Why is tenor much harder?

Aulos303

Aulos303

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Banned :(
I've been learning on a soprano for a while but I wanted a deeper tone-I find it too shrill at times, so I bought a tenor (Aulos 211). Just had my first hour with it and I'm finding it incredibly difficult to get the lower notes,especially liw C. Sometimes I can get it but if I play a scale it tends to go once I get to the 4th hole.
Am I doing something wrong? Do I need to warm up the windway first? Any tips for getting a clear tone on this tenor? I do think the spacing is a bit wide in places, and this is supposed to have been designed for smaller hands. The thumb hole is higher up than it is on a soprano relative to the first hole, and the gap between hole 4 and 5 seems a bit big. Or do I just need to get used to it?
 
[FONT=&amp]I tried to play tenor recorder. As a hobbyist instrumentalist, playing mostly sax and clarinet, I found the tenor recorder to be very difficult to play, a temperamental horn. The lowest notes seemed to require that perfect blend of air direction without overblowing. Finger positions are key too because if you don't close the hole completely you can be out of luck. [/FONT]

[FONT=&amp]A friend of mine once suggested I concentrate on the middle and higher register or maybe get the next smaller recorder an alto. The bass recorder was more comfortable for me because it has keys. [/FONT][FONT=&amp]A soft embouchure will work better than the clarinet embouchure. Finding a recorder teacher near you would be the best way to go. [/FONT][FONT=&amp]It's a beautiful instrument, one that I didn't stick with. My s, a, t, and b recorders are in a cabinet today. [/FONT]
 
I'd suspect leaks in your right hand. Try going slow, put your right hand on a low note, then stop and examine the fingers, how well they are covering the holes.

I find the tenor more forgiving on breath pressure, but the 211 is keyless, so it may have some compromises in bore design to be short. I have not played a keyless tenor, but I'd imagine they could make the end of the bore choke faster to get the short length, and that would make lower notes touchier. If you have only played one soprano and haven't jumped between instruments with different windways, you may need to experiment with adjusting wind pressure.
 
Thanks guys. I got a bit of a breakthrough last night. I've been following the youtube videos posted by Sarah Jeffreys who plays the whole recorder range professionally. She shows the importance of breathing and hand exercises. I followed those and slowed my breath down so it's warm air I'm pushing out. I also warmed the beak up beforehand to help combat condensation. And I managed to get a scale run up and down the notes. Quite pleased with myself and I will keep practising, when I can.
 
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