YamahaYRS-24B Plastic Soprano Recorder, Natural 14.00 x 2.00 x 2.00

So I got this recorder for my oldest child. She needed one for school and wanted it to be different than all the others the kids had at school. IT's a cute and good recorder, easy to clean and sounds just fine. Its a very good price and so far it's lasted for several years. 5 stars.

Unlike typical souvenir-style or even hand-made flutes, Recorders are made with precise tunings such that the finger pattern for each note is standard from one flute to another, making them suitable for group playing, learning to read sheet music and so on. Recorders are proper members of the woodwind group of instruments used in orchestral and chamber music. In this respect it is much more than a toy.This very inexpensive and nearly indestructible plastic knock-off of the traditional soprano 'recorder' wooden flute is the entry level medium for music instruction in Waldorf (aka Rudolf Steiner) schools world-wide from Grade 1 (6 years old). I own two of these and have used them to give lessons to each of my three children.Easier to reach satisfying results with than most instruments (Mary had a little lamb, Jingle Bells, Old MacDonald, etc.), it serves as a gateway to developing interest in learning to play other instruments (in my case one daughter to cello at age 8, another to violin at age 5) and as a means of understanding essential musical fundamentals like scales, octaves, phrasing and melody due to its transparent operation and connection to one's breathing. Used in conjunction with singing practice it helps to train the voice by providing the student's ear with feedback that is always "in key."Also useful in science instruction to illustrate the relationship between length of vibration and pitch, and from there to demystify the mathematics that connect sound (and by extension radio & light waves) to harmonics, interference waves and carrier signals in radio and telecommunications.If you don't have access to a teacher for your kid buy two and teach yourself using YouTube and other abundant Internet resources, then teach your child what you've learned. Eventually they will learn your research process too and then take that over -- soon surpassing you and mastering a key "learning how to learn" skill that will serve them for everything else they ever become interested in. A great parent-child quality time project for the involved parent.

This is my first recorder since grade school so my frame of reference is quite limited, but it sure seems like a quality product at a great price; which is not surprising because every experience I've ever had with Yamaha products... Waverunner, stereo receiver, integrated amp, powered subwoofer, acoustic guitar, tennis racket... has been great (knock on wood)!This recorder looks great, feels solid, has a nice tone, and comes with an attractive pouch.

I played sax for from elementary school through late college. I was a decent, albeit nothing special, musician. I do have experience with instruments and specifically, woodwinds.This recorder is not a Selmer. However, especially for the price, it is a solid little instrument. My 6 year old daughter really wanted to learn an instrument, any instrument, and my wife got her a super cheap recorder-like instrument at the dollar store. That was horrible but just a dollar. This cost 6 times more but is easily 25 times better. It is 'just a recorder' but it is a real instrument, a type of flute, has a real history, and there is technique to the thing that could make one skilled at this instrument or similar woodwinds in the future (e.g., sax, clarinet, flute). Also a lot easier for my kid to take around and practice on, still learn how to read music, and accommodates her hand size better than a bigger instrument like a piano. In addition to playing, we're having some good together time, and she's learning some rhythm and how to read music.This thing fits my daughter's hands well, and she has taken to it and even diligently practices it. She is already picking up a few songs and could play a song after our first 'lesson'.It even sounds better than I was expected. Sure, a plastic soprano recorder isn't that far off from a shrill whistle with holes, especially if you just blow on the thing. But being gentle with your breath, proper technique with your tongue (I know how that sounds), and it doesn't sound that bad. The youtube recorder lesson number 1 by Mr. Hines covers this. It isn't hard.I haven't played sax in years but have been enjoying picking this up with my kid.Very pleased, especially for the price. Note that the recorder pulls apart into three pieces for cleaning (but has no rod but not a big deal). It comes in a little cloth sack of decent quality which is sufficient to establish a habit of treating an instrument with respect and putting it away when done...but isn't a hard or soft case in any sense. This said, this thing seems pretty durable. I wouldn't use it as a hammer, but occassional drops or piling stuff on top of it isn't going to damage it.Well done.

The media could not be loaded. I remember using this same type of recorder as a kid in the 7th grade and was exited to get this for my son's music class. Its the standard off white color. The quality is great as the material is sturdy. However i dont feel like the size of the holes are pratical because neither my son or myself can get them to cover properly and i dont feel like we can ever get the bottom bit to properly allign with the entire recorder. I feel like this interfere with the performance. However its a great starting point for him to learn music

Very similar to what my kid used at school in music class. We got this so they could experiment with other songs at home after enjoying recorder in class. It appears to be well made and should last a long time.