Free Flute Sheet Music

Tune of the Day: LeapFrog by Paul Merkus

Today we have a new contribution from our guest composer from the Netherlands, Paul Merkus. This piece was originally written in 1994 for solo piano, and has now been arranged for flute and piano.

The piece starts with an intro in the low register, followed by a second theme with Mozartian embellishments, accompanied by an Alberti bass.

After a quiet interlude (in two positions), the actual “LeapFrog” theme follows. Here, I have the image of a frog leaping from one leaf of water lily to another: “a frog that leaps,” which, through a pun, leads to the title “LeapFrog.”

Finally, this short piece ends with a buildup towards to final eight bars in maestoso style.

Tune of the Day: Bolt the Door

This single jig is taken from Francis O'Neill's collection Music of Ireland, published in Chicago in 1903. The tune has been employed for the English country dance “Jack's Health” since at least the early 1970s. As a result, it is sometimes erroneously assumed to be an old English dance tune.

Tune of the Day: Russian Dance

This is the last étude from Ernesto Köhler's 25 Romantic Studies, Op. 66. It consists of a lively “Allegro vivo” in E major and a melancholic Andantino in A minor.

Tune of the Day: Le Faineant

This is the last duet in D major from the 55 Easy Pieces by Baroque composer Joseph Bodin de Boismortier. The French word faineant indicates an irresponsible or lazy person.

Thanks to Paolo for contributing this piece!

Tune of the Day: La plus que lente

Debussy wrote “La plus que lente” for solo piano in 1910. The title of this waltz may be translated as "The Even Slower Waltz" or, more literally, "The More Than Slow". Despite its title, “La plus que lente” was not meant to be played slowly: lente, in this context, refers to the valse lente genre that Debussy attempted to emulate. Typical of Debussy's caustic approach to naming his compositions, it represented his reaction to the vast influence of the slow waltz in France's social atmospheres.

“La plus que lente” is marked “Molto rubato con morbidezza”, indicating Debussy's encouragement of a very flexible tempo. Molto rubato (literally, “very stolen”) allows the player great rhythmic freedom, while con morbidezza means “softly”, “tenderly”.

The original version of this piece was scored in G-flat major (with six flats in the key signature), but flutists usually play it transposed to G major, since this key better fits the playing range of the flute... not to mention that it's way easier to read!

Tune of the Day: Merry Mary

This jig appears to be unique to Chicago Police Captain Francis O'Neill's collection The Dance Music of Ireland, published in 1907.

Tune of the Day: Zig-Zag

This is étude No. 8 from Ernesto Köhler's 25 Romantic Studies, Op. 66. Make sure not to insist on the eighth-notes that come after a triplet, and try to play the piece wittily but clearly.