SECTION ONE

Before You Begin

Approach to Practice

From the beginning you should set yourself a goal. Many people learn the flute because of a desire to play like their favorite artist (e.g., James Galway), or to play a certain style of music (e.g., Classical, Jazz, Rock, Blues, etc.). Motivations such as these will help you to persevere through the more difficult sections of work. As your playing develops it will be important to adjust and update your goals.

It is important to have a correct approach to practice. You will benefit more from several short practices (e.g., 15-30 minutes per day) than one or two long sessions per week. This is especially so in the early stages, because of the basic nature of the material being studied and also because your lips and facial muscles are still developing.

If you want to become a great player you will obviously have to practice more as time goes on, but it is still better to work on new things a bit at a time. Get one small piece of information and learn it well before going on to the next topic. Make sure each new thing you learn is thoroughly worked into your playing. This way you won’t forget it, and you can build on everything you learn. To be sure you develop a good sense of time, always practice with a metronome.

In a practice session you should divide your time evenly between the study of new material and the revision of past work. It is a common mistake for semi-advanced students to practice only the pieces they can already play well. Although this is more enjoyable, it is not a very satisfactory method of practice. You should also try to correct mistakes and experiment with new ideas. It is the author"s belief that the guidance of an experienced teacher will be an invaluable aid in your progress.