I use rainbow colors for my Recorder Karate belts, and the first three are easy to earn, making it possible for every student to earn Red, Orange, and Yellow Belts.

For the...

• Red Belt: Show left hand on top, good posture and play b, a, g with a pretty sound.
• Orange Belt: All of the Red Belt requirements and play "Hot Cross Buns." Earn a bead for your belt if you use tonguing properly.
• Yellow Belt: All of the Red and Orange Belt requirements and play "Mary Had A Little Lamb." Get 95% or better on note name test.

After the Yellow Belt, everything must be correctly articulated.

I fully agree that it is a basic technique (and we're constantly working on it, etc.), but given all the processes that kids need to use when playing a recorder, and given all the kids I have who deal with learning challenges of all sorts, I try to make the first three belts as attainable for everyone as I can.