Traverso Practice Resources - Traverso Practice Net

Here you can find practice material that I have developed or edited to support my own daily practice.

This includes original material, pre-existing exercises or etudes that have been adapted, if needed, to the baroque flute, or excerpts of authentic baroque pieces, usually transposed to several other keys.

Another pattern from Solfeggi

This is a quick exercise, again taken from Quantz Solfeggi, which I often use in my warm-ups.
It combines quite a few key elements that may be useful to practice, such as intervals, arpeggios and scales, all in different keys.
You can also try to experiment all sorts of articulation types.

traverso_practice_net_15.pdf
File Size:	396 kb
File Type:	pdf

'Italian' Preludes

These series of very short preludes from Michel Corrette's method (1738), titled "Leçons de Violon pour apprender a joüer dans le goût Italien", presented here again in different keys to appreciate the nuances of traverso, is a fun way to get his view of the Italian taste, and try out your ornamentation skills.

traverso_practice_net_16.pdf
File Size:	475 kb
File Type:	pdf

Intervals from Triosonata

I recently had the opportunity to study this beautiful piece, composed by Quantz for recorder, traverso and continuo (in C major, QV 2:Anh.3).
I find it particularly suitable, as evocative as it is, to study intervals with varied phrasing and articulation, and it's real fun, and challenging, when you push the speed to a limit.

tpn13.pdf
File Size:	1312 kb
File Type:	pdf

Recitative from Johannes Passion

While playing this recitative, try to maintain a flexible, speech-like sense of tempo, allowing the music to breathe naturally, focus on conveying the emotions and narrative through the music, understand the nuances of the words and phrases, and let them guide your interpretation. Also feel free to add variations in dynamics, articulation and ornaments to emphasize the meaning and emotion of the text.
A quick note: I have inserted double slash signs as an indication of further suspensions of the phrases.

tpn14.pdf
File Size:	529 kb
File Type:	pdf

Patterns from la Florentine

Michel Pignolet (de Monteclair) was a busy French composer, teacher, and music theorist, and played the basse de violon in the Paris Opera at the turn of the 18th century.
This delicate and gay piece of his is part of a collection of flute Concertos that was meant to cover both the French and the Italian styles.
I find it very useful to ignite and practice my finger agility with this, on a number of typical phrases and intervals.

tpn11.pdf
File Size:	192 kb
File Type:	pdf

Arpeggios from the WTC

I was inspired for this exercise on arpeggios by Prelude n.3 of JS Bach's Well Tempered Clavier.
Depending on the tempo I use, I discover different benefits. If played very slow it's a good vocalise for register balance and intonation, and then, with increasing speed, it becomes a great warm-up to try different articulations, and finally quite a workout for finger agility.

tpn12.pdf
File Size:	1517 kb
File Type:	pdf

Pepusch prelude

At the very beginning of the 1700's, the publisher John Walsh collected a series of preludes for violin, that basically represented the state of the instrument at that time, and included a couple of pieces by Pepusch.
This prelude of his sounds great on the baroque flute too, and may be useful for practicing different intervals and typical patterns of the period, and improve finger agility, while trying out different possible articulations.

tpn09.pdf
File Size:	216 kb
File Type:	pdf

Warm-up from Matthaeus Passion

As JS Bach's work around Easter is so extensive, and mystical, I couldn't help to include in my daily practice the meditative and peaceful recitative 'You, dear saviour' from Matthäus Passion.
I find it extremely useful,
first of all for general relaxation of the body/ instrument arrangement, then to work on intonation and register balance, particularly when played in different keys, and practice a 3-1 articulation.

tpn10.pdf
File Size:	346 kb
File Type:	pdf

Prelude on sixths

This prelude is adapted from Michel Corrette's 'Method for easily learning to play on the Transverse Flute' (1740). As simple as it looks, it can help to equalize the registers using intervals of sixths.
It should be played as legato as possible, strictly following the dynamics indications, but to start with, one can slightly articulate between one note and the other.

tpn07.pdf
File Size:	172 kb
File Type:	pdf

Fredrick 39

Around mid-18th century, Fredrick the Great collected, with the help of Mr Quantz, a significant set of exercises that was much later published as the "Flötenbuch Friedrichs des Großen" or "100 daily exercises for the flute".
I use this exercise as a multipurpose warmup, with various articulations, to practice jumps and arpeggios, in different keys, as was Fredrick's custom.

tpn08.pdf
File Size:	282 kb
File Type:	pdf

Chromatics for flexibility

This exercise includes some peculiar chromatics phrases, that I use during warmup to balance tone quality, intonation and fingerings. They can be practiced very slow and then with increasing speed, and slurred or with different types of articulation.
In any case, it is advisable to play this with a slight accent on the first note of each 6-note group, not to lose the rythmic sense.

tpn05.pdf
File Size:	731 kb
File Type:	pdf

Vocalise from Johannes Passion

I find vocalises extremely helpful during warm up for tone balance, intonation, and finger adjustment, and I was looking for something that would be musically pleasant and still representative of baroque style.
I finally settled on this extract of the beautiful "Ruht wohl" choir from JS Bach's Johannes Passion, which I suitably, and humbly, adapted to be played in different keys. This can be played from extremely slow up to about 80 bpm.

tpn06.pdf
File Size:	804 kb
File Type:	pdf

Devienne's intervals

Although published in late 18th century, Devienne's method is a great source of technical exercises for the one-keyed flute
Here is an interesting exercise, originally presented for practicing rests, that has been adapted to also be very helpful when studying intervals for a good tone and register balance, still making use of an elegant melody. It can be played at different tempos, from very slow to fast, and with different articulations.

tpn03.pdf
File Size:	187 kb
File Type:	pdf

Quantz's pattern

Quantz's Solfeggi are a huge source of exercises on a number of real baroque music practice elements and challenges. Playing intervals is one of them. Why not play them in different keys, to explore their technical and intonation peculiarities.

Here is a good example that I use for my daily warm-up.

tpn04.pdf
File Size:	258 kb
File Type:	pdf

Thema Regium

Thema Regium of JS Bach’s Musical Offering is such an inspiring and charming masterpiece, and a great way to start the practice day.
I find it’s a great warm-up to settle the tone and check intonation.
I also transposed the theme in various keys to appreciate the various nuances in them.

tpn01.pdf
File Size:	170 kb
File Type:	pdf

Intervals from Telemann

Besides being an all time masterpiece, Telemann's flute Fantasias are a direct source of typical baroque music passages on the flute, that can be practiced in various keys to improve both technique and intonation, while experimenting different articulations.
Here you can find an exercise for intervals that comes straight from the Fantasias.

tpn02_.pdf
File Size:	76 kb
File Type:	pdf