Other Things in Music

Playing the flute is a great way to experience music but there is so much more. Music is so broad and expansive that limiting yourself to only playing flute is like only eating apples when there are many kinds of fruit out there; it may always be your favorite but you can still enjoy the many varieties that are out there. Try some other things in music like what’s listed below and you’ll understand what I mean.

1. Piano

Although for some people taking up this instrument may seem like Chinese water torture, it is invaluable to your musical skills. Not only does it help you with rhythm and music reading abilities, it greatly enhances your musical ear because instead of listening to one line of music, you are listening to two or more. At first, you may seem to be making slow progress but piano playing is an ability that has to be learned slowly over time. Whether you realize it or not, all along the way it is enhancing your musical abilities. The piano is like a universal instrument that can help you in any field of music.

2. Theory

For some people, musical theory is extremely boring, and for others, it is very interesting. Interesting or not, theory is an essential part of learning music. Rudiments gives you the basic understanding of music and then after that is completed, history gives you a knowledge of the beginnings of great works of music, and harmony gives you an understanding of the nature of musical construction. After those are completed, counterpoint teaches you more advanced musical techniques. So, what does all this give you? It allows you to not only play the music, but to understand it while you’re playing it.

3. Another Instrument

So you’re enjoying the flute but you’re interested in adding to your musical skills by playing another wind instrument. This is a good idea in some instances but believe it or not, it can be a bad thing. For most people, getting the perfect flute embouchure takes a lot of practice, but learning a new instrument can completely ruin that. Try and completely avoid brass instruments, with the exception of French Horn which is okay for flute embouchure, because instruments like trumpet, trombone, tuba, etc…, can cause you to ruin the perfect flute embouchure that you’ve worked so hard to obtain. If you are going to play another instrument, a woodwind would be the best choice, especially saxophone. Saxophone is perfect, as the fingerings in the low and middle octave are almost identical to that of the flute (almost identical- not exactly though). Clarinet is also an okay choice, but you’d have to go through learning a whole new fingering system, which could sometimes cause your fingers to get mixed up on flute. The only woodwinds to be cautious of is the double reed instruments; you’ll have to be careful with these not to ruin your embouchure. Okay, so what’s my point in saying all this? DON’T RUIN YOUR FLUTE EMBOUCHURE! Just always remember to be conscious of it. To be honest, the best new instrument to learn would be any percussion instrument, guitar, bass, keyboard, or any string instrument (violin, cello, etc…).

These are just a few of the many realms of music beyond flute playing that you can explore and since music is such a broad and expansive art, it would be foolish just to limit yourself to flute playing alone. Have fun with everything in music and enjoy exploring it!

-Arwen & Justin