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 i tion
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About this “Taster” edition
This taster edition of Illustrated Fluteplaying
contains about one third of the pages of the book
and should let you get the feel of the clear text,
the accurate anatomical drawings and the
humourous and memorable analogies that make
it such a great book. Part 1 is the basics Part 2
advanced stuff.

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Book page: Illustrated Fluteplaying

Contents
Introduction
Use this book to help you play better
Part I
Getting Started
1
Starting to blow
5
Holding the flute
16
Posture
20
Hand positions
26
Shoulders and elbows
34
Tonguing
36
Part II
Breathing
Dynamics and tuning 42

Vibrato 54

Blowing problems 62
66
Index and back matter
77
Endorsements
Buy the complete book from
Illustrated-fluteplayi.com
Introduction
This book is intended for flute players of all ages and
standards who want a clear guide to the basics of tone and
technique, and who are keen to improve their sound. It can
be used as a companion to good flute lessons and methods,
helping to prevent those all-too-common bad habits of
blowing, breathing and technique which are often very
difficult to eradicate later on.

The most important message to any wind player, but perhaps

particularly to flute players, is that 95% of the sound,
resonance, expression, nuances and general technique
come from the player - his or her entire body is used in truly
successful playing. The flute itself is merely an additional aid
to musicianship, with its own very distinct character, to be
mastered in a particular way. Unless this fact is clearly
appreciated, no amount of experimenting with more and
more expensive flutes and headjoints will make the slightest
difference to a player’s sound. The subtle difference between
instruments will begin to become apparent once all the
physical controls of playing from the whole body are correct.

The text is copiously illustrated with detailed drawings,

making each point in the simplest and clearest way. All basic
topics are covered, including tone production, breathing,
tonguing, posture, hand positions, vibrato, playing in tune,
dynamics etc., and a section on “blowing problems” deals
with some of the most frequent causes of poor tone quality.
The drawings are designed so that young children can grasp
Use this book to help you play better
This book will help you make beautiful music with your flute.
Playing the flute well means you have to control all of your
body – your hands, your arms, your mouth muscles, your
breathing, how you sit or stand. This book is dedicated to
showing you how through clear text from one of Britain's most
successful flute teachers and through brilliant illustrations by an
artistic and tenacious illustrator who spent years researching
the science and art of flute playing. This book is not a
conventional flute tutor with fingering charts and tunes - you
will need one of those if you are a beginner, but if your aim is to
make beautiful music this book is the one you will come to love.

For the Beginner: If you are just starting the flute, this book
starts from the beginning and ensures that you get things right
from the start. There will be no painful eradication of bad habits
as you progress. Starting correctly means you can move as far
as you want to in as smooth a way as is possible.

For the improver: If you’re stuck and want to improve your

playing, the illustrations and text will let you discover the cause
of any problems that hold you back and find a solution.

For the professional and serious player: The illustrations in

Part I of the book give you a quick way to check basic
technique. Part II of this book goes deeply into technical
matters such as breathing, tonguing and vibrato. The
illustrations and text will let you check your technique and
understand how and where it could be improved. Atarah Ben
Tovim, sometime president of the British Flute Society
describes the book as her “flute bible.” It could be yours too.

For the teacher: The teacher can go to the correct page in

the book, show the pupil a picture and say “Look, this is the
way!” There is a section, in Part II of the book, that analyses
common faults and shows how to cure them. Teachers
have always found this book incredibly helpful, and now
pupils can be encouraged to get the e-book version and
keep it on their phone or tablet. Teachers who tutor on a
variety of instruments have always found this book a boon.
Book page: 1(1) Illustrated Fluteplaying Getting Started

Getting Started
Before we start, here are some names you need
to know

The flute
1. crown
2. head
3. barrel, tenon joint
4. body
5. tone hole
6. foot
7. headjoint
8. blowhole
9. blowing wall
10. Lip plate
10
Book page: 1(2) Illustrated Fluteplaying Getting Started

The embouchure (or shaping of the lip gap)

11. top lip

12. bottom lip

13. lip-gap
14. lip plate

Over the page you will learn how to assemble the flute.
Book page: 2(1) Illustrated Fluteplaying Getting Started

Assembling the flute

body

barrel

head joint

foot
cleaning rod

1. Putting the headjoint on

First make sure the surfaces of the joint are clean and free from
grease — wipe any dirt or grease off with a cloth.

