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Opinions on learning transverse flute?
Topic Started: Apr 25 2018, 03:28 AM (484 Views)
Klaus
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HOLY CARP!!!
My daughter (6yo) has been talking again and again about that she wants to learn to play the transverse flute.

What do you think about choosing this instrument?

I've asked around a little, and the feedback was rather mixed. It is of course an instrument that can make a beautiful tone, but:

1) It isn't a great solo instrument, so you need to be in an orchestra
2) Not that many musical styles that use it
3) from what I heard, every amateur orchestra typically has much too many transverse flute players, yet if they play a piece with a nice transverse flute part, they hire an external professional because amateurs typically don't develop the skills necessary to play those solo parts.

Right now she's taking violin lessons. She's made great progress, in my opinion, but so far she hasn't developed a big love for the instrument. As an alternative, she's also interested in learning the piano.
Trifonov Fleisher Klaus Sokolov Zimmerman
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jon-nyc
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My personal thought is go for it. I don’t look at us parents as grooming professional musicians. We’re exposing them to a good learning experience and maybe a hobby.

My son chose double bass for orchestra, it certainly would have been my last choice. He’s also taking guitar. No interest in the big black thing in the living room.
In my defense, I was left unsupervised.
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Klaus
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jon-nyc
Apr 25 2018, 03:33 AM
No interest in the big black thing in the living room.
I'm not trying to convince anyone of anything, but have you ever tried to play 4-hand stuff with him? There are some very easy and fun 4-hand pieces that any kid can learn within 20min. My kids loved it.
Trifonov Fleisher Klaus Sokolov Zimmerman
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jon-nyc
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Like What?
In my defense, I was left unsupervised.
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Klaus
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I'll send you something when I'm at home.
Trifonov Fleisher Klaus Sokolov Zimmerman
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Jolly
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Geaux Tigers!
Start her on a regular flute. I'm not super familiar with the transverse flute, but I'm sure a lot of skills will transfer from one to the other.

And... I'm pretty sure there is music available for some simple pieces of flute and piano music once she starts playing a bit.
The main obstacle to a stable and just world order is the United States.- George Soros
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Axtremus
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She is 6. If it’s not something that will do her harm, let her try it out and have some fun! :)
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Mikhailoh
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My advice is support anything positive they want to learn. It is a kid's job to try things and see what they like.
Once in his life, every man is entitled to fall madly in love with a gorgeous redhead - Lucille Ball
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Luke's Dad
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6 seems young to play any wind instrument. 9-10 is a much more likely age.

Jolly, Transverse Flute is what you think of as regular flute.

I don't see where flute is any more or less of an ensemble instrument than violin.

Flute is used through almost all musical genres. Jazz, Baroque, "Classical", Romantic, Contemporary, Latin....
The problem with having an open mind is that people keep trying to put things in it.
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Jolly
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Geaux Tigers!
Luke's Dad
Apr 25 2018, 04:36 AM
6 seems young to play any wind instrument. 9-10 is a much more likely age.

Jolly, Transverse Flute is what you think of as regular flute.

I don't see where flute is any more or less of an ensemble instrument than violin.

Flute is used through almost all musical genres. Jazz, Baroque, "Classical", Romantic, Contemporary, Latin....
I stand corrected. I had to Google the term and what came up was mostly a turned wooden flute with a carved embrochure.

Standard flutes, I'm pretty familiar with, as the daughter is a flutist. Decent enough she played in college and worked a few gigs.

Yamaha used to make some of the better starter models. Nothing worse than trying to start a kid out on a $200 eBay special...
The main obstacle to a stable and just world order is the United States.- George Soros
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brenda
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..............
Klaus, I agree with Jon and Mik. It's good for her to learn from each instrument she can. Each one will broaden her experience. Maybe also let her start piano, since she's interested.

Major kudos to you for encouraging your kids in music and letting them try different types of instruments. What a great experience for them, and they will benefit from all of it.
“Weeds are flowers, too, once you get to know them.”
~A.A. Milne
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Luke's Dad
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Emperor Pengin
I'll be the fly in the ointment.

1) While some teachers will start lessons at 6, most of the better teachers will want them to start at 8-9 due to the physical challenges. The curved head joints alleviate some of the challenges but not all. The physical challenges make it much more difficult to play and make the experience less rewarding, increasing the desire to quit.

2) If you can get her to play 3 years of piano first, she will be far better as a floutist. 70% of playing a wind instrument is breathing and breath support, embouchure, and learning articulation. Again, with the drastic growth at her age, students don't progress much at the age. Baby teeth fall out, permanent teeth come in, the palate changes, all of these things change quickly, making it difficult to progress. Playing piano instead will give her much better counting and reading skills, manual dexterity, and the mental dexterity from being able to read multiple lines of music simultaneously, and greater listening skills. If you have a 10 year old student that has played flute for 4 years, and another that has played piano for three years of piano and 1 year on flute, that student with the piano background will be further along.

3) Commitment...Was the Violin her idea or yours?

The problem with having an open mind is that people keep trying to put things in it.
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Jolly
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Geaux Tigers!
Quote:
 
2) If you can get her to play 3 years of piano first, she will be far better as a floutist. 70% of playing a wind instrument is breathing and breath support, embouchure, and learning articulation. Again, with the drastic growth at her age, students don't progress much at the age. Baby teeth fall out, permanent teeth come in, the palate changes, all of these things change quickly, making it difficult to progress. Playing piano instead will give her much better counting and reading skills, manual dexterity, and the mental dexterity from being able to read multiple lines of music simultaneously, and greater listening skills. If you have a 10 year old student that has played flute for 4 years, and another that has played piano for three years of piano and 1 year on flute, that student with the piano background will be further along.


