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INTRODUCTION
Recorders come in various sizes, with
Sopranino being the smallest of them all. It
also plays the highest pitch amongst all the
recorders.
There are plenty of teaching materials
available for the teaching of descant /
soprano and treble / alto recorders but very
little resources for Sopranino. Hence I have
written this little instruction manual for music
teachers who would like to teach the
Sopranino recorder. It is meant to be a
starting point for small children with little or
no knowledge of music theory.
Each Unit of work is complete with an
introduction to some very fundamental music
theory activity and should last about 45
minutes or more. Every subsequent lesson
should start with a revision of what is being
taught the previous lesson to reinforce the
concepts learnt.
The Units / Lesson plans outlined here can
be used with a small group of about 8 to 10
pupils or with individuals.
PREREQUISITES
The lessons in this book are presented on
the assumption that the teachers using them
already have a sound knowledge of good
postures , the correct hand positions for
holding a recorder, proper breathing
techniques and basic fingering.
Materials provided are Exercise Sheets,
Units / Lesson Plans ( with objectives )
and Suggestions of Songs and Fingering
charts** for both G major scales and F major
scales.
If you need to know more about advanced
recorder techniques and music theory, visit
the web site at
www.dolmetsch.com .They
have the most comprehensive and
What age should my students be to start
learning the Sopranino recorder?
Not every preschool child will be ready to
begin recorder instruction as the maturity
level of 4 to 5- year olds varies greatly. Girls
are generally better coordinated and have
better dexterity at an earlier age.
So instead of plunging headlong into
lessons, one should consider the readiness
of the students by considering the following:
* Is his/her attention span long enough to
practise at least 5 to 10 minutes a day to
begin with?
* How is his / her small muscle coordination
like? Can the child hold a pencil well enough
to write alphabets?
* Can the child recognize simple alphabets
from A to G?
* Can the child count 1 to 4?
* Are the fingers long enough to cover all the
holes on the Sopranino recorder?
If a majority of these prerequisites are
missing, it is better to wait a little longer
before starting the child on lessons.
Tips: Always make sure you are able to get
the Sopranino recorders before starting your
classes.
Reason: Sopranino recorders go out of stock
easily.
Tips: For group instruction, it is better to
order the same type / model of recorders
for every single child in the group.
Reason: Different models have slight
variations in tones and timbre. Some pupils
may get German fingering while others may
get Baroque fingering recorders.
Tips: To print the music score from the
lesson plans, you can use your mouse, drag
it over the score to select it first. Then
choose print and on your print dialogue box,
choose "print selection". To print the lesson