Grip the headjoint with your left

hand and hold the body with your
right hand round the barrel, not the
keys. Use a twisting action, don't
waggle or force it on.

Push it right home as far as it will go. (You may need to pull out
slightly for tuning — this is explained later.)
Don’t grip the lip-plate — it could come off or bend out of shape.
Book page: 2(2) Illustrated Fluteplaying

2. Lining up the headjoint

Get into the habit of lining up every time
you put the flute together, in exactly the
same position to suit you; you can only
find the perfect position for your best
sound after some experience. So at first
line up the middle of the blow-hole with
the middle of the first large hole on top of
the body — not with the small hole.

First large hole

Book page: 3 Illustrated Fluteplaying Getting Started

Assembling the flute

3. Putting the foot-joint on

Hold the body in the left hand,
avoiding the keys, by the barrel,
and twist the foot-joint on, holding
it firmly round the long rod with
thumb of the right hand.

Line up the long rod on the foot

with the middle of the last key in
the body.

Remember to twist and push — Yes:

never use a waggling movement,
A close air-tight fit is essential —
not only will a loose fit mean
weak notes, but if the foot-joint Long rod
works loose and drops off it
could be badly damaged, No:
needing expensive repairs.
Book page: 4(1) Illustrated Fluteplaying Getting Started

Cleaning the flute

Keep the joints clean,

and never grease the
metal — grease attracts
dust and dirt, which act
as abrasives.
Keep the outside clean with a soft cloth, and occasionally
polish with a cloth impregnated with silver polish, not with
liquid polish that might clog up the mechanism.

Always dry the inside of the flute after use to prevent

moisture from making the pads spongy or sticky. Use a
cleaning-rod, not a mop (which has fibres that come off).

Thread a piece of silk or cotton material through the eye of

the rod and pass it up the headjoint and through the
separated sections of the flute before replacing the flute in
its case.
 Book page: 4(2) Illustrated Fluteplaying Getting Started

Cleaning the flute (continued)

crown
The cleaning-rod should have a notch
at one end for checking the cork
position — a wrong cork position
cork affects tone and tuning quite
washer drastically.

rod notch Place the rod inside the headjoint till

it touches the cork — the notch
lip plate should appear half-way along the
rod blow-hole.

The cork is out of sight between the

crown and the lip-plate. It has a metal
washer attached at both ends.
Book page: 5.1 Illustrated Fluteplaying Starting to blow

Starting to blow
Lip work
There are three stages to this
exercise. Sit facing your
mirror:
1. Finger is substituted for
flute. Press index finger firmly
against soft underside of
bottom lip.
Keep finger STRAIGHT.

2. Feel that your bottom lip is

straight along the length of your
finger, drooping over it, quite
floppy, and then very slightly
stretch your bottom lip at each
end, as in saying “EE”, firming
it slightly.
Book page:12(1) Illustrated Fluteplaying Starting to blow

Experiments with headjoint sounds

Practise blocking the end

of the headjoint with your
hand as you play a clear
note, then play with the
end open. You may feel a
slight muscle change in
your embouchure
between the two notes.

Also try making high and

low notes by sliding a
finger in and out of the
headjoint as you blow,
and allowing your
embouchure to get used
to the tiny adjustments
necessary on each
note.

Remainder of section removed from the

Taster edition ……
 Remainder of section removed from the
Taster edition ……
Book page: 16 Illustrated Fluteplaying Holding the flute

Holding the flute

3 The pressure points

1
To hold the flute at the correct
angles, and to prevent it from
wobbling about while playing
(which would ruin any chance
of controlling the sound), we
need to use the three pressure
2 points (shown in the picture by
arrows).

