Editing Recorder (musical instrument) (section)

=== <span class="anchor" id="Types of recorder"></span> Modern recorders ===
Today, recorder sizes are named after the different vocal ranges. This is not, however, a reflection of sounding pitch, and serves primarily to denote the pitch relationships between the different instruments. Groups of recorders played together are referred to as "consorts". Recorders are also often referred to by their lowest sounding note: "recorder in F" refers to a recorder with lowest note<!-- n.b. this refers to the note 01234567, which may not be the lowest fingered note or even the lowest playable note --> F, in any octave.

The table in this section shows the standard names of modern recorders in F and C and their respective ranges. Music composed after the modern revival of the recorder most frequently uses soprano, alto, tenor, and bass recorders, although sopranino and great bass are also fairly common.<ref name=":11">{{Cite web|title = Catalogue of Recorder Repertoire: Advanced search|url = http://www.blokfluit.org/modern/search-by-title/advanced-search/|website = www.blokfluit.org|access-date = 4 February 2016}}</ref> Consorts of recorders are often referred to using the terminology of organ registers: 8′ (8 foot) pitch referring to a consort sounding as written, 4′ pitch a consort sounding an octave above written, and 16′ a consort sounding an octave below written. The combination of these consorts is also possible.<ref>{{Cite book|title = Woodwind Instruments and Their History|last = Baines|first = Anthony|year = 1957|page = 248}}</ref>

