Top 5 Best Flute Solos to Play When You’re Burnt Out

Burnout is real. Burnout is normal. Burnout can come from working too hard, taking too few breaks, feeling lack of focus or inspiration, and more. We’ve all felt it (and if you haven’t, you will). So, what do we do when we feel burnt out? Well, first of all, we don’t panic and we don’t do anything rash. There’s no need to sell your flute or quit music altogether. Take a break. Take a couple of days off and give yourself some space. Then, once you’re feeling more aligned, try playing some beautiful pieces that can help reinspire you to make music. Here are a few of my favorites:

Danny Boy (Traditional)

Danny Boy is a beautiful, melodic piece that isn’t extremely challenging from a technical perspective but gives lots of opportunities to play with phrase shaping and your tone color palette. This is a very musical piece and can be inspiring (hint: especially if played outside) when you’re feeling like your playing is stale or you're frustrated with what you’re working on. If you need to find joy, this is a great way to do it.

Here’s a copy of the music: https://www.flutetunes.com/tunes/danny-boy.pdf

Rêverie (Debussy)

Debussy, of course, is the master of impressionist music, meaning that if you’re looking to feel something or help someone else feel something, you have so much room to play and create a visual with this one. Again, it’s not technically challenging (although it has its moments), but it creates some really beautiful impressionistic textures (hint: check out impressionist-era paintings for some extra inspiration) that can bring you back into the moment of being a creator - because that’s what we are as musicians. We’re creators.

Find the music here: https://www.flutetunes.com/tunes/debussy-reverie.pdf

Jupiter Chorale (Holst)

Jupiter Chorale is a classic. If you’re not familiar with Holst’s Planets, you should absolutely check it out. I can almost guarantee you’ll find some sort of inspiration within the suite as it’s an incredible piece of music. The Jupiter Chorale has been a staple for wedding music over to years as it is beautiful and not technically challenging. There are so many opportunities, especially in the low register, to really sound deep, dark, and beautiful.

You can find the music here: https://www.virtualsheetmusic.com/score/HL-346942.html

Gymnopédie #1 (Satie)

Gymnopédie #1 by Satie is a classic. If you’re a fan of Final Fantasy, you’ll know this one. It’s a beautiful short piece with simple, yet beautiful harmonies and lots of opportunities to build beautiful phrases. It’s a wonderful piece to find some musical inspiration.

You can find the music here: https://www.flutetunes.com/tunes/satie-gymnopedie-no1.pdf

Sicilienne (Faure)

Faure’s Sicilienne is part of our standard repertoire and a piece everyone should play. That said, it’s beautiful and fun. Of all 5 pieces, this one is the most challenging, so know your limits. If this is out of reach for your current playing level or mindset, it’s perfectly okay to choose something else. This piece has beautiful, showcasing a dark brooding tone and melancholia. It’s a piece that showcases the beauty of the flute and can reinspire you.

Find the music here: https://www.flutetunes.com/tunes/faure-pelleas-et-melisande-sicilienne.pdf

Final Thoughts

Feeling burnt out and uninspired is a normal part of being a musician, so if you’re feeling this way, it’s okay. Just know that you’ll get through it. Play with pieces that make you happy, take breaks, and don’t be afraid to find a balance between hard work and play.

You can find all of these pieces with backing tracks on Tomplay (click here for 20% off an annual subscription) and have a blast playing them as well as other fun tracks.

If you need more guidance to get out of a musical rut, try taking private flute lessons with me! Click here to learn more.