No need to feel sorry, Guinness. That very well may be a big piece of the problem. (I think there’s more because I have similar issues with the whistle and because I’m still unsure about which notes to leave out or cut short.)
Either way, it’s true that I still need to work on the embouchure. I thought I had it, but after reading some very helpful threads on C&F, I’m retooling again. I was doing a “tight happy smile” and am now trying Galway’s frown. http://youtube.com/watch?v=VQg0vScnQ8E&feature=related
That seems to be a much easier “posture” to maintain.
This concern about how to position the lips reminds me of an incident when I ran track. My coach thought I was over-thinking how to run. “Cripes, you just put one foot in front of the other!” It must not have been in my genes because running didn’t come naturally to me. I might as well have had my shoes on backwards.
That makes sense, Cork. My lower lip naturally falls into that flat position, falling down from the raised center as soon as I stop paying attention. I was trying to crank it back up into a frown. Even being in a nasty mood didn’t help!
In a couple of PMs Cathy Wild wrote about her positive experiences with the Forbes. How do the Seery and Forbes flutes compare?
I have no experience with any of the Seery flutes, so I have no opinion, there.
About the Forbes flute, however, I could speak, and beyond the fact that it’s made of virtually maintenance-free Delrin, the Forbes flute has big holes, and great potential. It’s a fine flute, capable of playing loudly, or softly, and in tune while doing either, provided the player does their part.
BTW, if you order a Forbes flute, just get the “standard” end cap with the fixed position “cork,” which works fine, and never mind the “adjustable” end cap.
