Yamaha YRA-312B Alto Recorder, simulated Rosewood finish, Key of F

Even 25 years ago, I found that the simple Yamaha recorders gave me more consistent response and better intonation and tone than plastic and wooden recorders costing several times more. No, they were not then and still are not high-quality wooden recorders ... and they also aren't as vulnerable to damage. This Yamaha YRA-312B III recorder is a cut above the Yamaha alto I played for many, many years and never could find a plastic upgrade for. The curved windway gives sweet response in the high register and improved tone that only my fine Moeck Rottenburgh recorders can best (and, in many common playing environments, the finer points of the Moeck would be lost). As with my former favorite Yamaha, the intonation is true, setting me free to make music instead of turning my attention to correcting unnecessary instrument flaws. Why choose the fake Rosewood over the other Yamaha 300 series recorders? First of all, the Rosewood looks GREAT. My only beef is that I can't very easily line up the head and middle joints with the plastic seams the way I used to with my "plain" plastic recorders. :-) But there's a functional reason, too. The "simulated Rosewood" finish has a matte appearance and slightly textured feel. That means fingers, especially sweaty fingers, don't slip as easily ... and clip-on thumbrests stay where they're put while you're busy playing instead of creeping up (always right before that tricky fast passage where everyone listens to YOUR part). Does the simulated Rosewood sound better? I can't say, but it doesn't sound worse and if the appearance causes the listener to perceive the sound as more pleasing, who's to argue with the end result? Or maybe the player is more inspired by the appearance, bringing about a more inspired and musical performance. The latter is quite possibly true for me. Included is a wonderful, breathable cloth zippered bag, joint cream, a fingering chart in case this is a first instrument (or if it's an upgrade and you need help remembering how to get those obscure high notes), and a cleaning rod (you supply the lint-free cloth to thread through the rod's eye and swab out the recorder, washing or discarding the cloth when it gets dirty). Between the playing quality, high-end case, aesthetic appeal, and the slightly textured finish, this recorder is well worth the additional cost for someone who is a serious player (it's still 20x less than a Moeck Rottenburgh in real Rosewood, and it's totally replaceable). The Yamaha YRA-312BIII simulated Rosewood Alto Recorder immediately became my new alternate concert instrument for those times when plastic is the appropriate choice to spare the valuable wood instrument, and it sits out at my desk, at the ready for random noodling without causing undue worry about the consequences should the cat get creative and actually manage to knock it on the floor. I just wish Yamaha made simulated Rosewood sopraninos and tenors as well as the soprano and alto!

This recorder uses the Baroque (not German) Fingering convention widely used in most countries esp the commonwealth. +: Produces beautiful warm sonorous tones ... reliable intonation and highly responsive - a joy to play ++ much more. Easy to maintain - washable. Durable. High standards of manufacture guarantee consistent homogeneous quality between each instrument - you can be confident what you are purchasing. Selection becomes a non issue. Losses can be replaced by simply purchasing another one and you will know that you will be purchasing similar performance capability. Professional quality made affordable to the masses. -: Does clog somewhat after extended play but the instrument can be prepped beforehand with anti-clog solution available from recorder specialist. This was provided to me when I purchased the YRT 304B but I haven't used it yet. I am very happy with my purchase of the Yamaha YRS, YRA 314B and 316B (yes I purchased all four) which I think is at par with branded wooden recorders 6-10 times the price. A great second instrument or spare for travelling. I can personally attest that it is true that the simulated woodgrain finish versions YRA 314 & 316 (strangely enough) produce a superior tone to the normal ABS resin finish 302 model - perhaps this is due to the outer coating that resonates better. For not a lot more, the simulated wood-grain version IS well-worth paying for. YRA 312B in simulated Rosewood has a rich warm reddish brown colour whilst YRA 314B in simulated Ebony is a quieter yellow brown - both with attractive printed woodgrain finish. Yamaha did a real service to the world by making this attractive gem so affordable.

If you listen to people playing this model alto on videos, you can tell how beautiful they are, often sounding better than the $600 recorders they compare them to. It doesn't take much wind to play this thing. Although not as bad as a tenor, someone with small hands might have a problem with the stretch required. Like most alto recorders, this has a very soft tone. It is pitched in F, so reading music is not like for a C instrument. I chose the alto over a tenor because I just loved the sound -- so recorder like. Mind arrived with some small cosmetic boogers, and sometimes Yamaha products are flawless like my $7 Yamaha fife. On mine, one of the ivory plastic rings is discolored with brown from the finish, but it is very slight. You won't notice it unless you're looking closely. There's one model of the ebony that is in this series, that has a more pronounced grain pattern, which is probably a little cooler than this one. What's nice about any model with the wood grain finish is, it feels good in your hands. Any 300 series will sound the same. Also, if you download the Yamaha recorder brochure, this recorder is the YRA 312B III. When I ordered it, I wondered if it was the III, the most recent model and it is. It fills up with spit easily. You have to suck it back. I've read where the Angel alto is better in that respect, less clogging. However, this sounds so good. The canvas case is nice, with cleverly designed end cap covers, for keeping it in a case Lastly, for people who look over their instruments inside and out, I found a design feature inside the mouthpiece that startled me when I saw it. I thought it was some kind of bubble or defect at first. If you look inside the mouthpiece, from the barrel end with the whistle (labium) facing a window, you can see a small indentation on the right (9 o'clock), as the interior curves up to the beak. Don't let it bother you. It's a design element, to give wind resistance.

