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20 Best Recorder Books
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A recorder belongs to the family of woodwind musical instruments. It looks like a flute but can be differentiated from flutes due to the presence of seven finger holes and a thumb hole which is for the upper hand.
Recorders are known for their historically informed performance movement and are considered as a popular amateur and educational instruments. It is famous for recorders that their sound is clear and sweet that is why they are associated with birds for centuries. It produces a wide variety of articulations and is known for its production of numerous tone colors and special effects.
What are the Best Recorder Books to Buy?
1) Frozen Songbook (Recorder)
- Tuning & Feel Of Pro Model
- Fingering Chart & Attractive Colored Pages
- Collection Of 37 Solos, Duets & Trios
- Consists Of Chord Symbols, Lyrics & Chord Accompaniment Charts
2) Ben Parker: My First Recorder
- Simple Exercise For Practice
- Perfect For All Kids & Beginners
Interested to Learn Recorder Online? Check These Websites!
A lot of people love playing recorders because of their melodious sound. Recorders are a great attraction for music lovers. In this article, we will be reviewing twenty books that will help you in learning the art of playing recorders efficiently. Let us have a look at the list of books given below.
Top 20 Best Recorder Book Reviews
Book Details
View Products on Amazon.com1. It's Recorder Time
If you love playing recorders but don’t know the technique to play them then this book by Alfred d'Auberge can definitely help you out. This book is preferred by beginners as it has all the lessons that contain basic techniques to play a recorder.
It is known for its wonderful lessons on building finger technique as the correct use of fingers is very important while playing a recorder. It also contains lessons on intonation and tonguing. After reading this one you will get familiar with the recorder playing techniques of many famous and classical songs.
Book Details
2. Frozen Songbook (Recorder)
This book is a gift for Frozen fans. It helps you play recorder easily even if you know nothing about it. It includes the feeling and tuning of professional models of recorders. You will be able to play the following songs after completing this book.
Go * Love Is an Open Door * Reindeer(s) Are Better Than People* Do You Want to Build a Snowman? * Fixer Upper * For the First Time in Forever * Frozen Heart * In Summer * Let It.
This book has versions of all these songs packaged in a bag.
Book Details
3. Ben Parker: My First Recorder
Here is another amazing option to learn a recorder for kids of all ages. My First Recorder has also been designed especially for young kids. It has clear and simple diagrams and interesting photographs which are very easy and fun for kids to follow.
After reading this book kids will find themselves pretty confident and they will be able to play various tunes on their own. They will also learn their initial notes from this book. It also has simple practice exercises so that the students are able to learn at their own pace.
Book Details
4. Ben Parker: Easy Recorder Tunes
If you are a beginner and are looking for a trustworthy book to learn recorder tunes then this book can teach you up to thirty tunes very easily. This book contains content for learners of all ages and can be a good source for polishing the skills of recorder playing for the learners. The book focuses on fun and easy learning to develop the interest of the learners.
Book Details
5. John Williams: Selections from Star Wars for Recorder
The best thing about the recorder playing guide is that it contains easy to read notes. It also has a detailed introduction on how to read music. It also seven of the most famous Star Wars melodies and themes in it.
If you are also a Star Wars music fan and want to play the same, then this book will be the best option for you. The famous melodies included in the book are: Star Wars (Main Theme) * May the Force Be with You ("The Force Theme") * The Imperial March ("Darth Vader's Theme") * Princess Leia's Theme * Duel of the Fates * Yoda's Theme * The Throne Room.
Book Details
6. Mr. Larry E. Newman: The Recorder Fun Book
This book is a very interesting edition for younger kids. It engages them and develops their interest in the art of playing recorders from a young age. If you are a parent and you are looking for a suitable recorder book for your child, The Recorder Fun Book should definitely be your go-to option.
Its unique teaching style includes letter names on the note heads, child-centered graphics, and fingering chart. It contains limited material per page so kids are not burdened and they learn everything steps by steps.
Book Details
7. Hal Leonard Corp.: Recorder Fun! Instruction Book
This amazing book contains online audio and you can play up to 40 songs within no time. It has an easy-to-follow finger chart and with the help of this chart, you can learn to play a recorder even if you have just started.
This book is designed to make you a professional recorder player in no time at all and that too keeping the fun factor into consideration. It also has an audio player which will help you to slow down the speed of your song for better understanding.
Book Details
8. Essential Elements for Recorder Classroom Method Student Book 1
This book is another wonderful source for the recorder learners who have just started learning the recorder. It is known for its modernistic approach as it is a perfectly designed guide for the learners of the present era.
It focuses on providing readers with general concepts of playing knowledge and helps them in building up a strong base. It is a multi-purpose book as it can deal with both, individuals and small groups of students. It also plays a good role in the introduction of ensemble performances.
Book Details
9. Jason Randall: How to Play the Recorder
This book contains the history of the recorder family. It explains the basic concepts with the help of lucid illustration which makes this book pretty easy to understand. It also contains easy exercises which include the audio as well so one can practice what they have learned.
Further, it also provides you with audio samples that one can try out with their recorder. The difficulty level of these samples is arranged nicely in ascending order to make the learning experience easier.
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10. Artie Almeida: Recorder Express
This book will provide you a track to become a wonderful recorder player within very little time. It contains more than 120 songs of different types and also has many exercises that can help a learner in practicing his or her lessons.
The title of this book has received the iParenting Media award as one of the "Excellent Products of 2006." It is designed in such a way that it can teach individuals as well as groups from its amazing techniques.
