Sound Quality and Intonation

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.