Of holding the Recorder.

HOld your Recorder with your left hand next your Mouth, putting your second Finger of your left hand on the third hole, then put your third Finger of your right hand on the [Page 2] seventh hole with the Thumb of your right hand underneath, the which Finger and Thumb held thus, are for a stay to keep it to your Mouth, and to make it more tuneable, and also to keep your Fingers in Order over the rest of the holes. These things being observed, and done right, you may proceed and try to play the first Example.

The manner of playing on the Recorder the Dot way.

THere are two ways of setting Tunes for the Recorder the Dot way; some sets them on seven Lines, some on six, which is the general way, and it is in my opinion, the best, for more do but hinder the readiness of sight, and when the other two are wanted I make a short line underneath; and these six Lines are appropriated to the first six Holes of the Pipe; and the first hole is, that underneath which you must stop with your Thumb, and the upper­most Line belongs to that hole; the second hole is the next to that above the Recorder, and you are to stop that with your first Finger, and the second line is for that; the third is to be stopt with your second Finger, and the third Line is for that; the fourth hole is to be stopt with your third Finger, and the fourth Line is for that; the fift hole is to [Page 3] be stopt with the first Finger of your right hand, and the fifth Line is for that; the sixth hole is to be stopt with your second Finger of your right hand, and the sixth Line is for that. The seventh hole is to be stopt with your third finger of your right hand which must be kept on in all but pincht Notes, both for the Commodious holding of your Pipe, and for the true­ness of the Notes, for which reason the second finger of your left hand must likewise be kept on in all Notes but Ela. The eighth hole is stopt with the little finger of your right hand. But to instruct you Better in these, I have set the first example of the Eight Notes ascending and descending on seven Lines only, to make you understand the right holding of the Recor­der for the playing the rest of the Tunes.

Directions for playing the first Example of the plain Notes Ascending.

1. BLow gently, stopping all the holes is eight Dots, up with the little finger of your right hand is seven Dots.

2. Up with the third finger of your right hand is six Dots.

3. Up with the first finger of your right hand, and down again with your third finger of your right hand is five Dots.

The lowest Dot being only to show the Learner how he shall use that finger in the Tunes that follow, where there is but six Lines.

4. Up with your second finger of your right hand is four Dots.

5. Up with the third finger of your left hand is three Dots.

6. Up with the second finger of your left hand is two Dots.

7. Up with the first finger of your left hand, and down with the second finger of the same hand is two Dots, stopping your second finger of your left hand on the third hole is one Dot with a Cypher.

Directions for playing the plain Notes Descending.

1. BLow gently, holding all off but your second finger of your left hand, and the third finger of your right hand.

2. Stop with your Thumb of your left hand is two Dots divided.

3. Take off your second finger of your left hand, and stop with the first finger of the same hand is two Dots.

[Page 5]4. Stop with your second Finger of your left hand is three Dots.

5. Stop with your third finger of your left hand is four Dots.

6. Stop with your second Finger of your right hand is five Dots.

7. Take off your third finger of your right hand, and put on the first finger of the same is six Dots.

8. Stop your third finger of your right hand on the seventh hole is seven Dots.

9. Stop with your little finger on the lowest hole is eight Dots.

Of the Pinching Notes on the Recorder.

YOur Pinching Notes ascend higher than the plain Notes, and are distinguished from them by a dash drawn through the first Dot on the uppermost Line, making it as a Cross; as in the following example you may see, to play these on the Recorder, you must bend your left Thumb, and let it be half over the hole underneath the Pipe, for that belongs to the upper Line, where the pinch is made, and pinch the Nail of your Thumb in the hole, then blow your Recorder a little stronger than you did when you played the other Notes, and [Page 6] you shall find the Recorder sound eight Notes higher, all the other stops are the same as the former.

Directions for the Graces on the Recorder.

IN the following Example of Graces this is the Character of a Beat, and is performed by shaking your Finger upon that hole which Line where it stands directs, and leaving it on; this is the Character of a Shake, and is performed by shaking your finger on the hole direc­ted and leaving it off.  ͜  The third Made for a slur or slide, that is, when two or three Notes are tyed together by a crooked dash underneath, then those two or three Notes must be ex­pressed with one Breath. The fourth Grace is called a Slur and Beat, and is played thus, hit your first Note with the Tip of your Tongue, and continuing your Breath take up your second, and bring on the first Beating. The other Shake is the double Shake, and is played by shaking your fourth Finger of your left hand, holding those fingers on that the Dots belong to, both in the Example, and in the following Tunes. In the Tunes prickt with Violin Notes only, I have placed over the Notes that are to be shook on, this mark , and over those that are to be shook off this and for the double shake this

Of the Time or Proportion of the Notes.

THere is two sorts of Time which are used in the Tunes following, and they are called Common Time, and Tripple Time, the Common Time is multiplied by two; as one Semibrief is two Minnums, and a Minnum is two Crotchets, and a Crotchet two Quavers, and one Quaver is two Semiquavers. Now to know those that are Common Time from Tripple; observe, that those that are barr'd with the length of four Crotchets in each Barr, are Common Time; Tripple Time is multiplyed by three, the Notes having a prick added to it; as one Minnum with a prick is three Crotchets, and so is Barr'd with three or six in all Tunes that are Tripple Time. This you must observe, where you see a prick follow a Note, either in Tripple or Common Time, it adds half as much to that Note, which goes before it, as the length of the Note is, that is, if the Note be a Minnum, then the prick or tittle is a Crotchet, and so in all the rest of the Time, let the prick follow what time soever, [Page 8] all the Examples are placed in the Page before the Tunes, being thought most convenient to lye before you when you first begin to play.

Observing further, that these Lessons set Dot-way if you have a [...]otchet, or a Quaver, or any other Note set over the Dots, and there follow three or four Not [...] or Sounds, which have none over them, then these Notes or Sounds so following, are to be p [...]ed to the same measure, till the next Time or Note alters it.

For those that are minded to learn the Gammut-way, on this Instrument, I have set the Scale of Flats and Sharps the Page before these Tunes, that are set Both-ways, which with a small Observation, the Learner may soon attain to his satisfaction.