Free Flute Sheet Music

Tune of the Day: Nocturne in C-sharp minor

This popular nocturne was composed by Frédéric Chopin in the year 1830 for solo piano and dedicated to his older sister, Ludwika Chopin. First published 26 years after the composer's death, the piece is also known by its tempo marking of “Lento con gran espressione” (“Slow with great expression”), or by the popular appellation “Reminiscence”.

The piece is featured in Roman Polanski's 2002 film The Pianist. It is played twice by the protagonist Adrien Brody as Władysław Szpilman, both times at the recording studio at Warsaw Radio at the beginning and the end of the film.

Tune of the Day: Piacevole non largo by Telemann

This is the second movement of Georg Philipp Telemann's fourth Canonic Sonata for two flutes. It is marked “Piacevole non largo”, which could be translated as “pleasant (but) not slow”.

Tune of the Day: Study in E minor by Gariboldi

This is étude No. 19 from Italian Romantic composer Giuseppe Gariboldi's collection of 30 Etudes faciles et progressives.

Tune of the Day: The Captain's Lady

The earliest appearance of this jig is in John Anderson's A Selection of the most Approved Highland Strathspeys, published in Edinburgh in 1789. The tune was later adopted in Ireland, and can notably be found in Francis O'Neill's early-20th-century collections under the title “Tie the Petticoat Tighter”.

Tune of the Day: Song to the Moon

Antonín Dvořák's opera Rusalka was composed in 1901, and based on the fairy tales of Karel Jaromír Erben and Božena Němcová. A Rusalka is in fact a water sprite of Slavic mythology, usually inhabiting a lake or river. This is one of the most successful Czech operas, and represents a cornerstone of the repertoire of Czech opera houses.

Arguably the most popular excerpt of this opera is Rusalka's aria “Song to the Moon” from Act I. The good-natured old Spirit of the Lake, Jezibab, is enjoying the singing of the Wood Nymphs, when his daughter, Rusalka, approaches him sadly. She tells him that she has fallen in love with a handsome young prince and wishes to become human in order to know the bliss of union with him. Deeply saddened, the Spirit of the Lake consents to her request, and leaves. All alone, Rusalka sings this beautiful aria, confiding in the moon the secrets of her longing.

Tune of the Day: A Wayfaring Stranger

Today's piece was kindly contributed to our collection by its composer, Cheryl Cleveland-Kannianen. It is an arrangement of “Wayfaring Stranger”, a beautiful and haunting traditional melody with unclear beginnings. It likely has its origins in the African American Spiritual, but also contains elements of a Scottish Ballad and influences from the German hymn tradition.

This work is appropriate for an intermediate flute trio or flute choir. The arrangement is written for three flutes, but violin may also work well, especially for Flute 3 with a few minor octave adjustments.

Dr. Cheryl Cleveland-Kannianen is a retired scientist who is now pursuing a Music Degree at Meredith College in Raleigh, NC, with a focus on arranging and composition. Cheryl has been a participant in various flute choirs within the Raleigh Area Flute Association (RAFA) for over a decade.

Tune of the Day: Study in D minor by Karg-Elert

This is the second étude from Sigfried Karg-Elert's 30 Caprices: a “Gradus ad Parnassum” of the modern technique for flute solo.

Tune of the Day: Trip It Up Stairs

This jig was entered twice into the mid-19th-century music manuscript of Irish uilleann piper and cleric James Goodman, set in two different keys. Around the same time, the tune appeared in R.M. Levey's First Collection of the Dance Music of Ireland (1858).

A version for the Northumbrian small-pipes entitled “Puddle the Butter” was printed in 1913 by collector Cecil Sharp, originally from the music manuscript collection of the Crawhall family.

Tune of the Day: Combination March

The “Combination March” was Joplin's second published march. Appeared in 1896, it demonstrated the composer's ability to assemble well-structured themes, and is not all that far off from the ragtime he would be writing in short order. Joplin had been traveling with his Texas Medley Quartette (actually double that since there were eight members) and secured publication in Temple, Texas during their tour. The context of the title is unclear, whether Joplin is referring to a combination of styles or ideas, or the group with which he was playing.

Thanks to Guido from Brazil for suggesting this piece!

Tune of the Day: Presto by Telemann

This Presto is the third and last movement of Georg Philipp Telemann's Canonic Sonata No. 4. It is mostly in the key of D minor, but it features a central section in D major. Although the time signature is 4/4, it is probably more natural to think of it in cut time (2/2).

Tune of the Day: Study in F major by Gariboldi

This is étude No. 20 from Italian Romantic composer Giuseppe Gariboldi's collection of 30 Etudes faciles et progressives.

Tune of the Day: Sergeant Cahill's Favorite

This jig is taken from Francis O'Neill's collection Music of Ireland, published in Chicago in 1903. O'Neill obtained the tune from Chicago Police Sergeant James Cahill, a uilleann piper originally from County Kildare, Ireland.

Tune of the Day: Largo e dolce

This is the slow middle movement of Johann Sebastian Bach's B-minor sonata for Flute and Harpsichord. It encompasses two beautifully simple themes, which contrast the complexity of the preceding and following movements.

Tune of the Day: Sakura Sakura

The wonderful arrangement for flute trio and guitar that we present today was kindly contributed by Chris. The piece is an old Japanese air known as “Sakura Sakura”, or simply “Sakura”.

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

This is the third étude from Sigfried Karg-Elert's 30 Caprices: a “Gradus ad Parnassum” of the modern technique for flute solo.

