Slightly off topic, but I couldn’t resist. I just bought my fiancee and myself 2 of the coolest recorders ( played that long before the whistle). They are Yamaha sopranos (soprani?), model yrs-20BG, and are made in clear plastic. These are not just a novelty, but are in fact very excellent soprano recorders. We both have very good wooden instruments, but wanted indestructible ones to haul on picnics, hikes etc. They come 3 outlandish shades of pink, blue, and green. If anyone made really good whistles in clear plastic, they’d have a hit on their hands…
Best thing was the price: under $6 US. I got mine from Courtly Music in Warrensburg NY, but other recorder suppliers carry them too.
I’m still thrashing about with my Walton’s, but enjoy listening to good (to my ear) recorder playing by two guys who call themselves the Brobdingnagian Bards. You can find them on MP3.com to give a listen. “Shepherd’s Serenade” and “The Bridge - A Lover’s Apology” are two of my favorites.
Just my two cents,
Rick
Bp,
Thanks for the tip, I’ll have to check out the local Yamaha store and see if they have them yet. I have been using and recommending their white plastic soprano for years. All the schools here use them. Maybe the kids would play them more if they were “cool” colours!
Sue
I have one of the clear blue ones.
Jessie
I have one of the white plastic Yamahas; when I first got it I didn’t realize how good the sound was compared to most other “cheap” recorders… Probably a silly question - but do those transparent ones sound the same as the plain white?
I found pictures on Elderly.com – that blue is nifty. I think I need to make another (local, thankfully - not catalog) music store run!
~DW~
Yes, the transparent recorders sound every bit as good as the white ones. We rehearsed with some friends last night, and these clear recorders fit right in with the “real” ones.
BTW-- for an even cooler effect, try to find a frind or 2 who also wantto try thse recorders. You can mix and match the pieces, making a multi-colored, transparent recorder.
I’ve sworn off the recorder until I’ve gotten the whistle well figured out. As much as I regret it sometimes (I’m playing about half the tunes I used to in session because I am constantly screwing up on notes between B and D), I’ve improved in whistle playing by beaps and lounds since locking my recorders away.
[quote]
On 2001-08-13 12:41, tyghress wrote:
I’ve sworn off the recorder until I’ve gotten the whistle well figured out.
I did that in the beginning, not consciously, but simply because Iwas so involved with the whistle. Now, I can switch from instrument to the other at will, even the recorders in F.
You mean there’s hope for my playing? <whew!>
My hat’s off to Yamaha for their Easter Recorders (so called not only for their eastery-neon palatte, but also because they were supposed to be available in quantity last year at Easter - although my shipment arrived about Halloween!). They are absolutely the best recorder deal on the face of the planet - sweet, intonation on the mark, not screechy (if you pay attention to working on tone).
I’ll only play a wooden recorder for about an hour before I set it aside to dry out (excess moisture can destroy intonation permanently, which is also true for whistles) … and as I practice for at least 3 hours at a stretch, I go through recorders! No worries with these plastic ones, which perform quite brilliantly even with my ensemble.
Kids love them - when I did a performance for a grade school, everyone wanted to know where they could come by one (or two, or all three - hey, even a cheap deal for the set!). Best of all, since they are clear, kids get all excited about watching the physics of “lung humidity” in action!
I thought I was the only one who mixed and matched my parts. I’m glad there are others equally lunatic out there!
FE
Where can you get a clear one?
I got mine at Courtlymusiclimited.com
Note that these are clear pink, blue, or green, not totally clear. Now THAT would be cool!!
Whoops, if anyone else is trying to find it, it’s courtlymusicUNlimited.com smile
[quote]
On 2001-08-17 08:23, avanutria wrote:
Whoops, if anyone else is trying to find it, it’s courtlymusicUNlimited.com smile
Dang!! I knew that. Typed it correctly the first time, and thought it looked wrong…anyway, great store, nice people..Visit them if you are ever in the Adirondacks of upstate NY
Hmm, they’re only five hours from me, but a bit of a road trip nonetheless…I’ll have to find something else in the area to interest a friend. Or bribery.
Courtly is in a beautiful area in the Adirondack Mts. Veryclose to Lake George, not too far from Lake Placid ( fantastic). If you are a skier, Gore Mt is very close by.
Note that Courtly is closed on Sundays and Mondays, so you would want to plan your trip around that. If you’re gonna pass near/through Troy NY on your way, give me a call…