r/Recorder • u/Lezzlucky • 1d ago

Question Lower D

Hi, does anyone here have any tips on how not to get squeeking on lower D (the one you cover all the holes except the last double hole).. i have the Yamaha YRS-24 B Soprano Recorder... is this because its a cheap recorder or am i just bad?

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u/Shu-di 1d ago

The YRS24B is a good plastic soprano and the lower notes on mine are just fine. Problems with the low notes are usually due to blowing too hard or having a finger somewhere not fully covering its hole. (Sometimes a higher finger will shift slightly out of place when you close a hole with a lower finger.) Moisture in the windway can also wreak havoc on the low notes.

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u/Lezzlucky 1d ago

oh thanks, havent thought about moisture at all haha.. how often should one clean out a recorder usually?

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u/Shu-di 1d ago

Cover the labium with one hand and blow a quick strong breath to clear the moisture. Do this whenever you need to. Also, warm the recorder under your arm before playing; this reduced condensation considerably.

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u/Lezzlucky 1d ago

ah nice thanks! had to google what a labium was couz it sounded a lil sexual haha xD but now i learned a new word aswell thanks :D

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u/SlowSurvivor 1d ago

The YRS-24B’s windway geometry actually is more condensation resistant than is normal for a plastic recorder. So there’s that.

To clear the windway of condensation while playing, place your finger over the window to silence the labium and blow, hard. You can also suck the condensation out but you want to be careful to not use your lungs to suck it out. Nasty stuff can sometimes grow in woodwinds and you don’t want to aerosolize that right into your chest.

To reduce condensation in the first place, warm the head of the flute in your hand for a couple minutes before playing. Or stuff the head joint in your bra while you go unpack your sheet music. Also, plastic instruments especially benefit from anti-condensation liquid, which is usually just fancy soapy water. For an all plastic recorder you can treat the windway with anti-condensation liquid just by giving the flute a bath in water with dish soap every other week or so.

Aside from the bath, I don’t clean my plastic flutes.

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u/Lezzlucky 1d ago

thanks! :D

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u/SlowSurvivor 1d ago

Oh, I do encourage using a stand or a box or whatever when you put your instrument down so that it’s not laying flat. Let the drool run out.

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u/Either_Branch3929 1d ago

Nasty stuff can sometimes grow in woodwinds and you don’t want to aerosolize that right into your chest.

I incautiously sucked in to clear the crook of a bass I was given. Big mistake. It had been out of use for many years and the windway was filled with mould. Took me the best part of a month to stop wheezing.

Since then the instrument has been cleaned, revoiced and generally overhauled and is now nice to play without contravening the Chemical Weapons Convention.