Free Flute Sheet Music

Tune of the Day: The Jig of Slurs

This classic Scottish tune is probably the best known composition of George ‘G.S’ McLennan, an Aberdeen piper regarded by many as the greatest composer of ‘light’ music on the Highland bagpipes in the 20th century. Composed in 1910, the tune has been a staple of Scottish music sessions, and many Irish as well, so much so that it occasionally has been called, with just a little derision, the “Jar of Slugs”. It is often paired in sessions with “The Atholl Highlanders”.

Thanks to Ronald for suggesting this tune!

Tune of the Day: Allegro by Benedetto Marcello

This is the second movement of a Sonata in G major for recorder and basso continuo, written by Italian composer Benedetto Marcello around 1712.

Tune of the Day: Duet in C major by Devienne

This short duet is taken from the Nouvelle Méthode théorique et pratique pour la flûte by the French flutist and composer François Devienne.

Thanks to Françoise for contributing this piece!

Tune of the Day: Study in A minor by Andersen

This is the second study from a collection of 18 Etudes for flute published in 1891 by Danish flutist and composer Joachim Andersen.

Tune of the Day: Sweet Portaferry

This Irish air in E-flat major is related to Turlough O'Carolan's “The Blackbird and the Thrush” (“An Londubh Agus an Ciarseach”). Source for the present version is the Irish collector Edward Bunting, who noted the tune from “J. McCracken Esq. Belfast, 1800”.

Tune of the Day: Air en Rondeau by Naudot

This catchy air constitutes the third and final movement of a flute sonata in G minor by Jean-Christophe Naudot, a French composer and flutist of the early 18th century.

Tune of the Day: Gravement by Boismortier

This is the opening movement of the seventh sonata from a collection of 12 “little sonatas” for two flutes by the prolific French Baroque composer Joseph Bodin de Boismortier.

Tune of the Day: Study in G by Demersseman

This study in G is the fourth piece from 50 Etudes mélodiques pour la flûte by French flutist and composer Jules Demersseman.

Tune of the Day: Pet of the Pipers

This traditional jig also goes by the alternate title “Doherty's Fancy”, which, however, appears to be unique to Francis O'Neill's Irish Music collection of 1915.

Thanks to Ronald for suggesting this tune!

Tune of the Day: Allegro ma non tanto by Quantz

This lively “Allegro ma non tanto” (“Allegro, but not too much”) is the second movement of Johann Joachim Quantz's Sonata No. 6 in G major for flute and continuo. It is one of the many works for flute that Quantz composed for his student and patron Frederick II, King of Prussia.

Tune of the Day: Duet in F major by Devienne

This short duet is taken from the Nouvelle Méthode théorique et pratique pour la flûte by the French flutist and composer François Devienne.

Thanks to Françoise for contributing this piece!

Tune of the Day: Study in G major by Andersen

This study in triplets is taken from a collection of 18 Etudes for flute published in 1891 by Danish flutist and composer Joachim Andersen.

Tune of the Day: The Rose of Allendale

Many people regard “The Rose of Allendale” as a traditional song from Scotland or Ireland, but in fact it is an English parlour song written by Charles Jefferys and set to music by Sidney Nelson in 1836. Allendale is the name of a village in the English county of Northumberland, though there is also a town called Allandale in Falkirk, Scotland. While the English song lyrics are probably about a maiden from the town of Allendale, some sources suggest that the “Rose” could have been a ship instead.

Because the song has been recorded by Paddy Reilly and Mary Black, Many people mistakenly believe the song to be a (traditional) Irish song. The famous folk bands The Corries and The Dubliners also contributed to the popularization of this song.

Tune of the Day: Adagio by Benedetto Marcello

This is the third movement of a Sonata in G major for recorder and basso continuo, written by Italian composer Benedetto Marcello around 1712.

Tune of the Day: Prélude in B-flat major

This prelude opens the eleventh section of the 55 Easy Pieces collection by French Baroque composer Joseph Bodin de Boismortier.

