Submitted by Stephen Wight, Maryville, Tennessee

Idea posted May 9, 2011

My fourths have started recorder, and I feel like I'm the pied piper now. They're just aching to know more! I think I'm going to hold out on them and let them progress little-by-little, so that we work on stuff like tone, posture, and breath support.

My first lesson:

  1. My chairs were set up like a band - two semicircles, 6 in front, 10 in back.
  2. We started out without recorders. We practiced how to sit.
  3. Breathing exercises (each one about 4-5 times)
    • - in for 4, out for 4
    • - in for 4 and hold
    • - in for 4 and hold it, but without closing your throat or mouth (I tell them that should feel like I could drop a string down your mouth and directly into your lungs)
    • - in for 4, hold like that for 4, then let it spill in a trickle out of your mouth for 4 (you should have leftovers)
    • - in 4, trickle 8
    • - in 2, trickle 8
    • - in 2, trickle 12
    • - in 1, trickle 12, 16, 20, 24. I tell them we won't be ready for the recorders until we can trickle our air for 24 counts.
  4. Distribute recorders and explain recorder rules (when not playing they're sideways in your lap, etc.)
  5. First note - B - in for 4, B for 8
  6. Echoing rhythms on B, and how to tongue
  7. Add A - in for 4, A for 8
  8. Echoing rhythms on A, then B and A
  9. Learn G - in for 4, G for 8
  10. Echoing rhythms on G, then G and A, then BAG
  11. Rote teach Hot Cross Buns
  12. Introduce notation

We had a BLAST! And they loved it, and wanted more!