Hey guys.

I have the 76 graded studies for flute book, but I don't actually like either of the grade 5 studies that are in it... the Rumba is OK, I've played it before many years ago, but I'm not much into more modern music - I like classical - I did the Telemann for my grade 4! I just don't like it very much. And the Ferling study I just don't seem to be able to get my head round. It might be OK once I'd heard someone play it...

Does anyone have any recommendations out of the others? I thought I'd see if any of them came in books that had other grades in it, but none of them seem to repeat. A couple of them have grade 4 studies in as well... it's not that important to have other grade pieces in, but I would like to get something I wouldn't just use for grade 5 and everything else in it would be useless - ie the piece was the most challenging in the book or something - am I making any sense??!

The choices are:

Jean-Michel Damase 50 Etudes Facile et Porgressives, Vol 1 no. 21 in C
Ferling Study in A (from 76 studies)
Paul Harris Rumba (from 76 studies)
Oliver Ledbury Rock Blues from Flute Salad
C Nicholson Study in Ab from 42 Flute studies of Medium Standard
Quantz Allegro in B minor no. 8 from Quantz 16 Pieces
James Rae Ringing the Changes no. 31 deom 40 modern studies for Solo Flute.

The only ones that sound interesting to me are the Quantz and the Damase, and I couldn't even tell you why those have piqued my fancy... I am hoping that sometime fairly soon-ish I will be able to go into a decent music shop and have a look at the pieces, but there's no guarantee... I may have to order them off the 'net. Does anyone know any of these pieces? played any of them? Which do you like???!

ps I'm looking at doing the Grieg (Anitra's Dance) and the Richard Rodney Bennett (Siesta) for my pieces, so something a bit classical for my study would go rather well, as the grieg actually sounds and feels a bit more modern, and it's quite quick and bouncy, and the siesta though quite chilled and slow is also quite modern. lol... I do prefer classical usually, honest. I'm just sick of the gluck, have overplayed the Faure, and none of the others captured my fancy really.

It looks like the ones I learn (I think I did 2) have been dropped from the syllabus, though I supose it is going back a bit now! (Scary thought )
so I'm afriad I can't really help...

anyone else?

What number is the other study in the 76 Studies book? *prays she still has it*

i did the ferling study no.50 from 76 graded studies. its nice wen u get into it. dont rush it too much, i thought it was hard wen i 1st began playin it but by the end i got the exact same good mark as i did 4 my other pieces.

Having studied the grade syllabi(?) quite carefully it seems to me that after grade 4/5 nothing repeats itself much with regard to studies unless you stick with "76 Graded Studies for Flute". One pupil of mine really likes the "Rumba" you have mentioned but any other choices come from different sources and involve extra expense. James Rae does some lovely modern stuff ( for clarinet too) - but maybe you are not too keen?
After grade4/5 there seems to be a lot of outlay required on different pieces - of which I have bought many!
I have bought many of the study books for the later grades to become acquainted with the repertoire and I shall have another look at them to see if any are more "classical" in style.
BTW I love Telemann which is listed for Grade 6 and Grade 8(?).
I shall look again more carefully and get back to you.

My daughter and I are computer sharing - the last post is mine!!

thanks guys for trying to help!

I didn't click to track this post, d'oh, I need to learn to do that.

The studies are 50 (the Ferling) and 44 (the rumba)

I'll have another look at the Ferling... I guess I should give it a bit more of a chance!

I don't *mind* modern music... I just prefer classical and I thought with the other two pieces I'm playing both being relatively modern - I mean, even Grieg, though he may be on list A... he's relatively recent - so I thought maybe a classical study would be good.

Do you mean the Telemann fantasias? I noticed them... I'll be tempted lol... though I need to be thinking about grade 5 at the moment. They are in 6 7 and 8. so at least they would be a good investment.

