Flute Tips

Vibrato

2012-01-06T21:26:00.000-08:00

Once you have developed a decent tone, you are ready to add vibrato! Vibrato is the rapid slight fluctuation in pitch (pulsing) that can give your tone a nice, rich sound and can be used for expressive reasons.

When learning vibrato, you can start with the following vibrato exercise to help develop the proper technique. This exercise also works great if you have not learned to control the speed of your vibrato. It is important that you are able to change vibrato speeds to fit the music you are playing.

Vibrato Exercise:

Set your metronome to 60.
Start by pulsing quarter notes. Do not tongue the pulses, and do not let the air stop completely between pulses. It may be easier to practice without your flute first. Shape your mouth as though you would to play the flute. Now blow pulses. Start with a “blast” of air, then let the air back off so that you can pulse the next beat. (You can think “hoo—hoo—hoo,” etc.) Practice in the lower registers first, as the high register is more difficult at first.
Next pulse eighth notes, then triplet eighths, then sixteenths, and finally groups of five.

Hints:

Do not move your arms when doing the pulses. At first it is tempting to move with each pulse.
Do not move your jaw to create vibrato.
Do not let yourself do “nanny goat” vibrato, where the vibrato is fast and out of control (and sounds like a goat). This is caused by a tense throat, and it is better to have no vibrato at all.

One of the most important things to do when learning to use vibrato is to force yourself to practice using it in your music, even when it is not easy and does not sound perfect yet. It will get easier and more natural with time.

Listening to professional flute players will also help you know what you are trying to sound like. You will notice that each player has a slightly different style of vibrato. Choose to copy the vibrato that you like best.

Tips For a Successful Flute Audition

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Whether you are auditioning for an honor band, entrance to a college music program, or for an orchestra or other ensemble, here are some tips to help you succeed.

Be prepared. Practice your music until you feel comfortable playing it. Perform your audition materials for friends and family members prior to your audition. If you get nervous for auditions, practice in front of someone who makes you nervous.
Know your scales. Practice them with a metronome and show your best tone when performing them. Scales reveal your good or bad practice habits.
Keep a professional attitude. Dress appropriately (no jeans), and be courteous to others. Always be on time to a scheduled audition.
Nerves are a natural part of performing. Your judges are musicians and understand that sometimes nerves can affect a performance. If you do mess up, however, do not make a big deal of it. Continue playing as though you did not mess up.
The more you take auditions, the better you will become. Even professional musicians do not win every audition.

Flute Harmonics

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For every pitch that sounds, additional pitches sound at the same time. This is because when an object vibrates, it also vibrates at smaller divisions simultaneously. These higher pitches are called overtones or harmonics. The overtones that a flutist produces help to determine his/her tone and makes the flute sound like a flute.

Below is an overtones series. It shows which overtones would be produced when the fundamental C is played. Notice that when sound vibrates at the 1/2 division, the pitch is up one octave. This is illustrated when you pluck a string. If you put your finger in the middle of the string and pluck the remaining half of the string, the pitch will be an octave higher than the original string. The 1/4 and 1/8 (and 1/16 etc.) overtones are also octaves of the fundamental pitch.

Flutists can use harmonics to help develop good tone and flexibility between octaves. Start by playing the fundamental (such as the C shown above). Next, overblow the pitch (don’t change your fingering) to get the octave above; you can check your pitch by using the real fingering of the sounding note. Once you can get the octave, try to get the next harmonic that is a perfect fifth above the octave. Continue to get as many of the harmonics as you can. It is easier to get the harmonics if you tongue the notes, but once you can get them, practice slurring between the notes. Keep the transition between notes as smooth as possible.

Once the C fundamental is mastered, go up the chromatic scale and build the overtone series on each note of the chromatic scale. The intervals between the harmonics will be the same with each series.

B-flat Fingerings: Which one to use?

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“Regular” Fingering:
This fingering is the standard fingering first taught to beginners. Some teachers require that students master scales using this fingering before using the thumb-Bb key. The problem with this fingering is that it can often be clumsy and cause “blips” between notes. Use this fingering when the piece includes both B-naturals and B-flats, especially if the two notes are adjacent. Avoid it when going from a fingering that does not use the right hand pointer finger to a B-flat (such as G to Bb).

Thumb-Bb Key:
The thumb-Bb fingering is especially great for scales and music in the keys of F, Bb, Eb, Ab, and sometimes Db. It helps to make transitions cleaner and less awkward. Try alternating quickly between G and Bb, first with the regular fingering and then with the Bb-thumb. The transition between the two notes will be much smoother with the Bb-thumb. The thumb can remain on the Bb-key, and most other pitches will not be affected. The cons of this fingering are that the high F# above the staff does not work well, and it can be awkward switching quickly from B-flat to B-natural (or Cb).

