Free Flute Sheet Music

Tune of the Day: Duet in D major by Tulou

This “Etude sans fin” (“Endless study”) is taken from the celebrated Méthode de flûte by French flutist Jean-Louis Tulou, published in Paris in 1835.

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

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

Tune of the Day: Jackson's Silver Mines

This tune was originally printed simply as “Silver-mines” in O'Farrell's Collection of National Music for the Union Pipes (c. 1800). The Jackson of the title was the famous 18th-century gentleman piper Walker ‛Piper’ Jackson, but judging from early printings this association only came to be during the 19th century.

Tune of the Day: Song4You by Paul Merkus

Today's piece was kindly contributed to our collection by its composer, Paul Merkus from the Netherlands.

“Song4You” is an attempt on my part to write something floaty: a powerful tune based on a descending bass line, intended for the flute with piano accompaniment. This contrasts with a lyrical middle section, strongly inspired by the “Quando corpus morietur” from Joseph Haydn's Stabat Mater with its long lines and repeating chords.

In terms of structure, the piece is based on a fairly classical chord progression with initially a falling, running bass. Over time, the piano accompaniment shows more diversions to play an important role in the middle section with the ever-shifting harmonies above the slow solo line. In the reprise the theme returns brightly in a higher register, with some extra accents in the piano accompaniment.

Tune of the Day: Swiss and Stantz Waltzes

This flute duet, combining two independent waltzes, is taken from Blake's Young Flutist's Magazine, published in 1833.

Tune of the Day: Study in A major by Hugues

Today's piece is the twenty-first study from 40 Nuovi Studi, Op. 75, by Italian flutist, composer and arranger Luigi Hugues.

Tune of the Day: A Lilt from Home

The earliest appearance of this tune in print is as “The Church of Dromore” in Francis O'Neill's Music of Ireland (1903). Many variants have since emerged under various titles, including “Ryan's Favorite”, “The Killaloe Boat”, and “The Lilting Banshee”.

Tune of the Day: Danse des Sauvages

The Danse des sauvages is arguably the most famous piece from Jean-Philippe Rameau's 1735 opera Les Indes galantes (“The Amorous Indies”). It is part of the fourth and final act, “Les Sauvages” (“The Savages”), which is set in North America and was inspired by Native American music. In particular, Rameau claimed to have based this piece, whose original title is “Danse du grand calumet de la paix” (“Dance of the grand peace pipe”), on the dances performed by two Native Americans from Louisiana, which he witnessed in Paris in 1725.

Thanks to Marian for suggesting this piece!

Tune of the Day: Duet in C major by Tulou

This short Andantino for two flutes is taken from the celebrated Méthode de flûte by French flutist Jean-Louis Tulou, published in Paris in 1835.

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

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

Tune of the Day: Red River Valley

This cowboy music standard has gone by many different names, notably including “Cowboy Love Song”.

From this valley they say you are going.
We will miss your bright eyes and sweet smile,
For they say you are taking the sunshine
That has brightened our pathway a while.

So come sit by my side if you love me.
Do not hasten to bid me adieu.
Just remember the Red River Valley,
And the cowboy that has loved you so true.

Both the melody and the lyrics have very uncertain origins. According to Canadian folklorist Edith Fowke, there is anecdotal evidence that the song was known in at least five Canadian provinces before 1896. This finding led to speculation that the song was composed at the time of the 1870 Wolseley Expedition to Manitoba's northern Red River Valley.

The earliest known written manuscript of the lyrics bears the notations “Nemaha 1879” and “Harlan 1885”, possibly referring to either two counties in Nebraska or to two towns in Iowa.

The song was brought to its greatest popularity by Texan Jules Verne Allen's 1929 recording titled “Cowboy's Love Song”. Allen himself thought the song was from Pennsylvania, perhaps brought over from Europe.

Thanks to Elan for suggesting this tune!

Tune of the Day: Bushy Park

This tune was composed by British writer and musician Ignatius Sancho (1729–1780), and was first printed in his Twelve Country Dances for the Year 1779.

Bushy Park is the second largest of London's Royal Parks, after Richmond Park. The name was assigned by King Henry VIII in 1529, when he established it as deer-hunting ground.

Tune of the Day: Trio in A

This simple trio for two flutes and guitar was kindly contributed to our collection by its composer, guitarist Peter Pope. Thank you, Peter!

Tune of the Day: Study in D major by Hugues

Today's piece is the twenty-fourth study from 40 Nuovi Studi, Op. 75, by Italian flutist, composer and arranger Luigi Hugues.

Tune of the Day: Pither In Enough

The earliest appearance of this tune is in Samuel Lee's Jackson's Celebrated Irish Tunes, first published in Dublin around 1775. It is attributed to the 18th-century gentleman uilleann piper and composer Walker ‘Piper’ Jackson.

The title “Pither in Enough” (or “Put in Enough”) might refer to a gambling ante, especially given that Jackson was also known as “Sporting Capt. Jackson”.

