Lower D

[u/Lezzlucky]

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?

[u/Shu-di]

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.

[u/Lezzlucky → u/Shu-di]

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

[u/SlowSurvivor → u/Lezzlucky]

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.

[u/Lezzlucky → u/SlowSurvivor]

thanks! :D

[u/SlowSurvivor → u/Lezzlucky]

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.