i have borrowed a flute and im gradually batteling with getting noises out of it.
i can actually play, all be it slowley and halting for breaths every few notes,
while i know that patience is the key, i would rather not spend hours making myself dissey for want of some advice, be it ‘got get an instructor before you die of flute poisioning’ or ‘i find that thinking of watermelons really helps me to blow stedy in the second ovtive’
i think the main issue is related to bad habbit from whisteling and poor breath control
If you actually expect to get a serious reply on a thread, it might be a good idea to pay attention to what you are writing, first. I don´t know if english is your mother tongue, either way, you should definitely check your post before posting a tread; for both spelling and proper syntax.
If I understand you correctly, you are asking for general advise on flute playing, because you don´t want to spend time figuring things out for yourself. If this is the case, there are many similar threads you can browse, to leech on information regarding flute playing; technique (rolls, cuts, taps, embouchure), or other tips.
I want you to be aware, that there are no shortcuts to becoming a great flute player. Spend time reading, try to get the theory into practice and play along with your favourite tracks. You should consider getting some software for slowing down tracks, if they are to fast for your ear at normal speed.
It will take a few years at least.
Some would say a lot longer.
Sounding vaguely musical will take a month or two or more
But really playing decently, takes longer
I have owned a flute for years, playing it more often in the past 2-3 years
I’d say I havent “got there” yet, and I have a long way to go…but I have had some pretty decent flute players tell me in sessions I am getting a good sound out of it
(but then advise me on the embouchure drills they do on a daily basis and stuff like that)
Yeah, I can see why you would say that, looking back at my sentance, but I still stand by my words. I mentioned it because I have seen way too many cryptic threads lately (not on this forum, but still). Maybe Im too demanding?
Yeah, I thought AbraX was a bit heavy handed about writing mechanics. The post is readable, so wht if its nt perfct?
And chris, keep at it. Experiment. Maybe you’re trying to get too big a sound; maybe try playing softly, using as little air as possible, focusing the air as much as possible. I find playing softly helps me to focus and then I can play louder more easily with less air and have better projection. Just a thought…
If you’re going to bust somebody’s balls over spelling and grammar, make sure yours are perfect. [By the way, there was nothing ‘crypic’ about Chris’ post, just spelling and grammar issues. And yes, you are way too controlling. Nobody’s perfect, including you. You should lighten up.] Allow me to clean some of your post up a bit:
I remember someone wrote (I think it’s Wye in his red book): “it takes time, patience, and intelligent work”. Getting help from a good teacher can only be beneficial, especially if you’ve never played wooodwinds before and are not used to supporting air with your belly.
In contrast to what you say, some flute teachers encourage students to begin playing with lots of air and volume to try to get a strong, solid tone first. I’ll be breathy at first but it will improve as the embouchure gets more focused. One big advantage of this approach is that to get a solid tone you need both a focused embouchure and good air support. It is generally considered (rightfully so, IMO) that playing woodwinds softly is more demanding than playing louder.
Maybe some encouragement from a fellow beginner will help as well. I’ve only been playing for about two months but I’ve made quite a bit of progress in that time. My first two weeks were not at all unlike what you’re describing. Running out of breath every three notes and getting dizzy were the status quo.
Don’t be discouraged, just keep playing. It will come with time and practice. The more you practice the the easier it will get to breathe. I actually find the “deep breathing exercises” to be invigorating.
As others have said, read as much as you can, especially about embouchure. That’s going to be the single biggest factor in getting notes out.
As far as the music goes, I use a slow downer program and I’ve learned some tunes but I’ve been trying not to concentrate on how fast I can play nearly as much as I do on getting better tone and improving my breathing. ← (run-on sentence )
Hang in there! It does take time and patience. I don’t speak from experience… that’s just what I’ve read .
No offense intended, but I think this is not accurate. Even with the most focused embouchure, breathing from the chest will result in a weak and fluffy sound. It’s also more prone to cracking in the second octave.
No offense taken. I’m certainly no expert and it was probably the wrong choice of words on my part. That’s just what seemed to be the biggest factor in my case but I guess my breathing was improving at the same time, probably more in the subconscious.
your half right; however, its not out of lazyness that i posted that, moreso a desire not to ‘figure it out wrong’, its not a quick fix im after, its pointers to avoid making mistakes which will cause real pain in the future, a stich, in time saves nine and all that
spot on
that’ll give me somthing to get my brain round when i go home, thanks!
i was warned before i even started that the flute is a damn trickey instrument; im going at it for the long run, not to be a great player, but to be good enough to contribute in sessions and woo the wimmins… and maby earn money from american tourists.
so currently, im playing through my repitoir slowley while ‘mucking about’ with my lips to try and find a sweet spot, experimenting with various contrasting air-pressures . Sometimes ill loose the ability to make sound out of the thing for hours! sometimes i can brease through a few fast tunes breathing only slightly harder then on the low whistle.
Sorry to go off topic.. but frankly, I’m amazed that this thread could survive so long without a contribution from our erstwhile colleague known as ‘Cork’. What did MTGuru really do? I think it only honourable and just to mark his passing. May he rest in peace ..