Tune of the Day: Moll in the Wad

The earliest appearance of this tune is in the 5th volume of James Aird's Selection of Scotch, English, Irish and Foreign Airs, published in Glasgow in 1797.

The word ‛wad’ at one time signified (a bundle of) straw, so that the title means “Moll in the straw” (possibly meaning “after childbirth”), although ‛wad’ has also been taken to mean ‛wood’. Barry Callaghan (2007) identified Moll i' the Wad, or Mother Goose, as a popular pantomime figure of the late 18th century. There are also nursery rhymes and old songs called “Moll in the Wad”.

Tune of the Day: Elsa's Procession to the Cathedral

This piece, taken from Wagner's 1850 opera Lohengrin, occurs at Act II, Scene 4, where all are going to the Minster for the ceremony that will occur at the beginning of Act III. The piece starts with a subtle opening which sets the stage for a dramatic build-up, leading very well into any triumphant piece, particularly the famous Bridal Chorus, which falls immediately after this piece in the opera.

Thanks to Anastasia for suggesting this piece!

Tune of the Day: Storybook Fanfare

Today's piece, “a fanfare with a fairy tale vibe”, was kindly contributed to our collection by its composers, Anne E. McKennon and Sophia Parra.

Once upon a time, Anne McKennon and Sophia Parra formed a flute duo playing concerts with sonatas, poetry, character pieces, and narrated musical stories. Storybook Fanfare (formerly Fanfare No. 1) began as a theme song to introduce those concerts. As it turns out, the fanfare held potential. With a little more imagination, it now fits ensembles large and small. It is filled with the charm and curiosity of “Once upon a time...”
I wonder what happens next?

Tune of the Day: Study in D minor by Gariboldi

This study in articulation is étude No. 21 from Italian Romantic composer Giuseppe Gariboldi's collection of 30 Etudes faciles et progressives.

Tune of the Day: Tim the Thatcher

This tune is taken from Chicago Police Chief Francis O'Neill's collection Music of Ireland, published in 1903. The source for this tune was Mary O'Neill, the sister of Sergeant James O'Neill, who also emigrated to Chicago. They are no relation to Francis O'Neill, but James assisted greatly on Chief O'Neill's volumes, and Francis wrote in a letter to A.P. Graves that Mary was skillful on the mandolin and violin.

Tune of the Day: Entr'acte No. 3

In 1823 Schubert provided an overture and ten numbers for a play called Rosamunde, Fürstin von Zypern (“Rosamunde, Princess of Cyprus”) by Wilhelmine von Chézy. The play was a resounding flop, closing in two nights, but the music was well-received. Even so, Schubert did not take advantage of the evident high regard the audience had for it by extracting the music for concert purposes; that service was not performed until 1867, when George Grove and Arthur Sullivan made their famous discovery of a treasury of forgotten Schubert scores.

The Entr'acte No. 3 in B-flat major is one of the two best-known pieces in the score, the other being Ballet Music No. 2. Schubert reused the main theme of this entr'acte in the second movement of his String Quartet in A minor, D.804 and, in a modified form, in the Impromptu in B-flat, D.935, No. 3.

Tune of the Day: Affettuoso by Telemann

Here is the third movement from the fourth of Telemann's Sonates sans Basse à deux Flutes traverses, ou à deux Violons, ou à deux Flutes à bec, or “Sonatas without Bass for Two Transverse Flutes, or Two Violins, or Two Recorders”. This slow movement is marked “Affettuoso”, which in Italian literally means “affectionate”, “tender”, “warm-hearted”.

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

This is the fourth étude from Sigfried Karg-Elert's 30 Caprices: a “Gradus ad Parnassum” of the modern technique for flute solo.

Tune of the Day: Is it the Priest You Want?

The earliest appearance of this oddly-titled jig is found in the third volume of Edward Bunting's The Ancient Music of Ireland, published in Dublin in 1840. Even in such an old book, the notes call this tune “very ancient”!

Tune of the Day: Fantasia for Solo Flute No. 3

Published in 1732, the twelve Fantasias for Solo Flute by Georg Philipp Telemann have become a staple of the solo flute repertoire. They were originally written for the transverse flute, but have been enthusiastically embraced by recorder players, many of whom insist that Telemann really wrote them for the recorder.

The third Fantasia is in the key of B minor. It starts off with a few slow and melancholic opening gestures, but soon bursts into a frenetic Vivace, and finally ends with a lively ternary gigue.

Thanks to John for suggesting this piece!

Tune of the Day: Andantino by Köhler

Here is a new duet from the first volume of Ernesto Köhler's Forty Progressive Duets. In this piece the main melody is given to the first flute, while the second flute plays more of an accompaniment role.

Tune of the Day: Study in D major by Gariboldi

This is étude No. 22 from Italian Romantic composer Giuseppe Gariboldi's collection of 30 Etudes faciles et progressives.

Tune of the Day: The Humors of Limerick

The earliest printing of a tune by the title “The Humors of Limerick” is found in a 1778 collection by Glasgow musician Joshua Campbell. Chicago collector Francis O'Neill writes, in his Irish Minstrels and Musicians (1913), that a special dance was performed to this melody.

Tune of the Day: Larghetto

This is the opening movement of Handel's Sonata in G minor for Recorder. The measured tread and hypnotically steady theme of this Larghetto seems to announce that this as a sober sonata. Upon each iteration, however, the melody becomes a bit more ornate, so the movement is not as austere as it may initially seem.