I don't think you are a fly in the ointment, I think you are right. What you've written above, mirrors a lot of my daughter's experience.
The main obstacle to a stable and just world order is the United States.- George Soros
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brenda
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..............
L'sD, you're not the fly in the ointment at all. Your suggestions are good, and come from experience. You're just fine tuning the process or steps to implement. Whether it makes you happy or not, you're in agreement with many of us. LOL
“Weeds are flowers, too, once you get to know them.”
~A.A. Milne
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Copper
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Shortstop

By a strange coincedence I happened to have the Aqualung album on as I read this post.

https://rateyourmusic.com/list/DaremoS/flute_players_in_rock_music__or_other_woodwind_instruments__/
Quote:
 
Ian Anderson plays mainly transverse flute, but he also plays ethnic flutes and whistles.


The transverse flute can be great fun, but don't let her neglect the kazoo.

The Confederate soldier was peculiar in that he was ever ready to fight, but never ready to submit to the routine duty and discipline of the camp or the march. The soldiers were determined to be soldiers after their own notions, and do their duty, for the love of it, as they thought best. Carlton McCarthy
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brenda
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..............
Copper
Apr 25 2018, 07:22 AM

The transverse flute can be great fun, but don't let her neglect the kazoo.

Could become a family tradition!
“Weeds are flowers, too, once you get to know them.”
~A.A. Milne
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Klaus
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HOLY CARP!!!
Thanks everyone for the feedback, that was helpful, especially LDs comments.

For the time being, she'll start piano lessons next week.

Given that we'll soon have four piano players in the house, I wonder whether this justifies buying a third piano... :lol:

Trifonov Fleisher Klaus Sokolov Zimmerman
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jon-nyc
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Mix it up. Get a high end digital.
In my defense, I was left unsupervised.
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Piano*Dad
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Bull-Carp
Quote:
 
I stand corrected. I had to Google the term and what came up was mostly a turned wooden flute with a carved embrochure.


That's because the Baroque "flute" was called the "traverso." It competed with the recorder, which was not "transverse." I love the rich woody sound of the period traverso. But it's a lot harder to play than the modern silver contraption. In part, that's because the embouchure is just a hole in the wood and the hole is often very small so it's difficult to control the air flow. James Galway has jokingly referred to the period wooden traverso as like trying to play an old chair leg.

Having had a flute player in the house, I think it's a wonderful instrument to learn. It has a sizable solo repertoire (often accompanied by a piano), and a huge repertoire for small groups. But it's hard to start out on a full-sized flute at age six. The hands and arms just aren't big enough. My youngest son wanted to start at about age seven, but the local teacher didn't want to have anything to do with a little one. Thankfully, a professor at the College took him on.


An ooooold example of fun small-ensemble pieces for the flute.

Baroque work by Johann Christoph Pez

Unlike the double bass, the flute is also very ... portable! :silly:
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brenda
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..............
PD, it's nice to have you jump in on this one. I was wondering when you would.

It's also nice to see your Scandihoovian roots showing with your comment on the ooooold example. Even if you weren't aware of your Scandihoovian family history, it's now apparent to me. Next thing we'll find out is if we're cousins. :)
“Weeds are flowers, too, once you get to know them.”
~A.A. Milne
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jon-nyc
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Hey, I got it in my Honda Fit once.

Of course I had to lay down the back seat AND the passenger seat so it could fit.

The plus side of that is they don’t have the kid carry the instrument back and forth to school. He uses theirs at school. Even the cello players have to bring the instrument back and forth.
In my defense, I was left unsupervised.
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Mikhailoh
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Oh... you mean you got your PIANO in the Fit. OK. I'm with you now.
Once in his life, every man is entitled to fall madly in love with a gorgeous redhead - Lucille Ball
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jon-nyc
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Haha. But really The boy’s double bass. I was responding to PDs final comment.
In my defense, I was left unsupervised.
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Mikhailoh
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The original misunderstanding still applies.
Once in his life, every man is entitled to fall madly in love with a gorgeous redhead - Lucille Ball
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Qaanaaq-Liaaq
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Senior Carp
All school orchestras and bands have flute players.

Does her school offer musical instrument classes? Age six is the first grade and she might be too young for flute playing as others here have said. If I remember correctly, at the elementary school that I attended, it was ages 10-12 in which students were offered musical instrument instruction.


She might encounter the following situations in public schools. In public schools, you don’t always get what you want when selecting a musical instrument. It’s best to have a back-up instrument selected. Girls basically chose the flute, clarinet, oboe, violin, etc. because they’re smaller and lighter. Guys mainly wanted percussion and saxophone. The teacher pretty well determined who plays what and sometimes it was gender and stature related. For example, if it’s a tall guy with long arms, the teacher might encourage him to play the trombone. The school only has a certain number of each instrument so not everyone gets what they want. Also, the teacher wouldn’t want too many flute players and nobody on the bass clarinet and French horn.


On the first day of class, instrument assignment might be made by some crude method. For example, the teacher will go down the class roster by alphabetical last name sequence. This means students with a last name starting with a letter at the beginning of the alphabet will have a better chance of scoring the instrument of their choice. If a student’s last name starts with a letter at the end of the alphabet, he’ll get the left over instruments nobody else selected.
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