As some of you may know, I have spent the past several months working on a book. While my writing and transcription skills have improved tenfold, my flute playing has unfortunately fallen into a sad state of neglect. One of my New Years’ Resolutions for 2020 is to get back into proper flute playing shape! I have devised the below plan as my own personal four-week Flute Boot Camp. On this program I will review some of the basic fundamentals, revisit etudes with which I previously had a love/hate relationship, re-ignight my passion for practicing pieces that I love, re-memorize pieces I have forgotten, and learn new repertoire to take me well into the new year. If you are in the same boat, you may want to use this plan as an example to devise your own four-week Flute Boot Camp. There are no “right” or “wrong” ways to organize your Boot Camp. Simply select exercises and repertoire that you know you will practice (and love) and new pieces that will inspire you.

 

FOUR-WEEK FLUTE BOOT CAMP

WEEK 1 – Back to Bach

Long Tones – Trevor Wye Practice Book on Tone. All lower register exercises.

Scales/Articulation  – Taffanel and Gaubert Exercise #4. Alternate continuous slurs and single tonguing every other day.

Flexibility Exercises – Taffanel and Gaubert Exercise #12. Have rememorized by end of week.

Etudes – Bachstudien (Studies on Bach), Select 1-2 etudes

Excerpts – Polonaise and Badinerie from Bach’s Orchestral Suite #2 in B Minor

Revisit Repertoire – Bach Sonata in C Major (rememorize first movement by end of week)

New Repertoire – Bach Sonata in E Minor (not a “new” piece, but one I will be programing on a near future recital)

 

WEEK 2 – Missing Mozart

Long Tones – Trevor Wye Practice Book on Tone – All middle register exercises.

Scales/Articulation – Taffanel and Gaubert Exercise #4. Alternate “coos” with chirps (or “air puffs”) every other day.

Flexibility Exercises – Taffanel and Gaubert – Exercise #10. Practice 1 new page per day.

Etudes – Karg Elert 30 studies, Opus 107 (select 1-2 etudes)

Excerpts – Beethoven Leonore Overture No. 3 (Opening-mm. 36, mm. 328-360)

Revisit Repertoire – Mozart Concerto in G Major. Work to have first movement rememorized by the end of the week.

New Repertoire – Poulenc Sonata (another not so “new” piece, but one I would like to program for an upcoming recital)

 

WEEK 3 – French Frenzy

Long Tones – Trevor Wye Practice Book on Tone – Transitions from middle to high registers

Scales/Articulation – Taffanel and Gaubert Exercise #4. All double tonguing, alternating days between “too-coo” and “duc-ky”

Flexibility Exercises – Trevor Wye Practice Book on Tone. Flexibility exercise #1.

Etudes – Furstenau Bouquet Des Tons (edited by Moyse) (select 1-2 etudes)

Excerpts – Debussy Afternoon of a Faun, Daphnis and Chloe

Revisit Repertoire – Faure Fantasie. Work on rememorizing by end of the week.

New Repertoire – Dutilleux Sonata. Another piece I would like to program on an upcoming recital.

 

WEEK 4 – Twentieth Century in 2020

Long Tones – Trevor Wye Practice Book on Tone – All high register exercises.

Scales/Articulation – Taffanel and Gaubert Exercise #1. Change articulation with every new scale from single tonguing, “coos,” and double tonguing

Flexibility Exercises – Trevor Wye Practice Book on Articulation. Flexibility exercise #2

Etudes – The dreaded Jean Jean etudes. True Flute Boot Camp material! Select 1 exercise.

Excerpts – Hindemith Symphonic Metamorphosis – Movement III, Peter and the Wolf (all excerpts)

Revisit Repertoire – Nielsen Concerto. Work on rememorizing first movement by the end of the week.

New Repertoire – Lieberman Sonata. Another piece to program for my next recital.

 

Are you also trying to get your flute playing back on track in 2020? What does your Flute Boot Camp program look like? What exercises do you find essential? What pieces do you revisit from time to time and what new repertoire are you adding to your 2020 practice list? Please comment below.

 

Happy Fluting!