I have finally decided to make some use out of my soprano and alto recorders. However, I have long forgotten the proper embouchure (if I ever knew it in the first place), and I am not sure how exactly to tongue, as I remember having trouble tonguing in elemantary school. Can anyone explian the embouchure and tonguing of the recorder.

James Dowdy Moose

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P.S. I use Woodwind Fingering Guide quite a lot, and I looked up some recorder fingers. I understand most of them, but I do not understand what the X means.

what do you need help with SPECIFICALLY? You are asking a pretty broad question.

for more info, you can visit Recorder Haven. It is a forum dedicated entirely to the recorder.

http://www.getphpbb.com/phpbb/index.php?mforum=recorderhaven

Thanks for the reply.

To ask more specifically, does the positions of one's lips matter on recorder, and do the teeth actually touch the mouthpiece, on either side? As for tonguing, does the tongue articulate by hitting the mouthpiece to prevent air passage, or is it like a brass instrument, in which one's tongue hits his/her incisors to stop the air?

Thanks for the link too. I shall have a look at it.

James Dowdy Moose

ok so first bit the teeth should not touch the mouthpiece. thats the easy part!

ok so for the tounge well i had to pick up my recorder to see what i actually do here (i kinda just do it and not think about it) well my toung doesn't touch the recorder and only touches the edge of my teeth to stop the air flow...don't know if this is strictly speacking correct but it gives me a distinct start and stop to my notes (so it is good enough for me)!!

also if you sort of speak the word tooooo into your recorder for each note it helps

take care JamJar Jacob

oh and as for the X in the fingering guide if your on about what i think you are it means that you should block the bell (end) of the recorder with your knee. its a trick to make the recorder go higher than it would normally go. though its hard to do it with a saprano without looking like a bit of a pillock...its easiest to do it with a tenor.

again take care
JamJar J

Thanks a bunch! Appreciate the answers.

What recorder fingering guide are you using? I'm not certain about that X - it could mean something else, depending on the particular fingering guide and who made it up. Sometimes an X means "cover that hole" or "don't cover that hole" since different people have different ideas on how to do up a fingering guide.

It's covering the hole, I've figured out, since it is only for high notes and partially for low B. I use the Woodwind Finguring Guide (wfg.woodwind.org) to get my fingurings for woodwind instruments.