I used to play the annoying soprano flutes in elementary school and mastered it, and went to an alto, and it's a more pleasing sound than the sopranos. I wish that there was a thumb hold down range, that would have made this even better, but the price was something that I found especially good. The PVC plastic feels good, sturdy, and I accidentally dropped it out of a semi truck in a parking lot, and no dings or scratches, and it played just the same. I like how you can take it apart and clean it.

I usually play a soprano recorder. I was a trumpet player before I had an accident with my embouchure. This is my first alto and I have better control of the notes, but since I am used to play a soprano I need to practice more since the fingers now are more spread than with the other one, fair enough. In my case the tones of the lower register are rich an with more control, I need to control better the high F and G and what I found is that the thumbhole requires delicate adjustment that can be achieved by playing scales and long notes to get use to it. Overall I am really satisfied with this recorder. Practice, and practice, intervals, scales and long notes to get used to it. And maintenance is great, it is just a plastic recorder nothing to care like oiling, practicing for a couple of minutes or so...

Only had it a couple hours and straight out the gate I am impressed by the heft of it and the wood grain design is so so cool and 100% worth the price of admission over regular plastic already. There was a bit of a learning curve as I'm teaching myself after playing soprano recorder in elementary (like most of us) and flute and sax in middle/high school. The key hole are not linear. The bottom four notes are drilled slightly to the right to accomadate the right hand on them. I had trouble with this and almost returned it before realizing I was playing it wrong and switched up my hands. MUCH BETTER! So far I am happy with this purchase. I bought it because I wanted something portable and casual to play on hikes or just to chill. I originally bought an ocarina but regretted the fact that it could only play 1 octave plus a note. And chambered ocarinas are at least $100!! This seems like it will do nicely and I'm very pleased with it.

Love this recorder. I was taking a conducting class in college. I am singer. The majority of the class were instrumental or piano players learning to conduct. Teacher jokingly told the singers, we could sing or could bring a kazoo to blow in class so we could all learn to conduct a group playing instruments. I chose to learn the recorder instead for instrumental days and sang the other days. Love this little recorder. I had a small black plastic one in 4th grade and remember how quick it was to learn the fingering. This one is much nicer than my little 4th grade black plastic recorded that I first learn to play Ma-ma Paquita and Joy to the World the Lord is come. I want to do a duet with my wife of flute someday at church with it once I master all the fingering. It has a nice, warm blending alto sound - would be great to play with a flute and violin trio also.

This is a great instrument. It has a sound that rivals recorders that cost over $1000. The look is fantastic. I'm primarily a bassoonist, and while my maple bassoon is shinier (bassoons usually have a heavy coat of varnish as opposed to the light oil rub on recorders), the look of this woodgrain pattern is pretty close to my bassoon. The ivory rings add a nice rustic look to the instrument. Sound wise, it's a sweet sound, and it's very even across the registers. It's dark and reedy at the low end, and bright and sweet at the high end. It's a rather assertive instrument for a recorder, and plays reasonably well in tune. Like all plastic recorders, this clogs very quickly. You can treat it by soaking the headjoint in soapy water, then letting it dry overnight. It will still clog, but the moisture will be able to drain more easily.

I like its sound better than my Soprano. Because my hands are small, my pinkie struggles a little, especially with F#. I guess I need more practice :)

Sehr gutes Instrument zum Üben, da die Flöte aus Kunststoff ist und nicht so empfindlich auf Kondensfeuchtigkeit reagiert. Ideal zum Üben und auch mal schnell zwischendurch Spielen. Der Klang ist gut, in tiefen und hohen Lagen sind mir noch keine "schrägen" Töne unterlaufen. Natürlich fehlt der sanfte Schmelz einer Holzflöte, aber sie klingt wirklich nicht schlecht. Ansprechende Optik und gut haltbare Steckverbindungen.

Foi uma vantagem pois recebi um modelo mais caro. O som é muito bom, os furos duplos (6 e 7) são "rasos" e isso favore a digitação cromática - talvez seja necessário se adapatar dependendo do seu histórico como instrumentista. Como se sabe, flautas de plástico entopem constantemente e você precisa aprender quais cuidados tomar para que suas notas mais importantes não falhem. Mesmo sendo cara para brasileiros (metade do preço é imposto) ainda custa 20 vezes menos do que uma flauta de madeira e a grande vantagem é poder tocar por horas desde o primeiro dia.

I bought this as a back-up to my mollenhauer prima alto recorder (which has a plastic head joint and wooden body although, not as sensitive as a completely wooden recorder it can still be sensitive to heat). Positives - sound: warm and mellow with the Yamaha slightly quieter in comparison on the lowest notes than my other alto but, really hardly noticeable. - nicely in tune - attractive appearance (photographs on the listing are accurate) - comfortable to hold (matt finish means that it doesn't slip out of your hands) - nicely packaged - well made and feels robust Negative - clogs quickly - this was really frustrating to begin with however, I have become much more used to this. Warming the head joint and sucking out the moisture does help. As it no longer bothers me I haven't knocked a star off for this. Overall well worth the price.

Beautiful tone. Excellent instrument.