Think “QR”

ready for
Recorder?
BOOK 1: BAG
An essential method for beginners with QR codes
linked to media examples on

A recorder mini-method by
Sara Wilshire Bibee
SCAN ME!
 Table of Contents
Think “QR” Ready for Recorder?
Book 1: BAG
i How to Use This Book
1! How to Practice for Success
B-A-G
2! Recorder Fingering Chart
READING PRACTICE
3! Note and Rest Duration Chart PAGE 28
4! Basic Music Reading
6! Biggest Recorder Mistakes
NOTES & RESTS
7! Parts of the Recorder
MATH CONNECTION
8! Get Ready for B, A and G PAGE 29

11 ! Whole, Half and Quarter Practice

14 ! It All Fits Together

17 ! 3/4 Time Signature

18 ! 2/4 Time Signature and the Eighth Note COMPOSE YOUR OWN
20 ! Duets SONG ACTIVITIES!
PAGES 30-32
21 ! Mind Bending Rhythms

23 ! Student Progress Checklist

28 ! Reading Music Practice Sheets COMPLETION

30! Compose Your Own! CERTIFICATE
PAGE 33
33 Completion Certificate
 HOW TO USE THIS BOOK
This recorder book can be used alone without the use of the QR codes. However, to make practicing
at home more fun for students, QR codes have been provided for each example, which will lead him or
her to my YouTube Channel (MrsSaraWilshireBibee). The QR code on the front of the book takes you
right to the playlist.

If you would like to play these videos in class, I have provided all of the pieces within a playlist on
my channel called: “Think QR Ready for Recorder? Book 1- BAG”

If you are unsure how to use QR codes, you will need to download a QR scanner on your electronic
device. Here are some free suggested apps from the Apple and Android stores:

QR READER QR READER QR DROID

SCAN SCAN SCAN
SCANLIFE ESPONCE SCANLIFE

COPYRIGHT INFORMATION
Personal/Educational use only. The contents of this digital book are original creations by Sara Wilshire
Bibee (exceptions include public domain songs). You may not resell this book as your own. You also
may not borrow images from the book to make into your own creations.

You do have permission to copy the contents of this book for students, which will prevent the need
to buy many copies as with hard copy books. The purpose of this book was to help teachers in
schools with tight budget situations. If you purchased this book online, please remember to leave
feedback, as it helps my resources grow.

i
PRACTICING FOR SUCCESS
The more you practice, the better you will become. Practice is key for improvement. Follow these
suggestions to become a better musician:

1. TAKE YOUR INSTRUMENT AND MUSIC HOME!

2. PRACTICE CORRECTLY.
- Clap/Say Rhythm
- Identify Pitches
- Say Pitches in Rhythm
- Say Pitches and Practice Fingerings
- PLAY!

3. YOU WILL MAKE MISTAKES. WORK

THROUGH THEM.

4. BE NICE AND SUPPORTIVE TO YOUR

OTHER CLASSMATES.
1
 RECORDER
FINGER CHART

LH LH LH LH
RH C RH D RH E RH
F
LH LH LH LH
RH
F RH
G RH
A RH
B
CLOSED
HOLE

LH LH LH
RH
B RH
C 2
RH
D OPEN
HOLE
 NOTE AND REST
DURATION CHART
NOTES (SOUNDING) TYPE AND VALUE RESTS (SILENT)

Whole
(4 Beats)
Half
(2 Beats)
Quarter
(1 Beat)
Eighth
(1 /2 Beat)
Sixteenth
(1 /4 Beat)

3
 BASIC MUSIC READING
FOR RECORDER
THE STAFF: The 5 lines and 4 spaces
where notes and rests
are placed.

MEASURES AND BARLINES:

MEASURE MEASURE MEASURE

BARLINE BARLINE BARLINE ENDING

BARLINE

BARLINE: LINES THAT DIVIDE THE STAFF INTO MEASURES.

