Playing Flute in Small Groups

Flutists have a lot of alone time - practicing our flute-playing skills, developing our flute sound, preparing pieces for our next lesson…  We spend many hours away from others when we’re dedicated to becoming better at playing flute.  Sometimes it’s important to play music with others.

Playing flute with others

Alan Weiss & Ben Smolen play duets at Flute World in San Francisco on 5/10/19

Playing in a chamber ensemble requires the same attention, focus, and abilities as playing alone but brings in additional excitement and challenges.  Chamber ensembles are usually groups of two to possibly eleven- with one player per part (although sometimes parts are doubled for various reasons). While performing pieces there is usually no conductor, however somebody is responsible for starting and stopping the group, leading the group through passages that slow down or speed up, and more.  The subtle motions these players have are often not visible to the audience.

In chamber music the important sound is that of the whole ensemble, not just that of a solo player.  It is team work and a team production. Each player’s part is important, but the piece is incomplete without all parts interacting. It is with the other members of your group that you produce a new and complete creation that you cannot get on your own.  This is the joy of playing together.

If you play in a musical team –a duet, trio, quartet, quintet, sextet, septet, octet, or nonet- you have shared leadership responsibilities in addition to the responsibility of knowing your own part. These responsibilities vary.  You may know of others that should be added to the following list:

  

Responsibilities of musicians in small musical groups:  

• researching and acquiring appropriate musical selections  (You’ll want to consider the type and number of instruments in the group as well as the ability levels of the members. Someone needs to find music at a library or contribute to the music purchase.)
• assigning and distributing parts  (If more than one player plays the same instrument, It is considerate to ask what part they might like to play and to make arrangements so members are happy with the parts they get.)
•  scheduling rehearsal time
•  finding or providing rehearsal space and a performance venue
• researching and sharing information beneficial to the performance and enjoyment of the piece
• arriving at all rehearsals and performances promptly
• coming prepared to rehearsals by knowing your part
• working together equally, sharing and listening to opinions, and having the same goal  (Is the goal to sightread?  To play together for fun?  To prepare for a performance?)
• being willing to assume, share, and rotate group and leader responsibilities 
• understanding that each member of the group will be a leader/coach at one time or another

Start looking for other flutists and ask around to see if anyone is interested in meeting with you to play ensemble music.  But don’t stop with flutes.  Ask your other musician friends also.  There may be ensemble music available for you.  Playing in small musical groups is a fun and valuable experience, so go for it!

Take some time to browse the ensemble music sections of libraries and online music stores.  Flute music for two, three, or four flutists is readily available at various levels.  You can find music written for four flutes with options to add more (“expandable quartets”).  There are flute ensembles that include alto flute or bass flute parts. You can find duets for flute and clarinet, flute and piano, as well as music with flexible instrumentation (where parts are available for different instruments), and more.

Tips for playing with others in chamber ensembles: 

Individual Responsibilities: 

1. Practice your own part before rehearsing with others. 
2. Learn which notes on your own instrument are in or out of tune.  (No instrument is perfectly in tune with itself…) 
3. Come to rehearsal on time with a friendly attitude willing to work with others.

Group Member Responsibilities: 

1. Allow time to socialize before or after you rehearse.  Learning about your fellow musicians will develop relationships, make the work more fun, build a better team, create a more enjoyable experience, and produce better music!
2. Warm up on your own, or play with the group a bit to warm up.  Then tune with the others.   You may wish to use a tuner for all members, or choose one member to play a note and tune to that person.
3. Listen while you play.  Listen for rhythms, main melodies, counter melodies, harmonies, difficult intonation spots, patterns, etc.  Try to match styles, articulations, and phrasings of your group members.
4. Be respectful, friendly, and willing to ask to play certain sections if you want to do such things as
1. listen carefully to what’s happening in the phrase or piece 
2. work out rhythmic sections for clarity
3. hear important melodic lines and practice supporting them, rather than covering them up
5. And don’t forget- thank your fellow ensemble members for the experience, privilege, and the fun!   

Two happy flutists!