Soprano or Alto Recorder?

Question:which sounds best and are they both in the same key? i am thinking i might like to foll around with one for my own personal amusement and i dont which would sound better the soprano or the alto any advice will be appreciated.

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker: which sounds best and are they both in the same key? i am thinking i might like to foll around with one for my own personal amusement and i dont which would sound better the soprano or the alto any advice will be appreciated.

Actually, all recorders are in the concert C tuning--they're not like clarinets where playing a C sounds concert Bb or an alto sax where playing C sounds concert Eb...

But the soprano recorder (also the tenor recorder) uses "C" fingering, which corresponds roughly to the fingering for concert flutes, saxophones, and the upper register of the clarinet. The alto, bass, and sopranino recorders use "F" fingering, which corresponds to the lower register of a clarinet.

I hope that makes sense to you.

Anyway, I'd suggest starting with alto. The alto recorder was a concert instrument back in the 17th century, and there is some serious music written for it. I've performed a Handel sonata on recorder (accompanied by cello) for an Easter service, years ago--and Bach wrote some famous parts for them in two of his Brandenburg concertos. Soprano is primarily good for playing the lead in recorder consorts or for folk music.

If you choose to go with alto, you can develop skills by getting beginner-level flute books and playing the exercises therein. Most of them will not go below low F, which is the bottom end of your alto recorder's range.

Now, if limitless virtuosity and a shot at a professional career (there are some pro recordists) is of no interest to you, then go with soprano. It's cheaper.

Let me leave you with my first flute teacher's first lesson for recorder players: "Inhale. (pause) Inhale. (pause) INHALE!"

Soprano recorder is in C major key and alto is in F major key, so there is difference in pitch. If you aim to study the recorder seriously then you most probably need recorders of different sizes, for example I have got 5 different sized recorders at the moment. In my opinion, the alto and the tenor recorder have the best tone quality, and I recommend you to get wooden ones right away instead of plastic ones (which do not have so good sound quality compared to the wooden ones).

Nice to hear that someone else also thinks that one can actually play a lot of other tunes than "Hot Cross Buns" on the recorder!