It will quite certainly be a help in learning intervals, and is rather more portable than a tenor viol. A treble or alto recorder is much cheaper though!

The simple answer is: YES!

The recorder has been used for centuries to give pitch and demonstrate melodies. Alto or Soprano might be the preferred pitch level and easier for male singers to hear and get a pitch from and, as Richard Mix says, is much cheaper. For some reason they are easier to play than the lower-pitched ones, unless you have excellent wind-control, which I do not. When I tried performing on a bass one it made a sound that was laughable in a serious piece.

The recorder can play a second part when learning two part music and even be played along with the second part until they have confidence.

[purple type means humor or a joke, which includes gentle jibes to other list members]
In normal performance practice, chant may be done even accompanied by classical guitar, Magnus Chord Organ, accordion or ocarina. Even tuned beer bottles may be used, but should be hidden to avoid any impropriety. However, the player should wear a bowtie.

As Canadash has said, the recorder can sound like an organ. A nicely-voiced organ flute on flexible winding can sound like a recorder, which makes it wonderful to play.

Welcome to the group, visit and post often!

About 55 years ago, my first Liber was in modern notation, and I did use a recorder to work out the tunes. However, there was always the problem of the non-moveable doh. Then, as a gracious gift from our Redemptorist pastor, I received a Liber using the traditional notation.

The use of the "square notes" opened up for me the ease of sight reading the pitches and rhythms of Gregorian Chant. I do find that I can most effectively learn a chant by gently whistling it according to its indicated tonal patterns and rhythm.

Yes. I've used a recorder for exactly that purpose, especially useful when I've forgotten my pitch pipe and the organ console is too far away to conveniently get a pitch.

Perhaps it was double basses: have you heard how low some of them boys can go?

Alex Riggle had a blog called "The Onion Dome" for a number of years. Father Vasiliy was a priest of an off-the-record Russian Orthodox splinter group. When confronted with anything new, he would exclaim that it wasn't done in 19th century Russia, and therefore, "is outrage!"

http://theoniondome.com/

I don't understand all these references to XIXth century Russia.

Jackson, my sense is it's a "meme"--that is, a consistent use of one playful expression--that has an outside reference and also illustrates a point.

I think the idea is to imagine yourself on a liturgy committee or a parish staff or simply at a coffee and piroshky hour after Liturgy in a Russian Orthodox church. People are complaining about the radical liturgical changes that seem to be everywhere. In slightly broken English, they pound their shoes on the table in protest and say, "Was it liturgical dance in 19th century Russia? Was not! Is outrage!"

You can transpose this entire scenario into any religious group, but for whatever reason it seems most fun in Russian.

It be more fun in Russian. Babushka approve. Is not outrage!

Thanks all for the welcome and the responses. I got the idea from the above mentioned Giovanni Vianini, assuming that he was using a recorder. But I have to agree with Kathy, using the simple solfege is probably the best way in the end to learn my intervals. My only goal is to chant the Benedictine Office and hymns as in the 1934 Antiphonale, which should be relatively easy as compared to the Mass chants I understand (the chanting would only be between myself, four walls, and God... I croak like a frog... maybe this will improve with practice? I dunno, never sung before). I was just wanting to get away from any electronic device that I could use for intonation as well as the for playing the rest of the piece, and figured a recorder was a good way to go, and relatively easy as well.

I just may tune some beer bottles some night and see what happens!

On second thought, I think instead, in keeping with the spirit of the thread, will tune some vodka bottles some night.