FLUTE TIPS & FAQ'S

Your greatest questions have been heard, and been answered by our world-class instructor Adrian Cunningham. He has also added a few professional tips and tricks that he has learned over the years from extensive performing and practice, and has shared some knowledge he has picked up along the way from other jazz masters!

Does playing jazz flute hurt my classical playing?

Absolutely not! As far as I’m concerned- good technique is good technique. In fact, jazz flutists would benefit greatly from working on classical repertoire, and I'd love to hear more classical flutes playing jazz! Hubert Laws, for example, was classically trained at Julliard, worked professionally in orchestras, and also has an amazing jazz career.

How much should I practice every day?

There is no “correct” answer to this question. Like any pursuit in life- the more you put into it, the more you get out. Everybody has different priorities and different commitments. Some people may have hours free a day, others only 10 mins!

What I can tell you is what works for me: I find my best growth happens when I return to an exercise frequently. In other words- let’s say I’m practicing a new scale or jazz lick, and it’s tricky. I find I learn it better by coming back to it a multiple times for short intervals, rather than to play it over and over in one sitting.

No matter your schedule- practicing should be fun, inspiring and uninterrupted

(put your phone on airplane mode!)

Flutist, or Flautist?

Well, both! It seems to be that Americans (and Canadians) use flutist, and the "British English" speakers tend to use flautist. Interestingly, the term flautist seems to come from the root word flauto (italian), while flutist has evolved form the old English terms flowte and floute (Chaucer, 14th century).

So, it seems both are correct! (depending on what part of the world you live in..)

Do I need a professional flute?

I can't lie, a professional flute can make a difference, however it's perfectly fine to play an entry level/student model flute, (made by a reputable maker). If you are starting out, a good student model flute will give you all you need to develop as a musician, and as you progress you may feel you will want to upgrade as you develop.

It's more important, of course, it's more important to work on getting a great sound on the instrument you have right now! It's also important to have your instrument inspected by a licensed instrument repairer on a regular basis, because a key slightly out of alignment of a leaky pad can give us all sorts of problems!

Is flute easy to learn? Is flute easier than saxophone?

Well, this is a tricky one to answer. Certainly, compared to saxophone, the flute is more difficult for the first time beginner because the embouchure (ie: the way the mouth and tongue is set up to play) is (dare I say it) more tricky than on the saxophone. It takes time to learn how to use your air effectively.

You will find a lot of jazz saxophone players also play some flute. It's a very common double for professional players, and the fingerings are very similar on both instruments.

However, every musical instrument has it's own unique challenges, and like anything.. with some dedicated practice, you'll be making music in no time! In fact, good flute players who want to play saxophone often find the transition quite easy!

Can I learn flute on my own?

Honestly, and like anything in life- nothing can replace the effectiveness of having a one-on-one tutor who can keep you on track and make sure you don't pick up any bad habits. (Even some of the best musicians and athletes continue to have one-on-one coaching for this reason).

However, we believe with the lesson programs on this website, plus the personal feedback you'll have during your time learning with us, we are confident you will make some wonderful musical strides and enjoy some great development (with some solid practice time on your part, of course!)

What is the difference between jazz and 'classical' flute?

From a purely technical standpoint, nothing! The foundations of good flute technique are the same for both jazz and classical. Getting a good tone, focused airflow, tonguing, fingering... all of these foundations when applied correctly, will bring you closer to expressing yourself more effectively in any style of music.

The differences between classical and jazz are found in the application of these techniques, with variations in vibrato, articulation applied to a swing feel etc.. You will develop these subtleties listening to the jazz flute masters, playing along with transcriptions, taking an active listening approach to your own playing every day.

And the good news is, if you already have a good technical foundation as a classical flutist, you're already well on your way!

Can flutes play jazz?

Yes! The flute has a long history with jazz, dating back to the 1920s! Certainly, in the 'early days' the flute had acoustic challenges, but for decades with the development of microphones and amplification, the flute became regarded as a serious solo voice in jazz.

You can find out more about many of the important flutists on the Jazz Flute HIstory page of this site.

Do I need to know my scales to play jazz flute?

I hate to say it, but your music teacher was right... scales (and arpeggios) are really important! This is true for many reasons: for developing technique, for helping to understand harmony, and also for improvising. If we think of jazz as a language, then our scales and arpeggios are like the words that make up the language.

But the good news is, you can improvise with knowing just one or two scales! In fact, some of my favorite jazz solos are based only on one scale, or even just a few notes! We can make great music even with a small amount of theory or technique. But don't forget, the more theory and knowledge we have at our fingertips, the more choices we can make when we improvise.