![]() ![]() ![]() Further problems with tone can be caused by poor posture, incorrect or shallow breathing, low air quantity, or not enough pressure of the flute on the chin from the base of the left pointer finger. #Too big aperture flute crack#If they are trying to play a high register note and crack to the note lower, their air is either too slow, too low, or both. If they are trying to play a low register note and crack to the note higher, their air is either too fast, too high, or both. If a flutist cracks notes frequently, there are three possible problems with both parameters. Other issues to consider are air speed and direction. Also make sure their tongue is on the bottom of their mouth, and not in the way of the air escaping the embouchure. Usually, students tend not to create enough space inside their mouths for the best resonation. Next, if their sound is ok, but doesn’t resonate or project much, have them experiment with dropping the jaw and making a more open space between their top and bottom teeth. If it’s too small, the sound will be pinched or they might create a lip buzz. If it’s too big, they will have an airy sound and lose air quickly. Then, assess the shape of the aperture between their lips. Have them look at photos of good (and famous!) embouchures, and compare to their own in a mirror. The “wh” syllable puts the mouth in a fairly good position for playing. Instead, have them relax their corners and make a flute embouchure as if they were saying the word “what”. Are their corners pulled back into a smile? This will cause added muscle tension and lead to poor tone and less lip flexibility. Have them play around until they find the sweet spot that makes the tone sound as good as possible.Īfter checking if any angle adjustments improve the tone, assist your students with ideal embouchure formation. Consider that what works best for you might not be what works best for your student. Much like the story of Goldilocks and the Three Bears, each student must find the “just right” position for them. #Too big aperture flute trial#Placement of flute on the bottom lip: neither too high nor too low.Įach of these angles can be played around with in the spirit of trial and error exploration. Horizontal angle in relation to the ceiling (too high or low?).As an asymmetrical instrument, the proper playing position of the flute is important for good tone. Many errors that contribute to poor flute tone have to do with the angles created when holding the flute. If no problems exist with the instrument or alignment, have the student play a few notes and notice their body and hand positions. The middle of the headjoint tone hole should line up with the middle of the first key of the left hand. While checking for leaks, ensure that the flute headjoint is aligned correctly to the body of the instrument. Check for leaks in the common places (trill keys, F key, foot joint, etc.). When troubleshooting flute sound production, first try your student’s flute. Through this article, I will detail many possible solutions to your flutists’ tone woes in hopes of providing tools that will lead them to their best possible sound. As a band director or private teacher, it is vital that we guide our students towards producing a better sound before they give up in desperation. This is the method of the 'French Flute School'.Struggling with producing a good tone on the flute can be frustrating for students of all levels. The better and easier way is to start the very first lessons with middle or high registers instead of low registers to prevent a bad habit! The size of the aperture for the low notes is just a little bigger then the middle!ĭo not open your mouth to play low notes, but try to make your lower jaw backward! Furthermore, 'too big aperture' will block you to the virtuosity! The higher registers, the smaller aperture!īe careful! Many flutists play low notes with too big aperture which makes difficulties of tonguing and causes bad intonation (too flat). The higher registers, the more air pressure!ģ. As the flute is a wind instrument, we have to play by tensing the diaphragm/stomach muscle. ![]()
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