I thought I'd get teachers advice to this...

I know someone who has just started to play the flute. She comes round every so often to play duets ect... For the first five minutes she is very quiet but after a couple of duets she starts to enjoy it. But soon I run out of the music she can play because it gets too hard for her. In the end we play little answer and question games/how long can you hold a note on for as she doesn't want to leave.

This is the problem:
She is alreay being taught by another teacher and i don't want to tread over the line (eg telling her some new notes). But, she now would like to learn this piece out of a book(which is mine) it is the first one out of "progressive studies for the first 3 years". This piece needs a new note that she hasn't learnt yet. Do I tell how to play that note or do I do I modify the piece so she can play it??

Thankyou
Ceri
(PS. We were playing it as a duet with me transposing a harmony on the clarinet)

I have two suggestions:

1) Teach her the new note. I am delighted when one of my pupil learns something I have not taught her; her teacher will probably be just as pleased with her initiative.

Or

2) Telephone her teacher and explain what is going on. I find myself in this position often. I am a piano teacher; my pupils frequently play other instruments and ask me to accompany their exams on these instruments. I will spend one good, long session 'getting things together' with the child on her other instrument, then typically play through the pieces once at the end of their piano lesson. I always telephone the teacher of the other instrument to explain what I am doing, and have never had a problem with the teacher.

Steve

I'd say teach her the note (which note is it, by the way?) if she has any kind of chart in her tutor book or that came with the flute or if she looked on the net then she could learn it by herself anyway, and at least you will be able to check she is doing it properly. And really, it probably won't be an issue - unless she actually tells her teacher, how will they know anyway?? When her teacher goes to teach her that note she will just have a head start and be that much more comfortable with it.

If the teacher seems or sounds friendly and approachable then it'd probably be worth telling her, because she may be able to say to you "oh she needs practice with X Y or Z" and then if you wish you can find duets and studies that help her... then you are doubly helping your friend because she gets extra practice on her weak spots... and great teaching practice for you if it's something you may want to do in later years!

But either way... one note is not going to make or break her fluting career!

the girl is aged 8. When she next comes round I'll ask her who her teacher is. (I think I might know the teacher...........)

I think I will teach her the note and get in contact with her teacher.

Thanks for your advice.

Just a quick thought: I'd say teach her the note as long as it's in the same register. So G sharp would be fine if she knows B, A, G, D E etc., but if it's D2 or E2 I might wait for the teacher to introduce these as there are other issues besides fingering involved.