent tool used for music education. It is a great and inexpensive way to be introduced to the world of music. And in addition to it being a cheap way to start, you can easily use flute music as recorder music.

The Benefits of Using Flute Music as Recorder Music

All of these similarities between the recorder and the modern flute are a great advantage for musicians looking for recorder music, since flute music can easily be modified to be performed on the instrument. The biggest benefit of using flute music as recorder music is that the original feel of the piece is largely preserved. While tone production on the flute and recorder vary quite a bit, the actual sound produced is similar. So much so, that an untrained ear might not even be able to tell the difference! This means that the end result of making the switch from flute to recorder music will not sound odd or out of place, as it might on other instruments. For example, a recorder playing the Bach A minor flute partita would sound much more natural and appropriate than it would on a trumpet or saxophone. Using flute music as recorder music is also great for a musician who finds themselves in a musical slump. Once you begin to gain experience and start playing lots of pieces, you may find that you’re bored or unhappy with the musical options on the recorder. However, by turning to the flute repertoire and using it as recorder music, you open up a whole new world of possibilities. Doing this can also be quite an educational experience for a musician. Exposing yourself to new music is a great way to learn just how big and diverse the music world really is.

 Some Things to Watch Out For

Before you begin transcribing flute music for the recorder, there are a couple of considerations to keep in mind. First, it’s important to remember that the modern flute is pitched as a C instrument. This means that the notes on a page of flute music correspond to the actual notes being played. However, this is not necessarily the case with recorders. While C recorders are definitely easy to obtain, there are a variety of different sizes that are not necessarily pitched in C. This only becomes an issue if you’re playing your recorder music with a group of other musicians, though. Plus, if you’ve got a good eye for transposition, you should be able to easily re-write the music with the appropriate pitches. If you’re just interested in solo playing, using a differently-pitched recorder will not make too much of a difference. Another consideration when it comes to flute-turned-recorder music is that the playing range of the instruments is quite different. Depending on what type of recorder you have, its range is probably somewhere between the C in the middle of the treble clef staff and the C two (or perhaps even three!) octaves above that. Unlike the recorder, the flute has a range that typically extends from middle C to the C three octaves above that. So, as you can see there are some notes in flute music that a recorder will not be able to play. However, you shouldn’t let this deter you from finding new recorder music. The simplest fix for this problem is to transpose the notes into a range that the recorder can actually play, and this is quite easy to do. Most musicians find that they are able to transpose octaves without the need of actually penciling in the new notes. One last consideration to think about when using the flute as a source of recorder music is that, due to its design, the flute is capable of executing fast, technical passages much easier than on the recorder. This is due in large part to the fact that the flute is played be pressing down keys, while the recorder is played by covering tone holes (which can be difficult to cover accurately). However, this doesn’t mean that flute pieces are impossible to play. It simply means that you’ll need to practice more to get it up to par.

Overall, your experience using flute music as recorder music should be an enjoyable and interesting one. Playing music on an instrument other than the one it was intended for is a great learning experience and the perfect way to bring new life to our rich history of musical traditions.