{| class="wikitable"
!colspan=6|Ranges of the modern recorder family
|-
! In C
! Written
! Sounding
! In F
! Written
! Sounding
|- style="text-align:right;"
| [[Garklein recorder|garklein flutlein]] or sopranissimo<br />or piccolo in C<sub>6</sub> (c‴)<br />
|| <score lang="lilypond">
     {
       \override SpacingSpanner.strict-note-spacing = ##t
       \set Score.proportionalNotationDuration = #(ly:make-moment 1/8)
       \clef treble \omit Score.TimeSignature
       \relative c' {c!4 \glissando d''!}
     }
   </score>
|| <score lang="lilypond">
     {
       \override SpacingSpanner.strict-note-spacing = ##t
       \set Score.proportionalNotationDuration = #(ly:make-moment 1/8)
       \clef "treble^15" \omit Score.TimeSignature
       \relative c''' {c!4 \glissando d''!}
     }
   </score>
|| [[Sopranino recorder|sopranino]] in F<sub>5</sub> (f″)<br />
|| <score lang="lilypond">
     {
       \override SpacingSpanner.strict-note-spacing = ##t
       \set Score.proportionalNotationDuration = #(ly:make-moment 1/8)
       \clef treble \omit Score.TimeSignature
       \relative f' {f!4 \glissando g''!}
     }
   </score>
|| <score lang="lilypond">
     {
       \override SpacingSpanner.strict-note-spacing = ##t
       \set Score.proportionalNotationDuration = #(ly:make-moment 1/8)
       \clef "treble^8" \omit Score.TimeSignature
       \relative f'' {f!4 \glissando g''!}
     }
   </score>
|- style="text-align:right;"
| [[Soprano recorder|soprano]] or descant in C<sub>5</sub> (c″)<br /><br />
|| <score lang="lilypond">
     {
       \override SpacingSpanner.strict-note-spacing = ##t
       \set Score.proportionalNotationDuration = #(ly:make-moment 1/8)
       \clef treble \omit Score.TimeSignature
       \relative c' {c!4 \glissando d''!}
     }
   </score>
|| <score lang="lilypond">
     {
       \override SpacingSpanner.strict-note-spacing = ##t
       \set Score.proportionalNotationDuration = #(ly:make-moment 1/8)
       \clef "treble^8" \omit Score.TimeSignature
       \relative c'' {c!4 \glissando d''!}
     }
   </score>
|| [[Alto recorder|alto]] or treble in F<sub>4</sub> (f′)<br />
|| <score lang="lilypond">
     {
       \override SpacingSpanner.strict-note-spacing = ##t
       \set Score.proportionalNotationDuration = #(ly:make-moment 1/8)
       \clef treble \omit Score.TimeSignature
       \relative f' {f!4 \glissando g''!}
     }
   </score>
|| <score lang="lilypond">
     {
       \override SpacingSpanner.strict-note-spacing = ##t
       \set Score.proportionalNotationDuration = #(ly:make-moment 1/8)
       \clef treble \omit Score.TimeSignature
       \relative f' {f!4 \glissando g''!}
     }
   </score>
|- style="text-align:right;"
| [[Tenor recorder|tenor]] in C<sub>4</sub> (c′)
|| <score lang="lilypond">
     {
       \override SpacingSpanner.strict-note-spacing = ##t
       \set Score.proportionalNotationDuration = #(ly:make-moment 1/8)
       \clef treble \omit Score.TimeSignature
       \relative c' {c!4 \glissando d''!}
     }
   </score>
|| <score lang="lilypond">
     {
       \override SpacingSpanner.strict-note-spacing = ##t
       \set Score.proportionalNotationDuration = #(ly:make-moment 1/8)
       \clef treble \omit Score.TimeSignature
       \relative c' {c!4 \glissando d''!}
     }
   </score>
|| [[Bass recorder|bass]] or basset in F<sub>3</sub> (f)
|| <score lang="lilypond">
     {
       \override SpacingSpanner.strict-note-spacing = ##t
       \set Score.proportionalNotationDuration = #(ly:make-moment 1/8)
       \clef bass \omit Score.TimeSignature
       \relative f, {f!4 \glissando g''!}
     }
   </score>
|| <score lang="lilypond">
     {
       \override SpacingSpanner.strict-note-spacing = ##t
       \set Score.proportionalNotationDuration = #(ly:make-moment 1/8)
       \clef bass \omit Score.TimeSignature
       \relative f {f!4 \glissando \clef treble g''!}
     }
   </score>
|- style="text-align:right;"
| [[Great bass recorder|(great) bass]] or quart-bass in C<sub>3</sub> (c)<br />
|| <score lang="lilypond">
     {
       \override SpacingSpanner.strict-note-spacing = ##t
       \set Score.proportionalNotationDuration = #(ly:make-moment 1/8)
       \clef bass \omit Score.TimeSignature
       \relative c, {c!4 \glissando d''!}
     }
   </score>
|| <score lang="lilypond">
     {
       \override SpacingSpanner.strict-note-spacing = ##t
       \set Score.proportionalNotationDuration = #(ly:make-moment 1/8)
       \clef bass \omit Score.TimeSignature
       \relative c {c!4 \glissando \clef treble d''!}
     }
   </score>
|| [[Contrabass recorder|contrabass]] or great bass<br />or sub-bass in F<sub>2</sub> (F)<br />
|| <score lang="lilypond">
     {
       \override SpacingSpanner.strict-note-spacing = ##t
       \set Score.proportionalNotationDuration = #(ly:make-moment 1/8)
       \clef bass \omit Score.TimeSignature
       \relative f, {f!4 \glissando g''!}
     }
   </score>
|| <score lang="lilypond">
     {
       \override SpacingSpanner.strict-note-spacing = ##t
       \set Score.proportionalNotationDuration = #(ly:make-moment 1/8)
       \clef bass \omit Score.TimeSignature
       \relative f, {f!4 \glissando g''!}
     }
   </score>
|- style="text-align:right;"
| [[Sub-great bass recorder|sub-great bass]] or contra-great bass<br />or contrabass in C<sub>2</sub> (C)<br />
|| <score lang="lilypond">
     {
       \override SpacingSpanner.strict-note-spacing = ##t
       \set Score.proportionalNotationDuration = #(ly:make-moment 1/8)
       \clef bass \omit Score.TimeSignature
       \relative c, {c!4 \glissando d''!}
     }
   </score>
|| <score lang="lilypond">{
       \override SpacingSpanner.strict-note-spacing = ##t
       \set Score.proportionalNotationDuration = #(ly:make-moment 1/8)
       \clef bass \omit Score.TimeSignature
       \relative c, {c!4 \glissando d''!}
     }</score>
|| [[Sub-contrabass recorder|sub-contrabass]] or double contrabass <br />(octocontrabass) in F<sub>1</sub> (FF)<br />
|| <score lang="lilypond">
     {
       \override SpacingSpanner.strict-note-spacing = ##t
       \set Score.proportionalNotationDuration = #(ly:make-moment 1/8)
       \clef bass \omit Score.TimeSignature
       \relative f, {f!4 \glissando g''!}
     }
   </score>
|| <score lang="lilypond">{
       \override SpacingSpanner.strict-note-spacing = ##t
       \set Score.proportionalNotationDuration = #(ly:make-moment 1/8)
       \clef "bass_8" \omit Score.TimeSignature
       \relative f,, {f!4 \glissando g''!}
     }</score>
|- style="text-align:right;"
| sub-sub-great bass<br />in C<sub>1</sub> (CC)<ref>{{Cite web|title = Sub-Subgroßbassblockflöte "Direct Blow", Solo, Sonderlackierung, Paetzold by Kunath|url = https://www.kunath.com/Sub-Subgrossbassblockfloete-Direct-Blow-Solo-Sonderlackierung-Paetzold-by-Kunath/29DB-SL/|website = www.kunath.com|access-date = 4 May 2025|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20250504195912/https://www.kunath.com/Sub-Subgrossbassblockfloete-Direct-Blow-Solo-Sonderlackierung-Paetzold-by-Kunath/29DB-SL|archive-date = 4 May 2025|url-status = live}}</ref>
|| <score lang="lilypond">
     {
       \override SpacingSpanner.strict-note-spacing = ##t
       \set Score.proportionalNotationDuration = #(ly:make-moment 1/8)
       \clef bass \omit Score.TimeSignature
       \relative c, {c!4 \glissando d''!}
     }
   </score>
|| <score>{
       \override SpacingSpanner.strict-note-spacing = ##t
       \set Score.proportionalNotationDuration = #(ly:make-moment 1/8)
       \clef "bass_8" \omit Score.TimeSignature
       \relative c,, {c!4 \glissando d''!}
     }</score>
|| 
|| 
|| 
|}

