The Amateur Flautist

Book excerpt: Many people learn the flute. Most give it up as an adult because they cannot easily find anyone to play with, and a lack of practice makes it less enjoyable to play. This book is aimed at helping such people. The first chapter diagnoses why most amateur flautists give up playing, and sets out a number of remedies. The most important is finding other musicians with whom to play, whether in an orchestra, or more importantly, in chamber groups. The author explores how you might set about finding players for chamber music, and how you might set about finding the music itself. The second chapter gives guidance about the music for all the principal combinations of chamber groups which involve the flute. The most significant ones are flute and piano, two to four flutes, trio sonatas with another melody instrument and piano, and the wind quartet. The author describes the principal works for each of these groups, which are fun and manageable for amateurs, rather than listing everything that is available. Listed are the significant works that are available for free on the internet. The third chapter suggests a short practice regime to counteract the deficiencies in the playing of most amateur flautists, which are poor tone and tuning. Practicing half an hour a few times a week should do the trick.