Recorder
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The Recorder is a vertical flute with a whistle mouthpiece. This is the treble recorder : one of a large family of recorders ranging from the tiny sopranino to the great bass. During the 17th and 18th centuries, the recorder was a favorite solo and ensemble instrument, popular for its sweet and gentle sound. The treble and the smaller descant recorder are now widely used in schools.
| Family |
| Woodwinds |
| Pitch range |
| Up to two octaves. |
| Material |
| Wood. |
| Size |
| Variable : this example, the treble, is 19 in (48 cm) long ; other recorders range from 6 in-8 ft (15 cm-2.40 m) long. |
| Origins |
| Whistle flutes of bone have existed since antiquity. The wooden recorder emerged in the 14th century. The earliest examples had no "break ;" instead, the mouthpiece was squared off. |
| Classification |
| Aerophone: an instrument that produces its sound by the vibration of a column of air. |
| And also... |
| The term "recorder" probably denotes that the instrument was used to record tunes - in the sense of recalling and repeating them. |
