The Recorder

The recorder is a woodwind musical instrument of the family which includes the tin whistle. The recorder is end-blown and the mouth of the instrument is constricted by a wooden plug, known as a block or fipple.

It is distinguished from other members of the family by having holes for seven fingers (the lower one or two often doubled to facilitate the production of semitones) and one for the thumb of the uppermost hand.

Recorders can be made out of wood, plastic or ivory. The recorder was popular in medieval times through the baroque era, but declined in the 18th century in favour of orchestral woodwind instruments, such as the flute, oboe, and clarinet.

The recorder was revived in the 20th century, partly in the pursuit of historically informed performance of early music, but also because of its suitability as a simple instrument for teaching music. Today, it is sometimes thought of as a child's instrument, but there are many professional players who demonstrate the instrument's full solo range. See Recorder (musical instrument) for further information on advanced usage.