Recorder Modifications - Alec Loretto 3

Recorder modifications 3
ALEC LORETTO
This is the third and final article in a series devoted to preferably a little larger than the windway exit
recorder block making and windway modifications. Readers height. By carefully repeating the above stages there
should note that figures 1 and 2 appeared in Early Music, comes a time when the recorder will speak, only a
April 1973. figures ) to 10 and illustrations 'a-p' in Early little at first and requiring a very high breath
Musk,July 197). pressure. By sighting into the windway (fig. 1) it is
possible to determine exactly when the windwav
The second article ended with a self made block in Hoor is a little higher than the lower surface of the
position, with the windway floor so high that the labium (see figs. 2, 13 and 14).
windwav itself is completely blocked and the
instrument therefore unplayable. The remaining fig- n. fig- '•>•
Downloaded from http://em.oxfordjournals.org/ at University of Connecticut on July 5, 2015

Arched Flat windway
operations comprise the lowering of the windway windway showing
Moor, the cutting of the block chamfer, determining showing labium ledge)
labium (edge) just visible
the final position ol the inside end of the block, and just visible when sighting
shaping its outside end to match the beak of the when sighting along windway
instrument. It will be noted that at the conclusion of along windway floor
floor
the above operations the recorder can be fully
restored to its original condition by removing the
new block and inserting the block supplied with the From this point on the more of the floor removed
instrument when new. and/or the larger the chamfer (and therefore the
bigger the view, see fig. 1) the greater will be the loss
of flexibility. The windway Hoor must be quite
Lowering the windway floor, cutting the chamfer, and deter-
straight along its length even though the windway
mining the final position of the inside end of the block
may be laterally arched. Avoid building into the
Although listed as three separate operations they are
windway Hoor a hump, however slight, i.e. it must
in fact very closely related, and it is essential from
not be longitudinally convex. Proceeding very slowly
now on to work slowly, testing carefully the playing
now, bearing in mind that it is easier to remove
quality of the instrument as work proceeds. Carefully
wood than to replace it, carry on delicately adjusting
put a small 4.5 degree chamfer on the end of the
the chamfer and the windway Hoor level until the
block, ensuring it is equal across the width of the
instrument speaks freely yet Hexiblv. Remember to
block —fig. 11.
try the block in various positions — gently tap it
lurther into the instrument, tap it out a little and test
Fig. I1. Equal the wav in which the recorder speaks throughout its
chamfers entire range. Generally speaking the instrument
on blocks
should perform best when the block end is in line
with the upper windway exit level — see fig. 15.
Avoid the unequal chamfer as shown in fig. 12.
fig- /<• Fig 16
- Showing Chamfers start
Fig 12. Avoid ' surfaces x and y together but
unequal chamfers Block
in line need not be
angle
Carefully using hies and/or a small plane (illus. c, d, e
& i) remove wood from the windway floor (top of the The smallest adjustment to the block end position
block) ensuring that the lateral contour of the Hoor can have quite surprising results so experiment here
matrhes accurately the contour of the windwav until satisfied that the block is in the best position to
ceiling and the lower surface of the labium. Keep the give as rich and flexible a tone as possible. Note that
windwav entrance height (fig. 2) as small as possible in experimenting with the angle and size of the
ensuring that it is always the same size as, or bottom chamfer it is not necessary to copy exactly the
229
angle and size of the top chamfer. Generally speak- others more open, a recorder player is able to have
ing though it is best to have the chamfers starting in an instrument with differing qualities, not unlike an
line — see fig. 16. It should be understood that all oboe player able to produce a variety of reeds.
windway surfaces should be quite smooth, finishing
them to a high quality using 600 sandpaper. For the The final stages are reserved for the windway ceiling,
same reason, some makers cut and avoid filing the and are the only operations in this series of articles in
top and bottom chamfers, arguing that a razor sharp which the recorder is modified, as opposed to the
knife will give a longer lasting cleaner surface than block. Unlike modifications to the block, modifica-
the finest sandpaper. tions to the windway ceiling are difficult to restore to
their original state. The windway ceiling is probably
Shaping the outside end of the block to match the beak straight as in fig. 19. A further increase in flexibility
Throughout the above stages it will be more comfort- can be obtained by making the windway ceiling
able to play the instrument 'back to front', with the slightly concave, with the highest point nearer the
labium — fig. 20. Again, avoid damaging the
labium in line with the thumbhole. During the above
chamfer.
stages, to make things more comfortable, the block

