Recorder during the Renaissance

During the fifteenth century, the recorder came into more widespread use, being added to the range of "soft" instruments suitable to be played by well-to-do amateurs. Evidence from paintings suggest that at this time, the recorder was often played with various combinations of harp, fiddle and lute.

In the sixteenth century, the way the recorder was used changed, becoming a consort instrument, with instruments of different sizes being played together. In the early sixteenth century, three sizes of recorder were commonly used to play four part pieces; bass in F, tenor in c and treble in g. There were a succession of publications during the sixteenth century describing techique and, in some cases illustrating instruments. As well as a consort instrument, the recorder continued to played in combination with string and keyboard instruments.

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