A recorder is a woodwind musical instrument, characterized by a whistle mouthpiece and a series of finger holes. It is typically made of wood or plastic and comes in various sizes, from the small sopranino recorder to the large bass recorder. The instrument is played by blowing into the mouthpiece and covering or uncovering the holes with the fingers to produce different notes. Recorders have been used historically in both classical and folk music and are commonly used in music education for teaching children the basics of music theory and performance.