Renaissance & Transitional

Renaissance recorders are modeled after earlier originals. They usually have a wider bore and wider tone holes for a louder, richer timbre, although they often do not have the range or chromatic flexibility of Baroque recorders. They usually have a simpler exterior profile, are made of softer woods such as maple and plum, and they usually don't disassemble into as many pieces as their Baroque counterparts. Renaissance recorders are generally designed to play in ensembles of matching instruments of various sizes. Transitional recorders share some characteristics of Renaissance instruments and some of Baroque instruments, and are popular choices for dance bands or for the solo violin music of the 17th century.