The Flute Blog

  • Exploring the new ABRSM flute syllabus 2018: Grade 6

    Blog snapshot – my recommendations at a glance! Drouet: Allegro Moderato from Sonata in A minor (Three Little Sonatas) Giuseppe Rabboni: Sonata No 8 in C major from Sonatas for Flute and Piano Vivace:  Allegro from Concerto in D major RV783 Gaubert: Madrigal Andy Scott: And Everything is Still John Frith: Arabesque  Paul Lewis: Lullaby…

    Read Post

  • Exploring the new ABRSM 2018 Flute Syllabus: Grade 5

    Blog snapshot – my recommendations at a glance! 300 Years of Flute Music Drouet: Rondeau from Sonata in A minor (Three Little Sonatas) Frederick the Great: Allegro assai from Sonata in A minor, Spitta No. 21 Giuseppe Rabboni: Sonata No 10 in D minor from Sonatas for Flute and Piano Sunrise, Sunset from Roll Over Bach…

    Read Post

  • Exploring the 2018 ABRSM Flute Syllabus: Grades 3 and 4

    Wonderful music abounds at these two grades and the emphasis is on original music which is great for players at this level. There are also lovely tunes to enjoy, as well as a good helping of pieces in the jazz idiom. Blog snapshot – my recommendations at a glance Grade 3 Kopellmann-Martini (ed): Classical Music…

    Read Post

  • ABRSM Logo

    Exploring the 2018 ABRSM Flute Syllabus: Grades 1 and 2

    So here we are again! Astonishingly it’s 8 years since ABRSM introduced a selection of the music for each grade in one book. This seemed such a big event back then, but now we are all used to the format, like it or not! The marketing of the ABRSM volumes has been even more targeted…

    Read Post

  • Wooden Flute

    Important New Regulations on Wooden Instruments

    Update December 2019: CITES regulations no longer apply to musical 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 recommend reading carefully as it may affect you and your instrument. What’s happening? From January 2nd 2017 new regulations…

    Read Post

  • Enticing Classical Period Repertoire

    Classical flute music is dominated by Mozart but there are other lovely pieces to be found amongst his contemporaries and those coming just after him. Not all are household names but as the music is all delightful, it doesn’t really matter! Jadin A good place to start is with Louis Emmanuel Jadin (1786-1853). He is best…

    Read Post

  • Alternatives to Mozart: Classical Flute Concertos

    There are plenty of alternatives to the Mozart flute concertos, and the Classical period has a wonderful variety of composers who wrote very well for the instrument. The manageable string parts mean that some are ideal to perform with a school orchestra, whilst others are very challenging indeed! Glück The earlier Classical period is rich…

    Read Post

  • Haynes Flute

    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.

    Read Post

  • Composer Profile: Geoff Eales

    It is fortunate for us flute players that jazz pianist-composer Geoff Eales and the talented Andy Findon are such good friends. As a direct result of their collaboration for the CD The Dancing Flute, we now have some of the best flute jazz music to play for ourselves. Eales studied composition with Alun Hoddinott and…

    Read Post

  • 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.

    Read Post