Starting to play the flute can be an exciting yet challenging journey for beginners. Finding the right music can make all the difference in developing confidence, technique, and a love for the flute. Whether you're a flute teacher, a young learner, or an adult beginner, selecting music that is both engaging and accessible is key to fostering growth and enjoyment. In this two-part article, I’ll guide you through some of the best flute music for beginners, from essential method books to easy repertoire, tailored for different age groups and learning styles. Let’s explore the many wonderful resources out there to help you or your students build a solid foundation in flute playing!
Please note: some of the books recommended are my own publications, and some of the links to books are sponsored. There are many excellent books not mentioned here, and each teacher will advise what best suits their students.
This guide will be in two parts, PART 1 covers:
And a separate article, PART 2 includes:
Easy Flute Repertoire
Flute Duet Music for Beginners
Flute Storybooks for Kids
Please see the button link to PART 2 at the end of this article.
Flute Method Books
Method books are the cornerstone of a beginner’s musical education. These books guide students step by step through fundamental techniques and musical concepts with simple exercises and pieces. A good method book will not only teach the basics but also inspire beginners to keep learning by making the process enjoyable and rewarding.
Top Picks for Flute Method Books
The Young Flute Player Book 1 by Karen North
One of the key strengths of The Young Flute Player Book 1 is its user-friendly approach, making lessons enjoyable for both teachers and students. Organized into progressive units, the book introduces new notes and musical concepts at a steady pace, giving lessons a clear, structured flow. Each unit offers a variety of engaging activities that not only keep students motivated but also help teachers create a lively and dynamic learning environment.
Another feature of this book is the seamless integration of scales and exercises with the repertoire. This both reinforces technical development and helps students understand how technical work connects directly to the music they are playing. Designed for young learners ages 6 and up, the manageable units ensure students feel a sense of accomplishment as they progress. Along the way, they can have fun earning stickers on practice charts, colouring cheerful illustrations, playing note games, composing their own music, and even receiving a graduation certificate upon finishing the book.
The learning experience is supported by free backing tracks and professional recordings of all the pieces, boosting listening skills and helping students play confidently with accompaniment. For teachers, The Young Flute Player Book 3 provides piano accompaniments and flute duets, and Book 4 offers beginner duets and trios to complement the method book.
Perhaps the strongest testament to this method's success is its longevity—teachers and students alike have been achieving great results with The Young Flute Player series for over 35 years. It remains a popular choice in flute studios around the world, appreciated for its effective blend of pedagogy, creativity, and fun.
This book is also available in Portuguese, German, Spanish. (French is in preparation)
The Young Flute Player Book 2 by Karen North
Building on the foundation of Book 1, The Young Flute Player Book 2 offers an exciting and diverse collection of 116 pages of repertoire and instructional material. This book is packed with a wide range of music, from Baroque masterpieces by Bach to lively Ragtime tunes by Scott Joplin, along with folk songs, exercises, and festive music. It even features a special section of 14 longer concert pieces, perfect for students looking to expand their performance repertoire.
Just like in Book 1, the progressive units in Book 2 gradually introduce new material, with exercises and scales carefully linked to the pieces. Some song tunes include lyrics to help students understand phrasing and breathing techniques. Fun cartoon illustrations accompany Italian musical terms for style and tempo, making it easier for students to remember and apply these concepts.
Other valuable resources include free recordings of all the pieces, piano accompaniment tracks, and comprehensive fingering charts for every note on the flute. To keep learning interactive, the book also offers music puzzles, blank manuscript paper, and, as with all books in the series, a downloadable Graduation Certificate to mark student achievement.
Flute Music for Little Kids (ages 4-7 years)
When I began teaching over 40 years ago, the youngest students were typically around 7 years old. Today, it’s increasingly common for children as young as 4 or 5 to start learning the flute, thanks to mini flutes, curved head joints, wave flutes, and specially designed method books for pre-readers.
For these young beginners, flute music needs to capture their attention with engaging melodies, familiar tunes, and colourful presentations. Music for little kids often includes simple, repetitive patterns that help them develop confidence while keeping them entertained. Visual aids and playful elements can make learning even more enjoyable for the youngest players. Below are some fun and easy music selections perfect for little flute learners.
Top Picks for Flute Music for Little Kids
The Best Start Music Lessons Song Book 1 by Sarah Broughton Stalbow
The Best Start Music Lessons Song Book 1 is a well-crafted collection of 22 simple yet engaging tunes, ideal for young beginners learning the flute, fife, or recorder. This book provides a thoughtfully structured introduction to the notes B, A and G, allowing students plenty of time to consolidate the fingering changes for these notes.
In my own teaching, I’ve found this book to be especially effective with young students who need additional time consolidating their understanding of BAG notes. They respond well to the mix of familiar tunes like "Mary Had a Little Lamb" and "Hot Cross Buns," with playful original tunes such as "The Spell" and "Going to the Beach." The variety of styles helps sustain students' interest while giving them a fun and effective way to strengthen their understanding of BAG notes. The cheerful illustrations, large music font, and catchy backing tracks add to the overall enjoyment of the learning experience.
Designed for children aged 3-7, the inclusion of interactive questions, such as "How many Gs are in this song?" provides teachers with extra lesson activities. The separate piano accompaniment book is another valuable addition for teachers. The Best Start Music Lessons Song Book 1 is a practical and engaging resource for building a strong musical foundation in young beginners.