ENDING BARLINE: A DOUBLE BARLINE THAT IS AT THE END OF THE PIECE.
MEASURE: THE SPACE IN BETWEEN BARLINES.

4
 TIME SIGNATURES
The TIME SIGNATURE tells us how many beats are in a measure, and which type
of note lasts for one beat.

How many beats are in a measure.

The 4 means the Quarter Note gets
one beat.

THE TREBLE CLEF

F
E
D
C
B
A
G
F
E
The treble clef is used for higher pitched
instruments. The circled area shows us where
“G” is located on the staff.
5
 BIGGEST RECORDER MISTAKES
And what you can do to prevent them.

Mistake #1: Students who put their right hand on top.

This mistake is common because most people are right-handed. Keep in mind, the left hand needs to go on top for
a couple of reasons.

1. It will prepare you for playing a woodwind instrument. All woodwind instruments are played with the
right hand below the left hand.

2. The very last hole on the recorder is slanted to the right. If your left hand were on the bottom, it
would be difficult to play this way.

Mistake #2: Not covering holes all the way.

This mistake is common when you are beginning. If a hole is not covered all the way, your recorder will squeak or
produce incorrect tones. There are a couple of ways to fix this:

1. Place the “pads” (flat part) of your finger over the hole. It will seal easier this way.

2. If you are unsure if your pads are covering the holes, wiggle your fingers in place with slight pressure
for a few seconds, then lift your fingers away. On the pads of your fingers, you should see a circle
where the recorder was. If the circle is faint, incomplete, or not in the center of your finger’s pad, it is
likely you may not be covering the holes all the way.

3. While playing, “float” your fingers right over top of the holes, so they are ready to use as soon as you
need them. This will prevent you from quickly trying to move your finger from a crazy location and
possibly missing the hole.

Mistake #3: Blowing too hard or too soft will prevent a proper quality of sound and tone.

EASY TO FIX, AND EASY TO REMEMBER:

If you want to play lower/softer, blow slower.

If you want to play higher/louder, blow faster (not too much!).

6
PARTS OF
THE VENT

RECORDER

LEFT HAND
RECORDER TIP: 1
If you don’t know 2
which hand is your left
3
hand, hold them up
1
RIGHT HAND

like this:
2
L 3
4
The hand that makes
an “L” is your left
hand.
7
 !
GE T READY FOR B!
B is located on the
third line of the staff.

L R
B is played with the 1st finger and thumb of the left hand.
To see the video of all three examples, scan this QR Code!

PRACTICE B #1- WHOLE NOTES

1 (2 3 4) RRRR 1 (2 3 4) RRRR

PRACTICE B #2- HALF NOTES

1 (2) 3 (4) R R R R 1 (2) 3 (4) R R R R

PRACTICE B #3- QUARTER NOTES

1 2 3 4 RRRR 1 2 3 4 RRRR

8
 GET READY FOR A!
A is located on the
second space of the staff.

L R
A is played with the thumb, 1, and 2 of the left hand.
To see the video of all three examples, scan this QR Code!

PRACTICE A #1- WHOLE NOTES

1 (2 3 4) RRRR 1 (2 3 4) RRRR

PRACTICE A #2- HALF NOTES

1 (2) 3 (4) R R R R 1 (2) 3 (4) R R R R

PRACTICE A #3- QUARTER NOTES

1 2 3 4 RRRR 1 2 3 4 RRRR

9
 GE T READY FOR G!
G is located on the second
line of the staff.

L R
G is played with the thumb, 1, 2 and 3 of the left hand.
To see the video of all three examples, scan this QR Code!

