Improvisation with Recorders:After reviewing B,A,G fingerings with 5th graders for a week or two, I teach them low E. Here is a song we do.
(1) Learn rhythms and lyrics. Take one line at a time and play one note on each line (see below). Students make sure to practice tonguing.
(2) Learn first 3 lines.
(3) Focus on last line for awhile.
- Play last line with all G's, then all A's, then all E's.
- Play last line, improvising with G's and A's. I play an example. This will take the students awhile to practice. It can be unnerving to improvise at first.
- Then tell students to improvise with E's, G's and A's. - Put whole piece together while playing keyboard (see chords below).
