Recorder player wants to learn a louder, buzzier instrument
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- Tell us something.: I am a decent recorder player wanting to venture into some sort of folk reed instrument without spending a fortune and without having to move heaven and earth to develop an embouchure. I need advice.
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Recorder player wants to learn a louder, buzzier instrument
Greetings, good people.
Here's my situation: I've been playing recorder since I was 10. I'm now 60. I'm not a professional-level player, but I'm pretty damn competent. I've played folky stuff by ear and I've played off sheet music in a early-music consorts.
I love the sound of shawms, bombards, crumhorns, and similar buzzy instruments. Lately I've had the urge to get some such instrument and learn to play it. But which instrument?
Ideally, I want a plastic instrument, so I can leave it in the car and play when I have spare time between appointments, etc. (I do a lot of recorder practicing in the car - I've even been known to play while waiting at traffic lights.) I'd like something that doesn't have a terribly steep learning curve in terms of embouchure and breath control. I'm willing to spend up to about $200.
At one point I had access to a plastic Susato crumhorn, and I found I could start playing tunes on it pretty quickly, although I had to take breaths more frequently than on a recorder. Apparently, they aren't manufactured any more. Does anyone have any experience with their Kelhorns?
I'm also open to something more clarinet-like. In googling around, I came across the chalumeau, which I hadn't heard of before. Has anyone gone from playing recorder to playing that type of instrument, and was it hard?
Any recommendations of specific instruments/manufacturers are welcome. Thanks in advance.
Here's my situation: I've been playing recorder since I was 10. I'm now 60. I'm not a professional-level player, but I'm pretty damn competent. I've played folky stuff by ear and I've played off sheet music in a early-music consorts.
I love the sound of shawms, bombards, crumhorns, and similar buzzy instruments. Lately I've had the urge to get some such instrument and learn to play it. But which instrument?
Ideally, I want a plastic instrument, so I can leave it in the car and play when I have spare time between appointments, etc. (I do a lot of recorder practicing in the car - I've even been known to play while waiting at traffic lights.) I'd like something that doesn't have a terribly steep learning curve in terms of embouchure and breath control. I'm willing to spend up to about $200.
At one point I had access to a plastic Susato crumhorn, and I found I could start playing tunes on it pretty quickly, although I had to take breaths more frequently than on a recorder. Apparently, they aren't manufactured any more. Does anyone have any experience with their Kelhorns?
I'm also open to something more clarinet-like. In googling around, I came across the chalumeau, which I hadn't heard of before. Has anyone gone from playing recorder to playing that type of instrument, and was it hard?
Any recommendations of specific instruments/manufacturers are welcome. Thanks in advance.
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Re: Recorder player wants to learn a louder, buzzier instrum
I used t play recorders too, (tenor/alto/soprano/sopranino), but felt that they were 'too quiet', so I got a pre used clarinet - but that turned out quite difficult to get the reed working properly all the time, (traded it for a flute).
The flute had a slightly metallic sound to it & was louder than my recorders, (but was put away for a number of years).
I now mainly play harmonicas, whistles, & keyless flutes/piccolos - much happier with theirs sounds.
The flute had a slightly metallic sound to it & was louder than my recorders, (but was put away for a number of years).
I now mainly play harmonicas, whistles, & keyless flutes/piccolos - much happier with theirs sounds.
Keith.
Trying to do justice to my various musical instruments.
Trying to do justice to my various musical instruments.
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- Tell us something.: Played sax and oboe in high school. Years later, living in apartment, decided to take up recorder as I thought it would be easier on neighbors than oboe. Been playing recorder for a few years. Have sopranino (Aulos), soprano (Mollenhauer Prima, Susato), alto (Yamaha 300, Mollanhauer Prima, Mollenhauer Denner Pallisander, Zen-on Giglio), tenor (Adler) and bass (Yamaha). Also have a lot of whistles but never really cracked (ha ha) the code as whistle technique is quite different from recorder technique. I also have a lot of harmonicas and world wind instruments (Ba Wu, Dudek, Sipsi and Nose Flute (!).
Re: Recorder player wants to learn a louder, buzzier instrum
How about a bawu?
From Wikipedia:
The bawu (simplified Chinese: 巴乌; traditional Chinese: 巴烏; pinyin: bāwū; also ba wu) is a Chinese wind instrument.[1] Although shaped like a flute, it is actually a free reed instrument, with a single metal reed. It is played in a transverse (horizontal) manner. It has a pure, clarinet-like timbre and its playing technique incorporates the use of much ornamentation, particularly bending tones.
I have one and it has a great tone, yes "clarinet-like". I have never seen one in plastic, only bamboo but I guess you could keep it in your car. Also it only has a range of a ninth but that would be similar to a crumhorn (ditto for chalumeau).
(Oops, it has a range of an eleventh, there are a few extra notes sounded by underblowing.)
Frank P.
From Wikipedia:
The bawu (simplified Chinese: 巴乌; traditional Chinese: 巴烏; pinyin: bāwū; also ba wu) is a Chinese wind instrument.[1] Although shaped like a flute, it is actually a free reed instrument, with a single metal reed. It is played in a transverse (horizontal) manner. It has a pure, clarinet-like timbre and its playing technique incorporates the use of much ornamentation, particularly bending tones.
I have one and it has a great tone, yes "clarinet-like". I have never seen one in plastic, only bamboo but I guess you could keep it in your car. Also it only has a range of a ninth but that would be similar to a crumhorn (ditto for chalumeau).
(Oops, it has a range of an eleventh, there are a few extra notes sounded by underblowing.)
