In a previous thread, I (or someone else) asked how to tell when your embouchure is well-focused or optimized. One person said to look for a v-shaped (rather than u-shaped) pattern of condensation on the downstream edge of the embouchure hole (with a cold flute). I can get that sometimes, but more often I see a very narrow stripe on the right-downstream edge of the hole.
I presume this is due to a severe scar (rather noticeable lump actually) on the right side of my upper lip. It takes rather a lot of effort to make a well-centered hole between my lips, especially with the smile-shape favored in Irish music. I can form a pretty good classical-style embouchure, but only blowing downward – blowing straight on, I either get a sloppy embouchure or, if it’s pretty tight, leakage out the right side of my mouth.
I can actually get a pretty decent sound out of a few different flutes, but gasp for breath after about 1-2 measures. To become more breath-efficient, I think I may have to blow off-center, probably out of the unscarred half of my mouth.
So, (a) is this possible, and (1) anyone have any experience with it, or know of any well-known players who might?
In all seriousness though, I’ve heard that Laurence Nugent has a very strange off-center embouchure. Can anyone confirm?
Other than that I think it best you go by feel rather than look. No one’s embouchure looks alike and if you try to copy someones embouchure by how it looks it may prove dissapointing. My teacher had this pouty type embouchure and physically I couldn’t even make my face do that. We spent hours in front of the mirror. Finally I practiced on my own and focused on the air stream and sound and I started improving.
Laurence Nugent has the wierdest embouchure I’ve ever seen, and plays at a very strange angle. Joannie Madden is quite a lip contortionist as well.
Chris
Yeah, L. Nugent plays w/ his embouchure canted upward at the endcap side, and almost as if blowing toward the cork as I recall. But then, he’s beyond a number of rules.
John Skelton’s embouchure is rather interesting as well. He holds the flute at a somewhat downward angle and he aims his airstream at an angle as well. It’s hard to describe. Anyway, when you see it, you wonder how he gets those incredible buzzing tones out of this Olwell.
In his class, he called attention to the fact that he had a unique way of holding and blowing into the flute, and demonstrated how his embouchure and tone developed over the years. In the end, he asserted that embouchure and tone were things that develop with time and experimentation.
While there are certain core guidelines or rules that go along with all this stuff, some people have better luck when they break the rules. Go figure.
John
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[ This Message was edited by: rhodeirish on 2003-02-10 20:30 ]
My observation has been that the flute determines your E.,not you. Once I really got a feel or the I.F. I noticed in the mirror that indeed my E. had distorted my upper lip in a very strange way. Then, I noticed that same E. in videos of some of the top I.F. players. Strange how it works, but if you concentrate on the sound production, the flute actually does the shaping and after a couple of weeks of that the muscles are well developed just so.
I have also become a better public speaker after taking up the flute. I think it is all in the facial muscles.
Well, call me crazy…
Jack Coen plays much the way John describes John Skelton as doing, with the flute way down to the right, the head (the flute’s, not Jack’s) turned wa-ay to the left, and he sort of shoots the air at a side angle down the flute. I learned an awful lot from him, but though I can make the flute sound that way, it really is an odd embouchure and not one I’d use or recommend.
Anyway, my point would be that a flute can be made to sound a number of ways, and I’d have to agree with the earlier statement that no two embouchures are the same in any event; trying to copy another’s lips exactly is usually a waste of time. If there’s an actual mishape to your lip, you’ll probably need to angle the flute a bit differently than usually suggested, so, yeah, use the side of your mouth that is stronger. Adjust your embouchure 'til it sounds right and work at it from there.
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[ This Message was edited by: on 2003-02-10 21:23 ]
