Are you out of school for the summer or for good? You need to learn how to practice flute at home so that you can continue to play.
I’ve practiced from home for years and never had a problem. Here are my biggest tips for how to get in a good practice session.
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How to Practice Flute at Home
Whether you’re a college music major on school break or are a work-from home musician, you may need to practice flute at home. Here are my biggest tips for making it work.
Set Boundaries
Unfortunately, practicing flute won’t lead to income, at least not directly. But it’s just as important as income-producing activities. That means you need to treat it as a job.
And if you want to learn to practice flute at home, you need to set some boundaries with your family. Let them know not to disturb you when you’re practicing unless there’s an emergency.
Ideally, you’d have a room with a door you can shut. Otherwise, ask your family to give you some space. That way, you can focus on the music and not worry about distractions.
Respect Boundaries
At the same time, you have to respect any boundaries your family or roommates may have. If you live in an apartment, you may also want to consider your neighbors.
Consider when others need to sleep or otherwise have quiet time. It sounds obvious, but you probably shouldn’t practice until midnight. That’s easy to do in a practice room at school, but it’s not practical in most homes.
Depending on who you live with, they may have other boundaries. For example, maybe you have a parent who works from home. If they have a meeting at a set time, you might need to hold off on practicing.
Create a Dedicated Space
If possible, set aside some space that you use just for practicing. Ideally, you’d have an entire room just for your music. But even a corner of your bedroom or home office is a good option.
I have a corner in my studio where I have my music stand, instruments, and music. Keeping a dedicated practice area makes it really easy to set up my various flutes and practice.
Of course, you may not have this option, especially if you have a small bedroom with no room for your stuff. In that case, make sure you have some amount of space to practice, even if you have to set it up each time.
Know Your Family’s Schedule
Another thing you should consider is your family’s schedule. Consider when everyone else is at work or out running errands. When I can, I like to practice when I’m home alone.
That way, I know I won’t disturb anyone. And I know I won’t get disturbed since I can silence my phone to avoid calls and text messages.
Of course, you may not be able to practice when others are out if you also have a job or other obligations. But it’s worth at least trying to practice occasionally when no one else is home.
Keep Pets Away
I love my two family dogs, but I won’t let them in my room when I’m practicing. For one, they’re distracting. Some dogs will even scream or howl when they hear the sound of the flute, which is even more annoying.
However, pet hair can float in the air, and it can get in the mechanism of your flute. That can lead to unnecessary costly repairs. And unless you have a backup flute, you could lose out on precious practice time.
As cute as pets can be, it’s better to keep them in another room and shut the door. You can always cuddle your pets after your practice session.
Enjoy Yourself
If you’re a current or aspiring professional musician, it can be easy to hole yourself up in your practice space all day and night. But there’s much more to life than music.
As you learn how to practice flute at home, learn when to take breaks. Spend time with your family or your roommates.
Take some time to find a balance in your schedule. That way, you can still progress or maintain your skills. However, you won’t miss out on other important things.
What If I Can’t Practice Flute at Home?
You may know how to practice flute at home, but you might not be able to implement your chosen strategies. Depending on your living situation, you can look into other places to practice.
While I’ve fortunately never had to go this route, here are some places I would check out if I ever couldn’t practice at home.
Ask Friends and Family
If you live near friends or family (that don’t live with you), ask them if you could practice at their homes. This could be a great option if you have an apartment but have parents who own a house since it’s easier to practice in a house.
Now, the same rules apply to friends’ homes as your own. You’ll want to be respectful of their schedules and boundaries. But if you can, set up a practice area and keep your instruments there.
Then, you won’t have to transport your flute and music back and forth every time you want to go and practice.
Find a Local Studio
Another option is to contact local music stores or studios that offer lessons. Most of the time, lessons happen in the evenings. That means the studio may have plenty of space for you to practice in the morning.
You might need to pay a small fee to use the space. But if you don’t have any other option, this could be a good choice.
Alternatively, you could apply to teach at the studio. They might be able to give you your own room that you can access at any time. When you don’t have a lesson to teach, you can use the space to practice.
Contact a Church
You can also contact a church or another place of worship near you. Ask if they have any rooms you could use to practice. Similarly to a teaching studio, you may not be able to practice at any time.
Also, you probably won’t be able to keep your stuff there. But the church may be willing to let you use a room to practice during the week outside of their busy hours.
Plus, you could offer to play in their worship service every month or so in exchange for use of their facilities. Then, you won’t have to pay. And you may even get some parishioners interested in booking you for gigs.
Practice in Your Car
Practicing flute in a car is far from ideal, but it’s a possibility. I’ve done a few warmups in the car before, such as when I had to head from work to a rehearsal without time to go home.
Of course, you can sit in the driver’s seat so that you have room to your right for your flute. You could also sit in the back seat and clip your music to the back of the driver’s seat if you need to read music.
Playing in the car might also be a good option if you drive around town to teach lessons. If you don’t have time to go home but do have time to practice, you can do so in your car.
Go to the Park
When the weather is nice out, consider practicing at your local park. Now, before you do this, you’ll want to review the local laws surrounding busking. That way, you don’t inadvertently break the law.
But it can be a good way to practice flute without annoying your family or your neighbors. Of course, it can annoy other people at the park, so they may ask you to stop.
However, if you’re practicing recital-ready music, you could set up a tip jar or place your case in front of you. Then, you could get experience playing for others and perhaps make a few bucks from it.
Final Thoughts
As a remote studio flutist and arranger, I’ve had to learn how to practice flute at home both in my childhood home and in an apartment. It’s not easy, but it’s important to maintaining my skills and completing recording work.
Are you looking for music to learn while at home? Head to Flute Files to shop for digital downloads!