WHY are we forced to learn how to play the recorder when in primary school?

Put all of your fingers down on recorder and play. Now lift one, play; lift another, play. Keep doing that through all of the holes. Notice anything? Each finger up raises the pitch along the diatonic scale.

Now, pick up your flute or clarinet. Put all of your fingers down and play (low C on flute, low F on clarinet) and do exactly the same exercise. Notice anything? It works EXACTLY the same way. CDEFGABC on flute, FGABbCDEF on clarinet. EXACTLY the same as recorder. [works on sax, oboe, bassoon, sarusaphone, etc. too - all closed tube woodwinds function the same way. Lifting each finger raises the pitch along the natural scale of that instrument. Try penny whistle or Native American flute -- EXACTLY the same deal. Physics! Recorder teaches basic physics without you even knowing it.]

Now, look at some recorder music. What are the notes on the lines and spaces from bottom to top? EFGABCDEF -- now look at flute or clarinet music. What are the notes on the lines and spaces from bottom to top? EXACTLY the same - imagine that. Music is music no matter what instrument you play. It might be in different clefs and extend off the staff, but it's the same in any language and for any instrument. Useful knowledge for those who learn it.

The only difference is that a fute/clarinet has some extra keys for accidentals and more range. Flute and clarinet music has extra notes on the page for accidentals and more range. But all of the recorder skill learned applies to them as well. Reading music is the same no matter what instrument you play and the physics of a closed tube is the same no matter what instrument it becomes.

Thing is, nobody can force anyone to learn anything and most people never really learned to play recorder in grade/primary school even though they were offered instruction and class time to do it. Those who did learn it well often find themselves later sitting in the front seats of flute/clarinet/sax sections. Those who couldn't learn to play something as simple as a fipple-flute (recorder) also usually can't learn to play flute/clarinet/sax and don't thrive in instrumental music classes.

Most people can't build a professional career around recorder playing. Then again, most people who learn flute/clarinet/sax (or any other instrument) never become good enough to be professional either. That's not the main purpose of learning music. Some people DO play recorder at that level though - they bothered to pay attention and learn the instrument. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GwI_nhcRVKU and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pUwHMCB-OTM

If we extend that "build a professional career around..." argument; most of the things you do all day won't become your career. They're still good to know.

How To Play The Recorder

My guess is that at least 78% of students from K-3rd grade don't know how to play an instrument or have never been introduced to one and the music teacher can see that some students know how to play an instrument and don't even know it. I remember playing the recorder in the 3rd grade and not to brag but I was very good at it. But i already had experience with music and instruments because I've been playing the drums since I was around 8-12 months old. So it's not bad if that's what you were thinking, they just want to see you do something effective while you're that age and maybe when you get older.

Well, recorders are cheap, and the soprano ones that they play in schools are small, easy to carry, and easy to make a sound on. They are accessible instruments and allow students to gain experience with some music theory and with playing an instrument. With a group of young students, more 'advanced' instruments would be frustrating and hard to teach. I myself found that the recorder I played in younger grades did help when I started playing clarinet: yes they are very different, but I knew I would have to cover holes and control my breath in some way.

As a recorder player myself, I feel the need to respond to your comment on how there is no use for recorder later on in life. :) There are many pieces of music written for recorder (especially from the Early Music, Renaissance and Baroque eras) that are way beyond primary school level (for example, Telemann wrote a lot for recorder, and one of the Brandenburg Concertos includes a recorder). It may not be very common, but it is an instrument that can be played later on.

The way recorder is taught in schools gives it a bad reputation, and obviously the great majority of primary students who played recorder do not continue playing, and very, very, very few would make a professional career out of it. But it does introduce students to playing and instrument, playing in a group and the basics of theory in a some-what fun, interesting, cheap, and easy way, and inspires some to take up other instruments. I loved recorder, so I was inspired to play the clarinet later in school, and then restarted playing the recorder.

(Wow, sorry this is so long... :) )

There is life after 6th grade with recorder if you pursue it. I play in a monthly Taizé church service with a small instrumental ensemble, and I occasionally also play for other services. People seem to appreciate it so much, the recorder has such a beautiful sound. My favorite size is the alto, but I also have a tenor plus that high-pitched soprano that everybody got "forced" to play.

I played clarinet as a youth, and took up recorder as an adult. Interestingly the clarinet helped since the lower register fingerings are like the alto (hold everything down and it plays F), and the upper clarinet register is like the soprano (everything covered is a C). A recorder player has to be able to transpose going back and forth between instruments.

One nice feature of the recorder is that it doesn't involve reeds or developing an embrasure like for flute or brass. But it still takes practice to play in pitch with good tone. There are good plastic recorders but a good wood one will sound better

Some semblance of music instruction is required by most school districts. The recorder is inexpensive, easily portable & takes little storage room and does not require someone actually familiar with instruments to play or teach. The basic design and available simple instruction books make it the perfect starter instrument for the masses.

IMO, however, the best instrument to start with for someone with access to private instruction is the piano. I've required my children take a minimum of five years of piano, after which they were allowed to switch to any instrument of their choice. My older son switched to the cello, then the guitar and bass guitar. My younger son took up the glockenspiel and the drums. Both have excelled, largely in part due to their experience with the piano.

I think they did it as a way to introduce kids to an instrument. Its easy, and everybody can learn. Also, it teaches children how to read music. I dont like the idea either, but I dont think I wouldve been as engaged in music as i am now if i hadnt started on something easy at that young of an age.

We did it when I was at primary school in the 50s, my daughter did it in the early 80s and mastered it in a month and started playing her own tunes much to the teachers annoyance.

At my school, every other grade/class of kids had to play it. I didn't, but my brother (who is a year younger than me) had to. I thought it was pretty dumb, too. ESPECIALLY with the every-other-group-of-kids thing, because if it was supposed to benefit kids somehow, why would they only want some of them to benefit? Pretty pointless. BQ: Reading a book BQ2: Windows XP bleh

it is a very basic instrument which easily shows students how a bigger instrument (blocking the holes) creates a deeper sound. it is a learning tool...

at no point is it intended to create the next mozart.