1. Right thumb
2. Left-hand index finger
3. Jaws and gums

Think of the pressures like a see-saw

Push the flute firmly towards you

with the fleshy part of the first
joint of the left index finger:

You will find that your finger goes

a bit red and gets flattened by
the pressure.
Book page: 17(1) Illustrated Fluteplaying Holding the flute

The pressure points (continued)

The jaw keeps a forward pressure

against the push of the index finger,
and the flesh below your bottom lip
squashes against your gums (which
may ache a bit after playing).

Using these pressure points

correctly allows you to move all the
playing fingers easily and fluently
without the flute feeling insecure -
there should never be even the
slightest unintentional wobble of
the flute on your lips!

The balanced pressure of jaw against index finger makes

it possible to control the delicate lip and jaw movements
needed for fine tuning and focusing of the sound.
Book page: 17(2) Illustrated Fluteplaying Holding the flute

The pressure points (continued)

Furthermore, a strong pressure-hold will improve your

sound - the flute will feel PART of you: when everything
is going right, you’ll get a real sense of being part of the
sound, creating it with your whole body.

The right thumb is placed

on the flute so that it can
push away from your right
shoulder, against the
pressure of the left index
finger.

After a lot of playing the thumb may get a bit sore as well, and
the skin might become hardened.

With some fingerings, you might feel that the flute is feeling
insecure unless the pressure- points are being used for
example when playing C-D-E-D-C-D-E-D.
Book page: 18(1) Illustrated Fluteplaying Holding the flute

Getting the angles right

The best, most focused sound is more easily obtained when

all the holding angles are correct, so that there is no
imbalance in the muscles of the embouchure, arms or body,
and the blowing can be finely controlled without any strain.

1. Flute and body angle

The flute should be pushed away from the right shoulder,
the head turned towards the left, with the torso slightly
pivoted, again towards the left, at the waist.

There is an angle of about 40° between the line of the

shoulders and the line of the flute.

If the flute is held parallel to the shoulders, head held

to the front, neck and shoulder aches will develop and
tone will suffer because breathing is affected. (See
page 51.)
Book page: 18(2) Illustrated Fluteplaying Holding the flute

Getting the angles right (continued)

1. Flute and head angle

Most players hold the flute at an angle

dipping slightly downwards rather than Yes
horizontal, parallel to the floor.

This dipping angle stops the arms from

getting tired, and keeps the shoulders
low and relaxed (best for good
breathing).

With the flute up, horizontal, you may No

find your arms, neck and shoulders
begin to ache. tensions develop,
breathing is less effective so your
tone suffers.

Don’t get trapped in the sardine tin!

Book page: 19(1) Illustrated Fluteplaying Holding the flute

Remainder of section removed from the

Taster edition ……
Book page: 20(1) Illustrated Fluteplaying Posture

Posture

Posture — the position you play

in, either standing or sitting —
makes a vital difference to
breathing, tone, and technique.
The posture of the whole body is
important, not just the position of
the head and arms.

Good posture standing

The flute is designed to be
played at an angle; for comfort
and ease the instrument must
be held well away from the
right shoulder, the head turned
towards the left, the trunk and
legs adjusting to accommodate
this position.
Book page: 20(2) Illustrated Fluteplaying Posture

To practise holding the flute

correctly, stand in a relaxed
position.
(1) Imagine the flute is a
recorder or clarinet, hold it
pointing straight in front like a
clarinettist, and bring the flute
up to you (don’t go to IT).

(2) Put it further up, by your

left ear.

(3) THEN turn your head to the

flute, and pull the flute slightly
towards your right arm, and
TILT YOUR HEAD WITH THE
FLUTE. It may help to lean
back, putting your weight
slightly more on the right leg
than the left.
Remaining contents of this section
removed from the Taster edition.
Book page: 26(1) Illustrated Fluteplaying Hand Positions

Hand positions

After an engraving
illustrating
Hotteterre’s
Principes de la
flûte traversière
1707 .

