Hoarseness – a Problem in Recorders

There are two reasons for hoarseness in recorders and these often arise together: one is caused by the formation of droplets in the windway, the other by the swelling of the block. Both cause the carefully designed proportions of the windway to narrow and so to bring them out of alignment.

Hoarseness caused by condensing breath moisture:

• When will hoarseness occur?
  It can happen in new and cold instruments. The ”playing in“ process of new recorders accustoms the wood to its new purpose. Cold instruments should always be warmed.

• Why does hoarseness occur?
  The upper layers of the wood in the windway still contains natural substances (eg wax and oils) that will be washed out in the first days of playing. Moisture from condensing breath will collect on these remnants, form droplets in the windway and so hinder the airstream.

• Remedy – how?
  
  1. the process of ”playing in“ should be conducted in several short sessions for the reasons given above. If it becomes absolutely necessary Anticondens may help in the first few days. After a period of about 3 weeks the disturbance through water droplet formation should diminish. If the hoarseness persists despite ”playing in“ the recorder should be returned to the Recorder Clinic for revoicing.
  2. It is always useful to warm the instrument before playing. The headjoint in particular should have reached body temperature before playing. This will reduce the moisture from condensation of the breath in the windway – provided that the room temperature is not too low.

Hoarseness caused by swelling of the block:

• When does it happen?
  
  1. In new instruments when the cedar block swells due to excessive demands from breath moisture and does not return to its original measurements.
  2. In instruments that haven’t been played for a while and where the block has dried out.

• Why does it happen?
  During playing in, the cedar block absorbs some moisture from the breath. This might cause it to swell. The potential for changes to the windway measurements are taken into account by the maker when voicing the recorder. However, if the block swells more than anticipated the sound of the instrument changes. It becomes thin and squeaky, high and low notes will no longer respond easily.

• Remedy - how?
  If the block of a recorder has swollen too much Anticondens will no longer help. The instrument will have to be readjusted in the Recorder Clinic. Mollenhauer offers this service for new instruments for a period of 2 years free of charge.