Advanced Practice and Study

For those who enjoy challenges, there are two publications that can be highly recommended. Bart Spanhove recently released a guide to effective practicing, “Das Üben üben/Practising to Practise” that aims to assist players to practice and play from the heart, with the entire body. Examples are taken from the recorder repertoire and instructions given to enable mastery of various technical challenges. The pieces are accessible to both intermediate and advanced players, but the emphasis is on focused self study.

Ricardo Kanji’s “A Study Program for the Recorder and Woodwind Instruments” is intended for those who aim to become advanced recorder players. It includes some traditional exercises based on intervals, chords and the like, but they are not written out. It is up to the student to adapt what is given to a variety of keys and other transformations. Working with this method requires a significant investment in musical independence.

As far as old but tried and true technical methods, there are two that bear consideration. The first is a two volume edition by Hans Ulrich Staeps - “Das tägliche Pensum/The Daily Lesson” and “Tonfiguren/Note-Patterns.” “The Daily Lesson” is primarily a study in scales and arpeggios in most keys. “Note-Patterns” focuses on chromaticism in a variety of note patterns as the title suggests.

The second method is also a two volume set of studies by Helmut Mönkemeyer: “Handleitung Für Das Spiel Der Alt-Blockflöte Teil I” and “Handleitung Für Das Spiel Der Altblockflöte Teil II.” (A translation is “Manual for Playing the Alto Recorder, Parts I and II”.) The first is primarily an instructional manual, teaching fingerings and basic technique. The second consists of a series of advanced level exercises on various themes, such as sharp and flat keys, scales, intervals and arpeggios among others. Each is followed by selections from the repertoire that draw upon the particular technique exemplified in the exercise.

Due to its historical status as the primary solo instrument of the recorder family, the alto has received considerably more attention in the advanced technique arena. Thus, advanced studies are not so common for C instruments. There are, however, several that are worth mentioning. One is Jan Nykl’s "35 Etud Etüden Studies." This is a collection of 35 short studies for soprano or tenor that address less common keys, scales, leaps, and trickier rhythms. 

Another is Mario Duschenes "Twelve Etudes" for soprano recorder. They address arpeggios, scales, triple rhythms mixed with duple, unusual slurring patterns and chromatics. These etudes are longer than Nykl’s. While the studies in both publications are not fiendishly difficult, they are sophisticated enough to be attractive to advanced players.

Moving on to those works that are not as traditional, and similar to Joel Levine’s “Between the Lines,” there are two excellent editions of melody-based etudes th,at not only advance technique but also serve as performance pieces once mastered. They are Glen Shannon’s "Recorder Studies "7," "8" and "9," with "10" by Ben Thorn; and Johannes Collette’s “12 Melodious Exercises” for soprano recorder. Each of the "Recorder Studies" books is dedicated to soprano/tenor, alto or ensemble and general solo or ensemble. They are typically chromatic, modern and challenging but very pleasing. Collette’s edition addresses a range of higher-level technical challenges such as different rhythms and rhythm changes, chromaticism, tricky intervals and fast passages among others. Like the Shannon editions, the melodies are both modern and lovely.

Due to the fact that the alto is the primary solo instrument, many advanced technique methods are written for it. And many of the studies for C instruments are designed for beginner or intermediate players. There are several, however, that advanced players will find useful.

Baroque Ornamentation

A skill set that is important to the recorder repertory is that of ornamentation, and there are several recommendations here. The topic of “The Grammar of Ornament” by Eric Haas is late Baroque ornamentation and embellishment. It opens with an introduction to ornamentation in that era. The next section describes the ornaments themselves, and it concludes with a discussion of free ornamentation that is illustrated by ornamented versions of several Baroque sonatas.

Manfredo Zimmerman has also published a guide to ornamentation entitled, “The Ornamentation of Baroque Music.” This is quite a comprehensive book. It begins with an introduction to the practice of ornamentation, which is followed by detailed descriptions and illustrations of all of the essential Baroque ornaments. They are further illustrated by examples from the repertory, and the appendix includes an ornamented version of a Baroque sonata.

For those interested in the French Baroque there is a quite old book by Betty Bang Mather, “Interpretation of French Music from 1675 to 1775” that is a very comprehensive guide to that topic.