Some drawings to show hand positions from

different angles

Notice that the hands are held below the flute.

This means that the wrists may be slightly bent at an angle

to the arms (players vary in the amount of wrist bending;
in this book we illustrate quite a steep angle.)
Book page: 26(2) Illustrated Fluteplaying Hand Positions

Some drawings to show hand positions from

different angles (continued)

Good hand positions may seem a bit strange at first, but

they will soon become natural, and allow for rapid and
relaxed finger work.
Remaining contents of this section
removed from the Taster edition.
Book page:34 Illustrated Fluteplaying Shoulders & Elbows

Shoulders and elbows

Always drop the shoulders when

you play. Dropped shoulders usually
Yes indicate correct breathing and go
with a good posture.

No
Shoulders
raised, head
craning
forward, neck
aches, and bad
tuning results!

Raised shoulders are often the result of starting

to play the flute very young (under 10), when the
length and the weight of the instrument causes
the child to rest the flute on the left shoulder.
This can become a habit that causes a lot of
No problems later on. There are flutes with a curved
headjoint, designed for very young flute players,
which help to eliminate this problem. (See page 74.) Many
young players now start on inexpensive plastic fifes which are
short, light, and easy to learn to blow.
Book page: 35 Illustrated Fluteplaying Shoulders & Elbows

A relaxed shoulder position

Keep your elbows away from your

body (to allow correct breathing and
hand positions), but not too high or
the angle of the flute on the mouth
will alter and affect tone and tuning.

Yes

Try not to be an elbow

waggler. Keep your
elbows still while you
play. If you move your
elbows up (especially the
left one) as you go up
Elbows too high the register; you create
more tuning problems
(see page 71(2)) and
you are likely to play with
a thinner tone at the top.

Elbows too close to body

Remaining contents of this section
removed from the Taster edition.
Book page: 36 Illustrated Fluteplaying Tonguing

Tonguing

Every time you blow a note on the flute (when you are learning
to make a good sound), you should first take a good breath (as
described on page 46, 47), and feel all the exhaling muscles
pushing a strong air stream against the resistance created
by the embouchure. Practise short repeated
notes making a firm attack on each note, as
in saying "Huh, huh, huh", making a
deliberately violent inward tummy movement
for each note. This action (less violent
usually) is really 90% of the work involved
in tonguing! The tonguing movement
described on page 37 is merely a final
addition to this attack from the breath.

Think of the tongue action

as a bit like a flag waving in
the breeze…

…and not as a series of

short bursts, as in morse
code.
Remaining contents of this section
removed from the Taster edition.
Book page: 40 Illustrated Fluteplaying
Book page: 41 Illustrated Fluteplaying

Part II
Breathing, dynamics and tuning,
vibrato and blowing problems in
greater detail.
Book page: 42(1) Illustrated Fluteplaying Breathing

Breathing

Breathing properly is the most important part of playing any wind

instrument, and this is particularly so with the flute. Unlike its
neighbours in the orchestra (the oboe, clarinet, and bassoon), the
flute has no reed, nor has it a small aperture or mouthpiece to
blow through. In reed instruments the very small opening between
the reed and mouthpiece as in the clarinet, or between the double
reeds in the oboe and bassoon, creates a built-in resistance.
Players of this kind of instrument can sustain their playing for long
periods, often having to get rid of unused “stale” air in their lungs
before taking another breath. It would be difficult for a flute player
to play for equally long periods in one breath because the
instrument itself doesn’t provide much resistance at all; there is no
reed to vibrate, only a fixed edge to blow against. A player has to
control the flow of air and its strength and
speed entirely with the muscles of his
embouchure and breathing apparatus. Most
beginners find themselves running out of
breath after a few moments because they
can’t yet control these muscles properly —
the air comes rushing out all over the place.
Very often they tend to blow too hard, and
the lack of control makes them feel dizzy,
and the sound produced (if any!) is weak,
woolly and unfocused.
Book page: 42(2) Illustrated Fluteplaying Breathing

It is most important to understand that you never need to

blow really hard to get the flute to "speak" either for very
soft or very loud playing.