As a rule of thumb, the [[tessitura]] of a baroque recorder lies approximately one octave above the tessitura of the human voice type after which it is named. For example, the tessitura of a soprano voice is roughly C<sub>4</sub>–C<sub>6</sub>, while the tessitura of a soprano recorder is C<sub>5</sub>–C<sub>7</sub>.

Modern variations include standard British terminology, due to [[Arnold Dolmetsch]], which refers to the recorder in C<sub>5</sub> (soprano) as the descant and the recorder in F<sub>4</sub> (alto) as the treble. As conventions and instruments vary, especially for larger and more uncommon instruments, it is often practical to state the recorder's lowest note along with its name to avoid confusion.

==== Notation ====
Modern recorder parts are notated in the key they sound in. Parts for alto, tenor and contrabass recorders are notated at pitch, while parts for sopranino, soprano, bass, and great bass are typically notated an octave below their sounding pitch. As a result, soprano and tenor recorders are notated identically; alto and sopranino are notated identically; and bass and contrabass recorders are notated identically. [[Clef#Octave clefs|Octave clefs]] may be used to indicate the sounding pitch, but usage is inconsistent.

Rare sizes and notations include the [[Garklein recorder|garklein flutlein]], which may be notated two octaves below its sounding pitch, and the sub-contrabass, which may be notated an octave above its sounding pitch.{{Clarify|date=August 2018|reason=Is there any music written specifically for either of these instruments? If so, where can the notation be verified?}}