Searching for a Flute Method Book?

[whoa_its_sam]

I'll start this by saying I'm a trumpet player. My girlfriend, however, plays flute. She is a comeback player, as am I, and we have recently started playing with a local community band. I've had lots of trouble finding a method book for her to use for skill building and general practice. For instance, for trumpet there is the Arban's Complete Conservatory Method, Herbert L. Clarke: Technical Studies, etc. that provide exercises for several aspects of playing such as lip slurs, double tonguing, triple tongue, phrasing, scales, the whole nine yards starting at a low level of difficulty and gradually progressing to very high levels of difficulty.

Is there a comparable method book for flute?

Thanks,
-Sam

[pied_piper]

I would suggest the Trevor Wye "Practice Books for the Flute: Omnibus Edition Books 1-5". That's probably the closest thing to your description. Each of the 5 books (available individually or as the Omnibus Edition with all 5) concentrates on individual areas of flute technique in concise detail: Technique; Articulation; Intonation and Vibrato; Breathing and Scales.

Beyond those, these are a few of the recognized "flute bibles" used in conservatories however, the first two concentrate on mastering scales and technique via daily exercises while the last one is more about tone. All of these are excellent.

Taffanel and Gaubert - 17 Grands Exercices Journaliers de Mecanisme pour Flute
Marcel Moyse - Exercices Journaliers pour la flute (Daily Exercises for the flute)
Marcel Moyse - De la Sonorite: Art et Technique

Also, these last three are pricey compared to the Wye books. If your girlfriend's goal is to improve her skills for playing in a community band, I think the Wye series probably offers more bang for the buck (so to speak) and provides good instruction in all aspects of playing the flute. If she wants to go further, then consider the Taffanel and Gaubert and the Moyse books.

[whoa_its_sam]

I would suggest the Trevor Wye "Practice Books for the Flute: Omnibus Edition Books 1-5". That's probably the closest thing to your description. Each of the 5 books (available individually or as the Omnibus Edition with all 5) concentrates on individual areas of flute technique in concise detail: Technique; Articulation; Intonation and Vibrato; Breathing and Scales.

Beyond those, these are a few of the recognized "flute bibles" used in conservatories however, the first two concentrate on mastering scales and technique via daily exercises while the last one is more about tone. All of these are excellent.

Taffanel and Gaubert - 17 Grands Exercices Journaliers de Mecanisme pour Flute
Marcel Moyse - Exercices Journaliers pour la flute (Daily Exercises for the flute)
Marcel Moyse - De la Sonorite: Art et Technique

Also, these last three are pricey compared to the Wye books. If your girlfriend's goal is to improve her skills for playing in a community band, I think the Wye series probably offers more bang for the buck (so to speak) and provides good instruction in all aspects of playing the flute. If she wants to go further, then consider the Taffanel and Gaubert and the Moyse books.

Thank you very much! The Wye book looks like exactly what I have been searching for. We'll pick that one up. I appreciate the response!

[amoretto]

There are also the Rubank method books. In the Rubank system there is an outline in the beginning which guides you on units that should be worked on. This will give you an assortment of scale, melodic, and dexterity excercises in each unit.

That can be coupled with an etude out of something like Southern's Melodious and Progressive Studies books or other etude books that are at an appropriate level.

Here is a graded list of etudes here:
http://www.jennifercluff.com/etude.htm