A WORKBOOK

to help you get

BACK into SHAPE
after a BREAK
by Emily Beynon

1
 CONTENTS

1. introduction………………….3
2. how long will it take?……..4
3. foundations & pillars…….4
4. schedule……………………….5
5. boot camp…………………….5
6. useful tools……………………5
7. what to practise……………..8
8. the exercises…………………..9
9. library………………………….36

2
introduction
I recently had five weeks off playing the flute; one week of holiday followed by
four weeks with a broken wrist. As I got back into playing again, I thought that it
might be helpful to share my routine for getting back in shape, and that became
this workbook. In it, I will share some of my favourite exercises, which I have
found helpful when starting back after the holidays.

Even though many of these exercises are ‘technical’

- always use your best tone
- breathe whenever you need to
- always breathe musically
- always listen carefully; to your flute sound AND the sound of your breath
- always have a clear idea of how you are shaping each phrase

What I HAVEN’T included here are breathing exercises. I start every practice
session with a minute or two of simple breathing exercises. This not only helps
get the ‘breathing apparatus’ ready for playing, but when repeated for 10 -15
minutes, can take the form of a very simple, effective pre-concert meditation.

If you’d like some inspiration, check out my YouTube videos on 'breathing' and
‘body scan’:

If you’re off with an injury, you could perhaps still manage some breathing
exercises to keep your ‘breathing machine’ in shape.

You might find my minute-by-minute attention to detail a little surprising; I do

this because, as a perfectionist, some days I wouldn’t get past the first exercise if I
didn’t have a time guide! If you’ve not tried it before, do give it a go - it’s good for
your head!

With all these exercises, take it slow, be consistent and be kind to yourself!
3
how long will it take?
How long this process takes will of course depend on:
- your level of fitness before you stopped
- how long you stopped for and
- the reason for stopping

Try to be patient and trust the process! It’s better to stay one day longer at a
certain step than to jump ahead too fast and risk injury. Do take the rests even if
you feel you could play on - it’s good for your body and your concentration.

foundation & pillars

My regime is structured to focus on the foundations of flute playing:
AIR, embouchure, air speed, scales and arpeggios.
These in turn support the four pillars of flute playing: sonority, dexterity, clarity
and flexibility.

Once all these ingredients are secure, expression and musical freedom can flow!

expression &
musical freedom
Flexibility
Dexterity
Sonority

Clarity

Air speed Scales

Embouchure Arpeggios

AIR 4
the schedule
I suggest starting your work in 5 minute chunks. On the next page you will see a
schedule which I made for myself. On the page after that, there is a blank page
for your to fill in your YOUR schedule. In phase 1, I recommend not more than
1 hour of practice per day, in phase 2, not more than 2 hours and phase 3, 3
hours. This is the maximum I practise, so found it a perfect number to aim for.

You’ll notice that each phase has 6 steps:

- when returning to playing after a holiday, this might be one step per day
- if you’re returning after an injury, then you might spend a few days or perhaps
a week on each step; listen to your doctor, your physiotherapist and your body!
- try to take one day off each week - your body needs it and it will keep you
motivated!

boot camp!
Of course these exercises are NOT ONLY for use when getting back in shape,
they form the basis of my year-round practice regime.

If you don’t do a lot of technical practice, you could also use this program as a
kind of flute boot camp to ramp-up your playing.

useful tools
All you really need is your flute, but there are a few other tools which might be
helpful:
- a notebook to chart your progress
- a timer (or even two; one for playing and one for resting)
- a metronome
- a tuning machine
- a mirror
If you’re using your phone for some of these tools, don’t forget to put your phone
into airplane mode when you step inside your practice zone!

5
6
7
 What to topractise
WHAT practice in the 5 minute slots:

PHASE 1 PHASE 2 PHASE 3

A low register low register low register

B middle register middle register middle register

C harmonics/whistletones harmonics/whistle tones harmonics/whistle tones

D arpeggios - major/minor arpeggios - major/minor arpeggios - major/minor

E 7th chords 7th chords 7th chords

F scales - major scales - major scales - major

G scales - minor scales - minor scales - minor

H sonority sonority sonority

I dexterity dexterity dexterity

J clarity clarity clarity

K flexibility flexibility flexibility

L les bêtes-noires les bêtes-noires les bêtes-noires

after the first hour, after the first hour,
take a good, long rest take a good, long rest
then add pieces then add pieces
OR studies AND studies
(start similarly in 5 or (start similarly in 5 or
10 min chunks + rest) 10 min chunks + rest)

8
The exercises

9
A low register: building a strong foundation
Before you start, make sure you are standing well - feet a hip’s width apart, knees
‘soft’ (not locked), hips above your knees (no twisting), shoulders above your hips,
imagine a string lifting the crown of your head, turn your head (not your
shoulders) a little to the left and bring your flute to you face.
If you need a little reminder, take a look at my YouTube video ‘posture’:

Begin with today’s most beautiful B.

