Flute For Dummies

By Karen Evans Moratz

Flute for Dummies may be for dummies but it’s not for beginners.

The light humorous introduction makes this book a fun read. There is everything from making your first sound, reading notes, buying and maintaining a flute, repertoire, articulation, vibrato, octaves, practice routine, famous players, fingering charts, flute websites, a nod to extended techniques, world flutes and jazz.

Though it may get you started with the sound, and has a great fingering and trill chart, the repertoire and examples for the rank beginner are few. The strength of this book is for the beginning intermediate player and beyond. (I appreciated the tremolo chart in back.) Adult beginners would be able to gain a lot of useful information between lessons.

I would love to “assign” this book to my middle school students as it would give them a wonderful overview of many different aspects the flute and flute playing.

Ms. Moratz gives very solid performances on all of the examples. Her sound is centered with a strong regular vibrato.  While the limited time spent on rhythm is not adequate for understanding the examples in the book, the played examples will help the student get an understanding of the concept presented.

Flute for Dummies is a great overview of the flute world which encourages one to find out about more players, pieces and styles. This 400 page book is packed full of FUN and useful information.

I recommend every flute teacher have it in her studio for students (and parents) to peruse while waiting for their lesson and for every flutist interested in confirming what they know or filling in gaps for what they may have missed. A fun read. After checking out this book, one would no longer be a “Dummy.” I actually had a hard time putting it down and getting into the practice room!!

[ellen burr]