Frank P.
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Re: Recorder player wants to learn a louder, buzzier instrum
FrankPerrone wrote:How about a bawu? From Wikipedia: The bawu (simplified C ... Flutemaker
Sounds like I'd have some embouchure work to do, but I'm tempted.
Last edited by Karen I. on Mon Jan 13, 2020 8:49 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Recorder player wants to learn a louder, buzzier instrum
Have you read over this thread from a few years ago? Advice on getting a Shawm or Rauschpfeife or similar, please
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Re: Recorder player wants to learn a louder, buzzier instrum
Thank you, that was helpful. I did skim over that thread before posting, but started a new thread because I wanted to ask specifically about plastic instruments and transitioning from recorder to reeds.Tunborough wrote:Have you read over this thread from a few years ago? Advice on getting a Shawm or Rauschpfeife or similar, please
I've now gone back and re-read it, and followed some of the links. I loved listening to Steve Mansfield's rauschpfeife music! Also noticing the references to how very loud some of those instruments are, and how much breath they take, I'm getting a little scared off.
Some more backstory: sometime in the 1980's, I spent a week learning Turkish zurna at a folkdance camp. I kept it up for a few months afterward, but it was so much work to become minimally competent, and it was so incredibly loud! If a shawm or a rauschpfeife is actually that loud, I clearly can't play it in the car without deafening myself and alarming the populace. (I once tried playing zurna out of an eighth-floor window, and people on the street below looked up.)
I may be looking for something that doesn't exist, and I may have to let go of one or more of my criteria: plastic, inexpensive, louder than a recorder but not *too* loud, easy for a recorder player to master without putting in a lot of time.
People on that thread seemed dismissive of Susato's kelhorns, but that seems the thing closest to what I want. Oh wait! I see that they also make plastic rauschpfeifes, which they describe as only "moderately loud." That sounds promising.
I also realized that I know some players of Scottish bagpipes, so I should probably borrow a practice chanter and see how daunting this reed thing actually is.
Again, thanks for the help and suggestions. Keep 'em coming.
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Re: Recorder player wants to learn a louder, buzzier instrum
Yamaha Venova?
https://usa.yamaha.com/products/musical ... index.html
Seems to fit your requirements! It's loud and buzzy and has a reed and it's plastic. And fun.
Andrew
https://usa.yamaha.com/products/musical ... index.html
Seems to fit your requirements! It's loud and buzzy and has a reed and it's plastic. And fun.
Andrew
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Re: Recorder player wants to learn a louder, buzzier instrum
So many possibilities! Adding Venova to the list.
I spoke to my Highland pipe-playing friend, who said he has an extra practice chanter to lend me. He also mentioned that his wife had bought, and then never done anything with, a "backpacking saxophone", which I'll also try. I don't know the brand, and I think it's wooden.
I spoke to my Highland pipe-playing friend, who said he has an extra practice chanter to lend me. He also mentioned that his wife had bought, and then never done anything with, a "backpacking saxophone", which I'll also try. I don't know the brand, and I think it's wooden.
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Re: Recorder player wants to learn a louder, buzzier instrum
Clarineau?
Here's tae us--
Wha's like us?
Damn few--
And they're a' deid--
Mair's the pity.
Wha's like us?
Damn few--
And they're a' deid--
Mair's the pity.
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Re: Recorder player wants to learn a louder, buzzier instrum
Yet another instrument name I never heard of! Do they come in plastic, though?Katharine wrote:Clarineau?
Googling "clarineau" only leads to wooden instruments, on the first few pages of results, anyway. Googling "plastic clarineau" brings up tons of plastic clarinets, even when I tell Google that I really do mean "clarineau."
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Re: Recorder player wants to learn a louder, buzzier instrum
Maybe one of these would be of interest, (it appears it comes in black too).
https://www.nuvoinstrumental.com/products/clarineo/
https://www.nuvoinstrumental.com/products/jsax/
https://www.nuvoinstrumental.com/products/clarineo/
https://www.nuvoinstrumental.com/products/jsax/
Keith.
Trying to do justice to my various musical instruments.
Trying to do justice to my various musical instruments.
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Re: Recorder player wants to learn a louder, buzzier instrum
That, I'm not sure about. It's hard to find much on them, period, but they're intriguing.Karen I. wrote:Yet another instrument name I never heard of! Do they come in plastic, though?Katharine wrote:Clarineau?
Googling "clarineau" only leads to wooden instruments, on the first few pages of results, anyway. Googling "plastic clarineau" brings up tons of plastic clarinets, even when I tell Google that I really do mean "clarineau."
Here's tae us--
Wha's like us?
Damn few--
And they're a' deid--
Mair's the pity.
Wha's like us?
Damn few--
And they're a' deid--
Mair's the pity.
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Keep on fluting.
---u---o-o-o--o-o-o--
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Re: Recorder player wants to learn a louder, buzzier instrum
I'd also recommend the Yamaha Venova as it has recorder fingering. There is also the "Xaphoon" which also comes in plastic but it has a different fingering. And it overblows like a clarinet, so not into the octave but into the twelfth. So you'd have to learn a completely new fingering. A Chalumeau might also be a nice idea. Or a Gralla.
http://www.lagralla.info/ang/botiga.php?id=2
http://www.lagralla.info/ang/botiga.php?id=2
Re: Recorder player wants to learn a louder, buzzier instrum
This guy makes a plastic pibgorn in your price range. I’’ve gone back and forth for years about getting one.
http://pibgorn.co.uk/instruments-offerynnau
http://pibgorn.co.uk/instruments-offerynnau
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