Scales and Arpeggios Sheet Music

Scales are the most basic building blocks in music. That's why it is a good idea to take the time to practice them thoroughly.

But be careful: don't rush! Practice really needs time. Start playing slowly and strive for accuracy. Only when you've succeded in playing exactly and evenly all the notes of a scale you should start increasing speed.

Basic scales and arpeggios

Diatonic scales

More advanced scales

Recommended Material

When it comes to technical exercises, there's really just one book that can be considered a must for all serious flutists. We are obviously talking of 17 Grands Exercices Journaliers de Mecanisme, composed almost a century ago by Paul Taffanel and Philippe Gaubert. This fantastic book contains 17 progressive exercises, which have helped generations of flutists to develop and secure both technique and tone. These exercises should be performed daily to maintain and strengthen your technique.

The book has actually become so famous that experienced flutists often refer to its exercises just by mentioning a number preceded by the abbreviation “E.J.”, which stands for exercice journalier (French for “daily exercise”). For example, at master classes you can hear suggestions like: “You have some difficulty when changing octaves, it would be very beneficial for you to practice E.J. 6.”

If you are willing to get serious about flute playing, our suggestion is: get a copy of this book, and start spending at least fifteen minutes a day on its exercises. Like all technical exercises, they should be played right after some tone exercises, like the ones found in the also famous De la Sonorité by Marcel Moyse, or in the more recent Practice Books for the Flute by Trevor Wye.