Following on from my Taffanel blog, here is a practice guide for another great French work: Chaminade’s Concertino. This piece is played a lot, but
Hints and Tips
Taffanel’s Andante Pastoral et Scherzettino: A practice guide
Taffanel’s Andante Pastoral et Scherzettino is a gem in the French flute repertoire and one of my favourites. Indeed, I played this piece for my
“What Should I be Practising?”
Learning the flute (or any musical instrument) is not always a smooth process of steady improvement. We all learn in different ways with our own
Tips on Andersen Etudes: Op15, No. 3
This is probably everyone’s favourite étude – it is certainly the one that gets performed the most outside of the practice room. It’s a triplet
How to Start a Beginner Flute Ensemble
Whether you are a novice in charge of your first flute choir, or you are a veteran and have run many ensembles, choosing music for
Important New Regulations on Wooden Instruments
In January 2017, new rules came into force regarding the wood used to make some musical instruments. We’ve put the following advice together which we
8 Top Tips on Testing a New Flute
Adam Clifford looks at the best way to test a new flute, what exercises to try and what to look for when choosing.
7 tips on choosing a beginner flute
Buying your first flute can be daunting: there are so many different makes, models and types of flutes available, and the price range can be huge. Below, we’ve compiled our top tips to help a complete newcomer decide on a new flute.
Not So Shiny Silver
We are often asked in the shop: “why has my new flute turned black?” One moment your silver flute is nice and shiny. The next,
The Whole Musician: Becoming Happy, Healthy Musicians
Are you inclined to criticize yourself for the smallest things? Are you overly concerned about what others think of you and your playing? Are you fearful of getting it wrong? Are you stuck in a rut? It is very likely that we all have some emotionally charged reactions to these questions in some form or another. Their effect on our musical lives can shape our playing and alter the pure enjoyment we can attain from one simple note.