PRACTICE G #1- WHOLE NOTES

1 (2 3 4) RRRR 1 (2 3 4) RRRR

PRACTICE G #2- HALF NOTES

1 (2) 3 (4) R R R R 1 (2) 3 (4) R R R R

PRACTICE G #3- QUARTER NOTES

1 2 3 4 RRRR 1 2 3 4 RRRR

10
 WHOLE PRACTICE
1 Break Up

2 Break Down

3 Hula Shake

4 Not Sticking Around For Long

11
 HALF PRACTICE
5 Three Steps Up, Three Steps Down

6 A Little Skip

7 On and Off

8 A Flickering Light

12
 QUARTER PRACTICE
9 Bouncing Betty

10 Bouncing Andy

11 Bugged

12 Tsunami

13
 I T ALL FI TS TOGETHER!
, This symbol is a breath mark. It is placed between
musical phrases to suggest the player take a quick breath.

13 Mary and her Lamb

,
Mar- y had a Lit- tle lamb, Lit- tle lamb, Lit- tle lamb.

Mar- y had a Lit- tle lamb, its fleece was white as snow.

14 Tip Toe

15 Hopscotch

14
16 Hot Cross Buns
, ,
Hot cross buns Hot cross buns

one a pen- ny two a pen- ny Hot cross buns

17 Rest Easy

18 Mountain Top

19 Double it Up
,

15
20 Gentle Stride ,

21 A Skip in the Park

22 Runner Up

23 Au Claire de la Lune
,

16
 TIME SIGNATURE 3/4
Three beats per measure.
Quarter Note still gets the beat.
24 Three-zy Squeezy

25 Sneak Attack

26 Swingset
,

17
 TIME SIGNATURE 2/4
Two beats per measure.
Quarter Note still gets the beat.

27 Pair it Up
1 & R 1 & R 1 & 2 & 1 (2)

*When counting eighth notes, say “and” on the upbeats to subdivide.*

THE EIGHTH NOTE

An eighth note is worth 1 /2 of a beat.
A single eighth note.. . This means two eighth notes take up the same
space as one quarter note.

Eighth note pair.. . .

= 1 Beat
18
28 Down by the Station
,

,
Down by the sta- tion ear-ly in the morn- ing see the lit-tle smoke stacks

all in a row. chug-ga chug-ga choo! choo! watch-em, off they go!

29 Chop, Chop!

30 Chop, Chop, Reverse!

31 Two-Pair Kicks

A group of four eighth notes takes up the space of two beats.

19
 DUET
A duet is two musical parts sounding together.
Practice the following two pieces with a partner.
Practice both parts, then try switching!
32 Repeat After Me

33 Sweet Harmony
,
A
,
B
20
 MIND-BENDING RHYTHMS
Practice the following rhythms on your instrument, by clapping,
counting, or another method preferred by your teacher.
1 2

3 4

5 6

7 8

9 10

11 12

13 14

15 16

21
MIND-BENDING RHYTHMS
Here are the QR codes for all of the Mind-Bending Rhythms.
1 2 3 4

5 6 7 8

9 10 11 12

13 14 15 16

22
 STUDENT PROGRESS CHART
Think “QR” Ready for Recorder?
Book 1: BAG
Student Name: __________________________________________________________
Page #8
NUMBER SCORE COMMENTS
B Practice #1- Wholes 0 1 2 3 4 5 N/A
B Practice #2- Halves 0 1 2 3 4 5 N/A
B Practice #3- Quarters 0 1 2 3 4 5 N/A

Page #9
NUMBER SCORE COMMENTS
A Practice #1- Wholes 0 1 2 3 4 5 N/A
A Practice #2- Halves 0 1 2 3 4 5 N/A
A Practice #3- Quarters 0 1 2 3 4 5 N/A

Page #10
NUMBER SCORE COMMENTS
G Practice #1- Wholes 0 1 2 3 4 5 N/A
G Practice #2- Halves 0 1 2 3 4 5 N/A
G Practice #3- Quarters 0 1 2 3 4 5 N/A
23
2
Page #1 1- Whole Practice
NUMBER SCORE COMMENTS
1- Break Up 0 1 2 3 4 5 N/A
2- Break Down 0 1 2 3 4 5 N/A
3- Hula Shake 0 1 2 3 4 5 N/A
4- Not Sticking Around 0 1 2 3 4 5 N/A

