Although primarily a D flute player, I do have a G Sized Fife/flute I don’t it play much. It has occured to me it might be good to use it as a tool for embouchure improvement by trying to hit the high notes on it.
Anyone got any thoughts on this ? Is it worthwhile excercise or would I be better off sticking to embouchure excercises on my D flute ?
regards,
Pat.
You poor Irish were most likely never treated to the American television comedy, “Happy Days,” which was set in the 1950’s. If you had been, you’d know that the recommended exercise in this case, being similar to preparing for one’s first snog, is called “lip-ups.”
Seriously, now, lads, I’m a firm believer that having flutes both larger and smaller than concert D is helpful. Smaller flutes, or fifes I suppose, are helpful for the reason you state, i.e. the embouchure required is so much more focused that a short session on the smaller flute will (hopefully) produce a noticeable improvement when you move back to the concert flute. Larger flutes, being much harder to fill, will make the D flute seem like a pleasure cruise by comparison.
Sounds like a justification to buy a rake of flutes! Cheers,
Rob
To strengthen your embouchure try to play the highest notes as quietly as possible. Avoid blowing harder to get a high note- instead blow less forcefully and try to focus your embouchure more strongly.
A G flute will help when you go back to the D, assuming you’re not forcing the high notes on the G.
I certainly find doing some work on my piccolo has benefits when I drop back to concert flute.
Thanks for the replies guys.
Connie, what is the highest note you can hit on your D flute?
Yes yes… I concur.
I can hit up to a third octave D if I cross finger it. Overall though I think my 2nd octave needs improving even on the notes I can hit ok.
The best exercises I have found are to run up and down the octaves as far as I can playing arpeggios. Trying to keep the notes sounding correct together and at about the same volume seemed to improve my upper registers.
Progressing up in pitch I would play DFA, FAd, adf, dfa, fad, adf until I cannot reach the next note. Then I reverse the process fda, daf, etc. These notes are played half note, half note, whole note, rest, repeat. After the first set, move to EGB GBe…
That and what cocusflute said, playing a note as softly as you can.
The only problem I have from switching between the fife and flute is that the low D on them requires a bit of a different approach.
Softly and clearly.
Hi
Although the title of this thread is Strengthening Embouchure, I see that your objective is embouchure improvement.
Now, a good embouchure is strong, but it is also flexible, and strength “training” can temporarily compromise such flexibility (read: musclebound).
That is, after some effort at getting stronger, be prepared to spend some effort at getting more limber, too.
For example, after a session of high altitude on your G flute, pick up your D flute and then go for a solid bottom D. The result will speak for itself.
Cork, isn’t musclebound lips strictly a New England phenomenon? 
Aww, c’mon, Denny. I’m just trying to be helpful.
Besides, if there’s anything musclebound in New England, it’s my fingers from all this keyboarding.
Aww, c’mon, yerself!
I used a 4 syllable word!
I can’t be me… 
OK…
Keyboardinged gets 'er done!
A fancy four syllables, eh?
One handed scale.
I suppose its a bit of both strengthening and improving. I notice if I haven’t played the flute for a few days, my embouchure is better than if I am playing everyday.
Conversely if I’m playing a session for a couple of hours I feel my embouchure getting tired mid-set.
Overall its my tone I want to improve and also have it consistant.
This is just what I was getting at. If you haven’t played in a few days, then your embouchure is more relaxed, more supple, but weaker.
The trick is to be both strong and supple, which apparently only regular practice can accomplish. EDIT: Basically, unless you have a professional flute playing schedule to keep, it’s not so much a matter of practicing for hours on end every day, but a round of daily “maintenance” works wonders! For instance, I have a warm up routine, which varies in content, just to keep things interesting, and it is an established part of my day. YMMV(!), but I find that twenty minutes or so would be a minimum warm up.
BTW, no less than James Galway once said that if one wants to be a flute player, then one should plan on playing flute every day of their career.
After one day not playing, I can tell the difference.
After two days not playing, the musicians I play with can tell the difference.
After three days not playing, the audience can tell the difference.
— Stephane Grappelli
And he played violin, not the notoriously finicky wooden flute. I would amend his words just a bit to make them more relevant to us here. (Not that they aren’t 100% correct as he said them, mind you.)
After one day not playing, I can tell that my flute and I are not getting along. After two days not playing, other flute players can tell that my flute and I are not getting along. After three days not playing, if it’s a good flute I start getting offers to buy it from those other flute players.