Blocki Flute Method

Author: Kathy Blocki
Format: Book
Instrumentation: Flute

Flute Zoo Books are the new fun, and engaging way to learn to play the flute. These books, with their bright colours and cheerful imagery, were written with elementary age flute students in mind, although we have found that older children (and even adults) love the fun songs and activities as well! Each book is between 32 and 40 pages long. So the new flutist will gain a strong sense of accomplishments as they more quickly earn their certificate for Flute Zoo book one.

Flute Zoo Teacher's Manual

This 136 page Flute Zoo Teacher's Manual is essential for effectively teaching the Flute Zoo series. The manual begins by giving detailed instructions on how to integrate the Five-Note Fun Sticker Book and then continues with a page-by-page explaination for each page of Flute Zoo Books 1, 2, and 3. The book ends with 20 pages of reproducible cards and games to use with students.

Even the most seasoned teachers will gain many insights to incorporate into their teaching.

The Flute Zoo Teacher's Manual is spiral bound for ease of use.

The Flute Zoo Advantage

Tone: With Flute Zoo books students learn both high and low notes on the head joint. Playing in the high and low octave continues when students begin with the whole flute. This gives the new flutist an enormous advantage and teaches embouchure flexibility which is vital for becoming a great flute player. Teaching flute is not like teaching trumpet in which the high notes are more difficult. High notes become difficult when students only play in the low and middle octaves for as much as one year. The students then have trouble with embouchure flexibility, and the ability to form a smaller lip opening. Listen to this young beginner accidentally playing in three octaves!

Rhythm: Flute Zoo books 1-3 and the Five-Note Fun Sticker Book work together to insure a solid rhythmic foundation. Towards the end of Flute Zoo Book 2 students are reading rhythms that may appear simple, but imply more difficult rhythms. They learn how to play rhythms like a dotted quarter note followed by an eighth long before they actually read it. In Flute Zoo Book 3, students use the rhythm cards in the back of their book to first play these rhythms with tied eighth notes. Then the card is flipped over to reveal how the rhythm would be written without tied notes.

The Five-Note Fun Sticker Book helps to instill the ability to move between beat levels with ease. This foundation is essential for playing the complex rhythms they will encounter in Blocki Flute Method Book 3.

Creative Composing: These projects develop creativity and highlight the new concepts being learned. Each Flute Zoo Book contains several engaging composition activities.

What is the difference between Blocki Flute Method Book 1 and the Flute Zoo Book?

The content in the Blocki Flute Method Book 1 equals Flute Zoo Books 1, 2 and 3. The Flute Zoo books move at a slightly slower pace and are shorter giving a sense of accomplishment as they finish each book more quickly. The Flute Zoo Five-Note Fun Sticker Book is essential to the Flute Zoo series but can also be used with the Blocki Flute Method Book 1.

After working through all four Flute Zoo books, students will be ready to start in Blocki Flute Method Book 2. The Blocki Flute method was designed to give the beginner an excellent foundation in beautiful tone, embouchure flexibility, rhythm and technique. This comprehensive and step-by-step approach was written to ensure success and includes theory and composition projects.