Lever Key:
The lever key works like the Bb-thumb key in that holding it down generally does not affect pitches other than Bb. It should be played with the side of the right-hand pointer finger. This fingering often works great for A-sharps, such as in the ascending chromatic scale. It can eliminate “blips” caused by the right hand pointer in the “regular” fingering because the lever key can be pressed before other fingers change.

Building Your Resumé

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Whether you plan on being a professional flutist or just want to play for fun, you never know when you might need a flute résumé! Having a few things to include will reduce stress if you ever do need to compile one. Here are a few suggestions of possible résumé builders. (Just a tip: once you have graduated from high school, you will want to rebuild your résumé, as high school events are not generally not included after graduation.)

Competitions: Winning a competition is great for your résumé, and competitions can be found in many places. If competitions scare you, start with less competitive ones that you just might win. Don’t get frustrated if you lose a lot more than you win; it happens to everyone.

Solo and Ensemble: high school
National Flute Association: competitions available for high school and up. www.nfaonline.org
Flute Talk: (magazine)
Yamaha: ages 16-21 www.yamaha.com
Arapahoe: ages 18-25 www.arapahoe-phil.org
Local Competitions: annual competitions around the state; colleges may be a great resource for locating competitions

Summer Camps: Summer is a great time to spend quality time with your flute. You can often find summer camps at major universities. If there is a flutist that you admire, check to see if he/she is teaching at a summer camp. Many summer camps offer scholarships to help with tuition.

Interlochen Arts Camp: high school www.interlochen.org
Lake: all ages www.bluelake.org
Tanglewood: www.tanglewood.org 18-30
Brevard Music Center: ages 14+ www.brevardmusic.org

Ensembles: Ensembles are fun, they look good on a résumé, and they can be a great place to meet musicians that may help you find other opportunities to perform. There are many ensembles around the community, or you can form your own!

All-State bands/orchestras: high school
School//Community Musicals
Flute Choir
Community Band/Orchestra
Sub for orchestras

Masterclasses: Masterclasses are lessons in front of an audience. You can take a lesson with someone like James Galway or Robert Dick, and others can learn from watching. Masterclasses are often sponsored by universities or flute clubs. Also, big-name flutists often hold annual masterclasses advertised on their personal websites,

Performances: While you probably don’t want to include every little performance you may do, the more you perform, the more opportunities you will find. You never know who will be listening and who might recommend you to someone looking for a flutist!

Talent Shows
Churches
Weddings/Parties
Nursing Homes
Recitals

Publications: If you are interested in writing, there are several magazines that might publish your flute article. Getting your writing published can be very rewarding!

Flute Talk
Flutist Quarterly (National Flute Association)
NACWAPI

Practice Tips

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Five ways to improve your practice session…

Schedule a Regular Practice Time. Set a regular time and place to practice and stick to it. Once you let yourself slack off once, it is too easy to do it again. Soon you will find that you are skipping more days than you are practicing. Find a place that is away from distractions such as television, computers, food, etc. Have everything that you need handy so that you do not have to leave your “practice room” until your practice time is over. You will want your flute, a firm chair (if you sit), a music stand, your music, a pencil, metronome, and possibly a notebook and glass of water.
Use a Metronome. A metronome can be your best friend. Get in the habit of practicing your scales with a metronome. Start slowly enough that your scales are clean and rhythmic. Use the metronome to teach your fingers how to be in control at a variety of tempos. Your metronome is also helpful in learning difficult passages. Start the metronome at a slow tempo, and build up to the desired speed. A metronome can show you exactly where to focus your attention. If you cannot play a passage perfectly with the metronome, stop and work until you can.
Don’t Skip Scales. It can be tempting to skip scales when there is so much music to learn, but practicing scales can actually improve all aspects of your flute playing. Using a metronome, find a tempo at which you can play your scales perfectly. Scales are not just about the notes. Practice using great tone and keeping the air even throughout the entire scale. Practice your scales throughout the entire range of the flute to improve your dexterity in the extreme range. Vary your articulations, sometimes slurring the entire scale, sometimes double tonguing, and sometimes mixing up the articulations in the same scale. Every once in a while set your metronome one notch faster—as long as you remain in control.
Focus on the Difficult Passages. It is fun to play through your music, glossing over those difficult passages that you can’t play. This type of practice does not help you improve and actually may lead to sloppy flute playing. Identify the measures that are difficult, and work on them slowly until they become easy. Do not let yourself learn them with any missed notes or rhythms. Each time you pull out the song, woodshed the difficult measures first. Then, when you do play through the music, your experience will be much more rewarding!
Set Goals. If you don’t have goals for your flute playing, it is difficult to have any focus in your practice session. Write down your goals with each piece and important dates for each accomplishment. If you do not perform regularly, find other specific things to work on. You may decide to learn all your scales at a certain tempo or learn a specific song. Set dates to accomplish tasks and if needed, rewards to motivate you.

