The Recorder Woodwind Instrument (BLOG POST 1 & 2)

--How is it played? What does the person have to do to produce sound?

Most woodwind instruments are tubes. The sound comes from a vibrating column of air inside the tube. The player makes this column of air vibrate in one of several ways:

By blowing across an edge, as in the flute, recorder, whistle, and root beer bottle

By blowing between a reed and a fixed surface, as in the clarinet and saxophone

By blowing between two reeds, as in the oboe, bassoon, sarusaphone and bagpipes

--How do you change a note? (you might have to watch very carefully to see this) 

Woodwind pitch depends on the volume of air that is vibrating. A larger volume vibrates more slowly, for lower pitch; a smaller volume vibrates more quickly, for a higher pitch. For most woodwinds, the player changes pitch by opening and closing holes along the instrument's length. Without keys, there can only be as many holes as the player has fingers to cover them with. Adding keys allows the number and complexity of holes to be increased. Increasing the blowing pressure past a certain critical point (called the "break") causes the air column to resonate at a higher harmonic (see the harmonics section, below) and raises the pitch of many woodwinds by a large interval. In most cases this interval is an octave (e.g. middle C to high C), but in the clarinet it is a 12th (e.g. middle C to the G above high C). With minor variations this is the way woodwinds achieve large ranges.

--How is it shaped?

At one time, most woodwinds were made of wood; hence the name. The easiest way to characterize them now is as wind instruments (that is, you blow into them) which aren't played by buzzing your lips together.

--What does this make you think about how you can create and change sound?

i think that if you put your fingers on different holes it will kinda make it fun trying to play different notes because it is so easy to play the recorder. 

--What connections (if any) do you think you can draw between what you are observing and you might already know about waves?

its like a vibrating sound that really makes the music from your fingers to your mouth with you blowing the air into the instrument.  

1. How is sound produced by this instrument (now that you know more about sound, please try to refer specifically to the energy transfer and vibrations)?

The air vibrates over then under the fipple by the Bernoulli principal causing a vibration in the tube of air inside the recorder. The pitch is regulated by covering holes which in turn lengthen and shorten the length of vibrating air.

2. Based on your understanding, how are you changing the pitch? What physical characteristics are important in this instrument?

The recorder is distinguished from its cousin, the transverse flute, by the whistle mouthpiece built into the instrument. This mouthpiece channels the air stream through a "windway" and against an "edge" where the tone is produced, doing automatically what a flute player must learn to do through coordination of the lip muscles. The windway is an air channel carved into the "block" (of wood or plastic) which closes off the top of the instrument's tube. This block is also called a "fipple." The "window" is the rectangular opening on the front of the instrument where the edge and the bottom opening of the windway can be seen. you can really chang the pitch by the way you play the notes. 

3. What materials will you actually be using for your instrument and why? How will you play your instrument? What is your plan for constructing the instrument? 

- White pipe pice 69.5cm long

- I will drill the holes in and also one at the top i might have to turn it around a bit because of materials and turn it into a flute. so there will be one big whole at the top like a flute has to it can be played. 

- Exactly the same posture needed for good singing, either standing or sitting, is needed for good recorder playing. The back should be straight but relaxed, and the shoulders, arms, hands and fingers should all be relaxed. Tension anywhere in the body can result in poor breath support, poor tone quality, problems with intonation, or fingers that are stiff and unresponsive. The second basic element of recorder playing includes breathing and breath control. The breathing that produces a focused, unforced, non-vibrato vocal sound for children is the breathing that produces a focused, unforced, non-vibrato recorder sound. A student who can sing in tune and control the breath sufficiently to shape phrases can transfer those skills directly to the recorder.

4. What outstanding questions do you still have?

How many holes are in a Recorder? 

There are 7 holes in a recorder, plus a thumb hole on the back, which makes 8!

When will we start building these instruments?

Monday!