For the last issue of the printed Flute Focus, I thought I’d talk about a great little duet out of my favourite New Zealand Flute Music Book: “Little Dancings”, published by SOUNZ, the Centre for New Zealand Music.

I have fond memories of playing duets with my teachers, and aim to find time for this in my own teaching. We learn SO much from playing with others! A bit of duet work can be informative in the best way about musical collaboration, intonation, tone, style, and even do wonders for sight reading skills.

This particular duet is short, cute, and in a jazzy style (a good introduction to swung rhythms), ideal for an encore or one of those ridiculously short talent quest items at school. There aren’t any page turns, and it won’t take up too much of your lesson!

Oh, and did I mention that it is in E flat minor (6 flats)? We can hear the groans, but actually this duet might even be enough motivation to get your student to read 6 flats!

There is a small indication at the top of this piece: 2 quavers/eighths equals one crotchet/ quarter and one quaver/eighth. This is to help give you the idea of how to swing. It helps to listen a bit to some old style, big band type swung jazz, because it isn’t really triplets either. Swung rhythm sounds to me to be something in between, and best translates to ‘relaxed’. That first measure Cb, the last Bb and the Cb and Gb of the next measure should happen somewhat after where they have been written. My favourite rhythm in this piece happens in measure 16, where the marcato note is kind of a syncopation effect, and I’d choose to play it a tiny bit early as a surprise.

This piece begins with a vamp that continues, in some version thereof, throughout; one flutist has to be the kitset drums or bass. Being of a very manageable speed, this work could also be a lesson in use of the Bb lever key that is so much more convenient in passages combining Cb or B natural, Bb and Gb.

Bryan uses some interesting articulations throughout this piece. It can also be a lesson on the sustained accented notes that we might refer to as ‘bell tones’ (see first measure). Being able to produce this type of note shape without a plunge in pitch is really an essential skill for a flutist and this duet provides a cool context. We also see the apparently conflicting indication of staccato dots under slurs. Some familiarity with string writing makes all of these subtleties easier to grasp; to convey this marking, a string player would keep the bow going in one direction with a slight hesitation and pull/push for the articulation. We generally translate that into light tonguing and very sustained notes. Here, I would go a little more towards gentle bell tones (or very gentle accents beginning notes and diminuendos at the ends of notes) because I like the rhythmic emphasis that gives to the beginning of each beat.

Measure 29, after the key change, features a high C in the second flute part (equal opportunity writing here!). Most importantly, don’t be shy; I imagine this is the screaming high note coming from the band’s solo trumpet! If you have a B-foot and can reach your gizmo key (this operates just the low B), that C is much more manageable, but pitch on this note is a challenge for everyone! Adding more fingers (right hand) can be helpful but it may also be worth trying a High B natural fingering without the thumb. This fingering produces a dramatically flatter C and may actually require you to lip the C up at the beginning, but the crescendo should be more comfortable.

Finally, a word about vibrato... a well developed singing vibrato sounds great in classical music but you just don’t hear that in jazz. A straighter sound, a very deliberate and expressive wobble that is not constant, or even simple plain notes will sound better in this piece, especially on those last E flats!

Alexa Still records for Koch International Classics and performs concerts internationally. She has just finished an elected term as Chair of the Board of Directors for the National Flute Association (USA) and is now based in Sydney as Head of Flute and Chair of Woodwind at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music. You can read, see and hear much more at her website: www.alexastill.com