Your Health and Flute Playing

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At the start of a new school year, it’s a great time to think about your health habits and the effect they might be having on your flute playing. Playing the flute requires energy and muscle strength, and good health can actually improve your flute playing.

Exercise! Aerobic exercise is especially important for flutists to help build stamina and breath control. Swimming is a great sport for this, as is it requires regular, planned breathing. Strength training and stretching are also helpful for flutists. Flute playing can be hard on the muscles, and it can cause tension in the neck and arms. Building these muscles helps make holding the flute easier. Stretching can help eliminate pain and tension in the neck and shoulders.

Avoid “marathon” practicing. Try not to practice more than an hour at a time, and be sure to take breaks, especially if you feel pain in your arms or shoulders. Also, if you want to practice for longer periods of time than you are used to, be sure to build up slowly so that your body can get used to the extra work. Many musicians have suffered from over-practicing, and sometimes to the detriment of their career.

Drink lots of water. Not only is drinking water good for your body, but hydration can also affect your lips. You may notice that when you are dehydrated, your lips may not feel quite right, and your tone may suffer.

Get Enough Rest. Playing the flute takes lots of energy—both mental and physical. It is difficult to perform well when your mind cannot focus or when you can hardly hold up the flute. No one wants to hear a tired, emotionless performance!

Be careful of what you eat before performing. You may not want to eat foods that are high in salt, such as pizza before a performance. It can affect your lips (and tone), and may even contribute to dry mouth. Some flutists do not brush their teeth with toothpaste before performing, as it can cause problems with dry mouth. Pay attention to the foods you eat and how your body reacts so that you know what to avoid.

The Magic of Scales: Five reasons to learn them now

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Here are a few great reasons to learn your scales, plus tips for optimal scale “magic.”

You will be able to play faster. Practicing your scales helps to build up technique that will allow your fingers to move quickly throughout the flute. You will also learn fingerings better, which is especially important in the high register of the flute. Fast music is often full of scales, so learning them now will prepare you for a higher level of music.
You will be able to play cleaner. By practicing scales, you will train your fingers to move evenly and cleanly throughout the flute. You will learn the key signatures better, which will help in avoiding embarrassing missed accidentals.
You will develop better tone. When you practice your scales, you build up lip muscles that will help your endurance and lip flexibility. You will find your bottom and top registers will strengthen to match your middle register.
Your sight reading will drastically improve. Music is generally based on scales, so when learning the scales, you are actually learning music you have never seen! Also, after learning scales, you will be more familiar with key signatures so that you will hit more notes without having to think so hard about the accidentals.
Once you learn the scales, you never have to learn them again. Of course, once you learn them, you will probably want to play them for the rest of your life, but it will be fun rather than work!

For optimal scale “magic,” try these ideas:

Practice scales with a metronome. They will be cleaner, and you will learn them better if you practice with a metronome. Find a tempo that is easy and at which you can play all the scales cleanly. Practice at this tempo until you can play the scales perfectly every time. Then increase the tempo little by little, never faster than you can play without ANY mistakes.

Practice scales throughout the full range of the flute. In music, scales often start in the middle of the scale. They can extend to the highest register of the flute. Practicing only two-octave scales is good, but it is even better to play the scale to the top and bottom of your range. One way to do this is to start on the tonic (primary note), play to your highest note, go back down to your lowest note, and then back to the tonic.

Play scales from memory. This will help you learn the scales better and relate the key signatures in music to the proper scales. Also, you will be able to learn to play the scales faster when you are not stuck to written music.

Always use good tone when practicing scales. It can be tempting to forget about tone and focus only on fingers, but it is essential that good tone always be used. It would be embarrassing to revert to poor tone when playing scales in music just because you practiced them that way!

Conquering Performance Anxiety

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Performance anxiety is a common problem faced by musicians, and it can sometimes be detrimental to a performance. With a little practice, you can learn to manage your nerves. Try these tips.

