Instructional Videos

Access the ARS Instructional Videos directly on our website under the Resources tab. For the beginning player, a good place to start is the series of short videos covering How to Play the Recorder and How to Play Simple Songs on the Recorder. Together, the two sets of videos are nearly 37 minutes long and are complemented by a downloadable fingering chart and a synopsis of the instructions.

For ARS members who are classroom teachers or teachers of beginning players, consider watching Recorder Power, which offers lots of great ideas, and comes with an 8-page handout to accompany the material covered in the video. 

Technique Tip Videos

The Resources tab on the ARS website also leads to 21 Technique Tip videos.  During the COVID-19 pandemic, the ARS invited recorder professionals to create the videos because teachers and students were restricted from face-to-face interaction. Over four hours of video instruction resulted. The videos remain useful today and have the added advantage that viewers can watch them several times, if they wish, and pause at any point to practice what was just presented.  

Among the wide range of topics covered in these videos you will find tips to beginners on left-hand thumb technique, how to hold a bass recorder, and playing low notes. Any player could benefit from a review of breathing exercises while playing, playing with dynamics, or maintaining proper body position, and producing long tones. There is a video for those interested in playing recorder by ear, and several videos covering aspects of tonguing and articulation technique.  More advanced subjects, such as trills and baroque ornamentation, are also represented by four different videos.  

Extended Recorder Techniques

The most recent addition to the ARS website contains links to five videos covering Extended Recorder Techniques. As the introduction to the web page states, "Extended technique" is a term used to describe unconventional, unorthodox or "improper" techniques of singing, or of playing musical instruments. Many of these, such as glissando, flutter tonguing, or singing while you play, can be used in a range of musical styles, not just modern music. The videos explain common extended techniques on the recorder. Refer also to the ARS NOVA from May 2023, which elaborates on these techniques.

We hope you’ll take time to explore the instructional videos that ARS offers, available for public viewing. If you find them helpful, please share them with your friends and fellow players. ARS aims to support and grow the recorder community, both amateur and professional, and one way of doing so is to provide educational resources in the form of these videos. If you’re not yet a member of ARS, please consider joining our community. First-year membership is half-price!