There seems to have been no more news of the jazz flute syllabus: has anyone heard anything?

No idea - but in the mean time, check out Ron Burgundy's awesome jazz flute playing in The Anchor Man. should give you some helpful tips ha ha!

http://www.lookingcloser.org/images/anchorman1.jpg

Dear Sarah,

The new jazz flute material is available from September 2006 and exams will be available from 1 January 2007.

As I write colleagues are promoting the new material and publications at the British Flute Society Convention at the RNCM which is happening this weekend.

Information on the new jazz flute syllabus and publications can be found in the forthcoming edition of Libretto, which is available from September 2006. Information will also be available on our website soon!

Best wishes

Louise

Excellent!

& Thanks flutey

Have you played Out of The Cool by Dave Heath? It's fab I love it

Alex xx

I went to the BFS convention. There was a demonstration of some of the new jazz syllabus. VERY INTERESTING !!! SOunded really good !!!! AND it all comes with a backing CD to practice to which you then get to take into your exam - Bril idea !!! They're gonna put most of the list options into 1 book too. That'll save a lot of faffing!!! But it's still not out yet.....

( there was a lot of explanation on how the book will be set out for suggested melody, and how much it can be embelished for higher points, but that explanation was aimed at teachers so as a beginner it pretty much went over my head.... I sure other's could explain it better )

SO Sarah-flute - Iwill be eagerly watching this space too now - it may even convince me to try an exam!!!

Sounds great. I am tempted to do an exam too! It sounds really interesting. So you can use a CD as an accompaniment for the exam, is that for all the grades?

Hi Joyjoy,

I went to the Convention as well. The Jazz Grades for flute are coming out in September. Grades 1 -5. They are all available with the cd that can be used as accompaniment in the exam. Exams are available from next year. They look great.

hillyb

Hi Snuglivixen,

Go for it. The exam I mean. It'll be great for you.

hillyb

Thanks for answering my question, hillyb! They sound like great exams. Is there any other info you can give us? I take it all exam centres will be available to take them, not specialist centres?

I think they will be available at all centres. If you look at the exam info it seems to point out that a week (or so) will be set aside for jazz exams.

As far as the accompaniment is concerned you just take your portable cd player and away you go!!

Yes, they do set aside some time for jazz exams. That's great about the accompaniment - being able to use a CD. Thanks for keeping us updated about the exams! I am so tempted now... Roll on September when the books come out!

They had some inspection copies of the books at the Convention. They looked great. One of the sessions was devoted to it and a player performed several of the Grades 4 - 5 pieces. They sounded lovely.

I am dead excited now. I have been wondering about doing a flute exam for a while now, you see, and as I have enjoyed jazz piano so much I think doing jazz for flute will encourage me to have a go now! Do you know the exact date in September?

Hi everyone,

Good to meet those of you who were at BFS! Thanks for popping by the stand.

For those of you who are interested, more information about Jazz Flute exams, publications and the new Jazz Taster Days and Courses for all instruments that we'll be running this autumn will appear on our website over the next fortnight.

Once all the information is up and Jazz information packs are available (including free Jazz sampler with CD demos), I'll post a link to it on this thread so that anyone who is interested can sign up for further information, updates and early bird offers.

And just out of interest - how many potential jazz flautists or jazz teachers do we have amongst our forums family?

Best wishes

Christine

Not sure whether I'd be any good at it, but I'd give it a go

Christine,

count me in. Never done a jazz exam. Thinking about doing the Grade 1 alto sax and the flute when it's available.

hillyb

Hi Joyjoy,

no exact date mentioned - just 'in September'.

Looks like great fun though.

hillyb

Christine,

I would definitely be giving it a go sometime in the near future - to take the exams that is.

Joy

Oooh fantastic, thanks Christine!


One very enthusiastic potential jazz flautist over here As for teaching it... well maybe one day!

Count me in . Ive been waiting for jazz flute for a while!

me tooooooo!

Think my daughter might enjoy these exams. She's a bit of an exam addict and enjoyed doing some improvisation in her flute group before the end of term. She was the only one brave enough to give it a go!

I take it the exams are not just for adults.

No!! there not just for adults!!

I just got my hands on some of the new flute syllabus music this morning, and I have had an absolute ball trying it out! I have been good and stuck to the G1 book so far (making it last... that new music feeling...) and it has some great tunes with a lot of scope for having fun, plus the backing tracks are really good quality and are great for getting yourself in the jazz mood

Even the aural tests and sight-reading (AKA Quick Study) are fun

Wow! They sound great! *Goes to a music shop to buy as many books as can afford*

Suuuuuuuuuuuch a lot of fun - go for it

Hello

Information about the new Jazz FLute syllabus is now online, including information about Taster Days and Courses for those wishing to find out more about teaching jazz.

Information about the Jazz Flute Syllabus is here:
http://www.abrsm.org/?page=exams/jazz/jazzFlute.html

To request a Jazz information pack including free Jazz sampler with CD demos, simply fill in the form on this page:
http://www.abrsm.org/?page=jazz

To find out more about the Taster Days and Courses visit this page:
http://www.abrsm.org/?page=teachers/courses/jazz.html

Enjoy!

