Recorder Beginner Method (w. Diagrams/Fingering Charts) for Soprano Recorder

A resource for class or peripatetic teachers in primary education to assist in teaching total beginners.
Intended as a gentle and gradual introduction to music reading.

You will get two PDF booklets:

• Recorder notation and diagrams (fingering charts), including a how-to guide
• Piano notation

INSTRUMENT
This method is for the standard soprano recorder.

THE METHOD
The Beginner level consists of 12 lessons which are essentially 8-bar music exercises. Each exercise introduces a new note/rest length or another musical symbol, with lessons named after the topic they cover. The notations are formatted in landscape orientation for use on electronic devices or printing.

FOR WHOM?
This method is recommended for students in primary school education without any previous music knowledge.

RECORDER NOTATIONS & DIAGRAMS
To assist young learners, the notes are colour-coded by pitch. The fingering charts are following the colour-coding of the notes, making them visually part of the notation.
The 12 lessons cover only 4 note pitches; the rest are introduced at the Intermediate level.

Lesson names / topics covered

1. Music Fractions (1/4 + 1/8 notes, A-B )
2. Half note
3. Quarter Rest
4. Half Rest
5. Three Notes (G-A-B)
6. Repeat
7. Dotted Half Note
8. Dotted Quarter Note
9. Four Notes (G-A-B-C)
10. Waltz
11. Pickup bar
12. Triplet

HOW TO GUIDE
The How To Guide is a single-page resource added to the Notations booklet. It is a tool to help young learners visualise and internalise the basics of playing the instrument such as proper fingerings, diagram perspective and relation to the notations. It consists of several photos of recorder fingerings linked to the appropriate diagrams and notes on the staff.

PIANO NOTATION
Piano notation is provided for teachers or intermediate/advanced students, with the right-hand notation following the melody and the left-hand providing an easy accompaniment. The piano notation also includes chord names.

OTHER BEGINNER-LEVEL RESOURCES
This resource is in the D-major scale. Other resources in this series that use the same melodies include Ocarina (D*), C-instruments, Harmonica (in C), Ukulele © and Guitar (G).
/*While the Ocarina and Recorder melodies are identical, some of the melodies of the other instruments are modified to the fingerings and ease of accessibility for beginners./

NEXT-LEVEL RESOURCES
The ‘Beginner level precedes the ‘Intermediate’ and is followed by the ‘Nursery Rhymes 1’ level.

PHILOSOPHY (the purpose of the method)
By simplifying notation and adding colours, note names, tabs and diagrams, make reading music notation easy and accessible, allowing the young performers to focus on what matters: rhythm, tempo, fingering, note lengths and clear tone,
The melodies are made as interesting as possible within their limitations, allowing a wide range of young learners to understand and follow their inner logic.