Lesson 39: Recorder Care and Maintenance

• Clear and store your recorder so it sounds the same tomorrow as today.
• Play one piece on a freshly serviced instrument and listen for the difference.

The instrument that sounds bad today is sometimes the instrument you did not swab yesterday.

Plastic needs almost nothing — swab, dry, store cool. Wood needs more — break-in, oil, cork grease, patience with humidity.

After every session

• Swab the bore with the cleaning rod and a cloth — moisture in the windway is the most common cause of stuffy tone.
• Wipe the mouthpiece with a soft cloth.
• Disassemble fully and lay the pieces out to dry; never case a wet recorder.

Wood-specific routine

• Break-in: new wooden recorders need short sessions (15-20 minutes) for the first month.
• Oil once or twice a year — sparingly, inside the body only, never the head.
• Cork grease on stiff joints — a thin smear, not a glob.

Plastic-specific routine

• Wash periodically with warm soapy water; rinse and dry thoroughly. That is the entire routine.

For stuffy tone, squeaks, or notes that won't speak, see troubleshooting.

Now play one piece, freshly serviced

Swab, warm the instrument, and play one piece you know well, listening for the extra clarity.

Silent Night

Slow, sustained — reveals tone clarity.

Vivaldi: Concerto RV 443 (Largo)

Lyrical phrasing across the full register.

When a piece on the freshly swabbed instrument sounds clear — no stuffiness on any note — move on to Lesson 40.