Tune of the Day: Study in E major by Demersseman

This study in E major is the fourth piece from 50 Etudes mélodiques pour la flûte by French flutist and composer Jules Demersseman.

Tune of the Day: Banjo Breakdown

Despite its title, this Mixolydian-mode melody is a very old and popular bagpipe tune, sometimes also played on the fiddle.

Thanks to Ronald for suggesting this tune!

Tune of the Day: Ta-ra-ra Boom-de-ay!

The first known public performance of this vaudeville song was in Henry J. Sayers' 1891 revue Tuxedo, which was performed in Boston, Massachusetts. The song became widely known in the version sung by Lottie Collins in London music halls in 1892. The tune was later used in various contexts, including as the theme song to the television show Howdy Doody.

The song's authorship was disputed for some years, and later editions of the music credited its authorship to various persons, including Alfred Moor-King, Paul Stanley, and Angelo A. Asher. A 1930s lawsuit, however, decided that the tune and the refrain were in the public domain.

Thanks to Steve for suggesting this tune!

Tune of the Day: Allegro by Jensen

This is the lively opening movement of the second flute duet from Six duos faciles et brillants by Danish flutist and composer Niels Peter Jensen.

Thanks to Françoise for contributing this piece!

Tune of the Day: Study in E minor by Andersen

This is the fourth study from a collection of 18 Etudes for flute published in 1891 by Danish flutist and composer Joachim Andersen.

Tune of the Day: Walsh's Frolics

This lively jig was collected from a Francis E. Walsh of San Francisco by Chicago police captain Francis O'Neill, who included it in his collection Waifs and Strays of Gaelic Melody, published in 1922.

Tune of the Day: Presto by Quantz

This Presto is the closing movement of Johann Joachim Quantz's Sonata No. 6 in G major for flute and continuo. It is one of the many works for flute that Quantz composed for his student and patron Frederick II, King of Prussia.

Tune of the Day: Rondeau by Boismortier

This is the second movement of the seventh sonata from a collection of 12 “little sonatas” for two flutes by the prolific French Baroque composer Joseph Bodin de Boismortier.

Tune of the Day: Study in A major by Demersseman

The little study we present today is the sixth piece from 50 Etudes mélodiques pour la flûte by French flutist and composer Jules Demersseman.

Tune of the Day: Perthshire Volunteers

The Perthshire Volunteers were the 90th Light Infantry Regiment, a Scottish regiment of the British Army active from 1794 to 1881. It was originally raised for service in the French Revolutionary Wars, and served throughout the 19th century before being amalgamated into the Cameronians (Scottish Rifles).

According to Keith MacDonald's The Skye collection of the best reels & strathspeys extant, this melody was composed by one “Miss Sterling”.

Thanks to Ronald for suggesting this tune!

Tune of the Day: Allegro by Benedetto Marcello

This is the fourth and final movement of a Sonata in G major for recorder and basso continuo, written by Italian composer Benedetto Marcello around 1712.

Tune of the Day: Romance by Jensen

This is the central movement of the second flute duet from Six duos faciles et brillants by Danish flutist and composer Niels Peter Jensen.

Thanks to Françoise for contributing this piece!

Tune of the Day: Study in D major by Andersen

This Allegretto is the fifth study from a collection of 18 Etudes for flute published in 1891 by Danish flutist and composer Joachim Andersen.

Tune of the Day: Harpers Frolic

This very popular English session tune, often paired with “Bonnie Kate”, originally appears in the Harrison and Wall music manuscript from the village of Ashover, Derbyshire, dated 1762-75. The tune has developed from the original in the ‘folk process’ of modern playing, and nowadays it is often considered a polka, although of course it predates the polka form.

Tune of the Day: Allegro by Quantz

This is the central movement of Johann Joachim Quantz's Sonata No. 3 in C minor for flute and continuo. It is one of many works for flute that Quantz composed for his student and patron Frederick II, King of Prussia.

Tune of the Day: La Castillanne

This loure constitutes the second duet in B-flat major from the 55 Easy Pieces collection by French Baroque composer Joseph Bodin de Boismortier.