OK, if at rest the inner surface of your upper lip could be fairly flat, then let’s proceed with a standard technique. What this amounts to is blowing straight forward, where in the case of a teardrop it’s necessary to blow more to the left side, for a right handed player. Actually, there are those with a flat upper lip who choose to play more to the left, but for the moment let’s focus on the standard technique.
So, picture a dance hall, and you are the flute player. The dance hall is a busy place, where along with any dancing might be sociable drinking, talking, loudness, and all sorts of frivolity. Now, as the flute player, what could you expect to do?
That’s right, you’re going to play as loudly as you can!
To get to loudness, while remaining in tune, however, requires a study of flute mechanics, and, more that that, if you REALLY want to be heard, you’ll need to learn about a matter known as “projection”, too. Actually, the mechanics part is easier, and it’s the projection part which gets into the finer points of flute playing.
Also, a person who is new to the transverse flute could expect to spend some time at building up the embouchure muscles required. THIS SIMPLY WILL NOT HAPPEN OVERNIGHT! It takes regular, daily practice to do this, and, moreover, you’ll also discover that it takes regular, daily practice just to maintain your flute playing status. So, if you’re in for an inch, then you’re in for a mile!
Pick an easy note to play in the lowest register, the bottom octave, and then play it with a “medium” amount of air. Then, without moving a muscle, blow harder, and then blow softer. You should hear a difference in pitch, as when blowing harder the tone gets sharper in pitch, and when blowing softer the tone gets flatter.
Regardless of the shape of the embouchure hole, round, oval, square or whatever, what you’re blowing against is the far side of the embouchure hole, commonly known as the strike wall. This is the vertical surface of the embouchure hole. Now, when you blow harder, causing the tone to sharpen, it’s necessary to direct the air stream more downwards against the strike wall, to thereby compensate for the sharpness. Similarly, when blowing more softly, it’s necessary to direct the air stream more upwards. Conversely, if the air stream remains constant, directing the air stream upwards and downwards against the strike wall will cause the pitch to go sharper and flatter, respectively.
You could use a tuning meter to tell of the variations, but, more importantly, your ears should hear the difference, too.
Maybe you’ll have instant success at it, or maybe it could take some practice, but this is a fundamental thing to be able to do. In fact, once you have control of pitch variation, it’s then possible to bring a good flute into tune, and that’s no small accomplishment!
Oh, there’s more, but for now try that.
