Hi Sarah. I started playing the recorder at age 5. Have been playing for 10 years, then stopped due to school, work and life. A few months ago (after a twenty year break) I started playing again. I stumbled across your channel and just have to tell you that you are doing a fabulous job with your videos explaining all the technique. I had forgotten so many things (and some I didn't know at all) but the way you explain everything makes it so much fun to actually get into the more advanced and dry techniques. This video on trills was a revelation for me. I felt like drowning when I tried to tackle trills in the Händel sonatas. Thank you so much for your work here! 💕
I remember playing Recorder at school and you have truly brought this instrument to life! It's a truly beautiful instrument! Thanks so much for your detailed and helpful videos
Love this video! I've always been "trill challenged" but after watching your video, I feel a bit more courageous about practicing and using trills. Thank you!!!
Dear Sarah - your videos are fun and your enthusiasm contagious! :-) Being a clarinet player a video like this is also very helpful, especially the 3-4-5 "how are you etc" exercise. Thanks for producing such rich material!
Brilliant tutorial Sarah - I have the Gudrun Heyens books and they are so full of information that I haven't even scratched the surface yet. Love the specs!!!!!!
Omg, I just realized that I've been subscribed to Darragh Kearns-Hayes all this time, but I had not looked at the videos recently, then I looked at one today for whistle advice, and realized it was you showing all those whistle techniques!!! And thank goodness, you don't use piper's grip, because I've been fighting it and people trying to convince me to use it for low whistles, and I just can't and don't want to. You are truly the goddess of woodwinds! 🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹
I have wanted to learn how to play trills on the recorder. I am so glad to watch your video. I was thinking there was a very specific formula for how many notes you play and how fast you play them. It was a bit daunting. It is great to find out that isn't so. I especially love Celtic and folk music and really want to start inserting the embellishments, but didn't know where to begin. I am currently working through book 1 of "Fun and Games with the Alto Recorder" by Gudrun Heyens and Gerard Engel and got to the point where they start you on trills and other embellishments. The book is wonderful, but it is also nice to HEAR how something is supposed to sound, or at least have someone explain it. Thanks!
+Gayle Maurer Hi Gayle, glad the video on trills helped! I made a video on Celtic embellishments ('how to play folk music') so I hope that works for you too. I love that Gudrun Heyens method btw!
Trill Technical Exercise - revised by Mark Woodward 3-notes from above, “What are you?” [Inverted Mordent] from below, “I’m a trill.” [Mordent] 4-notes starting below/ending up, “How are you played?” starting above/ending down, “Start from above.” 5-notes from above, “When should trills begin?” from below, “Trills go on the beat." 6-notes starting below/ending up, “Where should I put a trill?” starting above/ending down, “On a repetition.” OR “At a final cadence." 7-notes from above, “What if the note resolves up?” (Can be played with a turn!) from below, “You can end me with a turn.” 8-notes starting below/ending up, “Then, what if the note resolves down?” starting above/ending down, “An anticipation... works well.” (Can be played with an anticipation!)
Thank you for the suggestions about practising trills. My favourite quote about trills is Monteclair saying (effectively) that you should spend a lot of time practising trills, because you'll spend a lot of time playing them.
thank you for pointing out you start with the upper note, I was confuesed on that. Great video, with so many information. A little difficutl to grasp all the info for a learner, maybe. You just hint how to start a trill but it is the main difficult issue. Surely you can make another great video about trills.
Yet another excellent video!! I really appreciate that you give techniques applicable to beginners but also fairly advanced players. Everybody has room to improve, and your videos point the way.
I love the Recorder! But recently I've found my love for Low Whistles. These are great video for technique for whistles! thank you! You number one Fan xD
I've watched so many of your videos this month and will surely watch many more. Thank you so much for continuing to make these videos, your channel is honestly a treasure trove
Tremendous. I learn important things about music with your every upload. Comprehensive explanations and demonstrations, and invaluable too are your resource references. You have me listening to Telemann's Flute Fantasias on permanent loop in the car.
Hi Sarah, I’m just learning my first trill, it’s an a-g with the alternative fingering you showed, and is for La Volta on the treble. I looked this video back up to try and help my practice - which it has, thank you.
Oh, tulipwood! My favorite wood for recorders! I just upgraded to a Kung Superio alto in tulipwood and love it. Great video on trills...I cheat sometimes and try out the trill on piano first. :D
Thank you Sarah! Now I can play "Menuet" Boccherini starting from A on my soprano german recorder and using cheating fingers! I could play it before only transposed and started from G.