Tune of the Day: Preludio by Corelli

This is the opening movement of Italian Baroque composer Arcangelo Corelli's Violin Sonata No. 8 in E minor, which was originally published in 1700 as part of his 12 Violin Sonatas, Op. 5.

Tune of the Day: My Bonnie Lass Now Turn to Me

This flute duet is taken from Blake's Young Flutist's Magazine, published in 1833. The origins of the melody are unclear, but it was published as a song in the late 1820s with lyrics by English musician Alexander Lee.

My bonnie lass now turn to me,
And give a smile to cheer me,
An honest heart I ll gie to thee,
For in truth I love thee dearly.

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

This is the twenty-third étude from Sigfried Karg-Elert's 30 Caprices: a “Gradus ad Parnassum” of the modern technique for flute solo. It is characterized by many cadenza-like passages where the tempo first slows down and then quickly gets faster.

Tune of the Day: Petticoat Loose

The earliest appearance of this tune in print is in Francis O'Neill's Waifs and Strays of Gaelic Melody, published in Chicago in 1922. A jig by the same name is present in O'Neill's Dance Music of Ireland (1907), but it bears no resemblance to this one.

Tune of the Day: Presto by Bellinzani

This is the fourth and final movement of the eleventh sonata from Sonate a flauto solo con cembalo, o violoncello (“Sonatas for solo flute with harpsichord or cello”) by Italian Baroque composer Paolo Benedetto Bellinzani, originally published in Venice in 1720.

This movement has actually no tempo indication in the original manuscript, but it usually appears as a “Presto” in modern editions.

Tune of the Day: Duet in F major by Tulou

This Andantino for two flutes is taken from the celebrated Méthode de flûte by French flutist Jean-Louis Tulou, published in Paris in 1835.

Tune of the Day: Study in G-flat major by Hugues

Today's piece is the twenty-fifth study from 40 Nuovi Studi, Op. 75, by Italian flutist, composer and arranger Luigi Hugues.

Tune of the Day: Joshua Fought the Battle of Jericho

The title and lyrics of this well-known African-American spiritual allude to the biblical story of the Battle of Jericho, in which Joshua led the Israelites against Canaan.

The song is believed to have been composed by slaves in the first half of the 19th century. Some references suggest that it was copyrighted by a Jay Roberts in 1865. The first recorded version was by Harrod's Jubilee Singers in 1922. Later recordings include those by Paul Robeson (1925), Mahalia Jackson (1958), and Elvis Presley (1960) among many others.

Tune of the Day: Lord Dalkeith's Reel

This tune was composed by British writer and musician Ignatius Sancho (1729–1780), and was first printed in his Twelve Country Dances for the Year 1779.

Tune of the Day: Crab Canon by J.S. Bach

This famous piece is part of Johann Sebastian Bach's Musical Offering, a collection of keyboard compositions all based on a single musical theme given to Bach by King Frederick the Great of Prussia, to whom they are dedicated.

Bach didn't give this piece a title; in fact, it was simply labeled “Canon I a 2” in the Musical Offering. It is, however, a retrograde canon, meaning that its two musical lines are horizontally mirrored; in other words, the second line is the same as the first one, but played backwards. The “Crab canon” title emerged exactly for this reason, as crabs supposedly walk backwards (well... in reality they mostly walk sideways, but they are capable of walking backwards as well).

The piece was a major source of inspiration for Douglas Hofstadter's Pulitzer Prize winning book Gödel, Escher, Bach (1979). Notably, one dialogue in the book is written in the form of a crab canon, in which every line before the midpoint corresponds to an identical line past the midpoint.

In order to fit the range of the flute, the present arrangement has been transposed from D minor to G minor.

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

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

Tune of the Day: Jackson's Bottle of Claret

This jig is attributed to the famous 18th-century gentleman musician Walker ‘Piper’ Jackson, of the townland of Lisduan, County Limerick, Ireland. Its earliest appearances are in Cooke's Selection of the Present Favourite Country Dances for the Year 1796 and in Morris Hime's Second Collection of Favorite Country Dances (Dublin, 1796).

In Cooke's collection the tune appears under the title “The River Cree”, which is the name of a Scottish country dance, still popular, named for the River Cree in Dumfries and Galloway. A number of jigs are played for the dance medley, although it most often starts with “Jackson's Bottle of Claret”.

Tune of the Day: Allemanda by Corelli

This Allemanda is the second movement of Italian Baroque composer Arcangelo Corelli's Violin Sonata No. 8 in E minor, which was originally published in 1700 as part of his 12 Violin Sonatas, Op. 5.

Tune of the Day: Strike for Tyrol and Liberty

This short arrangement for two flutes of the popular overture theme from Rossini's 1829 opera William Tell is taken from Blake's Young Flutist's Magazine, published in 1833.

Tune of the Day: Study in B major by Hugues

Today's piece is the twenty-sixth study from 40 Nuovi Studi, Op. 75, by Italian flutist, composer and arranger Luigi Hugues.