Expect to be nervous. Every musician faces nerves at one time or another. It is easy to be deceived because some musicians are able to hide their nervousness, but even professional musicians fight performance anxiety. Nerves are a part of the music world. Expect to be nervous, but learn to control yourself so that your nerves do not hinder your performance. In fact, you can even use your nerves to add excitement to your performance!
Perform a lot. This is one of the best cures for controlling nerves. It is tempting to perform as little as possible when you dread it, but the more you perform, the easier it becomes. Start by performing at low-pressure places such as at a nursing home, church, or in front of your family. Look for as many opportunities as you can. If you have a bad performance, forget about it and expect the next one to be better.
Be well prepared. If you are not well prepared on your music, chances are that you will be a lot less confident in yourself at performance time. Practice your music so that you know you can play it straight through without stopping. If you can, practice with the accompaniment as often as possible. Find a recording of your piece or have your pianist record the music so that you know exactly how your part fits.
Focus on your breathing. One of the biggest problems that nerves cause is poor breathing. Take time before you begin your performance to take several slow breaths in and out. If you feel yourself starting to shake, think about your breathing. Use all that extra energy to blow. During rests, do not think about how you are playing; take several relaxing breaths and prepare yourself for your next entrance.
Figure out why you are nervous. You probably have some particular reason that you are nervous. You may have thoughts running through your head while you are playing, such as “They will think I am no good if I mess up,” or “I have to play perfectly if I want to win.” Get rid of the negative thoughts. Do not imagine what your audience thinks of your performance. Most audiences do not care if you make a few mistakes, and chances are that they will probably not even notice. If you are performing for a judge, realize that the judge wants you to do well. He/she has to critique you, but the judge is your friend, not your enemy!
Have FUN and RELAX!!! Remember WHY you are playing the flute.

Careers Involving the Flute

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If you are thinking about a career in music, you might want to consider one of the following jobs. Some require specific training or degrees, but the more training you have in a variety of jobs, the better. Many musicians end up doing more than one!

School Band/Orchestra Director: While band/orchestra directors focus primarily on one instrument during college, they must learn to teach and play every instrument. To become a band/orchestra teacher, you must have a degree in music education. This degree prepares you to teach each instrument, conduct large ensembles, manage your classroom, etc. High school band directors are often in charge of a marching band as well as pep band.
General Music Teacher: General music teachers usually teach in the elementary schools. As a general music teacher, you will teach young children about music through singing and engaging activities. General music teachers often teach recorders to young children. To become a music teacher at an elementary school, you must have a degree in music education. This degree teaches you the skills you will need to teach music and manage your classroom.
Orchestral Performer: Being an orchestral performer is extremely competitive. Very few flutists can make a career solely from playing in an orchestra. Often, orchestral players teach at a nearby university or teach privately. Most orchestras require a résumé to be sent before you are even allowed to audition. The more education and experience you have on the flute the better. Playing in as many ensembles (bands, orchestras, pit orchestras, honor groups, etc.) as possible is helpful, as well as auditioning for anything that you can. Auditions are extremely stressful for most flutists, and the more practice you have at controlling your nerves, the better chance you have at winning an audition.
Freelance Artist: Freelance artists play gigs wherever they can. A freelance artist might play for musicals, weddings/celebrations, movie soundtracks, orchestras, etc. Being a successful freelance artist depends on your reputation and your contact with as many musicians as possible. To prepare for this type of career, you will want to become the best possible flutists that you can, perform as often as possible, and be a reliable flutist. The more friends you make in the music business, the better your chances of being asked to play gigs.
Private Flute Teacher: As a private flute instructor, you are responsible for all aspects of your career. Not only do you need to be an effective teacher, but you are responsible for recruiting students and making sure that you are paid every month. The more schooling/private lessons that you obtain, the better teacher you will become. Masterclasses are also a great way to prepare for teaching. You can watch some of the best teachers in the world and learn different ways of teaching fundamentals.
University Professor: A university professor is responsible for teaching the flute majors/minors at the university. As a university professor, you are responsible for recruiting flute students and staying active as a performer/teacher. In general, a masters degree is required to teach at a university, although with so much competition, a doctorate is usually preferred. Universities usually hire professors to teach classes such as music history, theory, or appreciation in addition to the flute, so the more music education you have, the better. In addition to your degrees, your résumé will determine whether or not you get a job, so building your résumé through competitions, masterclasses, research, etc. is important.
Music Store Owner: A music-store owner is responsible for stocking quality items, advertisement, marketing research, etc. Having a degree in music can prepare you for this career. For example, a liberal arts degree would allow you to study the flute with additional classes in business. This type of degree would give you the music skills you would need in addition to having the business knowledge that is also important.
Flute Repair: A flute repairperson can work independently or through a company. Many flute dealers, as well as music stores, offer repair services. As a flute repairperson, you will be responsible for services such as re-padding, adjusting the flute to get rid of leaks, and knowing how to find and fix problems that your customers may describe. Your success as a repairperson will depend on your reputation, so you will want to make sure that you are confident of your work. To become a repairperson, you can attend workshops offered around the country, be an apprentice to a repairperson, or possibly find a student manufacturer to hire you to work for them. You can also find an old flute on which to experiment.

