For The Beginner

Music can be very expensive, and the expense often surprises and discourages new musicians. Don’t worry. Keep in mind that some sheet music is available on the internet (see our “links”) and if you are in a school or community band, their music libraries will more than likely contain some of the music on this list. Ask your music director what is available. Good luck! Remember: these are only SOME of the collections available; if you would like to know of more, or if you have any other concerns about music purchase, word definitions, or want some help with music you’re working on, don’t hesitate to send us an email.

Methods

Standard of Excellence (Book 1)
A traditional method book used in school bands, this and books similar to it also work well for individual learning. Starting with the basics of how to read music, developing your embouchure and proper hand position, it progresses from simple melodies to full-page solos. As with all music, daily practice will be rewarded.

A Trevor Wye Practice Book for Flute - Volume 1: Tone
A great book for building a full, rich flute sound, Wye’s book teaches tone production through a variety of exercises. Extremely valuable is his exercise on harmonics, or overtones. These “overblown” pitches are excellent for developing range and tuning. The book requires a higher skill of reading music, but will be infinitely useful as it contains exercises for an early beginner as well as a proficient player. (there are several advanced exercises at the back of the book. If you are skittish over some of the sixteenth note exercises, slow them down as much as you would like to - they are still worthwhile)

Practical Hints on Playing the Flute
Meant for a beginner of any age, this great book starts with the very basics: brief history of the flute, assembly, care and maintenance, and playing posture. (posture is more important than you know; see Arwen’s article in “Resources”) It also contains some great diagrams on embouchure placement and proper hand placement. Though the playing exercises in the book require a fair music-reading ability, it covers important topics, such as vibrato, tuning and sound production, and finger technique. Also includes a comprehensive fingering chart and a really nice trill chart!

Solo Pieces & Collections

Solos for Flute: 36 Repertoire Pieces with Piano Accompaniment
(published by Carl Fischer)
A nice book that will last you from personal enjoyment to festival competitions and some performance exams, this collection is full of fun and challenging pieces for the beginner. It requires at least some skill in reading and technique, but with practice, it will become one of your most-loved books.

40 Little Pieces For Beginner Flutists
(published by G. Schirmer; Adapted by Louis Moyse)
A great collection of songs, many of which are in the grade 2 level of the royal conservatory of music. This book takes the flutist from easier selections at the preliminary level to more difficult selections at the grade 2 level. Selections include works by composers such as Bach, Handel, Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven, Shubert, and Shumann.

24 Melodic Studies With Variations (Easy)
(Marcel Moyse)
With simple melodies and rhythms which become progressively harder through their variations, this book is great for increasing range and smoothing out intervals, as well as encourage a deep, rich sound in the lower octave. The variations in this book will offer more challenge and become useful to the player as they advance in ability.

A Book of Songs from your Favorite Movie or Band
While these books are good for developing your musical sense and flute playing techniques, they SHOULD NOT make up the majority of your repertoire. Play these for fun more than anything else and they will help you but not nearly as much as anything else that's on this list.