Lesson 0: Setup — Posture, Breath, and Your First Sound

Sit (or stand) tall and hold the recorder without tension.
Sustain one clear pitch for eight seconds, three times in a row, without squeaking.

Before notes, posture. Before posture, breath.

Most squeaks start in the shoulders. Five minutes spent setting up the body now saves weeks of correcting habits later. This lesson is short on notes — one note, in fact — and long on the parts of playing that decide whether that note will be clear or wobbly. For deeper photos and demonstrations of any section below, see holding the recorder and your first sound.

Posture

Sit on the front half of a chair with both feet flat on the floor, or stand with weight even between your feet. Lift the sternum — not the shoulders — so the chest opens. Elbows rest a hand-width away from your ribs, not pinned to your sides. Keep your head neutral: bring the recorder up to your lips rather than craning down toward it. A tilted head closes the throat and starves the air.

Hand position

The left hand goes on top, the right hand below. Behind the recorder, both thumbs support the instrument: the left thumb covers the back hole, the right thumb rests against the lower joint. On the front, your left index, middle, and ring fingers sit just above the top three holes; your right index, middle, ring, and little finger hover above the lower four. Cover holes with the flat pads of your fingers, not the fingertips — a tip-of-finger contact leaves a crescent gap that leaks air and changes the pitch.

Embouchure

Place the beak of the recorder just behind your lips. Your teeth do not touch the mouthpiece; your lips form a relaxed seal around it. Think of whispering the syllable "too" into the recorder, not blowing into a balloon. The pressure is gentle and steady — the recorder is a low-pressure instrument, and forcing more air will make it squeak before it makes it louder.

Breath support

Air for the recorder comes from low in your torso, not from the top of your chest. Place a hand on your belly: when you inhale, the hand should move outward; when you exhale, it returns. As a drill, hiss "ssssss" for eight seconds with that hand on your belly. Feel the air leave steadily, not in a sudden gust at the start. That same steady stream is what feeds a sustained note.

Your first sound

Cover the thumb hole behind the recorder and the first hole on the front with your left index finger. Two holes covered, the rest open. Whisper "too" into the mouthpiece and let the note sustain. The same fingering on alto sounds E — a perfect fifth lower than the soprano's B. Alto music is written and read at sounding pitch, so your staff above shows E. From this lesson onward, when soprano prose names a pitch, the alto twin block names the alto-staff pitch you actually see.

Whisper "too" at the start of each bar; keep the air moving evenly through the whole note. The cursor will count you in twice; the drill loops so you can settle in.

Common beginner problems

The note squeaks or jumps to a higher pitch: Too much air pressure. Whisper, don't blow. If the squeak persists, check your left thumb — lifting it slightly opens an octave vent that sends the pitch up.
No sound, or only breathy air: A hole is leaking. Look at where each finger sits and adjust so the pad covers the hole flat. The most common culprit is the left thumb on the back hole, which is easy to land on the edge instead of the center.
The pitch wobbles or wavers: Clenched jaw or unsteady air. Drop your jaw a millimetre, soften the lips around the beak, and aim for an even hiss before you try the next attempt.
Fingers cramp or curl: You're gripping. Shake the hands out, return without clamping, and let the recorder rest between your thumbs and the front of your fingers. The pads do the sealing; nothing else needs to squeeze.

For a longer troubleshooting list, see troubleshooting.

When you can sustain your first note evenly for eight seconds, three times in a row, without squeaking, move on to Lesson 1.