Improving Intonation

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The quest for perfect intonation can be stressful, but it is essential to flute playing. No matter how well we may prepare a piece, it will not be very enjoyable to listen to if it is out of tune! Below are five steps that can help in your pursuit of better intonation.

You must have good tone to sound in tune. Nancy Toff, author of The Flute Book, wrote that “A flutist with a weak, unfocused tone will generally be out of tune; conversely, a flutist with a beautiful, singing, centered tone will also be centered securely on the correct pitch.” Tone is the first thing that most people will remember about your flute playing. If you are unsure about whether or not you have good tone, record yourself and listen to it. Listen to a professional flutist and compare your sound to his/hers. A private instructor can help you solve any tone problems you may have.

Practice with a tuner. Pick a note in the middle register and tune it. Continue up the chromatic scale, watching the tuner as you move. At first, do not change your embouchure between notes except to change airspeed. Flutist Thomas Nyfenger suggests that if the remaining notes do not stay in tune, check the following:
1. Is the blowhole too exposed or covered by the lip?
2. Are the lips too far apart or close together, causing incorrect airspeed?
3. Is the angle of the airstream too deep or shallow off the back wall?
Once you have checked these three things, repeat the exercise and try to adjust a little on the notes that need it. Do the same exercise starting on the same note and moving down the chromatic scale. Just remember that even though you may know exactly where you play perfectly in tune, you will need to be flexible when playing with other musicians!

Familiarize yourself with intervals. The most important intervals to work with are the octave, the fifth and the fourth. These are all perfect intervals. Practicing these intervals will greatly improve your intonation, as these intervals are key to our Western Music. Start by practicing your scales (chromatic, major, minor, whole tone) in octaves. Use a tuner at first. Play the first note of the scale, and then play the octaves of that note up and back down to the original note. Continue up the scale in the same way. The important part of this exercise is listening to the way the octaves sound when in tune.

After you have mastered the octaves, you can practice the other two intervals in a similar fashion. Start on the first note of the scale and play the perfect fifth above. (The fifth note of the major scale starting on that note.) Next play the octave of your starting note. Notice that you have just played a fifth and a fourth in the same exercise! Continue up and back down to the original note. Then repeat the process on the next note of the scale.

Learn to adjust each pitch up and down. In an ideal world, you would be able to tune your flute before you play, and each note would be in tune. Sometimes, however, you might find after you have started the performance that maybe you didn’t tune quite as accurately as you had thought. You will need to adjust your pitch accordingly until you can change your headjoint position. When you are playing in an ensemble, you may need to adjust up or down to match another instrument that plays a part with you. In order to make these temporary pitch changes, you need to have some flexibility. One exercise you can do is to play each note of the chromatic scale. On each note, try to raise the pitch and lower the pitch (without changing fingers). Experiment with rolling the headjoint, changing direction/speed of the airstream, and changing vibrato speed. Try to change the pitch as much as a half step up or down!

The fifth and most important step to better intonation is listening. There is no possible way that you can play consistently in tune without listening. Listen to yourself as you play and “hear” the pitches on the page before you even play them. When you are in an ensemble, listen for the instruments that play unison/harmony with you so that you can match pitches. Listen for the bass part and tune to it. Finally, listen to recordings of flute music whenever possible. Playing in tune is a rewarding experience that is worth the effort.

Sources:

1. Nancy Toff, The Flute Book (New York: Oxford University Press, 1996), p. 97.
2. Thomas Nyfenger, Music and the Flute (Closter, NJ: Thomas Nyfenger, 1986), p. 21.

Guide to Double Tonguing

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Double tonguing is an essential skill for flutists to have. Whether you are a professional flutist or just play for fun, double tonguing allows you to play faster and with less effort than you can do with single tonguing alone. You can find places to double tongue in band or orchestra music, solo pieces, and even when you practice your scales.

With single tonguing, the syllable, “tuh” is used. Double tonguing uses the back of the tongue to make quick tonguing easier. Instead of “tuh tuh tuh tuh,” double tonguing uses the syllables, “tuh kuh tuh kuh.”

