Free Flute Sheet Music

Tune of the Day: Market Chorus from Masaniello

This tune is taken from Act III of French composer Daniel Auber's 1828 opera La muette de Portici, which is also known as Masaniello. In its original form, the piece is a chorus titled “Au marché qui vient s'ouvrir” (“At the market that is opening up”), set in the large market square of Naples, Italy.

The present arrangement for two flutes is taken from Blake's Young Flutist's Magazine, published in 1833.

Tune of the Day: Study in G-sharp minor by Drouet

This Moderato is the eighteenth study from the fourth part of the Méthode pour la flûte by French Romantic flutist and composer Louis Drouet, published in Paris in 1828. It has a lot of sharp (and double-sharp) notes, so start practicing it slowly: you want to pay extra attention that you're really playing the right notes!

Tune of the Day: Fear a' Bhàta

“Fear a' Bhàta” (“The Boatman”) is a Scots Gaelic song from the late 18th century. According to the legend, it was written by Sìne NicFhionnlaigh (Jean Finlayson) of Tong (a village on the Isle of Lewis, in the Outer Hebrides) while courting a young fisherman. The beautiful slow air captures the emotions that she endured during their courtship.

I often look from the highest hill
That I might see my boatman
Will you come tonight, or will you come tomorrow
Oh sorry will I be if you do not come at all

They got married not long after she composed the song.

Tune of the Day: Berceuse by Gaubert

Philippe Gaubert was one of the great players in the French Flute School of the early 20th century, as well as a noted composer and conductor. He composed a wide variety of instrumental, orchestral and vocal music, and it is not surprising that many of his most effective compositions are for flute.

The sweet Berceuse (French for ‛Lullaby’) for flute and piano that we present today was composed in 1907, and is undoubtedly among Gaubert's most popular pieces.

Thanks to Paul for suggesting this piece!

Tune of the Day: Contredanses en Rondeau by Naudot

These two contredanses constitute the second movement of the fifth of Jacques-Christophe Naudot's 6 Babioles pour 2 Vieles, Musettes, Flutes-a-bec, Flutes traversieres, Haubois, ou Violons, sans Basse. Each of the contredanses is in ternary form, and as is usual with coupled movements it is common to repeat the first piece at the end of the second, but omitting the repetitions; therefore, the resulting pattern is: AABA CCDC ABA.

Tune of the Day: Study in B-flat major by Andersen

This study in octaves is the twenty-first piece from Danish flutist and composer Joachim Andersen's Twenty-Four Etudes for Flute, Op. 30.

Tune of the Day: If I Were a Blackbird

This old Irish song is about a girl who has been courted by a sailor, but is now deserted. She wishes she were a blackbird so she could follow her love.

I am a young maiden and my story is sad
For once I was courted by a brave sailor lad.
He courted me strongly by night and by day
But now my dear sailor has gone far away.

If I were a blackbird, I'd whistle and sing
And I'd follow the ship that my true love sails in
And on the top rigging I'd there build my nest
And I'd pillow my head on his lily white breast.

Tune of the Day: El Torito

Here is a new tango arrangement for flute and guitar. This “Creole tango” was composed by the famous Argentinian singer and composer Ángel Villoldo, often nicknamed “the father of tango”.

Tune of the Day: Leonore by Weigl

This flute duet appears in Blake's Young Flutist's Magazine, published in 1833. It is based on the once famous ballad “Leonore” by Austrian composer and conductor Joseph Weigl (1766–1846).

Tune of the Day: Study in F-sharp major by Drouet

This study in triplets and sextolets is taken from the fourth part of the Méthode pour la flûte by French Romantic flutist and composer Louis Drouet, published in Paris in 1828.

Tune of the Day: The Female Hero

This traditional Irish jig is taken from James Aird's Selections of Scotch, English, Irish and Foreign Airs, first published in 1782.

Tune of the Day: Allegro by Telemann

This is the second movement and first “aria” of Georg Philipp Telemann's Partita No. 4 in G minor, TWV 41:g2, originally published in 1716 as part of the Kleine Kammermusik (“little chamber music”) collection. The original edition indicates that the melody is intended to be played by an oboe, a violin, or a flute.

Tune of the Day: Polonoises by Naudot

These two slow polonaises constitute the third movement of the fifth of Jacques-Christophe Naudot's 6 Babioles pour 2 Vieles, Musettes, Flutes-a-bec, Flutes traversieres, Haubois, ou Violons, sans Basse. The French term babiole humbly indicates something of little value or importance, a trifle.

Tune of the Day: Study in G minor by Andersen

This energetic study in triplets is the twenty-second piece from Danish flutist and composer Joachim Andersen's Twenty-Four Etudes for Flute, Op. 30.

Tune of the Day: The Bold Dragoon

This Irish tune is taken from Harding's All-Round Collection of Jigs, Reels and Country Dances, published in New York in 1905. It can be played as a reel or as a slow air.

