Flute exercises

RetroX1 flute exercises go from the first breath to advanced and play in your flute's key — with the fingering on every note and Practice with the microphone.

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How to do the exercises

1. Start slowly, with a steady, in-tune sound.
2. Use the metronome and speed up little by little.
3. Turn on Practice: the score only moves on with the right note.
4. A little every day.

The exercises

Basic

• Long notes: first three notes (1, 2 and 3 holes)
• Three notes: 1, 2 and 3 holes
• Scale going down slowly
• Scale going up slowly
• Long notes: the whole scale
• Neighbour notes (steps)
• Rhythm: quarters and eighths
• Ionian mode (from the 1st degree)
• Major pentatonic
• Minor pentatonic

Intermediate

• Scale in eighths, up and down
• Scale in thirds
• Tonic arpeggio
• Sequence: 1-2-3-1
• Octaves: same fingers, another breath
• Scale in the second octave
• Dotted rhythm
• Arpeggio waltz (3/4)
• Dorian mode (from the 2nd degree)
• Phrygian mode (from the 3rd degree)
• Lydian mode (from the 4th degree)
• Mixolydian mode (from the 5th degree)
• Aeolian mode · natural minor (from the 6th degree)
• Locrian mode (from the 7th degree)
• Japanese scale (miyako-bushi)
• Pentatonic of China and Korea (Arirang, Doraji, Mo Li Hua)

Advanced

• Scale in sixteenths, two octaves
• Arpeggios on every degree
• Chromatic: half-hole
• Big leaps (sixths)
• Scale in fourths
• Fast articulation (tonguing)
• A harmonic minor scale
• Northeastern Brazil scale (lydian dominant)
• A melodic minor scale
• E harmonic minor scale
• Blues scale
• Whole-tone scale
• Sakura scale (miyako-bushi, with half-hole)
• Kōjō no Tsuki scale (minor, with half-hole)

Scales and modes

The Greek modes start on each degree of the flute's scale. There are also harmonic and melodic minor, pentatonics, the Northeastern Brazil scale, blues, whole-tone and Japanese and Chinese scales.

After the exercises

Play the flute sheet music and study the recorder or the fife.

Frequently asked questions