Page #1 2- Half Practice

NUMBER SCORE COMMENTS
5- Three Steps Up 0 1 2 3 4 5 N/A
6- A Little Skip 0 1 2 3 4 5 N/A
7- On and Off 0 1 2 3 4 5 N/A
8- A Flickering Light 0 1 2 3 4 5 N/A

Page #1 3- Quarter Practice

NUMBER SCORE COMMENTS
9- Bouncing Betty 0 1 2 3 4 5 N/A
10- Bouncing Andy 0 1 2 3 4 5 N/A
11- Bugged 0 1 2 3 4 5 N/A
12- Tsunami 0 1 2 3 4 5 N/A
24
3
Page #1 4- It All Fits Together
NUMBER SCORE COMMENTS
13- Mary and her Lamb 0 1 2 3 4 5 N/A
14- Tip Toe 0 1 2 3 4 5 N/A
15- Hopscotch 0 1 2 3 4 5 N/A

Page #15
NUMBER SCORE COMMENTS
16- Hot Cross Buns 0 1 2 3 4 5 N/A
17- Rest Easy 0 1 2 3 4 5 N/A
18- Mountain Top 0 1 2 3 4 5 N/A
19- Double it Up 0 1 2 3 4 5 N/A

Page #16
NUMBER SCORE COMMENTS
20- Gentle Stride 0 1 2 3 4 5 N/A
21- A Skip in the Park 0 1 2 3 4 5 N/A
22- Runner Up 0 1 2 3 4 5 N/A
23- Au Claire de la Lune 0 1 2 3 4 5 N/A
25
4
Pages 17 & 18- 3/4 and 2/4 Time
NUMBER SCORE COMMENTS
24- Three-zy Squeezy 0 1 2 3 4 5 N/A
25- Sneak Attack 0 1 2 3 4 5 N/A
26- Swingset 0 1 2 3 4 5 N/A
27- Pair It Up 0 1 2 3 4 5 N/A

Page 19- Eighth Note Practice

NUMBER SCORE COMMENTS
28- Down by the Station 0 1 2 3 4 5 N/A
29- Chop, Chop! 0 1 2 3 4 5 N/A
30- Chop, Chop, Reverse! 0 1 2 3 4 5 N/A
31- Two-Pair Kicks 0 1 2 3 4 5 N/A

Page 20- Duets

NUMBER SCORE COMMENTS
32- Repeat After Me 0 1 2 3 4 5 N/A
33- Sweet Harmony 0 1 2 3 4 5 N/A

26
5
Pages 20 & 21- Mind Bending
NUMBER SCORE COMMENTS

1 0 1 2 3 4 5 N/A

2 0 1 2 3 4 5 N/A

3 0 1 2 3 4 5 N/A

4 0 1 2 3 4 5 N/A

5 0 1 2 3 4 5 N/A

6 0 1 2 3 4 5 N/A

7 0 1 2 3 4 5 N/A

8 0 1 2 3 4 5 N/A

9 0 1 2 3 4 5 N/A

10 0 1 2 3 4 5 N/A

11 0 1 2 3 4 5 N/A

12 0 1 2 3 4 5 N/A

13 0 1 2 3 4 5 N/A

14 0 1 2 3 4 5 N/A

15 0 1 2 3 4 5 N/A

16 0 1 2 3 4 5 N/A

27
6
 LE T’S LEARN PI TCHES!
This is a note head. The note head is the circular part of a
note. We have two different positions of note heads. Some
note heads will be on a LINE. Others can be on SPACES.

This is a LINE NOTE. This is a SPACE NOTE.

If a note head has a line going If a note head has a lines

through it, it is a line note. around it, it is a space note.

G A B

LINE #2 SPACE #2 LINE #3

IDENTIFY the following pitches in the blank below the note head.

G ___ ___
___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
CREATE the following pitches in each box on the staff.

