50 Graded Recorder Studies: Recorder Book

Wedgwood's curation here feels intentional rather than arbitrary. Pairing historical works from de Boismortier with newly commissioned pieces creates a natural bridge between learning from the masters and discovering contemporary voices, all without losing sight of what makes a study actually worth playing through.

Spanning three centuries means your students encounter baroque elegance, classical clarity, and contemporary directness within the same covers. The progression feels organic, never rushed, with each study building on what came before while introducing something fresh to solve.

This book serves beginners moving toward early intermediate level, whether in group lessons or private study. It works equally well for students preparing for festival play-throughs or simply building a solid foundation in technical control and musicianship.

• Map out the technical demands of each study before assigning it. The progressive order means you can preview what's coming and prepare students for shifts in articulation, range extension, or rhythmic complexity.
• Use the historical pieces as conversation starters about style and ornamentation. A de Boismortier study offers a window into baroque idiom that modern compositions alone won't provide.
• Rotate between the newly composed and historical studies within a practice week. This prevents students from assuming all recorder music follows one compositional approach.

Use these studies as your primary warm-up and skill-building material throughout the year, advancing through the book alongside ensemble repertoire. The graded structure means you can assign studies that match the technical demands of pieces your ensemble is rehearsing, turning classroom study time into direct preparation.

• Breath control and phrase shaping across varied melodic contours
• Articulation patterns from baroque to contemporary styles
• Range extension into higher and lower registers
• Rhythmic accuracy in basic and intermediate time signatures
• Ornamentation and stylistic inflection appropriate to historical context
• Sight-reading fluency across progressive difficulty levels