Flute lessons
Flute lessons in West Sussex, London and online
ABOUT MY TEACHING
WHO DO YOU TEACH? I give private flute lessons to students of all ages. I enjoy teaching a variety of students, from orchestral players and teaching professionals to adult non-professionals and younger beginners. One of the great things about playing a musical instrument is that we are always learning and so lessons can be enjoyed at any stage of your musical journey.
HOW OFTEN SHOULD I TAKE LESSONS? I recommend lessons of 60 minutes in duration. How often depends on your needs and budget. I offer discounts for weekly and fortnightly lessons as I find regular lessons are best to make the most progress with a plan tailored to your needs.
WHAT MATERIALS DO YOU USE? Materials that I use for more advanced students: Taffanel & Gaubert Daily Exercises, Moyse De La Sonorite, 24 Little Melodic Studies, Daily Exercises, Tone Development Through Interpretation. Etudes by Andersen, Boehm, Köhler, Paganini, Drouet, Gariboldi and others. My books: Mastering the Flute with William Bennett and 7 Daily Vocalises. Practice Books by Trevor Wye, Reichert Daily Exercises, and more. Feel free to check out my teaching videos and read my flute blog posts using the menu above
HOW MUCH IS A LESSON? My basic fee is £55 per hour. In person lessons start at £55 and will vary depending on travel expenses and room booking fees. Lesson fees are reviewed on an annual basis and will increase if studio booking fees increase. Regular lessons are offered at a reduced rate.
WHERE DO YOU TEACH? I teach in-person lessons at my home in West Sussex, at central London studios, and can travel to surrounding areas like East Sussex and Surrey. I also teach online via Zoom or Skype to students who live abroad. Go to "Book a lesson" for more information on how to book.
WHAT DO YOU TEACH? I offer flute lessons tailored to your individual needs. Whether you are looking for regular lessons to improve your sound and find greater ease and enjoyment in your playing, or if you wish to book a few lessons to prepare for a concert, audition, exam, or competition, I am happy to help you with that. There is always something that we can learn and I am grateful to have such open-minded students in my studio. Mastering the flute is a lifelong journey and I encourage students to work on all aspects of their flute technique (tone, finger coordination, flexibility, etc) to find greater ease and enjoyment in their musical expression. I give a range of different exercises designed to help with a student's specific technical issues. I endeavour to positively encourage the student to find their voice and true potential, working on finer details as well as the bigger picture. There is never a one-size-fits-all approach in learning the flute! Due to the fact that we use our whole bodies in order to create sound and music, much of my teaching is inspired by the Alexander Technique, which has helped many musicians, actors and athletes with injury prevention. For flute playing, it especially helps with breathing, tone, resonance, and finger coordination by being more aware of how we use ourselves (body and mind) and inhibiting habits which are less efficient. This has a big impact on practice and performance. I am fully DBS checked and have basic First Aid training.
WHAT IS YOUR MUSICAL BACKGROUND? After studying with some of the greatest flute players and teachers at the Royal Academy of Music and abroad, it is a great privilege to help my students master their instrument. I am particularly fortunate to have studied with William Bennett, who learnt from Geoffrey Gilbert, Jean-Pierre Rampal, and Marcel Moyse. Being part of this musical lineage is something I shall always be grateful for. At the Royal Academy of Music, I also learnt a lot about harmony, aural, music history and analysis, in addition to the skills associated with playing chamber music and orchestral music, which all feed into how I approach music. I have also studied with Lorna McGhee, Principal flute of Boston Symphony Orchestra and Alexander Technique teachers such as Gabriella Minnes-Brandes in Vancouver and Karen Wentworth and Ilana Machover in London.
HOW DO I BOOK A LESSON? Head to the "Book a lesson" page, where you can request to book a lesson by clicking the button of the type of lesson you would like to book. I will then get back to you to confirm the lesson date and time. You can also email me if that's easier.
WHAT IS YOUR CANCELLATION POLICY? If you need to cancel a lesson, please give at least 48 hours' notice. We can then reschedule the lesson at no extra cost. Please note, for lessons at either of the London studios, the room booking fee will still be payable unless you are able to give a full week's notice as these are only refundable when enough notice is given to the studio. Invoices for multiple lessons at a discounted rate are non-refundable after the first lesson. Any unused lessons in a block cannot be transferred. Please feel free to get in touch if you have any further questions, or book a free online consultation.
WHAT STUDENTS SAY
"I can't explain the difference in feel, sound and general good energy playing now..I really do appreciate Rod's calm and honest approach.. I think today is the first day I've enjoyed playing the instrument for a long time!"
(London freelance musician, UK)
"I'm really enjoying working together with Roderick. He is an amazing teacher!"
(Flute player with Cinncinati Symphony Orchestra, USA)
"I've learnt more in one hour than I have in a lifetime!"
(Student, UK)
"I've never learnt so much in one lesson!"
(Catherine, UK)
"A fantastic player and teacher. Very patient and knowledgeable. If you want to make progress with your playing and achieve the sound you've always dreamt of I would highly recommend giving him a try!"
(Caroline, UK)
"As a teacher, Roderick gets right to the middle of any problem, whether technical or musical, and knows just how to work on it. He is kind, patient, generous of spirit and always works on building you up. In the year I have been having lessons with Rod I have learned so much and my playing has been transformed. I understand things now that I have never understood before. My only regret is that I didn't start having lessons with him ages ago."
(Hazel, UK)
"Rod is an excellent teacher - he's able to identify in detail what's holding back your playing and work with you to improve it. He's got a supportive and fun vibe when teaching. I'm making a much better sound and am able to play more expressively since I've been learning with him."
(Tandy, UK)
"Roderick possesses an encyclopaedic command of how the flute functions as an instrument and the techniques for exploiting its richness and expressivity, as his book ‘Mastering the Flute with William Bennett’ clearly demonstrates. As a teacher and player, Roderick imparts his knowledge and experience calmly, encouraging the student to think about how best to communicate the musicality of pieces of the repertoire under study through the development of tone and technique, sensitively drawing out from the student the very best possible performance he/she is capable of and encouraging the development of an individual voice as a flute player. A polished performer and sympathetic, inspirational teacher, such as Roderick, is a rare breed indeed!"
(David, UK)
"I am a student with Roderick Seed and have been taking lessons with him for approximately one year. He is a wonderful teacher and is a very talented musician. Rod never "tells you what you want to hear", he teaches with great precision and excellence. He is the best teacher that I have ever had!"
(Shere, USA)
"I’ve been taking lessons with Rod via Skype for about a year. I’ve learned so much. His knowledge of the flute and how to teach is inspiring. He has limitless exercises and solutions for combatting problem areas. I consider myself very lucky to be one of Rod’s students"
(Sylvia, USA)
"I have been blessed to work with Rod for the past year and a half. Before my time with Rod, I was self taught on the flute for a few years. In the little time I had with Rod, I was given the opportunity to skyrocket in my music abilities. Rod has prepared me for numerous auditions and performances and has inspired me to pursue my passion for music. As my world of music is rapidly expanding, I have still yet to meet another flutist as knowledgeable and genuine as Rod. I will forever be grateful for his amazing teaching and the time he has spent with me."
(Isabella, Canada)
"I can definitely recommend Roderick. He is an incredibly patient, supportive and inspiring teacher."
(Lynsey, UK)