Don't worry about your tone.

Irish Flute
1

I just realized this and thought I could share it to prevent other learners from running into the same direction…

A perfect hard and barking tone isn’t everything. It will come with time. Practise a good (not: loud) and balanced volume on all the notes. Practise a constant embouchure and breath support. Don’t worry about that hard barking low D some experienced players can produce. It’s because they have years or even decades of experience. It will come with time as it is the result of everything one should practise as a learner. Just keep in mind that practise makes perfect, have a pint and relax. Then play some tunes, have fun and enjoy the music. :slight_smile:

2

For what it’s worth, I agree entirely with that. You don’t hear people saying the likes of “Seán’s a great fiddle player. He’s got the loudest ‘D’ in the world.” The flute’s a thing for enjoying. I’d imagine that the more that the tone builds, the better the fun of playing but every stage of the journey is worthwhile. One of my favourite LPs of flute playing is Josie MacDermott’s “Darby’s Farewell”. There’s not a noisy D on it. Sometimes less is more.

I’m away for a strong “Z”, I hope.

3

Why is your topic premised on the idea that concern about tone is nesessarily a concern about loudness?

4

Is it? Wasn’t meant to be.

5

raises hand

I have a small dissent with the topic. I think it’s important to go for - and master - a consistent tone, whatever tone that is. If one’s playing has inconsistent tone, the effect is kind of…unfortunate. Other tone color types, flute and player allowing, will come in time with practice and experimentation, and working toward consistency in those.

6

you there…yes you, with your hand up

Whatever possessed you to choose the word unfortunate?

signed,
Confused
in Washington

P.S. it wasn’t process of elimination was it? :confused:

7

…It was from hearing recordings of myself back in the day. My tone was all over the map, and it wasn’t pretty.

8

There’s a lot to be said for the ideas of working with what you have, enjoying yourself, and the slow improvement that comes with time. I loaned a flute to a whistle player recently who is trying so hard to get a great tone reight away that he is frustrating himself. Gabriel’s message would be helpful to him. For the first year or so, deliberately working on tone could make my tone worse, I think because I made myself tense.

And yet, it’s undeniable to me that my tone has improved a lot in the last 8 months because I decided to make getting a good and consistent tone my main priority. I find it useful to play long tones, and slow pieces, just aiming to get the fullest and most consistent tone I can. Can’t really explain this, but the brain/lips/muscles are amazing. If I set out to get a good tone, pay attention to tone, and when it is good, think “that’s good” and when it is not so good, think “that’s a little breathy” or “there’s not enough centre”, then somehow improvements arrive, even if I don’t have a clear idea of what will lead to the improvement. I’ve had more luck setting a goal, and then once I arrive, paying attention to what my lips, flute position, etc. feel like. This has worked better than saying “I need a tighter embouchure” or “I need a smaller aperture” or “I need to blow more into the hole”. If I start with a goal (a better tone), and find what works, this has been more effective for me than starting with a preconceived idea (tighter lips, or smaller aperture or whatever). This process can be extended just by changing the goal (a better second octave, or better jumps from higher notes to lower notes, or a less muffled E, or…).

For sure, doing overtones helped a lot to give my lips and brain the idea. But for me, the most important thing has been to keep asking myself for better tone, and being aware of my tone all the time. I find that my tone is a pretty good “tiredness indicator”. If I am sleep deprived, worrying about something else, working too long, it shows up as poor tone. So I don’t beat myself up if this day, or week isn’t so great. At least I am aware that the tone isn’t so great, and ask myself for the best tone I can manage on that day, even if it isn’t the best tone I can manage on my best days. Somehow this helps with the consistency, and brings the overall average up.

A teacher who I consulted about tone recently remarked that whenever I played a piece slowly, my tone was fine. That remark really hit home for me. Actually, everything is fine when I play slowly because I am comfortable and not tense, and have enough spare neurons to manage the task. It’s trying to do everything too fast too soon that’s my downfall.

I don’t think Gabriel and I disagree. While the topic heading gives the wrong impression perhaps, I don’t read his post as saying that tone is unimportant, and I think his advice on getting a good tone is sensible.

Best,
Hugh

9

i think that’s what gabriel said, or at least implied. the topic title of the thread is a bit misleading. i was about to dissent as well (albeit much more vociferously), until i reread gabriel’s post and forced myself to ignore the title:

10

They way I read it, Gabriel is encouraging work on tone.

Work on the fundamentals of tone first and the other more emotive tones after you’ve mastered the rudiments… but stop and enjoy yourself from time to time.

Did I paraphrase well?

11

Very good.

I may have mistook the words “constant embouchure”, as there has to be some adjustment according to pitch and octave, so I suppose I’m more an advocate of relying on the ear to find out what it takes to get that consistency.

12

:smiley: I’m sure that after he gets better at doing it he will also get better at saying what it is.

13

yeah, you have to constantly change embouchure and throat breath… the only way to know if you’re changing it right is to listen!

14

It seems all she? (Gabrielle) is saying is don’t worry about the hard barking tone and Low D note…learn to be consistent, and strive for a good tone. It’s just the title of the thread is abbreviated, and some are taking it as gospel that she is saying don’t worry about tone just from the title-read on into the rest of her message.

I think it’s great advice-be consistent, and strive for good tone, but relax and enjoy it too-and along the way, the rest will come to you with more experience.

Personally, I always play for good tone, and I’m kind of focused on it-because I like to hear a beautiful tone from the flute, or any instrument for that matter that I play. I haven’t even tried to bark yet! I just wish I would concentrate more on tunes sometimes, instead of getting wrapped up in only the tone!

Reminds me about something similar I was thinking about just today again-a lot of people are session oriented, and for them good flute tone means cutting power, a certain presence, and for others who play solo, tone means it sounds rich and full (or whatever attributes you like-sweet, reedy, etc), but pleasing to the ears.

You definitely need to be aware of the tone you are producing, and aim to be able to reproduce it at will, just the same as being aware of tuning, timing, etc. The nuances will come in time-some easily, and some with a lot of work, depending on the individual, no doubt.

I’m having a blast! And to me, that’s really all that matters.

15

Does that not say it all and in a few, well chosen words?


If it’s fun it’s probably good. If it’s consistent then the person beside you, who has an instrument which isn’t a flute, will probably think it’s good too.

(Gabriel put it better than I could. I was just trying to express my agreement. I hope I didn’t lower the tone).

16

Naw,

“I’m having a blast” sure beats “I can’t stand hearin’ myself play”

… makes it hard to get the thing out of the case