Eugène Bozza’s Aria is a beautiful piece that is on the Trinity College Exam Grade 7 syllabus. Whilst not too technically demanding, there are some challenges in this piece, which
Hints and Tips
“Can you play it in one breath?”
Long phrases under pressure One of the most famous examples of a long phrase for flute players is the opening of Debussy’s L’après-midi d’un faune. This appears on almost all
Benjamin Godard Waltz: Practice Tips
Here are my practice tips for the tricky, yet wonderfully joyful Waltz (Valse) by Godard, from his Suite de Trois Morceaux. Here’s a video of me demonstrating the exercises given below.
No 11 from Moyse 24 Little Melodic Studies
“Marcel, where is the beat?”Moyse’s uncle upon hearing him practice Here is a practice guide for number 11 of 24 Petites Etudes Melodiques. These are notes from a class I
Saint-Saëns Romance: practice tips
The Romance by Camille Saint-Saëns is one of my absolute favourite pieces – full of warmth and charm and not without its challenges. I recently did a warm-up video for
Finding resonance on the flute
“How do I get a big sound?” is often a question students will ask. Indeed, developing one’s sound and dynamic range is part of a musician’s daily practice. So, apart
What does “support” mean?
As a teacher, I like to ask questions to my students to get them to think about what they are doing, as awareness is key to improvement and inhibiting bad
Tips on ABRSM Grade 8 pieces: Poulenc Sonata 1st movement
My next few blog posts will be tips on some of my favourite pieces from the ABRSM Grade 8 repertoire lists. Even if you aren’t working towards your Grade 8,
A “pressing” issue
To press or not to press? That is the question for many flute players, especially in the early stages of learning, and there are a few different opinions on this
Memorisation
A blog on playing from memory! An excellent skill to develop with many benefits. Incentive Memorising a piece of music, a speech or poem is something that has obvious benefits,