Aulos C-tenor recorder, Dark Brown, Synthetic Resin, Baroque Fingering, ABS Plastic, Ideal for Beginner to Intermediate Players

I just started fooling around with recorders again after I haven't touched one for 53 years (the 4th grade).Irish whistles too.Wood ones from iVolga are really nice sounding.Anyway, I recently purchased a Yamaha YRN-302B II, a Yamaha 402 B Ecodear, and a Woodnote Garklein, which I think is total garbage, and probably a cheapo counterfeit somebody switched that I unfortunately ended up with.Anyway, the Yamaha recorders are legitimate and are quite nice, and I especially like the Ecodear alto, but this Aulos 211A tenor is really, I think, a bit nicer looking, simply because it has a unique design with subtle differences that make it stand out as far as looks go.It's not overly done with white (ivory colored) accents like most Yamaha recorders are.Very subtle, very classy looking.It also has a nice mellow tone, but I really could not judge against a Yamaha tenor, because I do not own one.Because of it's size, it's going to take a bit of time to get my breath control in order, but I am making progress fairly quickly.Just don't expect to come directly from another size and dive right in.It is a bit of a curve as far as breath control goes.It's much trickier transitioning between octaves and right now, I'm getting a bunch of squealing.That's totally on me.It just takes time, practice, and very, very subtle changes in breath.I'm sorted at how little breath this recorder requires as compared to the others I've been playing with in the last few weeks.I'm sure an intermediate player would have no problem whatsoever.As far as fingering goes, I'm 6'2" and have the necessary finger reach for such an instrument.This one seems no more difficult to transition from than going from a Soprano to an alto did for me.I rather like the fact that there are no moving parts on this one.I really hate moving parts like keys, because, guess what?Moving parts wear, they make a bit of noise, and moving parts can break!I'm not sure, but would imagine the keys on other recorders have some kind of felt sealing pad on them too that will need replacement.Without keys, this recorder will truly last a lifetime with no maintenance other than keeping it clean.I would highly recommend this recorder.As a novice to the tenor,I feel it's something you can easily grow into, provided you have the necessary finger reach.It seems to be very well made and is also very classy looking.It comes with a snap-on thumb rest should you require one, and also a cleaning rod and joint lube.The zipper pouch is quite nice too.One thing I wish it came with is a plug that holds the mouthpiece and the end bell together in the bag as Yamahas do, however it does have end caps for the main body tube.There is a felt divider for mouthpiece and the bell sewn into the pouch.

I am very impressed with this tenor recorder. With this being listed as a "smaller reach" I was a little hesitant about just what that means. However I gave in and ordered one and boy am I glad I did! This recorder is no harder to play than any keyed tenor I own and I have 4. It is very comfortable to play, has a great tone and is well balanced. Intonation is great, i can hit low C right away with no hesitation and receive a clear tone and no problems sliding up and down the scale. I am very pleased with this recorder. Finally a tenor I can toss into my gym bag and take anywhere without worrying about that delicate low C key getting damaged. I was so impressed that I ordered the Alto and Soprano from this series so now I have a matching set. Those recorders were just as impressive as this tenor. Pricing is very fair for these as well. All 3 recorders came nicely packed in a leatherette zippered bag, tub of cream\lubricant, cleaning rod, tenon caps for storage, fingering chart and a snap on thumb rest. In my opinion it's the accessories that a manufacturer includes that helps indicate what kind of quality is behind an instrument and Aulos does not disappoint here. I highly recommend this recorder and it's siblings in the 200 series.

I am relatively new to the world of recorders (unless you count the Flutophone in Elementary School music class). This one seemed like a good affordable option and I liked that it wouldn't sound quite as shrill and piercing as a soprano while keeping the same key/fingerings.It is relatively loud (not sure how the rest of the family feels about this) and the tone is pretty good through most of the range of the instrument. Most notes are in tune as well though I'm sure the ones that aren't in tune are that way due to a lack of skill. The lowest and highest notes take a lot of care to get to come out cleanly but I'll attribute that to the aforementioned lack of skill as well.The hand position required to to play can be a bit awkward at this size as well. Many tenor recorders seem to get around this by using a key for the lowest hole which might be the better way to go. My hands are not that small and I still have trouble reliably covering all of the bottom holes.

It has a nice sound and good response. However, uneducated buyer beware. This is an entirely different animal from our elementary school recorders of old. It's the big brother of the instrument that those cheap things were imitating. The size difference makes it cumbersome with uncomfortable hand stretches. But that's just the nature of the instrument, which the player needs to accept. If you haven't picked up a recorder for decades and simply want to freshen up on Hot Cross Buns and other simple songs, just buy a $20 plastic soprano model from the Aulos or Yamaha. That's definitely what I should've done to begin with.