B A G A B A G B
28
LE T’S LEARN NOTES AND RESTS!
In this book, you will see the following types of notes and rests. Each has a
specific amount of time (duration) which the note or rest is held. NOTES are
units of time which are sounding. RESTS are units of time which are silent.
NOTES
(SOUNDING) DURATION RESTS
(SILENT)
WHOLE
4 BEATS
HALF
2 BEATS
QUARTER
1 BEAT
EIGHTH GROUP
OR
1 BEAT
Use the chart above to answer the following questions. The first one has been done
for you as an example.

1. + = ___
3 Beats 3. + = ___ Beats
1 ___
___ 2 ___ ___

2. + = ___ Beats 4. + = ___ Beats

___ ___ ___ ___

29
 COMPOSE YOUR OWN !
DIRECTIONS:
Compose your own song using the outline below. Use the same
rhythm as in #18, “Mountain Top”. Use the pitches B, A, and G
to fill in the rhythm. Rests stay in place.

Song Title: __________________________

Composed By: ________________________

CHECKLIST: Did you.. HEY, COMPOSER!

Once your checklist is
Use the rhythm listed above the staff?
complete, ask your
Use the pitches B, A, and G? teacher to check your
work. Once you are
Make sure not to copy the original melody? cleared, practice your
Give your song a name? song on the recorder.
Get ready to perform it!
Write your name as the composer?
30
 COMPOSE YOUR OWN !
DIRECTIONS:
Compose your own song using the outline below. Use the
same rhythm as in #24, “Three-zy Squeezy”. Use the pitches
B, A, and G to fill in the rhythm. Rests stay in place.

Song Title: __________________________

Composed By: ________________________

CHECKLIST: Did you.. HEY, COMPOSER!

Once your checklist is
Use the rhythm listed above the staff?
complete, ask your
Use the pitches B, A, and G? teacher to check your
work. Once you are
Make sure not to copy the original melody? cleared, practice your
Give your song a name? song on the recorder.
Get ready to perform it!
Write your name as the composer?
31
 COMPOSE YOUR OWN !
DIRECTIONS:
Compose your own song using the outline below. Use the
same rhythm as in #29, “Chop, Chop!”. Use the pitches B, A,
and G to fill in the rhythm. Rests stay in place.

Song Title: __________________________

Composed By: ________________________

CHECKLIST: Did you.. HEY, COMPOSER!

Once your checklist is
Use the rhythm listed above the staff?
complete, ask your
Use the pitches B, A, and G? teacher to check your
work. Once you are
Make sure not to copy the original melody? cleared, practice your
Give your song a name? song on the recorder.
Get ready to perform it!
Write your name as the composer?
32
CONGRATULATIONS !
This award is presented to
_________________
for completing the
Think “QR” Ready for Recorder?
method book #1.
GREAT
__________
DATE JOB!
__________
PRESENTED BY
 Thank You!
I would like to extend my thanks to the following resources, and give
credit where credit is due.
FONTS USED: ALL AVAILABLE FROM FONTSPACE.COM
Isabelle Layne (click to download)
Janda Manatee Solid: (click to download)
KG Hard Candy Striped (click to download)
KG What the Teacher Wants (click to download)

IMAGES USED:
Recorder images courtesy of the Yamaha Corporation and Lazar’s Early Music: http://
www.lazarsearlymusic.com/Yamaha-Recorders/yamaha_recorders.htm

Hands courtesy of Blogspot: http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ufHWxVXtXL0/TQgm9OLwBsI/

AAAAAAAAC5o/epnQpc-hxcc/s1600/euro-10_37122_lg.gif

QR Barcodes courtesy of QR CODE GENERATOR: http://www.the-qrcode-generator.com

PROGRAMS USED (ALL ON MY MAC):

Pages (The entire book)
Keynote (Class Presentations)
Garageband (Beat tracks and audio editing)
Skitch (Screen Capturing QR Codes and Compositions)
iTunes (To compile playlists)
Finale 2008 (Compositions)- All composed by Sara Bibee, unless Public Domain