Continuing with the idea of concentrating on the breath rather than the tongue for articulation - practice first without any tongue at all, deep and short "huh". Notice any squeezing in the lips, throat, and HANDS. Ideally, hands should always feel floppy, like just sort of hanging onto the flute. A sign of this is you can feel the vibration of the sound through the hands. I say ideally because it gets difficult during a technical passage, but we just have to keep constantly reminding ourselves.
This is part of a free sound production. Then when we use the tongue, experiment whether just using the very tip of the tongue barely touching the edge of the teeth is enough. If it's well-supported and backed up by the air we just practiced, it might be just enough already.
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We can think of flute-playing very much like violin-playing (or singing actually, but violin-playing is visually more helpful). There is one place on the string which produces the pitch. Our breath also needs to be at the right place for the desired pitch. We have to train our air so that it arrives at the right place at the right time, along with the corresponding dynamic, sound color, and coordination with articulation.
I think, however, that first and foremost the air has to be at the right place for the note. We play the note not just with our fingers, but the air has to be prepared first. This is very noticeable especially when large leaps involving above the second octave or chromatics happen - if the air wasn't ready for that next position, the note will feel unstable and uncontrollable. It may feel "wobbly", not sitting "right" in the body, intonation problems happen. The fingers were there but the air wasn't there yet, which then causes the embouchure to work unnecessarily and inefficiently. This is against achieving the maximum with the minimum. Remember, don't play! (here's my explanation of this) Once this is conscious, other elements are much easier to add on (dynamics, articulation etc.). We train our body to have that "sound position" internalized, just as a string player recalls the correct position on the string. Play the notes internally with the breath and not with the fingers or lips. I try to always think of playing as RELEASING AIR, not putting out air. We have to get to a place where the air is like something stored and ready, and you let it go at the desired time and pace. This comes with practice, and is why sometimes, if one has been out of practice for awhile, one loses contact with the air. The air feels unfamiliar and is not a part of you, so you can't release anything from you. It becomes something foreign where you feel like you have to produce it first. Then you'd have to shape it again to make it a part of you.
Daring to release the air is a much harder concept to grasp. Indeed, we always want to hang on to something. To have true security by letting go is the key. Keep the source of your sound production low. Involve more lower lip. Everything must come down.
We often do what may seem natural at first - "more air", "blow more" - these are the basic methods we start with as beginners when learning the higher register. This however, places the sound very high in our bodies, creates unnecessary tension in the lips and embouchure, and will be be very hard to do a beautiful and ethereal piano when needed. 3rd register does require somewhat faster air than the lower register, but always using the minimum for the maximum result. Which means, the slowest air possible to make the sound speak. Just like the lighting master Felix Kunze suggests - always doing small changes to achieve great subtle differences. By sound quality I mean less of whether a sound is good or bad, but more of its properties. Is the sound diffused or concentrated? Brilliant or muted? Wide or narrow? Certainly though, there are qualities we more often use than others due to the demand of the music and its aesthetics.
In historical flute playing, it is important to make very fine adjustments in airspeed and focus of the embouchure. Lipping up or down is a larger adjustment, but that alone is not enough. By doing these internal adjustments, you'll have even more control and a wider range of colors/dynamics available while still staying in tune. This is especially important since we have such uneven notes like G#s, F#s, F naturals etc...Historical flute playing is working with more refined muscles on a micro-level, whereas modern flute playing is dealing with stronger muscles. But despite the work we do on the top with embouchure, keeping an open body is still the key. Don't forget your bottom and always play efficiently. |
ABOUT THE BLOG:I got inspired to document my own observations in flute-playing and music-making. Also, I thought it's important to pass on the teachings of the great Wilbert Hazelzet, as well as many other mentors who have influenced my artistic visions one way or the other. Enjoy this potpourri of tips, inspirations, and musings. TOPICS:
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