Descant Recorder

It's the easiest note to start with. First, cover just one hole. Use your left hand – thumb on the back hole and first finger on the top front hole. That's all you need. Second, blow gently into the recorder. Imagine a soft breath – not hard like blowing out a candle. Pole pole, as we say. Third, listen carefully. You should hear a clear, high sound – that's B!

Great work with note B! Let's learn our second note: A. Watch closely how your fingers change. To play A, you cover three holes: your thumb on the back, plus your first and second fingers on top. Exactly like B, but now add that second finger. Remember — keep your fingers flat, like a pancake, not curved. Flat fingers seal the holes nicely so you get a clear sound. Going from B to A is just a small movement — lift your ring finger and press down your second finger. Try it: B ... Then A. Pole pole — slowly. Play B – A – B – A slowly, like a call and response. I'll play first, then you echo. Listen carefully to the sound.

We are ready for our third note! At the recorder. We have learned B — cover just the top hole. A — cover the top hole with your thumb. For G, we cover four holes: all left hand fingers plus the thumb. That's thumb, index, middle, and ring finger. Remember: For note G, cover these holes — all left hand fingers and thumb. Let me say it again: thumb, index, middle, ring. Four fingers covering four holes. You can play three notes: B, A, and G. That is a big achievement! With just three notes, you can already play many simple tunes. At this diagram: B is just the top hole open, A is thumb plus top hole, and G is all left hand fingers. Let's practice moving between them. Try playing B-A-G-A-B. Think of it like climbing a small hill and then coming back down. In Kenya we say 'Panda, shuka' — go up, come down. B is the top of our hill, A is halfway, and G is the bottom. Let's climb up: B (top), A (middle), G (bottom). Then come back: A, then back to B. Panda shuka!

Next, let's talk about something very important: tonguing. This is how we start each note clearly, not with a soft 'wah' but with a sharp, clean beginning. The trick is a simple word: 'tu'. When you say 'tu' with your tongue, it stops the air for a tiny moment and then releases it. That's how you get a clean start to the note. At Step 1: Say 'tu' with your tongue when you start each note. Imagine your tongue is a little door—it opens just a crack, then closes quickly. That's the 'tu' sound you make. What happens when you do this? The result is a clear, crisp sound. Not like a sheep saying 'baa', but a sharp 'tu'. It's the difference between a clear note and a fuzzy one. Time to practice. Try this pattern: 'tu-tu-tu' on note B first, then move to A, then to G. Take it slowly—pole pole—one note at a time. Focus on the tonguing, not the speed. Here's a way to remember: Think of a Nairobi matatu conductor calling out the stops. They say 'Tu-tu-tu'—sharp, clear, and everyone can hear. That's exactly the sound we want from our recorder. Sharp and clear like a matatu conductor!

We're going to play a real tune. It's a very famous, simple song called 'Hot Cross Buns'. Guess what? It only uses the three notes we just learned: B, A, and G. You can play a real tune using only these three notes. Here is the pattern: B A G, B A G, G G G G, A A A A, B A G. You play B, then A, then G. Then repeat that. Then you play four G's, then four A's, and finish with B, A, G again. Take a moment to look at that. To play this easily, remember your fingering. B is played with your thumb. A is played with your index finger. G is played with your middle finger. Thumb... Index... Middle. Let's practice that movement in the air. A very important tip: Play pole pole. That means slow and steady. Don't try to be fast yet. Start slow, get the notes right, and you can speed up later. Did you know? This tune is like a song you might hear in a Kenyan market! The rhythm and the call-and-response feel are a part of our music heritage. Isn't it wonderful that a simple song can connect so many places?

Great work today, class! At this — 'Keep Playing!' That's exactly what we should do. You've come so far. You now know the notes B, A, and G. That's the first step to playing many, many songs. Clap for yourselves! At home, I want you to play 'Hot Cross Buns' for your family. They will be so proud of you! Pole pole, practice every day. Think of music like a shamba. When you water and care for it, it grows. Your practice is like watering your music shamba. Keep at it! In our next lesson, we'll learn more notes. Keep playing, keep growing. You are amazing!