It may not be the best B you’ve played in your life, but
patiently and without any judgement, listen and observe
today’s starting point.

- repeat it a few times trying to make each B more beautiful

- don’t ever push, just observe and feel the air move
- start easily then open the sound and close it, gently moving your jaw forward
to lift the airstream

based on the De La Sonorité by Marcel Moyse

10
You may repeat each pair of notes if you wish. Stretch yourself a little further each
day; start softer, make a bigger crescendo and diminuendo.
This is a tone exercise and also a listening exercise, so listen carefully for:
- the attack
- the resonance
- the tone quality
- the tone colour as you open the sound to the second note
- the vibrato (practise an expressive tone with and without vibrato)
- the pitch
- the ending
- the sound of the breath between each pair of notes
- and finally: all together! etc.
Listen in the same, careful way to the pairs of notes: never judging, simply
observing and feeling today’s version of this exercise.

As you make the diminuendo, gently move the jaw forward to raise the airstream
to correct the drop in pitch.

When the time feels right (after a few days or weeks) work on all three steps with
a tuning machine.

NOTES:

11
B middle register: all about air-speed
In the middle register, most notes have the same fingering as the low register but
they sound higher due to the increased air speed.

In this variation of the famous first exercise from De La Sonorité by Marcel Moyse,
we connect the repeated pairs of notes under one slur. This focuses us on getting
exactly the correct speed of air for the piano (p) part of the exercise. If we re-
articulate, the tongue could be helping us get the right airspeed!

based on the De La Sonorité by Marcel Moyse

Wait on the until nearly all your air has gone then move on to the 3rd note.

In order to avoid the drop in pitch when playing softly, reduce the space between
the lips a little & lift the air-stream by moving the jaw forward.

Listen, just as carefully as you did for the low register, to;
- the attack
- the resonance
- the tone quality
- the tone colour as you play the ‘echo’
- the vibrato (practise with and without)
- the pitch
- the ending
- the sound of the breath between each group of notes
- and finally: all together!

12
𝄐
When you feel ready, repeat the same principle with six notes:

And then on to eight notes per breath.

With all these beautiful legato exercises, make sure that your fingers are legato
too!

NOTES:

13
C harmonics, multiphonics and whistle tones
Practising harmonics is one of the best ways I know to get back in shape or to
warm up; rarely a day goes by when I don’t practise them. They are SO useful for
finding the feel and sound of the different air speeds.
Start softly on a low C. Keep your fingers there while you blow faster air to
achieve the first harmonic and even faster for the second.

I made a YouTube video about ‘harmonics’

which might be helpful if you’ve never practised
them before.

If you have a mirror handy, use it to check that your lips are not moving to get
the higher notes and resist the temptation to get louder.

By the way, PUT YOUR TUNING MACHINE AWAY FOR THIS EXERCISE -
THIS IS NOT WHAT THIS IS ABOUT!

When that feels comfortable, you can move on to a multiphonic, that is, two
notes at once:
Finger the 3rd octave D and see if you can make the C
below it speak at the same time.
If not, try fingering the D and ONLY letting the C
speak, then increase the speed of air so that the D
sounds as well.
Also try the other way around - play that 3rd octave D and relax the lips enough
to let the lower C speak too.

If these exercises are going well, and they feel well in control, move on to upside
down harmonics:
14
Finger the top E flat and let the low (‘ghost’) notes come out.

Whistle tones are another one of my very favourite exercises. You can ‘find’ these
in two ways, and I practise both.

Firstly play a low C with a big diminuendo; when you get to the end, explore the
“fuzziness”; in that “dirtiness”, you’ll find this range of whistle tones.
Try to isolate the individual notes and stabilise them.

Or you might find them more easily by fingering a third register note and then
blowing very, VERY gently (but fast) to let the very soft, whisper of a note out:

NOTES:

15
D E and arpeggios and 7th chords
My favourite way to practise arpeggios and dominant seventh chords is the 2nd
exercise from Mathieu-André Reichert’s 7 Daily Exercises op.5.
I made a YouTube video about the entire book which you might be interested to
watch: My Five Favourite Flute books: 3) Reichert 7 Daily Exercises opus 5

Here’s my version of the 2nd exercise:

16
This sequence then passes through all the keys using the cycle of fourths:

C MAJOR
a MINOR

G MAJOR F MAJOR
e MINOR d MINOR

D MAJOR B♭ MAJOR
b MINOR g MINOR

A MAJOR E♭ MAJOR
f♯ MINOR c MINOR

E MAJOR Ab MAJOR
c♯ MINOR f MINOR

B MAJOR Db MAJOR
g♯ MINOR b♭ MINOR

F♯/Gb MAJOR
d♯/e♭ MINOR

For each new key, I choose a different articulation.