Funnily enough once you get to grade 6 I own more of the music, rather than less! *Especially* if you include the ones I have from the library at the moment, I have enough music to pick and chose to a certain extent for lists A & B from grade 6 - 8... I want to get grade 5 under my belt, for the sense of achievement, to give me motivation to practice, and as a stepping stone while I improve my technique... but I am SO looking forward to getting stuck into grade 6 plus music. In fact some of it I am already getting stuck into...

I wish my library had such a good selection of flute music, it hardly has a book about the flute. I have played the Rumba, but don't think that I have the study book any more.

Mine has one shelf, and none of it is for flute!

Its terrible, and thats the second biggest library in Cornwall! (and the biggest is no better)

I have the James Rae book, which I bought because I liked his clarinet stuff, only to find that much of it is just the clarinet pieces I had already played transcribed for flute! "Ringing the Changes" is I think basically an excercise in descending arpeggios in jazz time - quite pleasant but hard to keep interesting. I might be wrong because the book is 200 miles away!

There are some Quantz pieces in book 1 of the 76 studies book, I liked them, maybe you could have a look at them before buying his book?

Had another loook at the grade 5 study list and it seems that apart from "76 Grade Studies" nothing else carries on for further grades. So if you want to minimise your outlay you are better off sticking with the Rumba or the the Ferling . I have a recording of the Ferling as the 2000-2003 Ab recordings also had the studies on the CD( the new ones don't which is a real pity - why is that?).Maybe you could buy/borrow this recording to help you to like it better!
You probably won't like the Rae book that much and it won't take you beyond grade 5.BTW there are only 4 studies (out of 40) which are used in both clarinet and flute books.

We're fortunate enough to have a music library in Gloucester which is about 8 miles away - though I don't get there often, it might as well be 100 miles with our local transport it has a couple of shelves, maybe 2 1/2, a couple of feet wide each, of flute music... compared to some of the other instruments it ain't great, but it has the Bennett Summer Music, and it has stuff like the Mozart Concertos and some Handel I think. I'll have another try at the Ferling and see if I can sneak a look at the Quantz or if maybe it's at the library... thanks for all your help, guys... tis appreciated.

QUOTE (sarah-flute @ Jan 7 2005, 07:36 PM)

James Rae Ringing the Changes no. 31 deom 40 modern studies for Solo Flute.

Wouldn't advise it, but its my personal opinion that its the most boring piece ever written and my actual opinion of it would be caught by the censoring software.

i dont know much about those pieces but i really like Rumba, the one u dont like!

QUOTE (JRBailey @ Jan 8 2005, 02:19 PM)

You probably won't like the Rae book that much and it won't take you beyond grade 5.BTW there are only 4 studies (out of 40) which are used in both clarinet and flute books.

Hmm maybe I am mixing it up with the sax book. There was definitely overlap with something! But I agree, I have used the flute book very little myself.

QUOTE (Subatomic_Star @ Jan 8 2005, 07:36 PM)

QUOTE (sarah-flute @ Jan 7 2005, 07:36 PM) James Rae Ringing the Changes no. 31 deom 40 modern studies for Solo Flute. Wouldn't advise it, but its my personal opinion that its the most boring piece ever written and my actual opinion of it would be caught by the censoring software.

lol... yeah I'm getting the impression that James Rae book is not for me....

If you're going to have to spend some money and want a classical study I recommend the Nicholson. It's fairly short, in modified ternary form so there's even less to learn, and marked Grazioso (if I remember correctly) so is not too fast. The main drawback is the key (A flat major with lots of accidentals), but once you've got past this it's pretty straightforward.

The book it's in isn't used for any other grades, but contains a lot of short studies that make ideal sight reading practice material.

OK I'll bear that in mind when I go and have a look, assuming I get the chance

I had another look at the Ferling today (having been to the music shop and been uninspired by the others) and I have decided I'll have a try and see how I get on, when i concentrated a bit harder it was better than I thought (LOL) and I think it looks pretty manageable and even sounds quite pretty in places.