Welcome, to the Ultimate Guide for Flute Breathing
Breathing is to flute is as a bow is to a violin or a fish to water. You really can't have one without the other. Flute breathing is, however, something that nearly every flautist will struggle with throughout their musical journey. Flute breathing can also be a challenging concept to teach because you can't visually demonstrate exactly what your lungs are doing. So this page is designed specifically to fill any gaps in your knowledge, and compliment and reinforce the strange abstract concepts your flute teacher is attempting to communicate.
Good luck, and don't forget to be patient with yourself just as you would be with a young child as they learn to walk and talk. And just as kids spend hours practising making sounds and forming words, it will take constant and deliberate practice for you to train your body to distinguish between an everyday breath and flute breath.
Videos
Breathing Part 1:
Flute vs Tube
Breathing Part 2:
The Diaphragm and Abdomen
Breathing Part 3:
Ribs and Intercostal Muscles
Breathing Part 4:
Tips and Tricks
Breathing Part 5:
Breath Olympics
Breathing Part 6a
Exercises for Beginner Flautists
Breathing Part 6b:
Exercises for Intermediate Flautists
Breathing Part 6c:
Exercises for Advanced Flautists
Flute Breathing:
with Straws
Coming Soon
Breathing is like a cup of coffee
Breathing for Bass Flute
Downloads
Flute Breathing Resource Kit
Ultimate Practice Manager
Books
with Breathing Exercises
Flute With a Twist
Practical Routines for Flute
Practice book 5: Breathing and Scales
The Flute Player's Book
Flute with a twist by Mariann Boug is a fabulous little book for introducing intervals to students. Each interval is explored both melodically and harmonically in fun duets. The book also includes trios, breathing exercises, musical games and puzzels.
Practical Routines for Flute is an incredible resource for intermediate flautist. by Christine Draeger, Jocelyn Fazzone and Lamorna Nightingale. It includes sections on breathing, tone, dynamics, intonation, finger technique, articulation
and extended techniques. Each section is accompanied by excerpts from flute repertoire. This allows students to use each new concept in the context of a piece helping to minimise the gap that is often found between technique and repertoire.
Practice Book 5 is the second last book in a series by Trevor Wye. These works are designed for people who have decided to take their flute studies seriously and are filled with exercises to help students develop every aspect of their playing.
Vernon Hill's The Flute Players Book is essentially a textbook for flautists. It includes in-depth explanations of how to play the flute and how to practice. Each explanation includes short flute exercises and the accompanying disk allows you to hear what you're aiming to sound like. This is great for advanced students and compliments the Trevor Wye Practice books which focus' primarily on exercises.
Alto Flute Method
Bass Flute Method
The Art of Playing Flute Vol. 1
The Alto Flute Method Book by Chris Potter is perfect for flautists looking to transition onto the Alto Flute. The book contains every thing you need to know to get you set up on the instrument and includes exercises for the development of tone, breathing and articulation. Potter also provides an alternative fingering guide and lots of tips for manuevering around the quirks of the instrument.
The Bass Flute Method by Chris Potter is similar in nature to The Alto flute method, however, this time focusing on the idiosyncrasies of bass flutes. The book is full of exercises, tips and tricks, brand recommendations and a small repertoire list. It will also take you through setting up the curved headjoint, performance aids and travel tips.
Roger Mather's Art of Playing Flute Vol. 1 is an extensive workbook focused entirely on breathing. This is an incredibly detailed work combining written explanations with exercises. It would be well suited to anyone pursuing post-graduate studies in flute performance and is not for anyone wanting something simple and straightforward.