What happens when you blow a note is that the

molecules of air already in the flute get "excited" by the
turbulence caused by the activity of the air-jet and they
bump into each other in a particular way so that the
whole column of air in the instrument vibrates. Most of
the air comes out of the blow hole, hardly any of the air
comes out of the tone holes or the foot end (in fact,
the amount is so small it can be ignored). Blowing the
flute is not like blowing a pea-shooter: you don’t blow
through the instrument, you "drive" it by the fine control
of the air-jet, which acts as the "motor". In an oboe the
double reed is the motor; in a flute it is the air-jet.

A good player shows that it’s not the amount of air you
blow that makes a beautiful sound, but the control of the
size, speed and direction of the air-jet. This control is
closely linked to correct breathing.
Book page:43(1) Illustrated Fluteplaying Breathing

Most people only use a very small fraction

of their total lung capacity for ordinary,
everyday breathing — we breathe in a
smooth, quiet, effortless way that
obviously requires no conscious thought.
When we need to burn more oxygen
during some strenuous physical activity
we instinctively use the appropriate
muscles to inflate the lungs more fully,
and this again is a natural, built-in
process.

If you go for a quick run and then stand still,

out of breath, consider what’s happening:
you pant heavily, mouth open, with a heaving
chest and expanding tummy and lower back
area, drawing as much air in as possible to
adjust to the body’s needs.
Book page: 43(2) Illustrated Fluteplaying Breathing

Flute-playing is not usually regarded as a strenuous

physical activity, but correct blowing requires so much
breath control that the same areas of muscle that come
to the rescue automatically after a run must be called
on to support the air supply.

At first this must be learned, and done in a conscious

way. You may see a good player looking completely
relaxed and playing with hardly any apparent effort, but
he will nevertheless be using the whole range of
breathing muscles (without thinking about them) to make
the flute respond. Only after a while does this deeper
breathing become as natural as everyday breathing,
letting you switch to “automatic pilot” for breathing, to
concentrate on the music.

At first you must also concentrate on what is happening to

each bit of your body as you breathe, to check that it’s
doing the proper job with the whole body involved in
breathing, not just the lungs.
Book page: 44(1) Illustrated Fluteplaying Breathing

This simplified diagram shows

the most important parts of the
body that control breathing:
lungs
Notice the position of the
diaphragm. The diaphragm is,
roughly speaking, a muscular
After sheet separating the thorax
diaphragm breathing (which contains the rib-cage
raised out and lungs) from the abdomen
or belly. The thorax and
abdomen are two sealed
compartments; there is no
connection between them, the
diaphragm being the seal. In
deep breathing the diaphragm
can be moved down so that it
diaphragm acts like a piston or plunger
lowered inside the body.

After
breathing
in
Book page: 44(2) Illustrated Fluteplaying Breathing

diaphragm

When breathing in deeply, the downward movement of

the diaphragm creates a partial vacuum in the thorax,
which causes the lungs to expand, pulling air into them
down the windpipe. The lungs are like balloons or rubber
sponges that can be inflated fully (but which prefer to be
deflated under their own elastic power).
When breathing out, the diaphragm returns to its usual
position, and there is no longer any vacuum in the cavity
of the thorax, so the lungs deflate under their own
elasticity, and air is expelled through the windpipe.

