-Monthly Practice Tips - Use a Practice Plan-
It is important that practice becomes part
of a routine - decide on the length and frequency of practice and stick to it!
We have developed a 30-minute practice plan that we recommend - adapt this plan
depending on the week's 'homework' from the teacher.
Warm-up -
Spend 5 minutes on a warm-up. Examples of warming up include holding notes for
as long as possible and varying the dynamics (loud and quiet), or moving
between the octaves, note by note.
Scales -
Depending on the grade/teachers recommendations, spend 5 minutes practising
scales. Dedicate this time to one scale at a time, practise until perfect!
Review it -
Play through the last piece that was played/practiced for 5 minutes. Try and
remember all that the teacher told you about this piece, what parts do you need
to work on?
Master it -
Now take 10 minutes to practice and master challenging parts of this piece.
Once you have mastered a section, play it 5 times to someone else.
Enjoy it-
For the last 5 minutes choose a piece or song that you have successfully
completed and enjoy playing. Play it to anyone who will listen. Parents,
encourage your child to perform this piece to you and be their biggest fan.
This will build confidence and the next practice session should not feel like
such a chore!
We recommend this routine at least 3 times
a week. It is very important that you practice on the evening/day of the week's
lesson. Retention is greatest at this point and parents should encourage
children to repeat work from the lesson.
-Featured Flautist of the Month-
Gyula
Czeloth-Csetényi
Gyula
Czeloth-Csetényi is a world famous Hungarian flautist. He has studied at the
Bartók Conservatory, the Richard Strauss Conservatory in Munich and the Liszt
Ferenc Academy of Music, from where he graduated with honours in 1997. After
the collapse of communism he was the first to visit Sir James Galway's Seminar
from Hungary in Switzerland between 1993 and 1995. He has performed across
Europe and Asia and also finds the time to teach. Beside his classic repertoire
he plays in a jazz band where his own compositions are performed.
We are delighted that Gyula has taken some time out from his busy schedule to do a quick interview for our FriendlyFlutes readership!
At what age did you start to play the flute?
I was 11 when I first started to play the flute. I
started out on the piccolo when I was 10, it was small like me! I was small for
my age and there few quality flutes available in Hungary at the time (around
1980)
What did you find hardest when you first started playing?
After a year of studying the piccolo I progressed onto
the flute. At first I found it difficult; the flute was very heavy and hard
work for my arms and fingers. It was also harder to play as you need bigger
lungs. I did not enjoy the first month of flute!
What was your first flute?
My first flute was an
East-German flute called a Simfonia.
The mouthpiece was made from plastic and it did not connect properly to the
headjoint, it had a C foot and a G-A trill. Before joining the conservatory I
started to play a Yamaha 211, which was a huge improvement.
If you could give the beginner flautist one piece of advice what would it be?
Don't hurry, try to be patient! I think it takes at
least a year of playing to master the basics and to become comfortable with the
instrument.
What is your favourite piece of music for the flute?
That is a difficult question! There are so many great
pieces from every era. I really enjoy Gaubert's Sonatas and Ibert's Concerto
What types of music do you like listening to?
I like listening to all types of music, depending on
my mood, although I still prefer playing classical pieces. I do enjoy playing
jazz pieces and take the opportunity to do so whenever possible.
What has been your favourite performance/gig to date?
I really enjoyed playing with Phillip Moll in
1993-1994 at James Galway's Seminar, we performed Lennox Berkeley's Sonata and
Reinecke's Ballada. I have also done some of my own radio broadcasts, playing
Milhaud Sonata, Denissow's Preludium and Air with Henriett Roman. More recently
I had the pleasure of performing Rahminow Sonata with the pianist Gabor BARTA.
-This Month's Flute Highlights-
Below is a selection of flute concerts from around the country this month. Inspire or be inspired by professional flautists!
- 14/08 Anna Koakes & Gabriella Dall'Olio (flute and harp) Mendelsham Summer Festival, Suffolk
- 15-20/08 Oxford Flute Summer School, Michael Cox, Kate Hill, Katherine Kemler - concert by Zsuzsa Vamosi-Nagy, Oxford
- 19-22/08 British Flute Society International Convention, Royal Northern College of Music, Manchester
- 19/08 Agnew/McAllister Duo - flute and guitar. Royal Northern College of Music, Manchester
- 06/09 Jean-Marc Goujon, Prom 70 - Ensemble Matheus, Teleman Concerto in E, Royal Albert Hall
*For further information on these events please "google" them*
-August Playlist-
If you can't make it to the concerts you can still be inspired by listening to some of the great flautists at home. This months playlist contains three classical and three contemporary pieces featuring the flute.
- 40,000 Headman - Live Album Version -Traffic
- Flute Concerto: II. Adante sostenuto - Tonhalle Orchester Zurich
- Flute Sonata: Allegro Malinconico - Bernold, Tharaud, Poulenc
- Gluck: Ofreo ed Euridice - Dance of the Blessed Spirits - Karl Munchinger
- Hang On - Teenage Fanclub
- The Cure for Evil - Hefner
***Listen now using spotify***
Click here to load the FriendlyFlutes Newsletter playlist onto your spotify!
-Maintenance Tips-
This month our maintenance section focuses tuning of the flute and how to adjust the cork in the
headjoint.
-FriendlyFlutes Community-
We're building a community of students and parents on our FriendlyFlutes Forum. Both adults and children are welcome on the forum, which requires a quick, free registration. The forum is fully monitored by ourselves to provide a fun and safe environment. We aim to be the first online community dedicated to flutes and clarinets in the UK, a place where musicians and their loved ones can share tips and ideas. It is also a great place to ask questions and get advice.
-Monthly Prize Draw-
This month's lucky winner is Kevin from Birmingham! He is now the proud owner of a pair of Bone China musical mugs - congratulations!
Each month we will be giving away a musical related prize to a lucky member of the FriendlyFlutes Forum. This month's draw will take place on the 12th September and the winner will receive a pair of Bone China, real platinum 'stars and clefs' mugs handmade by Music Gifts!
FriendlyFlutes are also on facebook! Become a fan of us and keep up to date with the latest news and concerts.