To learn double tonguing, start by practicing on a single pitch:

Instead of using the tip of the tongue as usual (“tuh), use the back of the tongue (“kuh”). On a single pitch, practice articulating (“kuh kuh kuh kuh”). This exercise will help build your muscles for the back tongue.
Next, try alternating “tuh kuh tuh kuh” on a single pitch. Keep the air going, with no space between notes.
Try double tonguing “backwards.” Play “kuh tuh kuh tuh.” Again, keep your air going, with no space between notes.

Next, try double tonguing on your scales.

Start by tonguing four times per pitch (“tuh kuh tuh kuh”). You will be playing four sixteenth notes on each note of the scale.
If it sounds uneven, the back tongue may need to be strengthened. Continue practicing the back tongue only (“kuh kuh kuh kuh”) and the “backwards” double tongue (kuh tuh kuh tuh).

Once your double tonguing feels easy, try playing your scales with one tongue per note! Start slowly, keeping the notes long and connected. As you speed up, keep your notes connected by blowing one air stream through the scale.

Here are a few more tips for super double tonguing:

If “tuh kuh tuh kuh” sounds too heavy, try changing to “dih gih dih gih.” Say both without your flute—you will notice that “dih gih” requires less motion of the tongue.
Keep your air going through double-tongued passages. Even if the music is written staccato, keep it nice and long. When you play up to tempo, it will sound staccato!
Practice! Practice! Practice! You may feel that you are terrible at double tonguing or that you are not coordinated enough to learn it. However, double tonguing does not usually come without effort. Your tongue needs to learn the technique, and your muscles need to be exercised.
Blow! Blow! Blow! If your double tonguing sounds choppy and uneven, there is a good chance you are not using enough air.
Enjoy the new ability you have to play at lightning speed!

Three Steps to Better Breathing

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It is strange that something that we have all done since birth can be such a huge problem when playing the flute. Breathing affects our tone, our ability to play long phrases, vibrato, and even our technique. Learning to breathe properly can lead to better flute playing and a more enjoyable experience.

Take quality breaths. To check the quality of your breathing, watch yourself take a breath in the mirror. Take deep breaths as you would when playing the flute. Do you raise your shoulders when you breathe? This is one sign that you would benefit from a change in your breathing. Now feel your stomach (below your ribs) as you take deep breaths. You should feel it expanding as you inhale. One way to practice breathing correctly is to lie flat on the floor (or a bed). Place your hands on your stomach and take slow, deep, relaxed breaths. You should feel your hands move up and down, and your chest should hardly move at all. Try to keep this same breathing when standing up. (Practice without your flute for a while). Another exercise is to sit on the edge of a chair. Lean forward slightly, keeping your back fairly straight. Take slow, deep breaths—you should feel your stomach expanding as you inhale. Do not let your shoulders move. Continue breathing in the same manner as you sit up straight.

Expand your breath capacity. Once you have mastered quality breathing, you are ready to work on expanding your breath capacity. One of the most well-known ways of doing this is to time yourself holding a long note, and then try to increase your time. Write down your initial time, and try to expand by a second per week.
Trevor Wye, in his Practice Book for the Flute, Volume 5: Breathing and Scales (Novello), gives another exercise to increase breath capacity. Start by exhaling. Let out every bit of air in your lungs. Keep breathing out until it is uncomfortable. Next, breathe in slowly through your nose. Keep breathing in, even when you think that you cannot take in another ounce of air. Exhale slowly. Repeat this exercise 6 times, and do it once a day or more. You should notice a difference in the amount of air you can take in.

Breathe musically. Breaths are an important part of music. Just as we pause at the end of sentences or at commas, we should do the same when playing a song. Try reading a paragraph without any pauses. It sounds unnatural and is difficult for the brain to process. Breaths give clarity and life to musical ideas. When deciding where to breathe in a piece of music, the first step is to find where each musical idea ends. Sometimes it is easy to tell where each phrase ends, but if it is not, try singing the flute line. Mark breaths where you would breathe when singing the part. If there is a piano part, it may help to listen to the accompaniment in deciding where to breathe. If you need to add a breath in the middle of a phrase, try to find a place that will not disrupt the line. Once you pick a spot, sing through the phrase to make sure that your breath is in an appropriate place. Sometimes you might need to take a few short breaths instead of a larger one. You might also try taking a bigger breath at the beginning of the phrase in order to make it all the way through without a breath. Whatever you decide, be sure to mark your part so that you breathe in the same place every time. This will prevent a last minute breath in an undesirable spot.