Tune of the Day: Larghetto by Mozart

This Larghetto is the third movement of the second of 5 Divertimentos for three basset horns composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart from 1783 to 1785.

Tune of the Day: I've been roaming

This melody in rondo form (ABACA) was originally written by London-born composer and singer Charles Edward Horn (1786–1849). The lyrics are sometimes attributed to a George Sloane, about whom, however, very little is known. One source gives 1882 as Sloane's date of birth, but that seems highly improbable given that the piece was already known as “I've been roaming” well before that date.

I've been roaming, I've been roaming
Where the meadow dew is sweet,
And I'm coming, and I'm coming
With its pearls upon my feet.

The present arrangement for two flutes is taken from Blake's Young Flutist's Magazine, published in 1833.

Tune of the Day: Study in D-sharp minor by Drouet

Today's piece is the twentieth study from the fourth part of the Méthode pour la flûte by French Romantic flutist and composer Louis Drouet, published in Paris in 1828.

Tune of the Day: Dumfries House

This jig was composed by John Riddell (1718–95), a blind amateur fiddle-composer of Ayr, and first published in his c. 1776 A Collection of Scots Reels, Minuets, etc.. Riddell was the composer of several popular airs, and an excellent fiddle player in his day, so much so that he was never without a pupil or an apprentice.

Tune of the Day: Aria from Il Pastor Fido

This Affettuoso is the third movement of Sonata No. 1 in C major from the collection of six sonatas titled Il pastor fido (“The Faithful Shepherd”).

This collection has always been attributed to Antonio Vivaldi until recently. According to modern scholars, however, in 1737 French composer Nicolas Chédeville made a secret agreement with Jean-Noël Marchand to publish a collection of his own compositions as Antonio Vivaldi's Il pastor fido. Chédeville supplied the money and received the profits, all of which was attested to in a notarial act by Marchand in 1749. This may have been an attempt to give his instrument, the musette (a sort of bagpipe), the endorsement of a great composer which it lacked.

Tune of the Day: Rondeau by Naudot

This “gracious” rondeau is the fourth movement of the fifth of Jacques-Christophe Naudot's 6 Babioles pour 2 Vieles, Musettes, Flutes-a-bec, Flutes traversieres, Haubois, ou Violons, sans Basse. The French term babiole humbly indicates something of little value or importance, a trifle.

Tune of the Day: Study No. 23 in F major

This study is the twenty-third piece from Danish flutist and composer Joachim Andersen's Twenty-Four Etudes for Flute, Op. 30. It begins and ends on long notes each introduced by a three-note arpeggio, while the heart of the piece is a bit quicker (un poco più mosso) and based on a sequence of sixteenth notes.

Tune of the Day: The MacMurrough

This jig, probably of Scottish origin, is printed twice in Harding's All-Round Collection of Jigs, Reels and Country Dances (1905): once as “The MacMurrough”, and once as “His Dudeen” (a dudeen being a short-stemmed Irish pipe made out of clay).

Tune of the Day: Rengaine by Paul Merkus

Today's piece was kindly contributed to our collection by its composer, Paul Merkus from the Netherlands.

The piece is titled “Rengaine”, which is French for “simple tune” or “ditty”. This designation is an appropriate title as the piece actually opens with a very simple melody (semplice), but on the other hand it is also a euphemism, because after the easy opening tune there is definitely more to follow. What follows is a variation on the theme with a rich embellishment in the flute and more activity in the piano accompaniment, evolving into a more dance-like part (giocoso) which is then brought to rest by a brief interlude. In a somewhat slower pace (meno mosso) a more lyrical second theme follows, initially established in minor with a plain piano accompaniment, then returning in a major variation above a more agile piano part (animato). This results in a highlight for the flute over a marcato driving bass line (agitato), after which the flute comes to rest. The piano then gets a chance to show off in a sumptuous interlude (maestoso) which is followed by an embellishment of this new theme played by the flute as if it were intoxicated (intontito). After a final trill (like in a cadenza), we return to the opening theme, at first in minor, then repeated by the flute in the more familiar major form (reprise), but this time in the upper octave in order to achieve a brilliant conclusion.

Tune of the Day: Pittsburgh Quick Step

This flute duet appears in Blake's Young Flutist's Magazine, published in 1833. According to Early American Secular Music and its European Sources, 1589–1839, the piece was originally composed in 1827 by American organist William Staunton Jr.

Tune of the Day: Study in A-flat major by Drouet

This study in sextolets is taken from the fourth part of the Méthode pour la flûte by French Romantic flutist and composer Louis Drouet, published in Paris in 1828.

Tune of the Day: The Rising Step

This Irish jig was collected 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: El Fogonazo

Here is a new tango arrangement for flute and guitar. This “Creole tango”, titled “El fogonazo” (literally, “The Flash”), was composed in 1914 by the famous Argentinian singer and composer Ángel Villoldo, often nicknamed “the father of tango”.