Plunger moves Plunger moves

down as air is up as air is
inhaled. exhaled.
Book page: 45(1) Illustrated Fluteplaying Breathing

Although we also use many other

muscles to control breathing, this
plunger-like movement of the
diaphragm is by far the most important
factor. The trouble is, you can’t see
the diaphragm like you can see your
belly or chest muscles — you only
know you’re using it properly by the
way in which it affects other areas.
Sneezing, coughing, laughing or
crying are activities that call on help
from the diaphragm. You can also feel
yourself breathing with the diaphragm
if you go for a run and then, standing
still and straight, concentrate on
breathing while keeping everything in
your body completely still, including
your belly and chest: the diaphragm
will be working hard to keep the airflow
going. (If it didn’t, you would be dead).
Book page: 45(2) Illustrated Fluteplaying Breathing

You can also try lying down, holding the chest still, and
watch your abdomen rise and fall with each breath. As
the diaphragm descends for the intake of air it pushes
the contents of the abdomen out of the way (things like
the liver, stomach, gall bladder), and this causes the
elasticated walls around your midriff to push outwards.
When you breathe out, the upward movement of the
diaphragm allows the abdomen to return to its previous
position and the tummy-area moves inwards.

So it is important to let the abdominal muscles remain

relaxed while you breathe in, to allow the diaphragm to
push the abdomen contents out of the way. If you try to
breathe in using the “tummy muscles” (the muscles
used in sit-up exercises), you constrict the movement
of the diaphragm and so prevent enough air from
entering the lungs. Of course, the muscles round the
tummy, midriff and back area are used to help support
the expansion of your body as you breathe in, and the
chest muscles and the muscles between the ribs are
also important, but secondary to the main control, the
action of the diaphragm, so abdomen muscles are
supportive but not rock-hard.
Book page: 46(1) Illustrated Fluteplaying Breathing

More detail about the breathing

process

Breathing IN
To breathe in, breathe through the
mouth, not the nose (unless you are
advanced enough to practise “circular
breathing”), keeping a relaxed, open
throat, as in yawning, or in saying a
silent “aahh”, but not as in gargling.

Open
(as in yawning…

but not as in gargling)

There are really three stages to breathing in, each one

following rapidly after the one before. Start the intake of
air from the tummy area, and build it up from there.
Remaining contents of this section
removed from the Taster edition.
Book page: 54(1) Illustrated Fluteplaying Dynamics and tuning

Dynamics and tuning

Changing pitch and dynamics and
playing in tune

When changing pitch between high

and low notes or moving from soft to
loud playing, very subtle movements
of the lips and jaw are needed to
make the best sound and stay in
tune.

The movements are made with what

this book calls the “Three Controls”
(top lip, bottom lip and jaw. See
page 15). We suggest that move-
ments of the “Three Controls” should
be used both for helping to change
pitch (for example, jumping octaves)
and for playing in tune at different
dynamics. The remainder of this
section analyses the small, some-
times minute, movements that
should be made.
Book page:61(2) Illustrated Fluteplaying Dynamics and tuning

Remaining contents of this section

removed from the Taster edition.
Book page: 62(1) Illustrated Fluteplaying Vibrato

Vibrato
When the correct method of breathing for
playing the flute has been learned and
become natural, controlling a beautiful
vibrato becomes comparatively easy to
master. (It is also true that people who
have difficulty in taking sufficient breaths in
a short moment usually find their breath-
control improves once they start learning
how to produce a good vibrato.)

Vibrato is the wave-like singing or

throbbing of sound around the central core
of each note, heard in practically all
contemporary string-playing and in most
flute-playing (although music up to the
beginning of the 19th Century seldom calls
for vibrato of the kind described here).
Remaining contents of this section
removed from the Taster edition.
Book page: 66(1) Illustrated Fluteplaying Blowing Problems

Blowing problems

Almost all tone problems are

connected in some way to faults
in breathing, embouchure
control, or posture, and only a
few are caused entirely by
some anatomical or physical
irregularity in the muscles round
the mouth, in the lips, teeth, or
jaw. It is nearly always possible
to improve one’s sound, if the
cause of the problem has been
identified.

You can
improve your
sound when
you have found
the cause of
your problem.

