Can I teach myself to play flute?

Windy · Post by **Windy** » Tue Sep 05, 2006 1:28 pm

I've always loved the flute, but thought at my late age of 75 that it just might be another difficult instrument to learn.

I can read music pretty well. Amazing how I never forgot how to read it after all these years of not playing an instrument.

I'm tempted to purchase a flute, but perhaps I should rent one first?...
I play harmonica along with music cd's & have some fun doing that.

If I do decide to buy a flute, I'm totally in the fog as to what kind to get.
I love the love deeper tones of a flute, and I'm sure that certain ones will give me that tone, but I don't know which one's fit that.

When I play harmonica, I also use a microphone connected to an amplifier which sounds great, and I'd like to do that with the flute.

Any suggestions? I"d appreciate any emails...

Thanks

Windy....

fluttiegurl · Post by **fluttiegurl** » Tue Sep 05, 2006 5:03 pm

Yes, you can teach yourself! Many have done so, and I know of at least one who did this later inlife.
You would be better off to start with a student model flute. I recommend consulting a local music store for help since you have not previously played. Some stores have ex-rentals that they will sell fairly cheap. That may be the best way to go. Gemeinhardt, Emerson, Armstrong and Yamaha are some that I recommend for beginners. Buy a beginner book as well. Essentail Elements 2000 has a series that has a DVD that gois along with the book. Using a DVD may help you with hand position and air stream.
Once you have played for a while, you can start experiementing with different tone colors that your flute has to offer.

Good luck and have fun!

flutepicc06 · Post by **flutepicc06** » Tue Sep 05, 2006 5:34 pm

Fluttiegurl's absolutely right (though it might be good to take just a few lessons to get the basics). As for microphones, there are several different types that I've seen....Some replace the cork in the headjoint, others clip onto the flute, and reach around near the embouchure hole, and I'm sure there are several others. I don't have much experience with amplified flute, but fluteworld has a couple different options, and depending on exactly what you want to do with the mic, they can probably recommend a specific model to you.

fluteguy18 · Post by **fluteguy18** » Tue Sep 05, 2006 8:08 pm

Yes. Absolutely right. You can definately teach yourself. Now, if you were in a position where playing the flute would become a profession, or even a serious hobby by playing in a small band, a few lessons would definately help in the beginning or even long term. However, this isnt neccessary because playing will be for your personal enjoyment.

In a way, we are all self taught, because our craft extends beyond the classroom with a teacher. We have to practice, and learn a lot of the music that we make on our own. Go for it.

My grandfather is 82 and he decided last year that he would learn the guitar and the bass. He is teaching himself. I havent heard him play, but it makes him happy, and that is the most important thing. Enjoy making music!

squints · Post by **squints** » Tue Sep 05, 2006 8:50 pm

The more instruments you are farmiliar with the easier it is to learn a new one. For example I play sax but when I started on flute so many fingerings were the same that in only took me a hour before I could play a rough but recognizable tune.

flutepicc06 · Post by **flutepicc06** » Tue Sep 05, 2006 9:02 pm

Not necessarily. There are certain barriers you don't have to overcome (like learning to read music), but actually learning to play the instrument is not necessarily easier. I play mainly flute, but also play oboe and clarinet, and just recently took up piano, and I can tell you that oboe and clarinet were easier, because they use somewhat similar fingerings (at least part of the time), but after learning woodwinds forever, piano is just as difficult as beginning on flute was. Certain instruments that share similarities are easier to learn in combination, but this doesn't hold true for everything.

Phineas · Post by **Phineas** » Wed Sep 06, 2006 6:09 am

Teaching yourself an instrument has pitfalls. I would recommend at least taking a few lessons to learn how to breathe, hold the instrument properly without injuring yourself, etc.... I am a self taught guitarist, and from my experience, if I would have taken at least a few guitar lessons from the beginning, some things would not have took as long to learn. After getting past "proper operation", then I am heavily in favor of self teaching. Another factor is proper fingering habits. I started out teaching myself flute, and found out later that I had developed bad fingering habits like pressing too hard, using improper fingerings.

The plus side of teaching yourself is style. A person who relies too much on an instructor ususally sacrifices style. Quite often, you can listen to some players play, and tell who their instructor is. Another factor is how far do you want to go. Just be cause you cant play classical, or jazz or scales does not make you a bad player. (But a bad sound does!)

Microphones
Nothing beats playing in front of a good instrument mike. I think this sounds the best by far. I have tried other mic combinations like to cork mics, and the clipons, but could not get the warm sound I desired. Part of the sound of the flute sound is how it sound in its surroundings. Makes a big difference.

Flutes
There are a lot of good low price flutes to choose from, just pick one, and make sure you have it checked out by your local service tech. Recommendations have already been made.

Just my 2 cents!(I am back in the US now

)

Phineas

woof · Post by **woof** » Fri Sep 08, 2006 12:32 pm

I agree with the other posts that you can teach themselves to play the flute-I did but with a caveat. As someone else posted elsewhere one never stops learning to play and at some point not matter how many lessons we all become self taught. But as one who has been working at this for a number of years I am quite sure lessons would have been very beneficial and in fact for me still would be. Adult learners present different problems than young learners (see Jennifer Cuff's flute website). Like many adults I am prefectly willing to dedicate hours per week to the flute but I do not want to rigidly be forced to "practice" as I would if I were taking formal lessons--altho I know that is the path to perfection. I am playing for fun not performance and have really enjoyed and also been thoroughly frustrated while learning to play. I use CD's of people I really like and try to imitate, in some fashion, their intonation and "color" and it helps as a learning process. Still there are times when I cannot achieve the sound I want or the flute goes flat and I wish there was a teacher around to help. As the old saying goes" we don't have time to make all the mistakes necessary to really learn something- so learn from the experience (mistakes) of others". I say go for it, buy a good flute that is playable and have a ball.