end can be cut roughly to shape —fig.17.
I Windway ceiling \
i Block
Fig. 20. Concave windway
Fig. 17. Block cut Fig. 19. Straight windway ceiling with highest point
roughly to shape ceiling nearer windway exit
If the recorder has a very large step (fig. 2) lowering

the windway ceiling might be necessary to increase
When completely satisfied with the final position of the instrument's flexibility. Glueing in a piece of
the inside end of the block the beak shape can now wood of the thinness required to lower the ceiling
be trimmed using a sharp chisel and finishing off might be difficult and it is sometimes better to
with sandpaper. Avoid in any way marking the beak remove some of the windway ceiling to the upper
of the instrument. chamfer level and then glue in a more substantial
piece of wood —fig.21.
The final operation which can be done before the
Fig. 21. Showing wood
beak shape is incorporated into the block, concerns to be removed from
the shape of the windway floor, i.e. the upper surface to be removecT windway ceiling before
of the block. It will be recalled that the windway glueing in thicker
Block piece to lower ceiling
Hoor has been made longitudinally straight. Into the
windway floor a small concavity can be incorporated. It is most important.to use a completely waterproof
Again, test it carefully as work proceeds. Perhaps on glue in this operation. When the insert of wood is
a particular block a modification of 0.5 mm firmly in position the windway ceiling can then be
concavity will be too much. Keep the deepest point shaped laterally and longitudinally. Do not make the
of the concavity about half way along the windway upper chamfer too large as this is the equivalent of
floor, avoiding any damage to the block chamfer. raising the ceiling, the very situation we set out to
The windway floor should now appear as infig.18. rectify.
A cknowledgments
Fig. 18. Showing
slight concavity in I should like to offer my thanks to Ruth van Crevel
windway floor for the very fine photographs; to Ellen Meijer for
studio facilities; to Bruce Haynes and other staff
If the instructions in these articles have been care- members of the Royal Conservatorium of Music in
fully followed one will now have a recorder that is the Hague, as well as to the many students who
more flexible — that is, it will respond to widely persuaded me to write these articles, and to Martin
varying breath pressures without going wildly out of Skowronek and Klaus Scheele from whom I learned
tune. The reasons why most makers produce non- so much.
flexible instruments need not concern us here.1 By 1
For those wishing to read more on this lopic see Recorder and
producing a variety of blocks, some very close and Music Magazine, March 1973, pages 156-7.
231
The bowland' Lute
(Supplied in Kit Form)
10 course (19 strings)

Brochure From:
DOWLAND MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS
14 MARKET STREET, GUILDFORD,
SURREY, ENGLAND.
Michael Heale Viola da Gamba

Maker of musical instruments Pardessus .Treble.Alto
of historic interest Tenor En lish Lyra
14 Market Street, Guildford, Division 5 3ass. Violone
Viola dhmore . Baryton
Surrey, England.
Restoration of antique viols

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Recorder modifications 3

Downloaded from http://em.oxfordjournals.org/ at University of Connecticut on July 5, 2015

Downloaded from http://em.oxfordjournals.org/ at University of Connecticut on July 5, 2015

If the recorder has a very large step (fig. 2) lowering

Downloaded from http://em.oxfordjournals.org/ at University of Connecticut on July 5, 2015

Michael Heale Viola da Gamba

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