Lower Intermediate

Months 6–12: key signatures, ornamentation, and Renaissance music.

20 lessons in this level.

1. 21. Key Signatures and the Circle of Fifths Why F major has one flat and G major one sharp.
2. 22. C-sharp and the Key of D Major Learn distinct low and high C-sharp fingerings, then play the Canon excerpt in D major.
3. 23. 3/4 Time and Waltzes Triple meter — the waltz, the minuet, the sarabande.
4. 24. 6/8 Time and Compound Meter Compound duple: two big beats, each divided into three.
5. 25. Sixteenth Notes Fit four even sixteenth notes into a beat, then play the prepared opening of Joy to the World.
6. 26. Ornamentation Basics — Grace Notes Grace notes — the smallest ornament.
7. 27. Ornamentation Basics — Trills Alternate two notes evenly, then fit a trill into a prepared Telemann phrase.
8. 28. Playing in G Major Practise a leading-note scale, a broken triad and Sharp/Marson’s complete first verse of The Water Is Wide in G major, or C major on alto.
9. 29. Tied Notes and Syncopation Hold tied notes without another tongue stroke and keep a steady beat through notes that start between beats.
10. 30. Introduction to Ensemble Playing Learn two duet parts, record a count-in, then play with a recording and try Frère Jacques as a round.
11. 31. High G and Extended Range High G — and a quick survey of the notes above it that complete the soprano recorder's two-octave-plus reach.
12. 32. Baroque Dance Forms Allemande, courante, sarabande, gigue.
13. 33. Renaissance Recorder Music The recorder's first great repertoire — sixteenth-century English and Continental dances, played with the modal restraint of the period.
14. 34. Chromatic Notes and Accidentals Practise G-sharp, E-flat and chromatic steps, then Mozart's exact Alla turca pickup and bars 1–4, uniformly set in E minor.
15. 35. Introduction to Baroque Style and Affect The Baroque idea that each piece carries one emotional character.
16. 36. Advanced Articulation Techniques Compare articulation patterns in drills and a literal Telemann Allegro excerpt.
17. 37. Performance Preparation and Stage Presence Performance preparation as something you do with the recorder in your hand — three pieces, three preparations, one recital.
18. 38. Musical Phrasing and Expression What a phrase is and where it ends.
19. 39. Recorder Care and Maintenance The brief, practical chapter on keeping your instrument playing well.
20. 40. Lower Intermediate Review and Next Steps The level closes with a four-piece recital — Renaissance, Baroque, folk, and a piece of your choice.