Breathe whenever you need to and always listen carefully to your flute sound
AND the sound of your breath as it enters your body - make this as silent as
possible (open your throat as if to yawn) or at least make sound of the air
entering the body as low as you possible.

I like to phrase with the harmony; a little more intense (or crescendo towards) the
dominant 7th and releasing (diminuendo) when we come back to the tonic. In
this way we practise all the different articulations in different dynamics.

17
18
F G and major and minor scales
Confession: I used to HATE practising scales UNTIL I started practising the
Taffanel and Gaubert ‘Exercises Journaliers’ - number 4! Somehow they feel so
musical and there’s a beautiful flow to them.

By the way, I also made a YouTube video about this exercise!

The basic exercise goes like this:

19
As with the Reichert arpeggio exercise, this sequence also passes through all the
keys using the cycle of fourths:

C MAJOR
a MINOR

G MAJOR F MAJOR
e MINOR d MINOR

D MAJOR B♭ MAJOR
b MINOR g MINOR

A MAJOR E♭ MAJOR
f♯ MINOR c MINOR

E MAJOR Ab MAJOR
c♯ MINOR f MINOR

B MAJOR Db MAJOR
g♯ MINOR b♭ MINOR

F♯/Gb MAJOR
d♯/e♭ MINOR

And again, for each new key, there is a different articulation.

Breathe whenever you need to and always listen carefully to your flute sound
AND the sound of your breath as it enters your body.

Personally, I like to phrase with a crescendo to the top in the MAJOR keys and a
diminuendo to the top in the MINOR keys… but that’s just a suggestion.

20
21
NOTES:

22
H sonority

Getting back into playing this time, I used Paul Edmund- Davies’s 28 Day Warm-
up Book for sections H - K. It had been sitting neglected on my shelf for ages and
as I had 28 days to get back into shape, it seemed like a perfect plan! The book is
conveniently divided into 4 sections, Sonority, Fingers, Articulation & Intervals,
with 7 exercises in each section. I suggest spending 5 minutes per section, per day.

A good alternative would be to spend some time on one or two of the Vocalises
from Philippe Bernold’s book for sonority, ‘La Technique d’embouchure’.
Or perhaps playing a few bars of a famous orchestral flute solo in different keys.
For example:

Gabriel Fauré ‘Pavane’ (1887)

A beautiful solo in the low register.

- Aim for a warm, smooth tone with a singing vibrato. Can you make it sound
just as expressive without vibrato? (Vibrato should never become automatic!)
- Which colour works best? Can you try it with an intense, “E” sound (like an
oboe) or how about a more open, “Oh” sound (more like a clarinet)
- This solo is accompanied by soft (ppp) pizzicato strings but imagine projecting
your sound to the back of a big hall; the resulting character in the ear of the
listener should be piano - try to create this character in a louder dynamic.
- Think about how you want to shape the phrase.
- Which tonality feels best? What do you hear or feel in the different keys?
- Try to create the best legato possible with both air and fingers - avoid lumps or
bumps! Some notes, by their very nature, ’pop’ out - try to smooth them out.
23
Felix Mendelssohn 4th Symphony (‘Italian’) - 2nd movement (1833)
                    
    



         
              
 

   
               
   
 etc.

This beautiful duet for two flutes has the upper flute singing through what can
be an awkward break between the lower octave and the middle register. Listen for
a smooth,
    even
  sound with clear phrasing.
 Keep your
 fingers  gentle but precise.

 using
Try  a beautiful, singing vibrato and then try a version without, whilst
maintaining the expressive quality.
Which key feels best? Try playing different dynamics… explore, enjoy!

Edvard Grieg Piano Concerto - 3rd movement (1868)

This one of our few solos marked forte by the composer. Use a full, open sound
with no sense of forcing and perfect intonation. The tone should sound generous
and float above the orchestra. Take your time on the grace notes and make sure
the triplets are full and even. How does it feel in different keys? Transpose and
explore the best notes for sound, then try to match the weakest one to them.
24
NOTES: here is some space to jot down your favourite ‘sonority’ melodies

25
I dexterity
Hand position is really crucial for fast fingers, so before you set to work on this
chapter, check your posture and hand position (see chapter L too).
Relaxed fingers move faster than tense ones!