Don’t sound like a magnified mosquito

Book page: 66(2) Illustrated Fluteplaying Blowing Problems

Remaining contents of this section

removed from the Taster edition.
Book page: 76 Illustrated Fluteplaying Blowing Problems

Conclusion
We hope that you have found this book a useful
companion to your flute playing, helping to give
you a firm foundation for a good technique and
an expressive sound ― a sound that is uniquely
your sound. All the hard work involved in
regular and concentrated practise of tone
exercises, scales, studies and so on will pay off
in the end, provided you are fully aware of how
and why the breathing, posture, fingers, vibrato
etc. must be in complete control.

This book is both an introduction to these

matters, and a guide which can be used for
reference even at quite an advanced stage: flute
players are always aiming to improve their
sound, which is one of the most enjoyable (and
often frustrating!) challenges of learning the
instrument.
Book page: 77 Illustrated Fluteplaying Index
Index
This index lists page numbers that are shown on the top left of
every page. These page numbers are the same in the e-book and
the printed versions of the book. However, as the pages are
smaller in the e-book, some pages are split into parts. These are
numbered with a suffix one, two and so on thus 70(1), 70(2) and
so on. This index leads you only to the main page number not the
secondary pages so you may have to turn a few pages to find the
correct passage.
A air, passing down windpipe 47
abdomen, twisting 52 altering pitch 59
abdominal breathing 49 anatomical reasons for poor tone
abdominal muscle control 72
63,64, 71,45, 47 angles for playing
aching body angles 18
muscles 24 chair and stand angles,
neck 21, 33 when sitting 24
shoulder 18 elbow angle 35
air jet flute and body angle 18
size 6, 7 flute and lip angle 19
strength 59 flute to mouth angle 35
speed of 15, 54, 55, 58, head angle 18, 67
60 trunk angle 24
angle 66, 69 under arm angle 33
angle and tuning 57 wrist and arm angle 31
control 36-39, 73 angle of air-jet 59, 67, 69
experiments 5 apple (imaginary) in left hand
shaping 56 27, 30
under pressure 54 armhooker 25
air noise 68 arms 25, 34, 35
arpeggio exercises 72
assembly of flute 2,3
Remaining contents of this
section removed from the Taster
Book page: Illustrated Fluteplaying

The authors - Robin Soldan & Jeanie

Mellersh

Robin Soldan
Robin Soldan is one of Britain’s leading flute teachers. After
studying at the Guildhall School of Music in London, he
worked as a flute teacher and performer for several education
authorities in the UK. He is now a freelance player and
teacher, travelling extensively to take master classes, give
recitals and organize flute events. He has been the senior flute
teacher at four specialist music courses including the Wells
Book page: Illustrated Fluteplaying

Cathedral School and Peter Symonds College in

Winchester, and he was the Head of Woodwind at
Southampton University.
He organized the annual Flute Teachers’ Course for many
years on behalf of the British Flute Society, and he is the
author of a number of other recent books on flute technique
- Flute Fingers (PEM) and Fit Fluteplaying. His 60- strong
flute orchestra “Flautissimo”, as well as a number of other
flute ensembles, have regularly appeared at the School
Proms on TV and have collected many awards.

Jeanie Mellersh
Jeanie Mellersh studied at Liverpool College of Art where
she was noted for her brilliant drawing and won a
scholarship to study in Italy. Her talent for flute illustrations
was discovered when James Galway was shown her
sketchbook, and she went on to provide the instructional
illustrations for his book “Flute”.
In Illustrated Fluteplaying she has gone very much further.
Together with her flute teacher Robin Soldan, she has
succeeded in illustrating aspects of flute playing that have
never before appeared in print.
Jeanie has recently illustrated two books for parents of
special needs children, Stepping Out, and Small Steps
Forward. Her illustrations, and other work, can be seen at
www.mellersh.org

The authors can be contacted via the website at

www.illustrated-fluteplaying.com
Latest endorsements for the e-book
edition

Andrew Nicholson: Principal Flute West Australia

Orchestra, Hallé Orchestra, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
and player on our video. (Listen again.)

“Illustrated Fluteplaying e-book... what a great idea!!

