Curriculum
Beginner
Skills:
Movement: move to music, first without rhythm emphasis.
Rhythm: call and response rhythms, tapping subdivisions while keeping a steady beat, improvising rhythms, etc. Transition to notation.
Aural Skills: match pitch, sing call and response in neutral syllables at first, learn solfege. Transition to notation.
Musicality: listening examples, phrasing (movement exercises), singing and playing with dynamic and articulation contrast.
Executive Skills: start on B on the staff, go down to low E (teaches physics of the flute). Work on extending the range with embouchure flexibility. Tongue notes (“too” rather than “hoo”). Steady air pressure, air control, and breathing exercises.
Fundamentals: Learn most major and minor scales.
Methods:
Elementary Methods, Rubank
Selected Duets: Easy-Medium, Rubank
Blocki Flute Method Book 1
Blocki Flute Method Supplemental Duet Book 1
Trevor Wye: Beginner’s Book for the flute, part one
Repertoire:
Forty Little Pieces In Progressive Order for Beginner Flutists, by Louis Moyse
A Treasury of Flute Music in Progressive Order, by Louis Moyse
Famous Flute Favorites, by Hugh M. Stuart
Easy Flute Solos, Series 83, by Jay Arnold
Up-Grade! Flute, Grades 1-2, by Pamela Wedgwood
Intermediate
3 years of playing
Skills:
Movement: move to music, fine and gross motor skills: finger independence and movement while playing.
Rhythm: tap subdivision while doing call-and-response or improvising over a specific number of beats, march while playing, sight-reading rhythms.
Aural Skills: sing call and response in solfege.
Musicality: listening examples, phrasing (movement exercises), singing and playing with dynamic and articulation contrast, planning phrasing and musical decisions oneself with an understanding of why.
Executive Skills: improving the ability to do differing articulations, more dynamic contrast, a better tone across registers, breath capacity/longer phrases, and improved technical ability (scales at an allegro pace). Introduce double (and triple) tonguing soon. Learn about vibrato!
Fundamentals: All major and minor scales, mostly memorized. Working on sight-reading more often.
Methods:
Intermediate Methods, Rubank
Selected Duets: Easy-Medium, Rubank
Selected Duets: Advanced, Rubank
Trevor Wye: Complete Methods
24 Petites Etudes Melodiques, by Marcel Moyse
Repertoire:
Melodious and Progressive Studies, revised by Robert Cavally
Minuet and Dance of The Blessed Spirits, by Christoph Willibald Gluck
Rubank Book of Flute Solos: Intermediate Level
Feathers and Wax, by Amanda Harberg
Autumn for flute and piano, by Cecile Chaminade
Advanced
11th grade not going into music
Skills:
Maintaining and improving upon all the skills listed in the intermediate section.
Methods:
17 Daily Exercises, by P. Taffanel and Ph. Gaubert
De La Sonorite, by Marcel Moyse
25 Romantic Etudes, by Ernesto Köhler
Trevor Wye: Complete Methods
Repertoire:
Flute Music by French Composers, edited by Louis Moyse
Sonata in E minor, BWV 1034, by J.S. Bach
“…And the Strange Unknown Flowers,” by Charles Delaney
Concertino pour flute, by Cecile Chaminade
Piece or solo flute, by Jacques Ibert
Music that the student is interested in
Advanced
12th grade going into music
Skills:
Maintaining and improving upon all the skills listed previously
Learning about music theory—both written and aural—music history, advanced sight-reading, and improvisation.
Deep dive into styles!
Orchestral Excerpts!!
Methods:
17 Daily Exercises, by P. Taffanel and Ph. Gaubert
De La Sonorite, by Marcel Moyse
26 Selected Studies for the flute, by Joseph-Henri Altès
18 Exercises or Etudes for flute, by Benoit Berbiguier
Repertoire:
Flute Concerto No. 1 in G major, K. 313, by W.A. Mozart
Flute Concerto No. 2 in D major, K. 314, by W.A. Mozart
Bach Sonatas
Flute Music by French Composers, edited by Louis Moyse
Density 21.5, by Edgar Varèse
The Great Chain Race, by Ian Clarke
Orchestral Excerpts for Flute, selected and annotated by Jeanne Baxtresser