Fluency of scales, arpeggios and chords which we covered in exercises D, E, F and

G really help with general dexterity, but sometimes we come across note
combinations which just feel particularly awkward and need some special
attention.

In this section you could work on some exercises from a book like Geoffrey
Gilbert’s ‘Sequences’ or Trevor Wye’s ‘Practice Book: 2. Technique’, or you could
work on a particularly nasty passage and take the time to get to know it better.

Let’s zoom in on an awkward bar of Prokofiev’s Peter and the Wolf:

How would this feel if it was down, or up a semitone? Try it:

This bar is marked forte and the tempo is a ferocious = 176!

26
           
                   
      


But let’s take the stress out of this for a moment and play a softer dynamic and
   more manageable
  
 itdown
break
  into     
chunks.
   the
  passages,
 In tricky    
 hiccough   between a single pair of notes.
  is usually
 in this case, we
 have multiple 
     ‘issues’;
However,
  both little fingers are involved
and we have to switch from almost all the keys open (the C) to almost all the keys

closed (the Eb) Added to this, we’re crossing the registers which requires careful
control  of the different
    airspeeds,
   and finally, that middle Eb is a bit of a dull

note  
   flutes. 
  on  almost
   all    That’s     a cocktail
  quite

 of challenges!
    
    
Let’s focus first on the pairs of notes:

   
        
            
  etc.
etc.
Then for the next step, let’s break it down into the short arpeggios:
      
                         
    
       
                
      etc.  
  
etc.

Now let’s go back to the original and play it at a tempo where it feels EASY.
    four times
 Repeat  and thentry ONE
 much faster  (close to our
 goal tempo).
    goback to one notch
Now  faster
 than
 your previous
 ‘easy’ tempo.
  
Repeat 4 times and then one almost at full speed.

NOTES:

    









 

27
J clarity or articulation

This is an exercise I have adapted from one I heard from Maurice Bourgue’s oboe
class at the Paris Conservatoire. When I am in shape, I usually try to start from
the very top C (C4) but for the purposes of getting back into shape, I find that
working on two octaves is just fine!

STEP 1:
Set the metronome to a tempo at which it is possible for you to single tongue this
chromatic scale down and up again.
Keep the notes short - even at the bottom of the low register!
Make a pronounced crescendo/diminuendo as marked.
Play this scale 3 times at this starting metronome mark.
Then move the tempo up one ‘click’ and repeat the scale another 3 times.

Repeat this pattern until you reach an impossible tempo where you can’t keep
clear and in time with the metronome, then move on to STEP 2.

STEP 2:
Starting at the ‘impossible’ speed from STEP 1, keep the same scale, but now
break it down into two sections with a short stop and the bottom.

28
Play this scale 3 times at this metronome mark then move up one notch and once
again, repeat 3 times.
Repeat until you reach a new ‘impossible’ speed and then move on to STEP 3.

STEP 3:
As you may have guessed already, the next step is to break this same scale down
into one octave chunks. Follow the same procedure; 3 times at each click.

I find this a really useful workout for my tongue!

You could also add here some double or triple tonguing exercises but I am a firm
believer that improving your single tonguing is the key to improving the others.

Here are some orchestral solos which are good for practising articulation:
Paul Hindemith Symphonic Metamorphosis (1943)
Felix Mendelssohn Scherzo from “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” (1842)
Camille Saint-Saëns Volière from “Carnival of the Animals” (1886)
Maurice Ravel Alborada del gracioso (1905)
Gioachino Rossini Overture to William Tell (1829)

NOTES:

29
 K flexibility
Our focus in this chapter is wide intervals and it’s one of the hardest things to do
on the flute. There are essentially three elements to co-ordinate, the movement of
your embouchure, the change in airspeed and finally, the change of fingers.

One of my favourite books with interval exercises is Marcel Moyse’s ‘20 exercises
sur les grandes liasons etc.’
Theobald Boehm’s 'Caprices' op.26 numbers 7 & 22 are also very good practice.
Here are a few examples for the orchestral repertoire:

Paul Hindemith Symphonic Metamorphosis - 3rd movement, Andantino (1943)

Georges Bizet L’Arlésienne Suite - Menuet (1872)
Gustav Mahler 5th Symphony - finale (1902)

              

            
   
      
()

 
         
  


          
           
              

sempre 

Work up each pair of notes, making smooth connections with the fingers, and
15taking care of the exact embouchure position and air speed necessary. Gradually
 the pairs
speed  up and
 then join them together.
      


