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How to Play In My Life on a Recorder

Even though the recorder has a history that spans centuries, you can still play contemporary or popular songs on it. A good place to start for contemporary recorder playing is some of the ballads by The Beatles; this group was (and still is) one of the most popular bands of all time, so pulling out one of their pieces is sure to show your friends how versatile the recorder can be. "In My Life" is one of the simplest Beatles tunes to play.

Things You'll Need

  • Soprano recorder
  • Recorder fingering chart
  • Recording of "In My Life" by The Beatles
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Instructions

    • 1

      Put the pad of your left thumb over the hole in the back of the recorder. Put the first, second and third fingers of your left hand over the first, second and third holes in the front.

    • 2

      Put the first, second and third fingers of your right hand over the fourth, fifth and sixth holes in the front of the recorder. Support the recorder with your right thumb.

    • 3

      Rest the mouthpiece on your bottom lip and bring your upper lip over the top of the mouthpiece. Blow gently.

    • 4

      Use the recorder fingering chart to learn the fingerings from low D (also called D4) up to middle D (also called D3).

    • 5

      Listen to a recording of "In My Life" so you have a concept of the melodic rhythm.

    • 6

      Play the following notes ("There are places I'll remember"):

      D4, E, A, G, A, B, D3, B

    • 7

      Play the following notes ("all my life though some have changed"):

      A, B, A, B, A, G, Eb, D4, B, B

    • 8

      Repeat Steps 7 and 8 ("some forever not for better, some have gone and some remain").

    • 9

      Play the following notes ("All these places had their moments"):

      G, A, B, A, A, G, G, E, E, G, B, A

    • 10

      Play the following notes ("with lovers and friends I still can recall"):

      B, C, B, A, G, E, D4, B, B, B

    • 11

      Play the following notes ("Some are dead and some are living"):

      G, A, B, A, A, G, G, E, E, G, B, A

    • 12

      Play the following notes ("In my life I've loved them all"):

      D4, B, A, G, A, G, Eb, D4, B, B

    • 13

      Repeat Steps 7 through 13 for the second verse.

    • 14

      Play the following notes ("Though I know I'll never lose affection"):

      G, A, B, A, A, G, G, E, E, G, B, A

    • 15

      Play the following notes ("for people and things that went before"):

      B, C, B, A, G, E, D4, B, B, B

    • 16

      Play the following notes ("I know I'll often stop and think about them"):

      G, A, B, A, A, G, G, E, E, G, B, A

    • 17

      Play the following notes two times ("In my life I'll love you more" repeated):

      D4, B, A, G, A, G, Eb, D4, B, B, B

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