YouTube for Flute Teaching

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Here are just a smattering of suggestions for you. Revel in all that is available by typing in a word, a phrase, an artist, teacher or song title.  I continue to stress that whether you are a teacher or a student, you should use the resource of YouTube for learning, for teaching and for your own entertainment.

For Beginners

How to Place Your Fingers on a Flute : Flutes

For those with students who will be participating in band, check out this video offering and see what you might like to use: Winning Woodwinds: Beginning Band Method Book Supplement for Flute

Table of Contents Introduction 2
Developing Proper Seated Posture 3
Developing Correct Breathing Habits 4-5
Parts of the Instrument 6
Forming the Embouchure 7-9
Weight Training for Your Lips: Chopsticks! 10
What if it Doesn’t Sound Right? Common Problems & Solutions 11-12
Parts of the Instrument & Instrument Assembly 13-14
Instrument Care & Maintenance 15-16
Hand Position 17-18
Developing Muscle Memory: Finger Wiggling 19
Posture while Holding the Flute 20
Reading Treble Clef . 21-22
Reading Rhythms. 23-24
Time Signature 25-26
Putting it All Together (Reading & Playing Music) 27-31
Flute Fingering Chart 32-34
Treble Clef Flash Cards 35-42
Acknowledgements/About the Author 44
Works Cited. 45-46

As all teachers know, a different look or wording might work better for our own learning and that of our students. Here is another beginning method book, The Andrew Scott Flute Book

Intermediate Level Players

At this point there are two things that matter when looking for a video resource for a student:

  1. The topic or technique that needs work i.e. breathing or vibrato. Can you find a video resource on that topic?
  2. The right teacher. One that resonates with you, or with your student. There are many teachers online from pros you recognize to private teachers who have created their own online presence. Listen to what they say. Do you agree? Listen to how they say it? Will the student understand their style of communication?

If a student will watch a particular video, let alone watch it a number of times, then practice what was suggested and end up with the desired learning, then you have a winner, at least for that student. We know that you already gave them your explanation and demonstration and some exercises on the topic. This is additional help if they need it or if you need other ideas on  how to teach a concept.

James Galway, along with many other teachers and professional flutists, have teaching and master class videos on YouTube. Here are just two. Keep looking around to find the ones you really like.

Topic – Embouchure:

Sir James Galway Masterclass – Embouchure

Sir James Galway Masterclass – Embouchure, Good Tone

Piccolo

Middle School/Junior High is a time when the band director asks, during class one day, who wants to play piccolo? Here are some videos to see if any of your students have an interest.  Then you can include piccolo in your lesson time.

Piccolo – an introduction

Instrument: Piccolo

Advanced Players

Did you know that there are excellent YouTube videos of professionals and advanced students playing specific etudes? What a great thing for our own learning and for our students! Here are some examples:

 Altès Etude #10 – Mimi Stillman, flute

Astor Piazzolla – Six Tango Etudes for Flute (1987) [Score-Video]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-bj0FLiWhT8

Yes, the video above includes performance of all six tangos and shows the music so you can follow – play? – along.

The following on throat tuning is from flutist, composer and extended techniques expert Robert Dick:

Throat Tuning Part 1

Throat Tuning Part 2

Throat Tuning Part 3

All About the Flute

Flute Fundamentals

This video is 1 ½ hours long and includes information on the history of the flute, embouchure, sustaining a note, organizing a practice session and more. Every teacher and student in the flute should watch this!

Flute Lesson – Khan Acadamy: Outline of a warm-up plan

Extended Techniques

If you are going to teach extended techniques, or maybe your already have some experience with some of these, you will find instructional and performance videos galore. Any piece of music which includes extended techniques will tell you in the beginning instructions which ones are included, how they are notated and how they are to be played. If you are unfamiliar with these, video lessons are really helpful.

The 3 Types of Multiphonics.AVI

Ensemble Musikfabrik on: Multiphonics for Flute with Helen Bledsoe

Steve Kujala – Fretless-Flute Technique Lesson 1

Helen Bledsoe | AIR & PERCUSSIVE SOUNDS FOR THE FLUTE | Ensemble Musikfabrik

The Flute Family

Piccolo

Fluttering Birds Double Piccolo Concerto

Alto Flute

Carla- (alto flute solo) by David Bennett Thomas

Good alto flute sound, modern piece with extended techniques, music is shown not performer so you can see

Bass Flute

Annie Parker : Bass Flute Solo

Contra Bass Flute

Contrabass flute solo Jeroen Goossens

Contrabass flute playing the blues – big sound!!!

Sub-Contra Bass Flute

Peter Sheridan plays the Sub-Contra Bass Flute

Penny Whistle

St. Patrick’s Day

Sir James Galway plays “Belfast Hornpipe” with variations

Fife

Mid-Atlantic Flute Convention – William Diamond Fife Chamber Ensemble

Baroque Flute

Flutist: Janet See

Sonata in C Major, BWV 1033 (solo flute) : I. Andante

Sonata in C Major, BWV 1033 (solo flute) : II. Allegro

Sonata in C Major, BWV 1033 (solo flute) : III. Adagio

Sonata in C Major, BWV 1033 (solo flute) : IV. Minuet I & II

LISTENING

Have your students listen to living and historical flutists. Tone, breathing and elements of musicality will all be encased in these performances.

Encourage them to listen to all types of music. They will internalize rhythms, styles and musicality components as they listen.

Flutists Who Influenced Me

Julius Baker

Fantasy

Scott Goff

The Incredible Flutist Suite: The Flutist Scott Goff

Jean-Pierre Rampal

Jean Pierre RAMPAL plays “Cantabile et Presto” by Enescu | 1995

Felix Skowronek

Felix Skowronek, Martha Goldstein – Telemann: 12 Sonate Metodiche – 4. Sonata in D major, TWV 41:D3

Hal Ott

Maria Newman: The Pied Piper of Hamelin

Herbie Mann

Herbie Mann – Sunny

Great Performances

Emmanuel Phaud | Claude Debussy, “Syrinx” for solo flute

Sir James Galway – Chaminade: Concertino, Op 107

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FPQr31RVa8E&pbjreload=101

Rhonda Larson performs her flute solo, “Be Still My Soul”

flute summit one note samba

Wave

Francis Poulenc – Flute Sonata, 1st mvt.

Griffes Poem for Flute and Piano

W.A. Mozart Concerto No. 1 for flute and orchestra in G, K.313 1. Allegro maestoso

[Flute Solo] Great Train Race by I.Clarke 최나경/ Circular Breathing 순환호흡 기차경주

William Bennett plays Mozart Flute Concerto No 2 in D K314 1st Movement

Jovino Santos-Neto and Paul Taub on Classical KING FM

Just for the Heck of It!!!

Although I have this framed in my office, I never thought it was actually a piece of music that could be played. You learn something every day…

Your students are going to be dazzled and entertained by this

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