A ''Flute method'' is a type of specific

textbook A textbook is a book containing a comprehensive compilation of content in a branch of study with the intention of explaining it. Textbooks are produced to meet the needs of educators, usually at educational institutions, but also of learners ( ...

-style pedagogy for learning to play the

flute The flute is a member of a family of musical instruments in the woodwind group. Like all woodwinds, flutes are aerophones, producing sound with a vibrating column of air. Flutes produce sound when the player's air flows across an opening. In th ...

. It often contains fingering charts,

scales Scale or scales may refer to: Mathematics * Scale (descriptive set theory), an object defined on a set of points * Scale (ratio), the ratio of a linear dimension of a model to the corresponding dimension of the original * Scale factor, a number ...

, exercises, and occasionally etudes. These exercises are often presented in different keys in ascending order to aid in difficulty, known as methodical ''progression,'' or to focus on isolated aspects like fluency,

rhythm Rhythm (from Greek , ''rhythmos'', "any regular recurring motion, symmetry") generally means a " movement marked by the regulated succession of strong and weak elements, or of opposite or different conditions". This general meaning of regular r ...

, dynamics, and articulation. Duets or recital pieces may with accompaniment are often included as well for students to perform. Classical literature of this nature differs from etude books in that the former is meant as a linear course for a student to follow with consistent guidance, whereas volumes of etudes could be argued to be not as comprehensive. As typical instrumental methods are meant to function as textbooks that supporting a private teacher rather than to facilitate self-teaching, and thus usually includes no basic or special playing techniques are covered in any depth. Detailed instructions in this respect are only found in special, autodidactical methods. Some methods are specially tailored for students on certain skill levels, which is in contrast to a complete method, sometimes in multiple volumes, meant to accompany the student until he or she becomes an advanced player. Methods of certain authors or editors have achieved the status of standard works and are published or reissued by different

publishing Publishing is the activities of making information, literature, music, software, and other content, physical or digital, available to the public for sale or free of charge. Traditionally, the term publishing refers to the creation and distribu ...

companies in new layouts or

arrangement In music, an arrangement is a musical adaptation of an existing composition. Differences from the original composition may include reharmonization, melodic paraphrasing, orchestration, or formal development. Arranging differs from orchestr ...

s. The

Suzuki Method The Suzuki method is a mid-20th-century music curriculum and teaching method created by Japanese violinist and pedagogue Shinichi Suzuki. The method claims to create a reinforcing environment for learning music for young learners. Backgroun ...

, originally written to teach violin, is one of the most widely used method books.

Historical

17th Century

* Playford, John
''The Delightful Companion or Choice new Lessons for The Recorder or Flute''

18th Century

* Corrette, Michel
Méthode raisonnée pour apprendre aisément à jouër de la Flûtte Traversiere (1740)
* Hotteterre, Jacques
''Principes de la flute traversiere, de la Flute a Bec, et du Haut-bois'', Op.1
(

Amsterdam Amsterdam ( , ; ; ) is the capital of the Netherlands, capital and Municipalities of the Netherlands, largest city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. It has a population of 933,680 in June 2024 within the city proper, 1,457,018 in the City Re ...

: Estienne Roger, 1728) * Lorenzoni, Antonio,
Saggio per ben sonare il flautotraverso con alcune notizie generali ed utili per qualunque strumento, ed altre concernenti la storia della musica
' (

Vicenza Vicenza ( , ; or , archaically ) is a city in northeastern Italy. It is in the Veneto region, at the northern base of the Monte Berico, where it straddles the Bacchiglione, River Bacchiglione. Vicenza is approximately west of Venice and e ...

: Per F. Modena, 1779) * Pearson, William
''The Compleat Musick-Master'' (1722)
* Quantz, Johann Joachim
''Versuch einer anweisung die flöte traversiere zu spielen.''
(1752) *Heron, Luke
''A treatise on the German flute''. (1771)
* Tromlitz, Johann George, ''Unterricht der flöte zu spielen'' (1791)

19th Century

* Altes, Henry, ''Method for the Boehm flute.'' * Berbiguier, Benoit Tranquille, ''Flute method.'' * Dressler, Rafael
''New and complete instructions for the flute, Op. 68.''
(1827) * Drouet, Louis, ''Method of flute playing.'' (1830) * Fürstenau, Anton Bernhard, ''Flöten-schule, Op. 42.'' (1826) * Fürstenau, Anton Bernhard, ''Die kunst des Flötenspiels, Op.138.'' (1844) * Hugot and Wunderlich, ''Méthode de flûte.'' (1804) * Lindsay, Thomas, ''The elements of flute-playing.'' (1830) * Monzani, Tebaldo
''Instructions for the german flute.''
(1801) * Peraut, Mathieu, ''Méthode pour la flûte.'' (1800) * Soussmann, Heinrich
''Grosse praktische Flötenschule'' Op. 53 (Leipzig 1841)
* Wagner, Ernest, ''Foundation to flute playing.'' * Wragg, Jacob
''Improved_Flute_Preceptor...'' op. 6 (First Edition 1800?)

Modern

Early 20th century

* De Lorenzo, Leonardo. ''L'Indispensabile – A complete modern school for the flute.'' (1912) * Taffanel, Paul and Gaubert, Philippe. ''Methode complete de flute.'' (1923)

Mid to Late 20th Century

* Suzuki, Shinichi and Takahashi, Toshio ''The

for flute.'' (c.1972) *

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Flute method Side-blown flutes Music education Music textbooks