It’s always exciting to pick up a once loved skill or hobby. Here is some really great advice to a relearning adult flute player that will help get you on the right path, and speed your improvement.
Learn how to celebrate your successes.
It’s safe to bet that a good portion of you reading this article will still have the flute you started on years ago. Unlike fine violins, flutes do not age well. In fact, flutes do the opposite. The pads and special mechanism on a flute dry out and gum up so much that your instrument won’t sound nearly as good as it did years ago. So, you’ll need to take it to a reputable flute technician to be checked out thoroughly.
It is common for these technicians to tell you that you need a total re-pad and adjustment which will run you a couple of hundred dollars (or more).
My number one advice is to only go this route if you really feel you have a quality flute to start with. Otherwise, purchase a new one and start fresh.
You’ll then need to work on the basic flute skills such as holding and balancing the flute properly. This will make all the difference in regaining tone. You may think you remember, but it’ll be well worth your time to spend a few weeks or even months moving through the basics correctly. Use a credible system.
Learn how to celebrate your successes.
Since you aren’t in a situation where you have a peer group watching your progress, it’ll be important to take note of every small achievement. Take good notes before and after your daily practices, and then pat yourself on the back when you feel completely competent on a skill you have been striving towards.
Of course, I could write novels on the exact skills and exercises that would be the best advice to a relearning adult flute player. Instead, I’ll just give a plug for my online program here. It is fabulous for relearning adults. Really. Come join us!