The Toot & Hoot Flute Method Book 1 by Irena Mitevska Mileva
The Toot & Hoot Flute Method Book 1 is a charming and carefully designed method book, perfect for introducing the youngest children to the flute. With its bright, engaging presentation and playful approach, it captivates early beginners aged 4 to 7. The method starts with iconic notation, using block pictures to represent rhythm and pitch, making it fun and accessible for pre-readers. The book gradually transitions into traditional music notation, ensuring a smooth learning curve.
What sets The Toot & Hoot Flute Method apart is its variety of interactive activities, from creating custom fingering charts to rhythm and breathing games, all designed to spark curiosity and make learning enjoyable. The method covers the notes G, A, B, F, and C, and includes student-teacher duets. With over 30 engaging tunes and helpful suggestions for practice, this book not only builds foundational skills but also encourages creativity and exploration.
An ideal choice for the youngest flute learners, The Toot & Hoot Flute Method is a playful and effective resource that brings joy and excitement to the early stages of flute learning.
The Purrfect Guide to the TooT Flute by Anne Fontenay
The Purrfect Guide to the TooT Flute is a thoughtfully designed book for the youngest flute beginners, aged 4 to 6 years. With more and more children starting flute lessons at an early age, teachers are increasingly turning to beginner-friendly instruments like the Nuvo Toot. This book is perfectly tailored to meet the needs of these young Toot learners, guiding them through their musical journey with a playful and engaging approach.
The book is set in a charming animal universe, making learning fun with colourful illustrations and lively characters. Structured around newly composed songs and creative exercises, students can explore topics such as rhythm, note-reading, blowing techniques, and movement. Children can write their own songs, fostering creativity right from the start. The book uses the notes G, A, B, F, E, D, and inclusion of both iconic and traditional music notation helps children gradually build their reading skills.
With fun activities like creating a sound story for playful penguins, this book makes the learning process both educational and entertaining. Fontenay has also written My Flute Book, a flute method book for little kids, available in several languages. The Purrfect Guide to the TooT Flute provides a solid foundation to start little Toot learners on their musical journey.
Available in Danish and Swedish, with an English edition coming very soon.
Flute Music for Adult Beginners & Teen Learners
Adult beginners have unique needs compared to younger students, often seeking music that intellectually challenges them while still being within their ability level. For adults, the key is to find music that respects their maturity, offers an achievable learning curve, and is rewarding to play.
Teen learners also benefit from music that balances challenge with accessibility. They may appreciate selections that are more mature in style and content, while still offering the structured progression necessary for skill development.
Top Pick for Flute Music for Adult & Teen Learners
The Young at Heart Flute Player Book 6 by Karen North
Designed specifically for adult and teenage learners, The Young at Heart Flute Player provides a thoughtful progression of skills and a user-friendly layout. While following the same pedagogical structure as the children's book in the series, this version has a more mature selection of music, tailored to older learners.
Well-known melodies, such as Dvořák's "New World" Symphony are featured, alongside pieces by Mozart, Beethoven, and Bartók, offering a wide range of musical styles. Folk tunes from around the world are also included, providing learners with a diverse and enriching experience. Each unit introduces new concepts at a steady pace, allowing students to build their skills without feeling overwhelmed. For example, Unit 12 focuses on introducing slurs without adding new notes, making it easier for students to master the technique.
Practical features like easy-to-read fingering charts and photo guides for assembling and maintaining the flute add valuable support for learners. Scales and exercises are directly linked to the pieces, reinforcing technical development and helping students prepare for more challenging sections of the pieces. The book also includes festive music and scale charts, adding variety to the learning experience. As with other books in the series, there are recordings of all pieces, and optional piano accompaniments are available in Book 3 to enhance performance opportunities.
This comprehensive approach ensures that learners are not only equipped with the necessary techniques but are also inspired by a wide array of musical styles, making it an engaging and fulfilling resource for adult and teen beginners.
Conclusion
No matter where a beginner is in their flute journey, choosing the right music can inspire progress and a love for the instrument. From method books that lay the foundation of skills to music suited to younger children and older learners, there are so many wonderful resources available. By selecting music that resonates with the player's age, goals, and interests, you can help set them on a path to success and musical fulfillment. I hope this guide has provided some helpful suggestions to get started, and I encourage you to explore these and many other options available.
Be sure to check out Part 2 of this blog, where I explore easy flute repertoire, beginner flute duets, and flute storybooks to further enrich your musical journey!
Karen North is a music teacher, mentor and book author. She is passionate about bringing music into the lives of children and adults and has enjoyed working in music education for the past 40 years.
Karen is the author of the popular method books "The Young Flute Player" and has commissioned many new works for intermediate flute repertoire in "Lyrical Flute Legends" , "Lyrical Flute Encores" and "Inspiring Flute Solos." as well as a new collection for beginner flutists, "Lyrical Flute Miniatures".
Karen has written two books of music games (with printable templates) "Fun & Games for Music Lessons", "More Fun & Games for Music Lessons 2" and has recently worked with specialist consultants on repertoire books for Violin, Clarinet and Saxophone.
Karen also organizes an international FLUTE CHAMPIONSHIP each year, to give students of all ages and abilities an opportunity to submit a video performance to an outstanding panel of judges. Her workshops for teachers are enthusiastically received and she also offers one-to-one coaching sessions.
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