How to Love Your Flute: A Guide to Flutes and Flute Playing, or How to Play, Choose, and Care for a Flute, Plus Flute History and More

by Mark Shepard, Anne Subercaseaux (Illustrator), Paul Horn (Preface by)

A complete guide for anyone who plays the flute or ever wanted to. Use it along with flute lessons or even to teach yourself! This book covers everything you need and more -- selection and care, flute technique, fingering, playing by ear, reading music, flute history, flutes around the world, and modern folk flutes. "How to Love Your Flute" will appeal to all flutists, from beginning to advanced.

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Mark Shepard is the author of "How to Love Your Flute," hailed by Paul Horn as "a model for our times," as well as the craft guide "Simple Flutes." He has played flute professionally in a folk music trio, as a modern dance accompanist, and as a solo theater musician.

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CONTENTS

Preface, by Paul Horn
Introduction

Part 1 FLUTE LORE
The World Family of Flutes The Story of the Western Flute

Part 2 SELECTION AND CARE
Finding Your Flute Caring for Your Flute

Part 3 FLUTE TECHNIQUE
Embouchure and Breath Posture Playing Notes More About Embouchure and Breath Fingering Technique Tuning Advanced Techniques Special Effects

Part 4 MAKING MUSIC
Scales and Chords Playing by Ear Reading Music Living Music

Part 5 MODERN FOLK FLUTES
Finding a Folk Flute Caring for a Folk Flute Playing a Folk Flute

APPENDIX
How the Flute Works Miscellaneous Fingering Charts Reading List

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SAMPLE TEXT

Question: Should I take lessons, or instead teach myself?

Answer: There are advantages to both ways. You may be a person who will benefit more from personal instruction than from reading a book. Or you may be the type of person who needs the deadlines of a scheduled lesson to get you to practice. If you are serious about performing classical music, you will want to become absorbed in a tradition that seems imparted best in a teacher/student relationship.

There are also advantages to teaching yourself. Money and/or schedule constraints could be factors. You might prefer the freedom of organizing and pacing your own learning process. Or you might even have trouble finding a teacher with whom you work well, or who can teach you the kind of flute playing you want to learn.

Whichever way you decide to go, don't let anyone tell you that you can't learn the flute without lessons.

Genres: Music

112 pages, Paperback

First published December 19, 1980

Reviews

[Doniell · Rating 2 out of 5]

Buyer and Reader beware: there is some false information in this book about musical theory. Please do not rely on this manual of sorts for your musics education.

[Riobhcah · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an awesome book for anyone who wants to learn more about the history of the flute as well as techniques to improve their playing.

[Kathryn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Even though this flute book is dated, I was able to take away several tips, techniques, and musical knowledge that can be applied to flute playing.