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Rating:  -
I wanted a book that would let my eight-year-old daughter start playing the recorder without assistance from a live teacher and this book has fit the bill. The included recorder is of surprisingly high quality, not a cheap plastic toy like another we own, and has a clear, pleasant tone. The book includes explanations of basic technique (how to hold the recorder, how to sit while playing, etc.) and gives a checklist to use each time you play to ensure you're using correct technique. The songs begin simply and progress incrementally to greater difficulty at a pace we've liked. A student who finished all the lessons in the book would be playing at a suitably intermediate level and will likely be reading music (treble clef, of course) pretty proficiently.
One of the best parts is the included CD, which has a recorder playing every song in the book with accompaniment, followed by a track with just the accompaniment for the student to play over for a recital or more advanced practice. The CD is fun, too, with different versions of simple songs that help the student hear different musical possibilities and feel more accomplished after learning one little song (picture the reggae version of "Hot Cross Buns," followed by the honky tonk version). The CD even includes some tracks over which the student is encouraged to improvise on the notes s/he's learned. Great fun, and the variety keeps it interesting.
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