Lessons

At Flute Lessons Perth my aim as the flute teacher is to offer all students a highly professional, positive and enjoyable environment within which they can learn their instrument of choice, flute, piccolo or both. Students have weekly individual lessons ranging from 30 minutes, 45 minutes or 60 minutes depending on their level.

Beginner students study from “A Tune A Day for Flute” and this takes up their entire lesson. Attention is paid to learning how to read music encompassing easy note recognition and being able to count rhythms, the development of the correct articulation {tonguing} technique, posture, and sound production being the formation of being able to play with a clear, pure sound and correct diaphragmatic breathing.

On average upon completion of the first year of lessons students commence playing graded flute music beginning with preliminary flute. Music is mostly selected from “The Australian Music Examination Board’s” vast music syllabus, however students are additionally encouraged to bring music of their own choice to learn in lessons. This music can vary from popular Classical, to Jazz, Disney or popular songs. At this stage lessons are divided into three equal parts focusing on scales, studies and pieces.

Beginning with Preliminary level the aim is to consolidate techniques introduced during the beginner year and to build on these progressively through consecutive grades throughout the years. As such as the student progresses they additionally learn how to e.g. play musically with feeling, how to interpret music written in different musical periods correctly (e.g. Baroque Period, Classical Period, Romantic Period Contemporary and Modern Period), how to play with dynamics (i.e. loud and soft) and how to play with vibrato and more advanced tonguing techniques etc. There are many more techniques used as the student progresses.

Progress

The progress from one grade of tuition through each grade is decided upon completely by each student’s personal rate of learning. Lessons are as such structured very carefully for each individual student, to suit that students technical needs, strengths, weaknesses, rate of concentration etc. Each student learns scales, studies and pieces that reflect their own personal needs and preferences (own choice music).

To build upon the solo skills taught in lessons students are also introduced to ensemble skills, and from time to time they play duets with their teacher during lessons. While playing duets also provides variety in lessons, by introducing such ensemble skills it helps students learn the technique necessary for playing in their school orchestras, bands, flute choirs and other ensembles, as well as Flute Lessons Perth ensembles.

Flute Lessons Perth runs flute ensembles for beginners through intermediate to advanced students. Ensembles are run either as trios (three students) to quartets (four students) with all students playing their own music. Having each student playing their own part is seen to be a very important part of the ensemble learning process as it requires each student to be 100% responsible for their own performance.

Thus rather than relying on copying notes and rhythms from other students playing identical music, as can often occur in large ensembles, each student is the only person playing their part thus the students are required to be completely self-reliant and as such they take on the responsibilities similar to those required if playing as an orchestral member.