Let's take fingerings first, as it is easier to deal with. When I start flutists, I have them recite and place their fingers as follows - "skip finger skip skip finger finger finger pinkie." This sets the home position for the fingers which can otherwise cause early confusion and frustration. They also need some practice going back and forth between the notes that they have to start on in band because they are moving so many fingers at once compared to others. ex: D-C-D-C, C-Bb-C-Bb, Bb-D-Bb-D, etc. I often quiz them at the beginning - "show me a D", show me a C", etc. and have them say-and-finger exerceise before they play. This works well for all instruments. See my recent post about (not)writing in note names if interested in more info on this technique.

Tone - as mentioned by another starting with the head joint is a basic strategy. Beginning students should be able to produce a total of four tones - a high sound and low sound with the end of the head joint covered by the hand, and high and low uncovered. This should be extended to easy octave exercises as part of the warm-up routine once they know the basic fingerings. (One line of some of my beginning warm-up sheets has flutes, mallets, and saxes playing octave leaps while clarinets and oboes play long tones and brass play lip slurs.) A key, as you know, is aperture. Most beginning flutists tend to use an oval shape opening in the lips that creates an unfocused airstream, and thus a poor (or absent) tone. A great tool to use are coffee stir straws. I have each beginning flute player keep one in the case and have them blow through the straw to feel what a small round aperture and directed air stream feel like. We also practice aiming the straw up with the lips and then down with a slight jaw movement to facilitate those octave exercises mentioned earlier (this is something of a controversial subject amoung some - another view is that once changes octaves by changing airspeed and/or aperture size. I have seen probems with doing that with beginners in terms of developing a consistent good sound that is controllable in both octaves. Good breath support and aperture size should be consistent and habitual before they are varied.)

Have fun!

- D. Anders Nelson

Flute players need to focus on their embrochure, similar to what beginning tuba players need to do. I'm sure you have had the flute players play the head joint to "center" their breath in a triangle, maybe the pout lip look. Have them play in a mirror and since flute was your instrument, demo for them. Standard of Excellence also starts on D so they can play "Merrily We Roll Along" (D-C-Bb-C) and "Hot Cross Buns" (D-C-Bb) in a band setting that is comfortable for Bb and Eb instruments to start. Maybe have a "flute only" sectional with them. Students sometimes take longer on flute than clarinet, but can never have the excuse of not having a reed to play on! I am a trombone player, and I have to go one-on-one with my 3 trombones in 4th/5th grade. For me they seem to have the hardest time, and I need to work with them a little more. If you teach upper grades as well, try having some of your more experienced flute students help them out. They will come along, don't give up on them! Good Luck!

: : My beginner flute students are progressing much slower than any of my other students. I am a little confused because the flute was my main instrument in college. I had been teaching all of my students out of the Alfred method book but we put it away due to the fact that we couldn't get past the first page. (the first note was D, which is a really stupid note to start on) We are now using sheets that I made up, and are moving a little quicker. Is the flute really that much more difficult than the saxophone or trumpet? Should it be taking this long? Whats going on?