Starting flute lessons, what should I expect?

Question

I'm starting flute lessons in a couple of weeks. Is there anything I can do to prepare beforehand? What should I expect from the first lesson?

Note: I already have a flute (Yamaha 221), which has been recently serviced, as well as a book my teacher recommended for me (Trevor Wye's Beginner Book for the Flute).

Answer 1

try to get a sound out of the flute - play around with it, make friends with it.

Music is quite a lot of work.  Don't expect fast results - but if you can do a little practice every day (it doesn't have to be much) you will get better and better.

Answer 2

be prepared for frustration and feeling defeated when you cant get the right song but it will all pay off at the end.

Answer 3

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You should be a responsible Yahoo Asker and choose which

answer you feel has helped you the most !

Answer 4

Sit with your back up strait. Try breathing techniques. And work hard, as long as you practice you'll be good!

Answer 5

Your pinky is gonna hurt the first few days ):

Answer 6

lip cramps

Answer 7

Hello AT,

It is so nice to read that a student is beginning flute lessons.   Hopefully, you are going to enjoy the experience and come away with being a really good flute player.  :)

You are starting with great supplies.  Yamaha flutes are excellent instruments...  great sound, easy to blow.... and the Wye Beginner books is perfect for giving you a good foundation to flute study.  

Not knowing what your teacher is going to expect from you... it is hard to know what you can expect from her.  But,  at first, she is going to give you instruction on how to :

Care for and assemble your flute properly.

How to make a good sound - probably on the headjoint first.

The correct posture for holding your flute.

Good breathing techniques.

You will learn the parts of the flute.

Those are the first and basic things you will learn.  Your teacher may give you one lesson / one page a week.. for you to practice and have ready for your next lesson with her.   It will be a few lessons before you can play a tune but not too long.

You can expect to have little aches and pains in your pinky finger and in your arms for holding the flute up... which are things your body is not use to doing.  You may get a head rush when you are blowing into the headjoint, but that will pass after you get use to it.

The only thing you should do is stay excited about playing the flute and about your lessons and you will be a great flute player!!!