I've been wondering what I could suggest to some people I am teaching flute once they get a bit further with the Tune A Day they all have just now. I know that for clarinet I prefer Music Through Time 1 to Time Pieces. How do the flute versions compare? Is MTT often favoured here as well? Also is it a good progression from Tune A Day? I play the piano/keyboard so could try the accomps as well I was also toying with getting Abracadabra, just for more repertoire at a simple level, and as far as I know they have only used Tune A Day since this time last year.

Main problem is, since I'm there temporarily I don't know the extent I can ask pupils to buy certain books, in case the original teacher doesn't like them when she gets back.

I don't think you'll go wrong with either MTT or Time Pieces Neil - they both have some good pieces in them. Flute wise, I think it's also worth having a look at 'Going Solo' as well.

I worked through Time Pieces (I think) after Abracadabra. Some really nice pieces.

I'm doing Slave Dance and DuDu from MTT1 for Grade One in a couple of weeks - so buying the books would not be a waste for anyone thinking of taking this exam. There's lots of good things to play in there. (Apart from El Grillo).

A rare example of a flute piece that doesn't go any higher than bottom octave A. Not a fan sneekymum, I'm with you there.......

The two pieces you've picked I think are nice little pieces.

Thanks for the thoughts, keep them coming! The two I've seen so far are up to Tune A Day low E/high E, last week we did the page before - a few duets in F major (forget title, don't have the book myself). Would anything we are discussing here be sensible having got this far, or go Abracadabra if anything?

In which case Time Pieces will be too advanced at the moment Neil. Most of the pieces in MTT will also be a bit too advanced at the moment (though there are a couple of pieces you can use), when your pupils have got 2nd octave F, G and A, plus a few of the sharp/flat notes under their belts, the pieces in MTT will be altogether more feasible.

I like both M Thru T and Time Pieces 1, then M thru T 2 is easier than Time Pieces 2, and M thru T is easier than Time Pieces 3.

Think about Razzamajazz for a fun alternative to Tune a Day: not many notes but fast moving and great jazzy pieces. This book is great for those who find note reading a struggle at the early stages.

I'm using Flute Basics with my beginners, and there is a new Flute Basics repertoire book which is great for the grades 1-3 level player.

Thanks for that. I'm not at all familiar with Razzamajazz though I have heard about it and it sounds good. Kevin Mayhew, Sarah Watts. Not sure I can sample it online anywhere, bit new for that I'd think. Another one to look into.

My feeling is that Tune A Day maybe 10 or 20 years ago was the best woodwind tutor, but we have to remember things are being produced all the time to make learning more enjoyable. Gets rather expensive, sadly.

The original Tune a Day has now been superseded by a New Tune a Day. I have one girl using this - I inherited a lot of near beginners this year - but I think it's not a patch on Flute Basics or Flute Time 1. I found Tune a Day hopelessly old-fashioned when I was a learner in the 1970s, and only the cover has been updated since. Phrases such as 'Thus when the strain is repeated, the first time bar is omitted and the second time bar played instead' are likely to produce a blank look from the average 8-year-old beginner.

i used those 2 books during my early stage of learning and i did enjoy playing them but i also like the AB baroque flute pieces book 1 and 2 and easy gershwin for flute

Is Going Solo the one that has the arrangement of "Where the bee sucks" in it?

Lovely arrangement, my student's just started it.

Minimal experience so far but looks a nice book.

Yes it is Sarah, and agree that it's a lovely arrangement of 'Where the bee sucks'.

Eek this would get really expensive to get all of these. Do schools tend to keep standard books like these for their instructors to refer to? One of my priorities in school or privately is to find the best repertoire I can get for everyone and not just rely on what's been known for years on end but I have infinite money on this. And there was me thinking of suggesting curved headjoints as well.

What I did when I started was to look at the exam syllabuses carefully, and buy books that had a number of exam pieces in them. I gave myself a budget, and worked out the best combination of books for the total. If I were doing it again today, I'd certainly use ebay as a starting point - there are always early grade items for sale. Also, see if you can find some more advanced students who would be willing to give or sell you their beginner books. As a general rule, don't pay more than half price for secondhand music; less if it's been written on heavily.

I've just realised that no-one has mentioned studies yet. 50 for Flute Book 1 by Alan Bullard is highly recommended, and 76 Graded Studies Book 1 by Harris and Adams is another one it is hard to do without.

I've got a huge collection of early-stage repertoire, Neil. Pm me if you want any specific help.

I use Party Time by Alan Bullard alongside the tutor book (normally Abracadabra Flute). The pieces in Party Time start with a few catchy tunes with just 3 to 4 notes with easy paino accomps. When they reach the end of the book they are normally ready to start on Grade 1 pieces. I much prefer MTT to Time Pices.

i buy in a collection of flute music used on each grade, sometimes several copies of the same edition which i then lend to my students - they're all second hand, i just pick them up as and when - on the understanding that if they get lost or destroyed then it has to be replaced, and i keep a sort of library in and out book. I know this wouldn't be possible for a lot of teachers (neither would many think it necessary) but it does offer the student a wide choice, especially for exams.

So, mooch around in your second hand shops and e bay neil.

All the books mentioned so far are excellent, but as a step from tune a day i don't think you will go far wrong with MTT v1 and 76 Graded studies

angie

I highly recommend ebay - I've had some real bargains.

Check that books have the separate flute part - some people don't even realise you need one

Look out for job lots or "10 flute books" - often you'll get a bargain, and I've occasionally got a bargain AND still been able to sell off duplicates and get most of my cash back.

I think nearly all my oboe music has come from e-bay. Like Sarah I have bought a lot of job lots (with only one duplicate). Beginners' tutor books and books of studies are available almost permanently, the standard repertoire comes around fairly regularly if you are prepared to wait.

The only disadvantage is that it can become quite addictive and I have rather a lot of pieces sitting on the shelf waiting for me to get good enough to play them!

I think I've played all of the music through time/time music for flute books. They're really good value for money and have a variety of pieces in. I think I managed to get 2(?) pieces for each grade out of each too.

Me too!

Just a thought on Music Through Time etc, yes it's not cheap to build up a library, but I have a double use for them in that books like that are part of my sight-reading regime.

We are always buting Music for one instrument or another, like Sarah my daughter uses them for sight reading too.

Try 50 for flute. There are two books, the first of which starts off with basic pieces using only B, A and G and getting progressively harder, and the studies have been on the syllabus in the past.

At the moment there are copies available on eBay of two study books that I used a lot in the past: Frans Vester's collections of 125 Easy Classical Studies for flute and 100 Classical Studies for flute (he also produced a collection of 50 more difficult ones). These books featured in the exam lists for years, but I liked them as regular teaching material in their own right. The 125 were mostly quite short, many of them pleasingly melodic, and the books were good value. I might well still use them but no longer do any regular flute teaching.

And they're fun studies to boot which helps!

What about the Rae '40 Modern'. The clarinet version fits the bill of 'fun studies' magnificently. What's the flute one like.

As far as I'm aware, it's the same as the flute one. I know that the studies which also appear in the sax version are identical in both versions.

The book 'First repretoire pieces for flute is good'.