Trying to get back to playing

[switeeblue7]

Hi Everyone,

I played the flute when I was younger for about six years while in school . I was involved in school's marching and concert band. But I stopped playing when I entered college. So it's been about 5-6 years since I last played. Now I'm trying to get back into it as a hobby and was wondering if you could recommend me some good Exercise books for refresher. I remember almost all of the fingering so I mainly want to focus on improving my tone.Thank you for your help!

[wall flood]

I so recommend studying with someone if you're getting back into it! Rather than just work on your own.

He/she will be able to see you from outside of yourself, and correct any issues that could hang you up as you progress. And......they'll save you some time too and speed you along probably faster as they pick and choose what method might best suite you.

Example: my teacher introduced me to a very simple vibrato exercise I'd never seen before with an emphasis on power not necessarily vibrato.

You can get most teachers who work with adults to go every two weeks if time and money is an issue.....

[Gandalfe]

A six year break ... pfft.

I took an ~30 year break, came back, took lessons, joined a community band. Funny thing, I called to see if I could audition after about 5 months of lessons. The audition was, "Do you have an instrument?"

I used the same method books and media I loved in school like Rubank and Aebersold. I got them for pennies on the dollar at the local used book store.

My wife joined me a year later on clarinet. We had met in high school band. She pulled out her intermediate student clarinet and I brought a used Buffet R-13 for her to try. She asked me why she needed a new (used) instrument. I said, "I'm glad you asked." You play a scale from top to bottom and I'll mark how far off the tones were for both instruments. Her student instrument was at worst +/- 20 cents. The R-13 was +/- 5 cents. She went with the R-13 and never looked back. MAKE SURE YOU HAVE A DECENT INSTRUMENT!

I now run a big band (for the last 11 years), do a sax quartet once a year (4 practices and a gig), and help run a sax section in a community band. Like riding a bicycle it comes back, but I did spend a *lot* of time on sight reading and developing internal pulse. It's not about the destination, I just loved the journey. Good luck!