TIP: WATCH YOUR RIGHT HAND!

Do you find it hard to play quickly, however much you try?  Even if you do lots of practice?  Do some of your notes sound very flat and you can't make out why?

One thing you could be doing is resting your right hand fingers on the recorder when they're not being used.  This is quite a common thing for people to do, as you may feel you need to support the instrument, but all it does is slow you down!  If you need to support the recorder, rest the little finger of your right hand on the top of the bottom joint (the highest point of the decoration, above the hole) as this is the finger that is used the least.  This leaves your other fingers ready to be used whenever they are needed. 

If you rest all or some of your right hand fingers on the recorder, you are having to make TWO movements to get the fingers onto the holes when they are needed: one to lift the fingers up, and the second, to adjust and put them down over the holes.  If your fingers are waiting just above the holes when they're not being used, then you only need to make ONE movement to get them to cover the holes.

Also, if you keep your right hand fingers on the instrument when they're not needed, then this effects the tuning.  For example, if you try to play a G on the descant (so left hand thumb and fingers 1, 2 and 3 of the left hand), but you are resting your right fingers on the instrument which are partially covering the holes, then the G sounds very flat!  Practice in front of the mirror to see if this is what you do!

Give this a go and see if it helps!  Good luck!  Emma @ Recorder Helpdesk!