30


27
  
     
  

Try  
using these   
steps as a starting  
point (based

on the Hindemith fragment):

    

     

  
 
    
                   

                     

   etc.
  (
)          
         

               
etc.

    
                   
 
3 3  3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3
etc.

Remember that quote by Claude Debussy, “Music is the space between the


notes.” Sing THROUGH
        pair of notes.        
 the join between each
             

look back to that beautiful Fauré melody from chapter H sonority:
Now let’s
sempre 

15
  


Here are a few ways we could use that to practise wider intervals:

        
        


        
         

 
     

      31   

L Les bêtes-noires - confronting your demons!
For the last 5 minutes of this program I invite you to face your demons head-on.
Like me, you might be surprised that some of these demons actually become
friends if you spend time with them!

Think of which aspect of your playing you would ask someone to fix if they had a
magic wand; that’s probably your starting point.

Because I had broken my right wrist, I wanted to focus on my right hand as it had
been completely immobilised for four weeks. I wanted to make sure that my
thumb was in the optimal position for supporting the flute and that my pinky
was flexible and free to move.

So BEFORE starting work on a few exercises for the right hand little finger
(pinky) let’s just spend a moment considering right hand POSITION.

First, find the most relaxed position for your right hand WITHOUT the flute: if
you’re standing, let your arm hang down alongside your right thigh, or if you’re
sitting down, put your elbow at the top of your thigh and let the back of your
forearm rest on your leg (the back of your hand should be supported by your
knee) Note the position of the thumb and the softly curved fingers.
Now flip your hand over and when you pick up your flute (with your left hand),
try to keep this relaxed right hand position as much as possible.

The right thumb should be underneath the index finger or even slightly further
‘up’ the flute (in the direction of the headjoint).

Next, tip/turn your hand ever so slightly to the right (towards the flute joint) and
try to open up the space between your index finger and thumb

MOST IMPORTANTLY, make sure your little finger is curved, not straight.

32
Jonathan Snowden ↑

← Geoffrey Gilbert

33
 If your hand position isn’t quite right then you might find this exercise from
Trevor Wye’s ‘Practice Book: 2. Technique’ helpful:
- Play the following exercise slowly with the C# played with your finger ON the
C# key as marked in red here below.
- Tip your hand slightly over to the right.
- You could also move your thumb slightly more towards the headjoint, thereby
opening your hand out, as if playing an octave on the piano.
- Then when you play the Eb, curl your little finger back in on the right hand
side.
- tip: rubbing your little finger along the side of your nose can help make sliding
easier!

  
                             


                                   


                                    


                               

                                 
34
                                  
Now work on the following three exercises using the groups of notes, below:


             


                                

3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3

                         

Start slowly and try to gain full control over your pinky.

NOTES:

35
library
With this book I have not tried to reinvent the wheel, merely to put together
some of my favourite exercises from some of my favourite books, together with
notes on how and why I practise them. I am indebted to the wonderful flute
players and teachers who have put their exercises into comprehensive books.
Here’s a list of some of the books which I refer to most regularly.

Philippe Bernold ‘La Technique d’embouchure’ (Billaudot)

Theobald Boehm ‘Caprices’ op.26 (Amadeus)
Stephen Clarke ‘The Flute Gym’ (Voyage press)
Michel Debost ‘The Simple Flute’ (Oxford University Press)
Paul Edmund-Davies 28 Day Warm-up Book (Kevin Meyhew Publishing)
Angelita Floyd ‘The Gilbert Legacy’ (Winzer Press)
Geoffrey Gilbert ‘Sequences’ (Southern Music Company)
Peter-Lucas Graf ‘Check-up’ (Schott)
Vernon Hill ‘The Flute Player’s Book’ (Fluteworks ACT)
Marcel Moyse ‘De la Sonorité’ (Leduc)
Marcel Moyse ‘20 exercises sur les grandes liasons etc.’ (Leduc)
Thomas Nyfenger ‘Music and the Flute’ (nyfenger.com)
Mathieu-André Reichert ‘7 Daily Exercises op.5’ (Schott)
Roderick Seed ‘Mastering the Flute with William Bennett’ (Indiana Univ. Press)
Taffanel & Gaubert ‘Grandes Exercises Journaliers’ (Leduc)
Trevor Wye ‘Practice Books: 1. Tone, 2. Technique and 3. Articulation ’ (Novello)

Also, many thanks to my dear friend, Katy Bircher, for patiently proofreading
this workbook.

© Emily Beynon 2024

36