Just bought myself a flute- BUT don't know how to read music!

[Tarynsmummy]

Well the title says it all. I really wanted a cello, have wanted one of them since a child but thought that it may have been a little tricky. So I have just bought a flute, I figure that even if I don't play it, the time will come when (poss) dd will want to. So the problem is I can't read music. It just doesn't make sense to me. Played the piano when younger, but did it by ear and only simple songs.

Has anyone got any tips on how to read music please?

Try a simple book on learning to play the flute - something like A Tune A Day. They're intended for children so are very simple to follow, and as well as teaching you the techniques and fingering you'll need to learn the flute they will teach you to read music at the same time. If you get on OK with it there are other books you can get that will teach you the theory of music, or if you really enjoy it perhaps you could think about lessons.

are there any tutorial videos you can get?
i got a couple when i decided to learn to play the guitar.neither me or dh could tune it and its been in the loft since!!!

ooh never thought of tutorial videos, I will check that out

Andrew Scott flute method is very good at teaching you to read music.

Also try practisespot.com for interactive music reading games.

For the flute, unlike the piano, you only need to learn the treble clef. Don't learn by popular method with the words attached to each note, just take each note as an individual friend and learn it's name just like you know your friends' names. look at a treble clef and notice the snail's bit in the middle, that's how the note called 'G' looks like. Then find another note, it could be 'A', learn it, etc. You'll be surprised how quickly you'll learn the notes this way. All my students are very good at learning the notes because we treat them as friends. We also play notes' hunt. We look at music and find all 'G' notes, then all 'E' notes, etc. Please let me know how you're getting on. Good luck!

nonononononononnonooooooooo give flute AWAY!!! go and buy cello!!!! it's not too difficult and you can play in a string quartet then. great way to make new friends, have a bit of chateau collapso, massacre an early mozart... ahhh nothing like it!

dh bought me a flute for our wedding anniversary last year. haven't played since school and completely forgotton how to read music but you'll be surprised hoe quickly you pick it up.
Just get a basic book like tune a day as www suggested and you learn bit by bit.
Beautiful instrument, altho all dd1 wants to hear is twinkle twinkle little star!

I'd go with threebob's suggestions as I know she does a lot of teaching so if she says it's good, it's good!

I know where you're coming from warthog, but the flute IS easier than the cello! mind you I'd love to play the cello but string instruments and me never got on

Ahhhh MrsJohnCusack... how long i've waited to read those words... i might print this out... the flute IS easier than the cello... i'll go to sleep a happy happy laydeee tonight!

after argueing with my friends for years that string instruments are harder to learn i have finally found a non-string player that agrees with me...

floats off...

I do think the flute is easier to learn than plenty of other instruments in terms of being able to bash out a tune, however, to play it really well is just as difficult as doing so with any instrument! (before all the other flautists come out and give me a bashing....)

ooer... i'll disappear quietly

sorry for the hijack!