Play the Recorder, Book 2: Recorder Book

This method has earned its staying power through genuine craft. Salkeld structures each section around concrete learning objectives, you're not just adding notes, you're deliberately addressing how to produce them with control and expression. The integration of fingering, breathing, and tonguing cues into the same learning sequence means students understand technique as part of musicmaking, not as something separate to master first.

Methodical and encouraging. The progression feels measured and achievable, building confidence as each new technical element connects to actual music-making. Students experience the satisfaction of moving through a coherent system rather than jumping between disconnected exercises.

Beginning recorder students working independently or in group lessons who benefit from clear, step-by-step instruction. Teachers looking for a reliable method that develops proper technique foundations without sacrificing musicality will find this particularly useful for mixed-ability classes.

• Establish steady breath support before introducing a new note; uneven airflow will cloud tone quality and make intonation unstable.
• Break complex fingering patterns into isolated drills, isolating the finger movements until they become reflexive.
• Record yourself or use a mirror to monitor embouchure consistency, especially as you transition between registers.
• Slow down passages marked for tonguing technique until articulation feels natural, then gradually return to tempo.

Use this as a cornerstone text for general music classes introducing recorder, or as a primary method for pullout recorder lessons in elementary settings. Book 2 works well when students have completed Book 1 and are ready to deepen their technical vocabulary and expand their range.

• Proper embouchure formation and maintenance
• Controlled breath support and phrasing
• Clear articulation and tonguing techniques
• Fingering accuracy across the recorder's range
• Reading fluency in treble clef
• Sustaining tone quality across register transitions