The Recorder The recorder is a woodwind instrument. It is an instrument that has to be blown into in order to produce sound. It has a light airy tone. It can be made of wood or plastic. Though the plastic recorder is used for children, there are professional musicians who actually use wooden recorders. This instrument is considered to be a pre-band instrument. There are different kinds of recorders. There are soprano recorders, alto recorders, tenor and bass recorders. Listen to the recorder ensembles below.