3rd Grade: Recorders

3rd grade Simis musicians will begin playing recorders this week. Here are some helpful tips to get your student off on the right hand:

•  Left Hand On Top: All woodwind instruments are played with the left hand on top (Even in countries where they drive on the other side of the road.
• Tonguing: Notes are started with a soft "doo" sound
• Soft Warm Air: This will produce a warm, pleasing tone
• Leaks Cause Squeaks: When covering a finger hole, more is better. Holes are covered with the pad of the finger, not the tip.
• Learning Notes: Although many students will learn their first songs by rote, they will also begin to learn to read notes on the staff. At the beginning students should write the letters (A, B, C, D, E, F, & G) above the notes, until they begin to memorize their spots on the staff.

Students earn "belts" when they pass songs. The belts are colored pieces of yarn that the students tie around their recorders. In order to pass a song, students must be able to play the song with the following attributes:

• Steady beat (this is the foundation of music)
• Correct notes
• Correct rhythms
• Tonguing
• Correct tone (no squeaks)

If past years are any indication, your student may become fanatical about the recorder. Setting up boundaries will help save your sanity. Here are some that have worked for Simis families:

• Practice in your bedroom with the door shut
• Play softly
• No playing in the car
• You may play a song for the family once a day when you have have mastered it

At Simis students may only play their recorders in two places:

• In the music room
• On the field

If students are playing in any of the following places, their recorders will be confiscated:

• In class
• On the sidewalk
• In the cafeteria
• On the basketball courts
• At parent pick up
• On the bus

 Although the first few weeks may be a bit rough, be prepared to start hearing recognizable tunes in a few weeks.