I’m maybe worng since I still cannot use glottal stops and I’m not really sure about wjat they are BUT,
the main theme of the thread is “there is some way to Improve” my Back of Throat muscles?
I need to begin capable to controll the air flow (yes, also to use glottal stops!) and (I think)
to get it more compressed while playing…
(I do apologise if I’m worng…)
If you can mouth-whistle a tune, individuating the individual notes, you are already
using glottal stops.
like Jim says…
mouth-whistle a tune, any tune. ‘Play’ individual notes when you whistle, the only way to articulate notes while mouth-whistling… So it’s very simple.
that’s only while breathing out of course. But to be honest, just practice doing it on the flute, that’d be your best practice. You don’t want to overdo it, as others already said, but it’s a useful articulation to have available along with your cuts, taps, tonguing (ta, ka, da), diaphragm pushes, etc. Just gives you another option.
Jim mentioned Catherine McEvoy, also lots of others in that more huffy Leitrim/Sligo/Roscommon style (think John Mckenna). Kevin Crawford taught us using McKenna’s jig as an example if I remember rightly…
http://www.facebook.com/MarkinLeeds?ref=profile#!/video/video.php?v=1289918166751
Right. Catherine wanted us to use glottals INSTEAD of tonguing, which is what I’m training myself to do.
But other teachers do not want that. I find using glottals instead of tonguing has changed
my fluteplaying for the better, personally. Especially phrasing and breathing. I feel
glottals sound better, less ‘noisy,’ in general.
I’m thumping on this because I was really confused about glottals myself before
I took her workshop. It’s something simple.
lots’a things are simple,
after ya get’em in yer head 
Kevin’s class had the same effect on me, although I don’t think it was necessarily his intention, and that led me to listen to more of the detail in Catherine’s playing which also helped. The point about diversity (feeling flexible and confident enough to choose exactly the articulation you want from a wide repertoire of techniques) was emphasised be Jean-Mchel Veillon in his class. Having watched Liam Keegan play here on Sunday afternoon, I’d see a lot of similarity in his approach. For me, just at the moment though, I’m not feeling the need to tongue but do find that I use quite a lot of throat and diaphragm (and lots of finger articulation). Interesting to evaluate one’s own preferences I think, and mine will no doubt change after the next flute class… oh, but that would be Conal, Catherine, Hammy, et al, so probably not much!