Free Flute Sheet Music

Tune of the Day: Semper Fidelis

It was with “Semper Fidelis” that John Philip Sousa had his first runaway hit, in the process creating what is arguably the prototype for the great American march. Sousa wrote the march in 1888, in response to a request by President Chester A. Arthur for something more appropriate than “Hail to the Chief” for use at official functions. Unfortunately, Arthur died without ever hearing “Semper Fidelis”.

Sousa considered this to be his “most musical” march, and it became the official march of the U.S. Marine Corps, whose motto “Semper Fidelis” is Latin for “Ever Faithful”.

Tune of the Day: The Shady Lane

This variant of the famous “Greensleeves” tune is taken from Chicago Police Captain Francis O'Neill's collection The Dance Music of Ireland, published in 1907.

Tune of the Day: Dance of the Insects

This is étude No. 19 from Ernesto Köhler's 25 Romantic Studies, Op. 66. Can you imagine insects dancing?

Tune of the Day: Duet in A major by Köhler

This is duet No. 9 from the first volume of Twenty Easy Melodic Progressive Studies by Ernesto Köhler. It is composed of three parts: an Allegretto moderato, a plaintive (flebile) central section, and a final restatement of the opening theme.

Tune of the Day: Cantilene by Paul Merkus

Today's tune was kindly contributed to our collection by guest composer Paul Merkus.

This simple yet enjoyable atmospheric piece opens with a soothing melody accompanied by seventh chords in the piano, followed by a contrasting, faster intermezzo in triple meter. The opening theme returns in the end, albeit in a different key and with subtle variations.

Tune of the Day: Cahill's Workshop

This jig first appears in Francis O'Neill's collection Dance Music of Ireland, published in Chicago in 1907.

The title probably refers to Chicago police Sergeant and uilleann piper James Cahill, a member of O'Neill's Irish Music Club in Chicago at the turn of the 20th century and a contributor of tunes to the O'Neill volumes. O'Neill writes:

Sergeant Cahill, unassuming as he was, possessed many quaint tunes from County Kildare, where he was born, and besides being an Irish piper, he was an expert wood-turner. In a shop in the basement of his residence he made many chanters equal to Taylor's work in tone and finish. Even as a reed-maker he had few equals, and what was still better, his liberality and assistance were never appealed to in vain.

Tune of the Day: Study in E major by Karg-Elert

This “very lively, sparkling” étude is the nineteenth piece from Sigfried Karg-Elert's 30 Caprices: a “Gradus ad Parnassum” of the modern technique for flute solo.