Without realizing it, recently I picked up one flute, and started to play, adjusting my embouchure as I warmed up, and noticed the flute was sounding better to me than the other day. When I thought about what I was doing differently, I found that my lips were tighter than usual, and with a little different shape. Also that when I tightened my stomach muscles, I got an even more satisfying and more powerful tone.
It wasn’t a great surprise, as I had been here many times before, but it made me realize that sometimes we just let ourselves get into ruts of repeating how we like to play, or how it is easiest to produce a tone, as if on autopilot mode.
So, now I plan on trying to remember not to just pick up my flute and play away always, but remind myself to think a little more about how I am playing, and how I would like the flute to sound, and why it might not sound right. Or at least make myself aware that maybe it’s just my embouchure that is getting lazy again and to correct or adjust it a bit. I still like to experiment with my embouchure (mouth shape, throat openness, etc) quite a bit too, just to see how the different changes make the flute sound, and how to repeat it if I want-but that is an on-going process I believe we aren’t ever done with, if we want to vary our tone at times.
Of course, it’s also a good idea to make sure about the other possible causes when a flute doesn’t sound good too, like leaks or the cork stopper position having moved.
So I guess it’s good to challenge yourself and play with a more difficult embouchure for you at times, just to see where it leads.
yes, see our various comments on diaphragm/abdominals here
So, now I plan on trying to remember not to just pick up my flute and play away always, but remind myself to think a little more about how I am playing, and how I would like the flute to sound, and why it might not sound right.
Yes, one needn’t be a “classical muso” for to have this aim. Its not about just playing tunes and tunes and tunes. Flute satisfaction comes from many angles despite what may be, rightly or wroongly, inferred from such expert commentary:
Here’s one I just learned from a teacher: when you are losing volume, shift the entire flute left or right a centimeter or two. Sometimes we are not actually blowing into the flute, and we are not aware of it. Our lips are not centered over the hole, so the flute’s not getting air.
it’s a good idea to have a good sense of how embouchure works. if your tone is bad, that is all you should work on. if you have a highly developed control over the embouchure–the tone of the flute, the tuning, and the dynamics–it is much easier to play the music you hear in your head, because you are not fighting your flute. i see many people fight their flutes–even professionals.
a honking low D should take no effort at all, nor should playing your high A and B in tune. switching the octave should be effortless and instant, with only minimal movement of the corners of your lips. also, i would say it is pretty essential to be able to jump the octave on your headjoint (even on antique flutes) just by moving the corners of your lips, and that this jump should be fully in tune. i apologize ahead of time to anyone you may live with, because i find this one of the most annoying (yet helpful) sound in the whole world. also, if you play a low D, it should be able to jump to a second octave D instantly when you lift your pointer finger of the left hand, without any change of lip pressure.
i think practicing regularly in front of a mirror is a good idea, and it has helped me tremendously.