Sharon Dowsett Flute Lessons

08/01/2022

3 years ago I decided that I was going to sit my Grade 8 piano, and this time I was definitely going all the way, no excuses after a couple of months and the practise slowly petering away. So I bought the the scales book and started slowly plugging away, night after night once the boys had gone to bed. Slowly, very very slowly, I began to notice improvements but it took years of practice to learn the pieces and all the scale requirements (over 100 of them!) And it definitely gave me some insight in to what it's like preparing for my students! The day of the exam came, I was terrified as piano is not "my instrument " and I would have been relieved to just about scrape a pass, so I was delighted when the results came back and I had got a distinction, the first time ever on piano! So whatever it is you're trying to achieve DON'T GIVE UP!!! It is possible!

27/10/2020

'What do we want? SCALES! When do we want them? NOW!' I hear you cry, or maybe it's the sound of children shouting floating in through the open window, can't be sure. But anyway, here's my handy tutorial on all things scales...

This tutorial is all about perfecting your scales from the early grades right through to advanced level. I discuss correct hand position, techniques to learn...

14/10/2020

Online masterclass with Katherine Bryan of the RSNO for school aged flautists this Saturday. Closing date tomorrow, sign up herehttps://www.benedettifoundation.org/secrets-of-the-flute

A two-part series focusing on developing vibrato for advanced violinists & violists. A follow on to the July vibrato session, but equally as accessible to new participants, these sessions will allow you to extend your vibrato skills in the higher positions and with double stops and to explore the di...

11/10/2020

Maybe this is the answer to playing flute during pandemic, burn it up... https://www.facebook.com/6569469259/posts/10159094774564260/

08/09/2020

I have a wee companion in my teaching room today. Let's see how long this lasts when I start blasting down the pipe 😂🐈

28/08/2020

Morning everyone! Today's new lesson is for anyone, it's not just about the flute. It's the first part of my basic music theory tutorial, covering counting and note duration. Check out my new skills- zooming and cropping, cutting!! Took me AGES haha. Thanks for your support guys!

An introduction to the basics of reading notated music, with practical demonstrations to help understand how written music is actually played.

24/08/2020

Lesson 6 is live! Check out my skills with video editing; this week I mastered adding captions to my tutorial! This time I discuss hand position and some new notes.

https://youtu.be/z2xAB0nikXM

19/08/2020

A huge Thank You so much to everyone who has been liking and sharing my flute tutorials so far, it means alot! Here is lesson 5, which explains flute tonguing/articulation as the way to start the sound clearly.

In this lesson I explain how to start each note with a clear tongue stroke, called 'single tonguing'. Articulation is the umbrella term for all types of tong...

14/08/2020

My 4th lesson has gone live! Learn about correct flute posture when standing and sitting!

In this lesson I'll show you the ways to stand and hold your flute to achieve the best results.

10/08/2020

My 3rd lesson has now gone live! This time I guide through how to play the first 3 notes.

Once you've mastered a clear sound on your flute you're ready to learn your first 3 notes. Here I'll run you through how to play B A and G. Happy practising!

07/08/2020

Hi all! I have released my second tutorial (in which you finally get to see my face). Continuing on from the last lesson it covers how to make a clear sound on the head joint. More coming soon!

In this lesson I'll demonstrate how to blow to make a clear sound on the flute.

04/08/2020

Ok, so here's something new and exciting. Sharing the first installment of my new YouTube flute lessons! These will cover the basics as well as intermediate and advanced techniques. Ok, so you can't actually see my face in this one, as it's a demonstration of how to assemble the flute, but that was so there would be a better view of what I was actually doing! Lockdown meant that I was continually recording content to send to my existing students, but as I have new private students starting in September I thought I would make content they can all watch rather than recording separate tutorials for each student. Obviously watching a tutorial shouldn't replace getting a well qualified and patient teacher but I'm here for tips and just another viewpoint if needed.

Firstly, congratulations on choosing to learn the flute! This first lesson covers how to put your instrument carefully together, as well as cleaning and care...