I'm just one more starting out in recorder playing, an instrument I can get into a suitcase. Thanks for your enthusiasm and helpful comments. I don't think I will ever get tired of the Telemann Fantasias. AnoDoninae is the only thing that will stop me.
German: Don't end your trill this way, it sounds unsophisticated! French: By all means trill like that (gives opposite advice to the German). Me: make it easy for yourself, depending what you're playing take advice from both!
I've always thought the recorder would be held very firmly and rigidly to the mouth, as I was a trumpet player in school. Seeing you play has taught me this isn't so! What really surprised me, is it looks like the recorder is barely resting on your lips! It just floats :-o
Hi Sarah, I was thinking of taking up the recorder, ive heard so many great baroque pieces for it and it seems really fun! I was wondering what Recorder you are using in this video and what range I should pick up first(Soprano/alto etc.)
Hi, Sarah. Could you please tell me what that little part you play right at the 3:00 minute mark is, and the one right before it? Loved the sound of those. Thanks for another great video.
Hi Jeff, the one at 3:00 ("to decorate the melody") is from the Sammartini concerto in F for soprano recorder. The one right before it was just an improvisation..! Glad you enjoyed the video!
Sarah, let me ask you a rather off-topic question. I'm a pure amateur (in my middle age) but I've been practicing more and more lately. I've been using a Yamaha descant plastic recorder and I'd like to know whether you recommend a wood recorder, and if so, what type of wood and even what brand? Thanks, love your videos!
Hi I am currently studying Handel's Sonata in C major and on the 5th movement literally the first trill is an F trill on the treble. I know that the trill can be achieved by just taking the thumb on and off again but is there an easier quicker way?
This is an amazing video. Sarah, you are a born teacher. This is an important topic in baroque music, so eloquently explained. There are so many good tips in this video. Sarah, would you consider doing a video on how to play diminutions using examples from the La Fontegara book by Ganassi which I've purchased at your recommendation. It would be nice to hear how you recommend playing them. Thank you so much.
Is it common for the f' to e' trill on alto to be played using the normal fingering (finger 2 to 1)? This trill occurs often in the Baroque music I'm just starting to get into, and the alternative fingering of 2 to 23 feels very unnatural for my left-hand ring finger, and although the normal fingering is harder to get right, it sounds much better when it works. Also, there doesn't seem to be an easy way to get to the d' for a turned trill using the alternative fingering. I almost prefer the more obscure 123 to 12346 (no thumb) fingering for this trill, to avoid the left-hand ring finger movement.
I really miss the trill keys that my clarinet had. I am entire 3 weeks into trying to teach myself the recorder and am VERY slowly learning the challenging fingering.
I'm stupid ambitiously trying to play the Bach minuet (transposed for alto) that comes before badenerie, so I came back to this. 1. You have your teacher look glasses on! 2. Lawd I was trilling wrong. I'd the trill F and I was trilling figer 2 instead of 0. SMH. Theory helps understand for sure!
How does this turn-ending work? I do not understand and I have not properly seen it? What notes does she play? - I see she is playing c- a (on the soprano) f - d (on the alto)
Suppose your piece contains the notes c - b - a. It's the end of the phrase in a minor, and the a is the end note. Suppose you are to trill on the b. So what you do to get the turned ending is you play the trill cbcbcbcbcbcbcbcb, and the you go down one more note, a, and go up again to b, before you play the final long a. So your trill will actually be like cbcbcbcbcbcbcbcbab, and then the final note a. This is a kind of ending that always goes well when you have three notes at the end of the phrase that goes down. Upwards you can do this analogously. Suppose you have got a phrase, a beginning of a melody maybe, that goes c - d - e, then a take a short breath, and go on with the next phrase. On the d you put a trill. This trill would then be ededededed (because you start on the higher note, and the melody goes up). If you want a turned end to this trill you could play ededededededcd - and then the final e. So all in all: c ededededededcd e . (How often you trill depends on how long your note is, I've just put down an arbitrary number.)
Go directly to "So how do I play one" at 4 minutes and 3 seconds. Discussion of glasses glare, random and general historical information, disclaimers, a bit of showmanship, and other generally fun stuff is good but I wanted to play a trill NOW. Once we get to what we came here for, it's FANTASTIC. Thank you, Sarah!
Thx. Could be improved by lowering the camera to show the flute when you are playing or about to play. When you talk raise the camera to see your charming facial expressions.
