In 1716 he joined the town band in Dresden. He studied counterpoint with Jan Dismas Zelenka in Vienna in 1717. In March 1718, he became an oboist (somebody who plays the oboe) in the Polish chapel of August II, Elector of Saxony and King of Poland. Quantz could not become a better oboe player than other oboe players. So, he changed his instrument to the flute. He learned playing the flute with Pierre-Gabriel Buffardin for four months.