…....the book is fantastic, and I have got most of my
students over the years to purchase it. It is an
invaluable tool”

GarethMcLearnon: International flute soloist

“What a wonderful resource for flute players and

teachers all over the world! I have always regarded
“Illustrated Flute-Playing" as such a charming and
informative book - using beautiful diagrams, helpful,
imaginative analogies complimented by clear,
explanatory text - but now that it has been released in
digital format it is easily available all around the world
in seconds! Bravo to all involved!"

Dr September Payne: Flute Professor, San Diego State,

Emeritus

"Illustrated Fluteplaying is fantastic and valuable

book.…the new, easy to use e-book version make this
already wonderful learning tool handy for the practice
room and one’s gig bag. ”
Book page: Illustrated Fluteplaying

Endorsements and reviews from print edition

James Galway
This book is wonderful. I think it is one of the most original
and interesting books on the flute. It is very instructive and
will be an invaluable aid to all fluteplayers.
This book by Robin Soldan and Jeanie Mellersh is a most
original treatise on the use of the body in the art of playing the
flute. Jeanie Mellersh’s illustrations are informative and
amusing with very good accompanying text. Robin Soldan
has certainly employed all his wide experience and
knowledge in producing a very accurate and readable book. I
would say that this book would find a very important place in
the library of every flutist, young, old, amateur or professional.
It is a manual no one who is serious about the flute should be
without, and a boon to teachers world-wide.

Atarah Ben Tovim

Since it was first published this book has always been my
flute bible.

Robin De Smet, Music Business (UK)

The authors have a knack of getting to the heart of a problem
and prescribing a remedy that is so obvious and simple that
one wonders why on earth no one has thought of putting it
that way before. Whether you are a beginner or a teacher this
book will he sure to have something for you. It is a unique
and valuable publication .... Heartily recommended.
Book page: Illustrated Fluteplaying

Wally Horwood, Journal of the British Association of

Symphonic Bands and Wind Ensembles (UK) Jeanie
Mellersh’s pencil drawings are superb in illustrating lip, finger,
tongue and diaphragm positions together with all aspects
involved in handling the flute. Clarity is such that this is surely
the next best thing to a personal demonstration from an
expert teacher ... An ideal companion whether working with a
teacher or alone.

Mark Underwood, Times Educational Supplement (UK)

Seldom have I seen a more clearly, copiously and
imaginatively illustrated book. As a flute player and teacher
myself, I can scarcely think of a better companion book to
regular tuition or a more welcome substitute in its absence.
The publishers claim that it is for everyone who has a flute is
hardly overstated.

William Dyer, Journal of the Finnish Flute Society

(Finland)
... Marcel Moyse ... investigations and discoveries ... Frans
Vester Catalogue ... Now another book has been published
that stands, in originality, a comparison to the above works ...
it is a book which is intended to explain to the beginner the
physical side of playing the flute. There are over 350
illustrations, which almost without exception, clearly explain
what they intend to do ... The text is simple, but not
childish ...Too many flute methods simply present exercises
and pieces, but this book teaches the beginner to think for
himself ... So the beginner shows up for his first lessons.
Under one arm is, of course, his flute, and under the other,
his first flute school, a collection of little pieces, and
Book page: Illustrated Fluteplaying
Illustrated Fluteplaying.

Trevor Wye, Pan - Journal of the British Flute Society (UK)

A wealth of good advice is contained here ... the book answers
many of the basic questions in a practical and helpful way.

Lis Lewis, Pan 2006

This beautifully-produced book is an essential tool and
companion for flute players (of all standards).

Dr Mary Jean Simpson, New Flute Review (USA)

A completely different approach, presenting solid information
on basics and more advanced techniques with delightful
artistically done illustrations. Covers everything from basic
playing position to minute lip movements ... Lots of humour
thrown in, making the book entertaining as well as informative.
This 81-page text is an excellent teaching and learning aid.
Visit Illustrated-fluteplaying.com for more
Information.