Customer Reviews

How to Love Your Flute: A Guide to Flutes and Flute Playing, or How to Play the Flute, Choose One, and Care for It, Plus Flute History, Flute Science, Folk Flutes, and More

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Mark Shepard's book has been an invaluable help to me in relearning how to play the flute after a 20 years break. I played in high school and had virtually forgotten everything about playing the flute. It all came back to me through the very relevant information presented in "How to Love your Flute". Shepard's enthusiastic approach to the flute is absolutely contagious. Thanks to Mark Shepard for rekindling my interest.

I am a maker of traditional Japanese shakuhachi flutes since 1970. Mark Shepard's wonderful edition dates back to the early years of interest in ethnic flutes here in the USA. It inspired a lot of people and has had a "cult following" for decades. Along with his other books on flute construction, How to Love Your Flute has established Mark as one of the pioneers in the field.

Here at Tai Hei Shakuhachi ... we offer resources for folks interested in making their own flutes. I've received calls from people searching for this book even a decade after it disappeared. In no other book about modern woodwinds will you find thorough instruction and extensive knowledge combined with such insight and wisdom. I pushed Mark for years to get this unique resource back in print and am so glad it is readily available once again.

I purchased this book as a gift for my flute student and found myself reading it before I gave it to her! The history of the instrument is well detailed and there are interesting sections on the different types of flutes around the world. This is an excellent book for anyone interested in flute lore as well as caring for their instrument

And this book is helping me a lot with my progression. A few of my friends who also play the flute are already asking me to borrow it to them, and for a good reason! You'll love it too, I'm sure.

As a flute instructor, repairman, player, and director, I find this book, Mark Shepard's "How to Love your Flute" an invaluable resource to the flute community. It includes new aged techniques as well as classical ones, also folk flute. Tis is a great book.

I have bought a few beginner flute books, and this one is clearly a classic. Many previous reviews cover the book well already, but I must add that the section on emboucher and producing notes was too brief. The most challenging part of learning the flute is making good sounds come out of it, and the book does not seem to adequately address this with satisfactory depth or give more specific tips on what to do about this main obstacle to learning.

I knew nothing about the flute when I bought this book. I was pleased to not only learn a lot about the history and variety of flutes, but also to successfully purchase, assemble and begin to play a flute based on the author's clear and competent guidance. When I found a flute teacher, she was also impressed with the range of information the book presents, and added it to her recommended list. I am less than halfway through the book, so I can't comment on the more advanced sections, except to say that they appear to cover all aspects of music theory.

This guide to flute history, mechanics and playing technique is an excellent source for the beginner. It is written using understandable concepts that make it possible to visualize what is being taught. If you have not yet begun taking formal lessons with a teacher, this book will give you a good start.

What a great book. Well laid out, clearly stated and very practical. I look forward to following it in the path to improving my enjoyment of flute playing.Thank you Mark

This is the kind of book that should be required in band classes. It was nice to see some of the things you could do to repair the instrument, how to select an instrument, different types of flutes.