It really is exciting isn't it! I'm going to order some books on jazz flute soon. Can't wait....

Does the standard needed for the jazz exams corrulate to the normal flute exams? Or, for example, do you have to be at least Grade 3 Flute before you can start on Grade 1 Jazz Flute?

I've sent off for the pack for my daughter who is Grade 6 Flute.

Sara

Hello

Yes the grading standards are the same, so Grade 1 Jazz correlates to Grade 1 classical flute and so on. Your daughter should have a lot of fun trying the new syllabus out.

Good luck with that!

Yes, but you should start at grade 1 jazz whatever Classical grade you are. It's a different game altogether. I might have a peek at this too.

I've requested the information also. I've only had 2 lessons on flute but am learning jazz piano as well so I may as well try jazz flute when i'm abit better

I haven't had my pack yet

This is definitely the case... Jazz is a totally different way of approaching music, as opposed to classical music. Both are great though!

Yes this is what I suspected. But I'll get a better idea when the pack arrives

Sara

If she's grade 6 flute she will have a head start on the technical side, as the pieces (before embellishment and improv) will be technically easy for her, but unless she has previous jazz experience she'll probably want to start from scratch with the jazz side of things.

It's a lot of fun

Quite a few C list pieces I would describe as Jazz, but obviously improv is another thing entirely. Do they have suggestions for that either on the recording or actually notated?

Sara

Jazzy rather than necessarily jazz, IMO (the ones I have come across anyway)

They do give some guide tones and the chords that are being used, as well as (in the G1-3 books) some notes and ideas in the back - the books DON'T attempt to teach improv.

Just spent a bit of practice time working on Dorian minor scales. I've discovered that, since I know all my majors, the dorian isn't too bad, you just have to remember that it's as if you're starting on the second of the scale, so starting on, say, G, you're effectively working in F! it's confusing but it was very satisfying to realise that I can moreorless play 2 octaves of dorian on everything from middle C to the B above it

Using it in improv will be the next trick and knowing when to Oh well, one thing at a time. Anyone else bought books or got sample packs? How're you getting on?

I've ordered my sample pack - but how long do they take to come? I want it now!!

No idea - seems like it takes a while from people's experiences...

Now (this morning) I have Jazz Flute Tunes 1 - and I was a little scared when I first realised what it was about... yikes ... I mean they want you to just .. sort of ... make it up as you go along. And the language is all is foreign to me too.

Well it got easier when I put the CD on and just played any old rubbish over the top.

Then it got easier still when I realised they gave you chords to work to. I can do chords.

So it might be a go-er for Easter. (If I get my composition exam out of the way by Christmas). I might even try to enlist the help of my long-suffering keyboard teacher who knows nothing about flutes but lots about improvisation. She will be surprised.

Still no pack

sneekymum, I might do it at Easter - we'll see!

Which tunes have you played so far? Which are your favourites?

Nicki: - I haven't either, I guess there's a lot of interest.

I'm really looking forward to getting the pieces, I have got the scales and quick study stuff ordered, just waiting on them now.... then will get pieces soon. They sound like so much fun! Can't wait!

I'll be really interested to hear how people get on.

I wish I knew of a real live jazzer close by - I'm having a lot of fun, but no idea how good my improv is. Shame Violinia lives so far away

Just out of curiosity, what are the grade 1 pieces like?

In what way??

I've really enjoyed them.

I've just realised the syllabus is now online: http://www.abrsm.org/?page=exams/jazz/jazzFlute.html - that'll give you an idea about what pieces are on the syllabus.

The divisions (blues & roots, standards, contemporary) are the same as in other jazz horn exams.

Most of the G1 pieces only have 8 bars or so of improv. There are chord symbols and guide notes in each improv section.

There's quite a wide variety of pieces. My favourites from the G1 lists are:

Someone's Knocking At My Door, & St James Infirmary

Moonglow, & Bye Bye Blackbird

Everything That Lives Laments, & Mo' Better Blues

Some gospel-y ones, some classic blues, some Latin, lots of variety esp considering there're only 15 pieces in the book! Some well known names like Reinhardt & Grappelli, Miles Davies, Keith Jarrett.

Each piece has a little bit of history/notes about the composers or the piece, and a suggested track to go away and listen to.

Not much in the way of trying to teach improv, besides the guide notes - if I hadn't've had the session with Violinia I would have even less of a clue than I currently do

That help at all??

Yeah I just wanted to see what you thought of the pieces overall, as I haven't had a chance to look yet. I guess they might be similar to the Clarinet jazz pieces for grade 1. I really enjoy them, the book has things like 'Mac the Knife' in, it's fun. I enjoy the improvising section the most, you can let your hair down.....

Have to admit, am quite tempted by the G1 clarinet book.........

I love that song

It is a fantastic book Sarah... do give it a go if you can! Couldn't reccommend it anymore. It is really enjoyable.