Learn to Play Recorder

Lesson 8: Tonguing and Articulation

  • Start notes with too and doo, and hear the difference.
  • Use clear and soft note starts in one melody.

Change the start of the note while keeping the air steady.

Articulation means how you start and join notes. Say “too” for a clear start and “doo” for a softer one, keeping the air steady.

Try two starts

Touch your tongue just behind your upper teeth, then release; use less tongue pressure for doo.

Play once with too on every note, then with doo; start slowly enough to move each finger with your tongue.

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Play: Go Tell Aunt Rhody — complete melody

Count two quarter-note beats per bar. Try too for one two-bar phrase and doo for the next; these are practice choices.

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Source: Berger/Israels, Song Anthology (2020), p. 102, CC0; up P4 for soprano. Chords and source slur omitted.

Now play these

Go Tell Aunt Rhody
Compare the same melody with different attacks.
Lightly Row
Keep repeated quarter notes separate and even.

When the melody has clear note starts with too and softer starts with doo, move on to Lesson 9.