Unify Your Ensemble

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As Solo and Ensemble festival approaches, many musicians will soon be getting ready for their big performances. Personal practice is important, but without proper attention to ensemble work, results may be disastrous. Whether playing with a group of musicians or a solo with an accompanist, these ideas may be of use.

Tuning: If possible, tune off-stage before the performance begins. This way, even if another quick tuning is needed on stage, it will not be a long process. Once the performance begins, don’t forget to keep tuning to each other. When practicing as an ensemble, listen for parts that are unison (the same notes). These are great places to check your pitch and are most important to be in tune. If you are playing in a large ensemble, listen for the performers that play similar parts and tune to them.

Starting a piece: If at all possible, do not count off to start the piece. If necessary, quietly tap the tempo before starting so that all can agree. The soloist or first flutist should then start the group by taking a breath in time and cueing the downbeat with the flute. It is beneficial for all members of the ensemble to breathe together with this person. If a part other than first has the main melody at the beginning, that person should cue the ensemble.

Balance: During ensemble rehearsal, decide which person/people have the main melody or important lines throughout the piece. This way, everyone will be aware of when to play out or play softly. Sometimes it is difficult to hear balance problems, so it is always nice to ask another person to listen and give suggestions.

Cueing the ensemble: Sometimes it is helpful for the ensemble to have cues within the piece. Fermatas and tempo changes require a cue, and should be done by the first flutist or performer with the main melody. If there is an obvious section break, such as when a main melody repeats, a little cue can help to solidify the ensemble. Cueing with the flute works well, but breathing together is another great type of cue.

Matching Note Lengths: During ensemble practice, listen to the way each member of the ensemble articulates. This is especially important when each person plays the same part at different times. A passage may be written staccato, but each person may prefer a different length of staccato. Decide as an ensemble which is best and match each other. Accents are another articulation to match carefully because sometimes they are played long, and sometimes they are separated.

Ornaments: If the piece has a lot of ornaments, such as trills or turns, decide as an ensemble how to play them so that they all match. For example, trills should sometimes start from the note above, and the speed of the trills should match.

When one messes up: It can be scary for all when even one person messes up. Usually, it is best for the remaining performer(s) to continue on and let the wrongdoer get back on. If both try to find each other, it may be impossible to continue without stopping. If the ensemble is large and somehow everyone is off, it may be possible to find each other at a section break (often labeled with numbers in squares). The first flute should give a nice big cue at the downbeat so that everyone can jump to that point in the music. If for some reason it is impossible to continue without stopping, quickly agree on a starting point and continue.

Ending Together: To end a piece after holding a long note, the first flutist should give the cut off (unless he/she doesn’t play the long note). If the piece does not end with a long note, no cue may be necessary. Sometimes lightly cueing the last couple of notes ensures a solid ending.

Bowing: After the performance, all members of the ensemble should stand and bow together (if there is applause). A soloist should acknowledge his/her accompanist, and they should bow as an ensemble.

A Basic Guide to “New Flute” Terms: Words you should know when buying a flute

2012-01-06T21:17:00.001-08:00

In-line or Off-set G. On an in-line flute, the G key is in line with the rest of the keys. Some flutists choose an off-set G key, where the G key is positioned slightly lower on the flute, especially for younger students and flutists with shorter fingers. One is not better than the other; it is purely a personal preference as to which is more comfortable.

Open holes or Closed holes. Professionals and more advanced players generally use the open-holed, or French-model flute. It can help with tuning and is necessary for many of the new techniques written in music. Beginners usually start on a closed-hole flute. Intermediate students may wish to switch to an open-holed flute, but it is not necessary. One benefit of the open-holed flute is that it can help teach proper hand position.

C or B foot. With a C foot, a flutist can play as low as middle C. The B foot extends the range by one note to a B below middle C. Many advanced players prefer the B foot because it allows them to play pieces written with the low B and may help with intonation, but some prefer to stick with the C foot. For beginning to intermediate students, there is no need for the low B; advanced players can decide which they prefer.

Split-E key. This is helpful for playing high E with more accuracy. However, you can also have a “donut” placed on your flute if it does not come with the split-E. This feature is great for beginning and intermediate flutes, but many advanced flutists do not like the tone quality of the split-E.

Pointed Arms vs. Y-Arms. On a flute with pointed arms, the keys are connected to the rod of the flute with raised “pointed arms” extending down the center of the key. A key with a Y-arm is soldered to the rod by a y-shaped arm on the back of the key. Either type is fine, although most professional flutes use pointed arms.

