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How to become an early flute player:
It is possible to teach yourself the basics using translations of original, early, instruction manuals [ INSERT LINK HERE ] but it is quite likely that you will develop bad habits which you will later have to unlearn, and that is a hard thing to do. If at all possible get some lessons from a person who plays early flute professionally - even a few lessons can make a world of difference to your development and enjoyment. If you are starting off without an instrument, the lessons will pay for themselves if you get advice from your teacher on which instrument to buy - if you have the chance to have a flute (or flutes) on approval your teacher can try them out for you. In this way you will not waste money on an instrument with which you will struggle to make music or isn't best suited for the sort of music you want to play.
Most early flute players start off with previous experience on the modern Boehm flute or else as recorder players. The problems each face on developing an early flute embouchure and technique are rather different. Whatever your starting point and whether you have lessons or not, a very useful modern instruction manual ( for the baroque flute ) is [INSERT DETAILS HERE].
How to find a teacher? Don't be afraid to contact professional early flute players directly by email - they earn their living in part by giving lessons - and we have some great players and teachers resident in the British Isles or who visit frequently. The price for private lessons will probably be a small fraction of what you will pay for your instrument, music, travel to playing days, courses, concerts, CDs etc. You can usually track down a teacher's contact details with a little bit of time spent with an online search engine. Folkers and Powell's website includes a directory of baroque flute teachers, although some of the listings are out of date. Try: http://teachers.baroqueflute.com/
You can post a message about finding a teacher to the British Early Flute group's mailing list if you would rather "ask around" first. Many members of the group will certainly be able to give suggestions (possibly directly by email to you, rather than to the whole group) about teachers they have experience of.
Most early flute players start off with previous experience on the modern Boehm flute or else as recorder players. The problems each face on developing an early flute embouchure and technique are rather different. Whatever your starting point and whether you have lessons or not, a very useful modern instruction manual ( for the baroque flute ) is [INSERT DETAILS HERE].
How to find a teacher? Don't be afraid to contact professional early flute players directly by email - they earn their living in part by giving lessons - and we have some great players and teachers resident in the British Isles or who visit frequently. The price for private lessons will probably be a small fraction of what you will pay for your instrument, music, travel to playing days, courses, concerts, CDs etc. You can usually track down a teacher's contact details with a little bit of time spent with an online search engine. Folkers and Powell's website includes a directory of baroque flute teachers, although some of the listings are out of date. Try: http://teachers.baroqueflute.com/
You can post a message about finding a teacher to the British Early Flute group's mailing list if you would rather "ask around" first. Many members of the group will certainly be able to give suggestions (possibly directly by email to you, rather than to the whole group) about teachers they have experience of.
