Content analysis of selected experts' flute pedagogy texts and comparison with common flute method books for beginners

Abstract

89 leaves : ill. ; 28 cm.<br>
 Contents: <br>
 Introduction<br>
 Content analysis of selected pedagogical texts<br>
 Hand position and finger technique<br>
 Air stream and embouchure placement in the production of tone<br>
 Articulation<br>
 A supplement for teachers and beginning flute students.<br>

Lehmann and Davidson (2002) indicate that “experts already show those cognitive and psychomotor adaptations that non-experts are still trying to acquire, and therefore looking at experts might lead us to better understand where the novice’s development is heading” (p. 544). For this study, I identified experts’ flute pedagogy texts and conducted a content analysis. The aim of the analysis was to establish which skills of flute playing, if practiced deliberately, might lead to expert performance. Principles of expert pedagogy were deduced. <br>
 In the second phase of the research, I considered that many children in the United States have their initial exposure to the flute as a result of school music programs. I wanted to determine the extent to which beginning flute method books, which are common resources used by school music teachers, incorporated principles of expert pedagogy. <br>
 Throughout the comparative analysis, I found that some principles of expert performance were represented in the flute method books for beginners, yet no method book comprehensively enveloped the principles. Therefore, this document concludes with a supplement to beginning flute method books, based on the principles of hand position, finger technique, embouchure, tone, and articulation that were found in the content analysis of expert pedagogical literature.