Soldered vs. Rolled tone holes. The tone holes can be made by shaping each tone hole from a separate piece of metal and soldering it onto the flute, or by taking metal from the main flute body and rolling, or shaping it into the tone hole. As long as the flute is made from a reputable company, either choice is fine.

Riser. The riser connects the lip plate to the headjoint of the flute. It is the wall that air hits as the flutist blows. The material of the riser does affect the sound, so a gold or platinum riser can be beneficial.

Plating. Student flutes are usually plated with nickel or silver to help reduce the cost and also for durability. Advanced players and professionals generally prefer the solid silver or gold flutes. Sometimes flutes have gold plating on the lip plate. This does not affect the sound and is for cosmetic purposes only.

C# trill key. A C# trill key is an extra key that makes trilling from B to C# much easier. It is a great key to have, but does add a little weight to the flute.

D# roller. This can be added to the Eb key to make sliding between keys on the footjoint easier. It is a great feature to have when available!

Gizmo. The gizmo key is located on the footjoint of flutes with the low-B foot. It allows the flutist to close the B key without closing C and C# keys, and is used for high C as well as other high notes.

How the Flute Creates Sound

2012-01-06T21:17:00.000-08:00

Sound is created when air pressure is disturbed. This happens when an object, such as a violin string, a drum, or instrument reed vibrates. The pressure waves, or vibrations in the air, travel to the ears, and the brain interprets them as sound.

Process of Making Sound on the Flute

The flutist blows a stream of air towards the embouchure hole. By allowing only a thin stream of air through the lips, the flutist creates an air stream that is much denser than the surrounding air.
The condensed air hits the edge of the embouchure hole, and the sharp edge causes the air to flip up and down, into and out of the flute.
The flipping air creates pulses of high and low air pressure at the embouchure hole. These pulses of pressure (pressure waves) disturb the column of air inside the flute, causing it to move in waves back and forth inside the column.
As the pressure waves move back and forth inside the column of the flute, they disturb the air at both open ends of the flute. This creates pressure waves in the air outside the flute.
Our ears pick up these pressure waves, and we hear sound.

Pitch
Pressure waves can have different frequencies. Frequency refers to how often the waves complete one cycle of pressure per second (Illustration 1). Waves that have a lower frequency (fewer cycles per second) sound lower. Waves that have a higher frequency (more cycles per second) sound higher.

Illustration 1 Low frequency wave (low pitch) and high frequency wave (higher pitch)

2 cycles per second and 4 cycles per second

Creating Different Pitches on the Flute
As the pressure waves move back and forth inside the column of the flute, they disturb the air at both open ends of the flute (see Process of Making Sound on the Flute, step 4). The distance between both open ends determines the length of the air column. Flutists change the length of the air column by opening or closing keys. The first open end of the flute, the embouchure hole, is always in the same position, but second open end of the flute is determined by the last closed hole.

The length of the column determines the frequency of the waves. A longer column produces waves with lower frequencies. A shorter column produces waves with higher frequencies. In other words, a longer column produces lower notes and a shorter column produces higher notes.

In the first octave of the flute, notes such as A or B have short columns, and notes such as E or F have longer columns (Illustration 2). A and B produce higher pitches than E or F. The pitches in the first octave of the flute are fundamental pitches. The air vibrates according to the length of the column, but it also vibrates in smaller frequencies at the same time. These smaller frequencies are called harmonics.

Illustration 2 Short Air Column (First-Octave A) and Longer Air Column (First-Octave E)

The second and third octaves on the flute are based on harmonics. The first harmonic is the octave. If you divide a vibrating string in half, the pitch will jump up an octave. The same can be done with the air column on the flute. By dividing the air column in half, the pitch jumps up an octave. Flutists divide the air column in half by venting, or opening a key at the halfway point of the air column. For example, second-octave D requires venting by opening the key with the left hand pointer finger (Illustration 3).

Illustration 3 Venting the Second-Octave D at the 1/2 point

Notes in the third octave and above are also based on harmonics, but they divide the air column at higher frequencies. For example, the third octave F requires venting by the left hand middle finger to divide the air column at the 1/4 point (Illustration 4).

Illustration 4 Venting the Third-Octave F at the 1/4 point

Dynamics
Pressure waves can have varied amplitudes (Illustration 5). Amplitude refers to the height, or distance from the middle of the wave to the highest point. Waves that have lower amplitude sound softer. Waves that have higher amplitude sound louder. To play louder, or create higher amplitude, a flutist blows towards the edge of the embouchure hole with more energy.

Illustration 5 Low amplitude wave (quiet) and high amplitude wave (loud)