So I’ve had my flute for two weeks (and three days), and for two weeks it was a struggle to get a sound out of it, and to get the left hand used to the hold.
On Sunday evening though, I had something of an ‘aha!’ moment… I literally stood up for what I believed in and discovered to my delight that once I’d got off my backside, I could actually make some very nice sounds all the way up to 2nd octave G. I no longer sit down to ‘practice’.
However. Since then, I’ve been ‘playing’ the flute for an hour (well, okay maybe two…) each evening. Long notes mostly, and in the first octave (still can’t quite get up to the top of the 2nd register), and then, when I get bored, noodling a few tunes that don’t go up too high. I’m taking regular breaks too, every five/ten minutes or so I’ll put the flute down and maybe play the whistle, do other stuff, etc etc.
It’s now Wednesday. And all day I’ve had face-ache. G’s, I never expected that! Have I overdone it? Or is this just the facial muscles being exercised for the first time and letting me know they’re there? Should I keep practising or should I give it a break for a couple of days?
I’ve had my face start getting sore if I’m tense while I’m playing. I try my best to relax now that my embouchure is decent, but that’s hard to do when you’re new.
It coule be tenseness, but it could also just be that you’re using some muscles that are just not used that much. It’s just like getting sore from running when you haven’t run in awhile or getting rubberlegs cycling when you haven’t ridden in awhile.
You are using muscles in new ways and it will take you a while to get used to this, but pain usually indicates that you are doing too much. You are probably gripping the flute too hard and putting too much pressure into your embrouchure.
Your lips should be relaxed and your grip should be light.
When I learn a new tune I sometimes finger the notes without blowing. I found that when I concentrated on many things at once, I forgot to keep my grip light. Concentrating on the fingering only allows you to develop a natural grip of the flute.
I learnt this method from a Japanese shakuhachi teacher who sings and fingers he notes when he is learning new music. It helps you to memorise a tune and keep a light grip on your instrument.
I sometimes get a wee bit of cheek soreness/tiredness when I’ve been playing in the session for 4 hours - does anyone else get this? I’ve always thought it was just tiredness from playing for so long…?
Good advice here ~ I do this when I’m learning a tune that I’m trying to play along with on a CD ~ I tend to tense up everything at those times, my emboucher goes to heck and I find I’m using a death grip on my flute which seriously slows down my fingers…
Thanks everyone. The face ache is receding, probably because the muscles are “getting used to it” and because I’ve also cut down my practice regimen.
Looking in the mirror the other night told a story too…you’d think I was training my lips to crack walnuts or something!
I like Lee’s suggestion too, and will be sure to include that as part my ‘getting to know my flute’ exercises.
My embouchure is still far from consistent, but I didn’t expect it to be anything else so early in the journey. It is hard to temper enthusiasm with patience though, especially when I occasionally get such beautiful sounds out of the instrument! But then if it was easy, it wouldn’t be worth the effort.
Mary… I don’t seem to have a problem with achey wrists or thumbs any more, although I did about three months ago on an old plastic (Acoustica) flute I couldn’t get a peep out of… that was before I got the Grey Larsen book though, and learned the ‘proper’ hold.
