THE TONE AND TIMBRE TOOLKIT for Flute

The Tone and Timbre Toolkit approaches the teaching and development of tone and tone colour in flute playing in a completely new and unique way. No two players are alike; we all have different shaped faces – lips, jaw, teeth, tongue – and this means that what works really well for one player might not be the best option for another. For any player who finds that they need fresh ideas to unlock their potential, or teachers looking for new ideas to help their students, this book aims to empower a personalised exploration that will lead to artistic agency, autonomy, motivation, authenticity, imagination, and individuality. This book does not tell players how to do something; it offers ideas to try out, explore, and personalise, and can be used by students, with the guidance of a good teacher, or by players working independently. 

All ideas in The Tone and Timbre Toolkit have emerged through doctoral research and been proven through the research process to have a positive impact on tone and timbre, and all ideas are based in the practice of some of the most experienced players (The London Philharmonic Orchestra, BBC Symphony Orchestra, English Chamber Orchestra, The Netherlands Radio Philharmonic Orchestra) and teachers (Royal Academy of Music, London, Royal College of Music, London, Trinity Laban Conservatoire, London, Royal Conservatoire of the Hague, Chetham's School of Music, Manchester, The Purcell School for Young Musicians, Hertfordshire, etc.,) in Europe, but not all ideas will work for all players; it is for each individual player to explore, experiment, and take and adapt what works for them. In the immortal words of the martial arts legend Bruce Lee, players are invited to ‘Absorb what is useful, Discard what is not, and Add what is uniquely your own’.

The Tone and Timbre Toolkit is aimed at serious students, teachers, and professional players who are looking for new ideas to enhance their practice as expressive and creative artists and/or creative and adaptive teachers. It contains lots of ideas that are 100% guaranteed not to be found in any other book on the market. The ideas are presented as a set of tools that invite experimentation and personalised discovery, designed to empower the development of the personalised, individual musical voice. As well as the tools, The Tone and Timbre Toolkit offers theoretical explanations behind ideas, a selection of practice exercises, and over 20 pieces of expressive repertoire, adapted from repertoire for voice and other instruments (piano, violin, oboe, etc.), together with QR codes linking to professional performances, backing tracks, video tutorials, and downloadable piano parts. The accompaniments provide a harmonic context within which flute players can consider their use of tone and timbre, and another instrument against which to measure intonation, which should always be of paramount importance.

All materials are designed to develop awareness and control of a range of factors that impact the production of tone and tone colour; to bring awareness to aspects of playing the flute, both physical and auditory, and to offer a selection of practical ideas – ‘the tools’ – and repertoire, with which players can experiment. The book is conceived to fuel exploration and mastery of tone and tone colour, to feed the musical imagination, and to help players to embed ways of playing that are personal, reliable and effective, and that become, over time, automated, instinctive, and adaptable, helping to empower a spontaneous, creative, and expressive use of tone and colour.