Hi, I was wondering if anybody could recommend some music?

    
Hi, I was wondering if anybody could recommend some music?    10:26 on Tuesday, September 19, 2006          

fluffy
(18 points)
Posted by fluffy

I have been playing flute (self taught) for a couple of months now. I am looking to improve my playing. My muscle memory of the upper register is poor, so I frequently forget fingering and have to stop playing and look up the correct fingering.
Could anyone recommend a piece of music for a relative beginner, that focuses more in the upper register?

I wish I could explain my playing ability better to help seek out a suitable piece of music!

Thankyou in advance.

<Added>


Edited to add...

I am sure that someone will advise scales etc.. I do practice scales and arpeggios etc.. but they get boring. I tend to learn better with a nice tune.


Re: Hi, I was wondering if anybody could recommend some music?    10:55 on Tuesday, September 19, 2006          

Pickled
(123 points)
Posted by Pickled

I'm currently at the same point with the recorder. The 2nd octave fingerings are kind of funky. I don't really remember having this problem with the flute, but I learned in school, and it was the old "one note per week." So, you had time to internalize. But, I do understand being a self-learner and wanting to PLAY MUSIC NOW!!

I suggest you browse and find some music that you WANT to play that is mainly in the lower and middle registers but ventures into the upper. Set it up so that your fingering chart is available to look at, if necessary. And play. The only trick is, once you look up a note, don't look it up again for that particular song. And, take a moment to think of how it relates to notes around it, i.e. how is it the same and how is it different, as far as fingering. I have a book called "My Favorite Classics: Recital Pieces for Flute" (Tony Santorella) that might be a good choice, but I'm looking right now and can't find that it's still available. It has a wide variety of solos with piano accompaniment, many of which are only a half page long and no "darker" than 8th notes, although there is some more difficult material. I think the highest anything goes is G3, but there are quite a few in the A2-E3 range.

Of course, scales are always good, too. And, they don't HAVE to be boring. I read somewhere that James Galway wanders around his house doing them. I've been doing that--I have muscular tension issues, so that helps a lot when I'm warming up. Plus, it removes you from the music stand and the music and forces you to do it on your own, and, as you said, to translate it into something physical that helps establish your muscle memory.


Re: Hi, I was wondering if anybody could recommend some music?    11:18 on Tuesday, September 19, 2006          

fluffy
(18 points)
Posted by fluffy

Thankyou for your help Pickled.

I wouldnt say I'm 'impatient' as such with wanting to learn a specific piece NOW (lol). I just learn in a weird fashion. I self taught piano, then when I was eventually convinced to take grades (in secondry education), I went to grade 7 before I got thoroughly bored with the lessons and exams.

I have a pretty good background for music theory but am fascinated with learning different instruments.
I play at my best when I have little or no structure. This relates to all of the instruments I play.
I tend to develop a 'feel' for a song and play 95% by ear and 5% by music! I think this is why lessons were just not for me.

On many occasions, I can hear a piece of music, take an instrument and play it, visualising the tonal difference to take me from note to note.

I have no idea if this is the same as anyone else here... It would be interesting if it is.

I play scales with my daughter (the bigger one in my avatar picture) with the help of a cool book and CD called 'funky scales' (I think) That does help alleviate some of the rigidity.
I'm not so sure about Sir James' method of walking around though, with my 3 children and all their toys about, that could be extremely hazardous!! (rofl)

I have been playing some basic pieces an octave higher than they are written, but I hate the way it sounds which is why I need something that is intended to be played in the higher register.

I will definately have a look for the book you mentionned. You never know, ebay can harbour gems sometimes!

Thanks again.


Re: Hi, I was wondering if anybody could recommend some music?    12:11 on Tuesday, September 19, 2006          

Pickled
(123 points)
Posted by Pickled

>>I'm not so sure about Sir James' method of walking around though, with my 3 children and all their toys about, that could be extremely hazardous!! (rofl)<<

I have 3 children, too. The benefit of walking around is that it's harder to clutch onto a moving target. Plus, they tend to want to play THEIR instruments when I play mine, so staying out of the range of my 3 yr old's maracas is sometimes a good thing.


Re: Hi, I was wondering if anybody could recommend some music?    13:43 on Tuesday, September 19, 2006          

ekdavies
(208 points)
Posted by ekdavies

There's a vast array of popular and classical flute music as well as books of good studies. Most good music shops stock a selection which you can browse - but I don't know any that let you see the music over the Internet. Something like ebay 280029820288 might be worth considering.



Re: Hi, I was wondering if anybody could recommend some music?    14:09 on Tuesday, September 19, 2006          

Pickled
(123 points)
Posted by Pickled

sheetmusicplus.com allows you to see sample pages of *some items (not all). But, it's often enough to give you an idea of the level of the music.

--Judy


Re: Hi, I was wondering if anybody could recommend some music?    18:03 on Tuesday, September 19, 2006          

jose_luis
(2369 points)
Posted by jose_luis

When I began studying, I used Trevor Wye's book 1. It focuses more on the first octave and there are no scales at the beginning. An instrument should be learnt (IMHO) in a systematic way, from easier to more difficult and the teaching masters are exactly that: masters in teaching others how to go up the learning curve steadily and without boring the student (too much, at least). They prepare the exercises always including a few difficulties and the student learns how to overcome them, without too much pain. Otherwise one could get blocked and stop progressing.

On my second year I added the Altes book 1 to Trevor's 2. This was an interesting change, because Altes starts on the middle octave and one learns beautiful pieces, of course with increasing difficulty.

I can afford a teacher and this choice of books was her merit. And I am sure that my learning could have been considerably more difficult and slower if I had not used these progresive methods, at least up to my third year.

I encourage you to get some of these books (or others, there much more out there) and try to follow them.

Good luck!


Re: Hi, I was wondering if anybody could recommend some music?    22:20 on Tuesday, September 19, 2006          

music4god
(173 points)
Posted by music4god

what i do to memorixe the upper range is a tree scale say you where doing Ab (flat) do high Ab then G Ab G, then F G Ab G F, then Eb F G Ab G F Eb and so on so forth... does that make sense it helps with memory....


Re: Hi, I was wondering if anybody could recommend some music?    14:24 on Wednesday, September 20, 2006          

DottedEighthNote
(180 points)

Hiya Fluffy,

I recommended this a few weeks ago, and will gladly recommend it again. CD Sheet Music.

http://stephensmusicpub.com/cgi-bin/merchant2/merchant.mv?Screen=CTGY&Store_Code=SD&Category_Code=W

It has music on it for extreme beginners all the way up to very difficult pieces. You have to print out your own copies, but I feel this would be even better since you have young musicians also. This way if they don't take such good care of the music, you don't have to worry about replacing a $5-10 book. Just print out a new sheet!


   




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