I've been playing saxes, flute and other reeds for many years, and have just got hold of a couple of recorders. I have a sopranino, descant and have just bought a Aulos tenor recorder. I'm having trouble getting clear and strong bottom notes on the tenor, i.e. bottom C up to bottom F or G. It keeps splitting up to the higher octave, even if I blow very gently. In fact it tend to happen MORE if I blow gently ! If I blow a bit more strongly, the note tends to have a "chiff" on the attack....... if I then hold it and play a long note, it seems to eventually kind of "dissolve" into the same note, but an octave higher. I'm sealing the holes properly and the instrument looks perfect with no cracks. In fact, it looks brand new ! - Is there a technique in the blowing that can prevent this splitting from happening ?
Richard

Aulos Tenor aren't great, maybe you have a bad one...

Check your fingers, particularly the last ones, and try to blow with different intensity.

If it doesn't work, after you've checked perfectly all the fingers, go back to the store and explain your problem.

Inside the headjoint the noise is produced by the air from your mouth hitting a sharp block and going throguh a small gap. Mabye there is something clogging the small opening so that you can't play the lower notes. I'm probably wrong as I haven't had that problem before but it is a good idea to check.

Good Luck getting it fixed!

I've looked in there, up against a bright light. I can't see anything. It's a shame the fipple isn't removable, or adjustable. I have a feeling that if it could be adjusted then it could be tweaked to make it blow good. I'll try washing it through the fipple slot with water in case there's something I can't see in there. I make fipple flutes from bamboo and wood and I can get a stronger and more stable sound even with my rough creations ! - It's most frustrating.

Upon looking more closely into the wind-hole I noticed on the top side of what I call "The leading edge", a slight ridge, left behind when it was molded. I took a sharp thin blad and scraped this ridge back, then tried the instrument again. The bottom response is greatly improved !
There's still a slight ridge present, so I'm going to take it back until the ridge has been eliminated completely. Hopefully the thing will be perfect then.

Update - I've eliminated the little ridge on the "Leading edge" and it's improved it, but it's still not too stable on those bottom notes. I guess I'll look for another Tenor recorder and sell this on. Are Yamaha recorders superior to Aulos ?
The problem is, not having blown a Tenor recorder prior to this Aulos model, I've no experience of how much pressure one can apply to the airflow without it splitting up to the next octave. Having played Soprano, Descant and Treble with no problem, am I correct in assuming that the lower register on the Tenor should be no less stable ?

Yes, it's a BIG incentive to change it !
Thanks for your advice.

No - The UK - But Amazon sell them.

i play the recorder and i have had ago at the sax and i know with the sax your have to blow quite hard.I have same recorder as you but I have nether had that problem but i would sergest blowing lighter.

I have, of course, tried blowing lighter..... so light in fact that the note has virtually died away to nothing, but the tendency to split is still present. There's no problem with my three descants, two trebles and the sopranino recorders. It's only the tenor that does this. The air column seems unstable whatever pressure you play at..... almost as if there's a tiny leak somewhere high up on the pipe. Anyway, I've ordered a Yamaha tenor, brand new, from Amazon. This will tell me if my technique is wrong (I can't see it being wrong - I own and play a pile of simple flutes of various kinds with no problem with any of them). I feel that this tenor is simply "not a good one".

Good Luck with your new one!

I bought a Yamaha (New) and sold the Aulos on....... The new recorder is more stable than the other one, but not as stable as I'd like. The descant and alto is a lot more forgiving on those bottom notes. You have to nurse them a bit on the tenor it seems.