The recorder is a woodwind instrument belonging to the duct flute family, recognizable by its whistle-like mouthpiece and clear, sweet tone.
Once central to European music from the Middle Ages through the Baroque era, it remains both a serious concert instrument and a staple of music education.
The recorder's earliest evidence dates to the Middle Ages, with surviving instruments from the 14th century. It flourished during the Renaissance and Baroque periods, when it was used in both secular and sacred music. Its popularity was aided by the invention of music printing in the early 16th century, which spread repertoire across Europe. By the 18th century, however, the transverse flute had begun to eclipse it in both orchestral and solo contexts, leading to a decline that would not be reversed until its 20th-century revival.
For much of its history, the recorder was called a "flute." To distinguish it from the transverse flute, languages developed clarifying terms: in Italian, flauto dolce; in German, Blockflöte; in French, flûte à bec. In English, the word "recorder" appears as early as the 14th century, derived from the Latin recordari ("to remember" or "to recite").
A recorder is typically made of three sections: the head joint with the fipple mouthpiece, the body joint with seven finger holes and one thumb hole, and the foot joint with one or two additional holes. Its design allows for a range of approximately two octaves, with a pure and direct sound. Historically made from wood, modern recorders are also made from plastic, making them affordable and durable.
The recorder family spans a wide pitch range, from the tiny soprano to the massive contrabass. The most common are the soprano (descant), often used in schools; alto (treble), favored for solo repertoire; tenor, with a deeper, mellow tone; and the bass, which is foundational in ensembles, often performing in recorder consorts, blending these voices much like a choir.
The recorder became a classroom favorite in the 20th century because it is inexpensive to produce, durable and easy to maintain, simple to learn, and portable. It became a rite of passage in elementary schools, particularly in the United States and Europe.
While the recorder is often associated with beginners, it has been played by world-class virtuosi. Five notable players include Frans Brüggen (Dutch), Michala Petri (Danish), Piers Adams (British), Giovanni Antonini (Italian), and Dan Laurin (Swedish).
The recorder is far more than a classroom instrument. With a history spanning centuries, a repertoire that stretches from medieval dances to avant-garde works, and a family of instruments that cover a wide pitch range, it remains an expressive voice in music.
We have included a selection of resources for the recorder below, and e-commerce sites selling the instruments may be found in the Musical Instruments section of our shopping guide.
Recommended Resources
The ARS is a US-based membership organization charged with promoting the recorder and its music, supporting players at all levels, and communicating with its membership through local chapters, publications, and events. The ARS publishes a quarterly print magazine, "American Recorder," and a monthly "ARS News" e-newsletter for members, who can also access member-only resources like an online music library and member directory. Members are eligible for scholarships to workshops and festivals.
https://americanrecorder.org/
British Columbia Recorder Society
The BCRS is a long-established organization dedicated to promoting recorder playing across British Columbia, welcoming players at all levels and supporting professionals through workshops, meetings, and performances. Founded in 1962, BCRS is one of the oldest recorder societies in North America. The organization holds monthly meetings from September to May/June, featuring ensemble playing, guest presenters, and pedagogy sessions, as well as workshops and concerts.
https://www.bcrecordersociety.com/
Led by teacher Tony Eyers, Learn Recorder is an online course site teaching the recorder. The program caters to beginners through advanced players, offering step-by-step lessons and practice materials. It offers structured lessons for new players and more experienced recorderists, including exercises to read music, play tunes, and learn ensemble skills, along with progression toward playing the full recorder range, and extras, such as a forum, online teaching options, and a login for members.
https://learnrecorder.com/
North American Virtual Recorder Society
The NAVRS is an online community for recorder players of all levels, offering regular virtual playing meetings, workshops, and special presentations to promote ensemble playing and community building. Annual membership and playing meeting fees are listed on the site, along with costs for member workshops, discount plans, household memberships, and student options. Monthly playing meetings, workshops, and special presentations led by professionals are featured.
https://www.navrs.org/
Published by Plank Road Publishing, Recorder Classroom is a magazine and teaching resource focused on teaching the recorder in K-8 music education. The website presents two full volumes and two special-edition issues, with sheet music, teaching features, and recorded audio samples for classroom use. Its mission and a description of its content are provided on the site, including a Recorder Method, Energizer feature, and special contributors, along with order options.
https://www.recorderclassroom.com/
The online community is designed for recorder players, with sections for recorders, teachers, recorder societies, and forum discussions. Visitors can browse the forum in read-only form, without joining or logging in. To participate in forum discussions, you can join as a member or log in. While other topics may be created, current topics include consort playing, teaching and learning, recordings and videos, recorder repertoire, workshops and festivals, and concerts and recitals.
https://recorderforum.com/
Compiled by Nicholas S. Lander, the website is focused on the recorder and its repertoire, technique, history, instruments, societies, iconography, quotations, recordings, and related resources, featuring historical and practical materials for players, listeners, and researchers interested in the recorder and early music. Viewers may browse the website by category or use its search features to search through all of the pages on the site. Instructions are presented.
https://recorderhomepage.net/
Published quarterly by Peacock Press, members of the UK-based Society of Recorder Players receive the magazine as part of membership, and six pages of each issue carry SRP news. The magazine is a leading publication for recorder players covering music, teaching, performance, and history. Non-members of SRP may subscribe to either the printed version of the magazine or to its digital option. Online subscribers can read the current issue and archived issues back to 2016.
https://www.recorder.peacockmagazines.com/
Featuring recorder notes for a large number of songs, the beginner-friendly site teaches soprano recorder notes, scales, and songs using lettered note diagrams, allowing learners without music-reading experience to follow along. Intended for absolute beginners and young students who prefer letter-based note labels rather than full music theory, the site features step-by-step fingering guidance, lessons on how to hold and play the recorder, including posture and basic technique.
https://recordernotes.org/
The SRS welcomes recorder and viol players, as well as other early musicians, for monthly meetings that include group playing, short performances, refreshments, and conversation. The organization hosts monthly meetings with repertoire from Medieval, Renaissance, Baroque, and contemporary composers, as well as a "Backroom Gang," a smaller ensemble. Meeting details, suggestions for newcomers, and contact details are posted on the site.
https://www.seattle-recorder.org/
The SRP is a UK-based charity supporting recorder players of all levels with local branches, events, teaching, and new-music commissions. Members are part of a community of over 1,300 members and have access to branch events, e-news, and "Recorder Magazine," a quarterly publication. SRP offers grants and commissions to help develop the next generation and to expand the recorder repertoire, and runs an annual Recorder Festival, which is discussed here. Contacts are posted.
https://www.srp.org.uk/