Book Details
11. C. Harnsberger: Christmas Favorites for Recorder
Here is a source for you that will help you enjoy your Christmas with your recorder to the fullest. It will help you master all the Christmas songs in very less time and this book can be used for people of all ages.
The book has detailed notes on how to play Christmas songs with a recorder like a professional. Its time to impress your friends and family with the help of this book. It teaches you how to read music and contains nine of the most famous Christmas melodies.
Book Details
12. Hal Leonard Corp.: Easy Pop Melodies for Recorder
With the help of this one of a kind book, you will be able to play at least 50 of your favorite pop songs with your recorder on your own. This book has arrangements that are written in accessible keys. It also ranges with lyrics and chord symbols.
Some of the songs included in this book are: All My Loving * Blowin' in the Wind * Clocks* Hey, Soul Sister * In My Life * Love Story * Don't Stop Believin' * Every Breath You Take * Fireflies* My Girl * Nights in White Satin* and many more.
Book Details
13. Harry Potter Selection for Recorder
How could we disappoint potter fans in this article? This book is for those recorder lovers who are a fan of Harry Potter. This book has easy instructions and is great for beginners. It also teaches the readers how to read music.
It includes the following Harry Potter themes: Double Trouble * Fawkes the Phoenix * Harry's Wondrous World * Hedwig's Theme * Hogwarts Forever! * Hogwarts' March * Nimbus 2000. If you want to learn all these recorder tunes from Harry Potter you should buy this book without having a second thought.
Book Details
14. Amanda Oosthuizen, Jemima Oosthuizen: 50+ Greatest Classics for Recorder
This book contains recorder music by Bach, Verdi, Puccini, Tchaikovsky, Bizet, Delibes, Handel, Purcell, Wagner, Saint-Saëns, Fauré, and many more well-known musicians. It starts with the easiest lessons and then the difficulty level increases step by step since this book is specially designed for beginners and intermediate level students.
Therefore, if you have just started playing the recorder or are still in the process of learning it, then we recommend this book for you.
Book Details
15. Marcia Diehl: Mel Bay Celtic Tunes for Recorder
If you are learning recorder and want to polish your skills further then this book is worth giving a shot. It is known for containing such tunes that are in the comfort range of the recorder. This book is written in manageable keys.
The selection of the melodies for this masterpiece has been done from O'Neill and Roche volumes. It also contains the guitar chords which are not there in any of the other books. We highly recommend this one to the recorder learners of today.
Book Details
16. Hal Leonard Corp.: Disney Movie Favorites
If you are inspired by the recorder performances in Disney movies then this book is written just for you. This book teaches you Disney classics with the help of an amazing fingering chart.
The songs include: "A Whole New World" from Aladdin * "Kiss the Girl" and "Under the Sea" from The Little Mermaid * "Be Our Guest" and "Beauty and the Beast" from Beauty and the Beast * and "Can You Feel the Love Tonight," "Circle of Life" and a lot more.
Book Details
17. Kenneth Wollitz: The Recorder Book
This book is a complete package for new learners as well as for those who are trying to polish their skills because it has basic level content for those who are new and advanced level content for those who are trying to improve.
The book provides a detailed discussion over the recorder’s history as well. It has instructions for how to select a recorder for yourself and also contains useful tips on taking care of your instrument after buying one and make it last longer.
Book Details
18. Hal Leonard Corp.: First 50 Songs You Should Play on Recorder
If you are confused about the songs that you should play at the starting of your recorder learning journey then this superb book is tailor-made for you. It contains 20 songs that beginners should practice. This book will have a lot of your favorite songs.
Check the list out. Fly Me to the Moon (In Other Words) (Frank Sinatra) * All You Need Is Love (The Beatles) * Believer (Imagine Dragons) * Carnival of Venice * Evermore (from Beauty and the Beast) * God Bless America (Irving Berlin) * Hello (Adele) * I Will Always Love You (Whitney Houston) * Just Give Me a Reason (Pink) *
Book Details
19. Ben Newman: Recorder For Beginners
If you are a beginner and looking for a guide that teaches in a fun manner then this book is worth considering. This book describes how recorder instruments work. It also has many tablature notations of easy and simple songs. It also provides you with sample music pieces that will help you practice on your own. It also contains easy exercises and that too with sample audios. We find this one pretty unique and helpful.
Book Details
20. Lena Eckhoff, Thomas Balinger: Playing Recorder Right From Scratch
If you know nothing about recorder playing but still want to become a professional then this book will be a good option for you. This book will help you become a competent recorder player by teaching you all the basic techniques that are used in record playing. It is so efficient that you will start playing songs in very few initial hours. It also teaches you how to read music. It also has a fingering chart and a lot of practicing tips.
Choosing The Best Recorder Books
This was our review on twenty of the most read recorder books. All of these books are the best source of recorder learning. We have also mentioned which recorder books will be suitable for what age groups for your ease.
1) Frozen Songbook (Recorder)
- Tuning & Feel Of Pro Model
- Fingering Chart & Attractive Colored Pages
- Collection Of 37 Solos, Duets & Trios
- Consists Of Chord Symbols, Lyrics & Chord Accompaniment Charts
2) Ben Parker: My First Recorder
- Simple Exercise For Practice
- Perfect For All Kids & Beginners
We hope that you find the review hopeful and will not get confused while choosing the perfect kind of book for your recorder learning just according to your need. We wish you very good luck with your recorder playing journey and our reviews are able to benefit you.
