Yamaha 20-Series C-Soprano Recorder Review

★★★★★★★★★★

“My daughter needed a recorder for 3rd grade music class, and this one fits all the school requirements. It’s lightweight, easy to hold, and very simple to take apart for cleaning — perfect for kids.The material is solid plastic, not flimsy at all, and it feels durable. The sound seems clear (we haven’t used it much yet), and it fits perfectly in her school backpack.The color is more of a translucent hot pink/red than what you see online, but she still loved it because it looks fun and different.It’s a real Yamaha, so you know it’s not a toy.Would also be a perfect gift, for any kid starting music class.”

★★★★★★★★★★

“I have been playing recorder almost forty years, in ensembles and as a soloist. I have some very nice instruments, but I have to be careful where I take them out of fear that they will be damaged by weather or, even worse, stolen. I decided to buy a Yamaha YRS-20 soprano because the price was right and many Amazon users had spoken well of it. First of all, I am very impressed by the quality of construction of the YRS-20. It has the feel of quality throughout. The joints fit quite well. There are no burrs from the molds. Everything is nice and smooth. The translucent blue, green and pink colors are very attractive and are sure to please younger players. As for the tonal quality, I'm amazed that such an inexpensive instrument can sound so good. It is bright and clear and easy to hit the high notes. Intonation is quite acceptable. I had a little trouble hitting the lowest "C" in the beginning, but that improved as the recorder warmed up. I recommend the YRS-20 to anyone who is even remotely interested in dabbling in reorder music. In fact, I liked mine so much that I bought four more to use as spares and to give to friends. Yamaha also makes more advanced plastic models that rival some wood instruments and they are also very reasonably priced. If you're looking for a lot of "bang for your buck" in recorders, Yamaha is the way to go. I'm not saying that Yamaha is the only good manufacturer of plastic recorders, but I think you'll find a consistent level of quality with Yamaha that you may not find with other companies.”

★★★★★★★★★★

“I have a 6 year old who fell in love with a recorder bought at the Dollar Store. It was very difficult to play and the notes were not in tune. I wanted to encourage her musical persuits, so I bought her what I thought would be a level up from a "toy" recorder. It was a pack of 3 recorders sold here on Amazon. While better quality than the Dollar Store, the notes were again not in tune and it was difficult to get a good sound from the "instruments". I returned them and decided to just stick with a name brand instrument and bought this inexpensive Yamaha. The third time is a charm.This recorder is easy to get a decent sound out of, and the notes are in tune; they matched the same notes on our piano. Skip the "no name" brands and go with Yamaha if you are looking for an instrument instead of a toy.”

★★★★★★★★★★

“It's a Yamaha. They know what they are doing. I may have bought the only screw up they ever produced. The low C# hole is misshapen. I have to half-hole the low C#. That's ok. I'm a whistle player. I bought another one that should be here tomorrow. I will know then if it is a flaw in the design. Other than that little problem, it's a good little recorder. I like that it's see through. I went to Amazon and ordered another Aulos saprano. Those are much better...but, it costs $30. PWNext day. I bought another one. (It's pink.) No problem with it. I guess the blue one just had a flaw. It is unusual to get a defective product from Yamaha. I should keep it; it will probably be worth something some day just because they never mess up. PW”

★★★★★★★★★★

“Lord, bless all music teachersMake them deaf to off-key renderingsOf "Mary Had a Little Lamb"By the little angels in their care.Give them the strength to show up for workFive days per week for three school termsTo stand erect without cringingDuring unending stints of recorder lessons.Grant them patience and perseveranceAs fat little fingers eagerly seek the tiny holesAnd blow spittle into the mouthpieceWithout ever once hitting a correct note.May their prayers be answered,That by the time of the annual prize-giving ceremonyThere shall emerge a miracle childTo flawlessly perform the obligatory recorder soloGrant them serenity during the summer breakAnd make them forgetThat come September, a new batch of angelsWill take up the challenge, as the cycle begins anew.When the school curriculum calls for recorder lessons, you don't want to go all out and buy a professional woodwind for your seven or eight year old. Out of pity for the teacher, you also don't want to get the cheapest plastic whistle you can find. If you've ever walked past a third grade group during music period, your ears will agree that the teacher should be canonized as a step towards sainthood, or else he or she may be wearing high quality earplugs.This Yamaha recorder is an ideal choice for this application. Not only is the translucent blue a cool and unusual color, but the recorder separates into three pieces for easy cleaning. Therein lies the minor drawback with this instrument, as it doesn't come with the cleaning rod. It however comes with a plastic sleeve and a fingering chart, and is sturdy enough to last until Grade Six and higher. By then, hopefully, you'll be able to determine that it has a great sound for the price.Recommended highly for beginners, and for music classes at school.Amanda Richards, September 17, 2011”