City Snapshots for Flutes

Includes CD

As with all James Rae's books, this one is full of good music and well thought out. Each piece works for one or two flutes with the parts printed on opposite pages which makes it easier to learn. The idea of travel is very appealing, the CD is excellent, duets are a great way to develop ensemble skills and the book is progressive, making it a very good investment buy. Ideal for hard-pressed students, teachers and parents alike!

This Versatile collection of 12 short pieces will be popular with tachers and young students alike.  The tunes are catchy and appealing to young learners, and each is inspired by a different musical style from around the world, including a lilting Irish jig, a pentatonic Chinese melody, an Argentinian tango and a lively Cossack dance.  A CD accompaniment is included and 'teacher-friendly' piano accompaniments are available as a download.

The pieces themselves are ideal for children wanting some light relief in between the early grades, as they are fun and varied, whilst also being in a comfortable range and generally rhythmically straightforward.  Playing along with the piano part or CD backing would be ideal for students looking for concert pieces.  The advertised standard is Grade 0-2, although I think that most learners would probably be comfortable looking at them after taking Grade 1, with the most challenging being around or above Grade 2 level.

As well as being excellent as stand-alone solo pieces, the book also features optional second parts for each piece.  These have the same rhythm as the first part but are usually a little lower, making them suitable for introducing less experienced students to ensemble playing.  Clarinet and saxophone versions of this book are available, with all pieces sounding in the same key, meaning that this book could also be used with a larger wind ensemble, although because of this the flute  parts are often in Bb major or G minor which may not be familiar keys for students of Grade 2 and below.  Nevertheless, the light. characterful pieces and the versatility of this book make it a great choice for teachers, as well as being suitable for a child who has just taken a graded exam.  Highly recommended.