Chiff and Fipple Forums

Sounds like good advice - I'll give it a go with the low D & see if it helps me with it, (the piccolo doesn't seem to be too difficult in that regard).

Here are a few ideas on Irish flute playing with the early learner in mind.

I hope it helps!

Sláinte,

good stuff

Some good info there Johnathon, especially about embouchure & 'feeling' the tune.

I play other instruments, (not very well), but a lot transfers over to flute & piccolo - I've just got to get a consistent embouchure, & then I'll be able to play flute just as poorly as my other instruments.

Update on my progress....

My Dixon piccolo I can get some tunes out of, my embouchure on flute is improving, almost to the point of getting out my first tune, so if I can keep on improving slowly, I'll be happy.

(On another note, I've put in an order for a better quality flute with off set holes, which should make for easier playing.)

How are the rest of you getting on?

Jonathan wrote:Here are a few ideas on Irish flute playing with the early learner in mind.

I hope it helps!

Sláinte,

Great advices Jonathan, I like this one "Play with heart, stop thinking", this is exactly my vision of trad music.

I can see you are from Austin, I have a friend from there, Rob Lifford, he plays mandolin and bluegrass music, he spent a year with his family here in Spain, great guy and amazing musician.


Sláinte.

I'm relatively new to the flute. I bought a Copely keyless blackwood a few years ago, but have been practicing seriously for a few months now. Also picked up high and low D whistles.

I've tried lessons from OAIM, a couple private teachers, YouTube, etc., but by far, for me, the best resource I've found is Blayne Chastain's website. Very straightforward and easy to pick up new tunes with ornamentation. The next step is joining a local session.

blueblade wrote:I'm relatively new to the flute. I bought a Copely keyless blackwood a few years ago, but have been practicing seriously for a few months now. Also picked up high and low D whistles.

I've tried lessons from OAIM, a couple private teachers, YouTube, etc., but by far, for me, the best resource I've found is Blayne Chastain's website. Very straightforward and easy to pick up new tunes with ornamentation. The next step is joining a local session.

Joining a session is perfect to take the right way. You can use the Michael Clarkson´s blog, it´s fine to learn some tunes and flute technique. http://irishflute.podbean.com/

Great, I'll look him up. I enjoyed reading your blog! Great stuff there.
Salud!

sligofluter wrote:
Great advices Jonathan, I like this one "Play with heart, stop thinking", this is exactly my vision of trad music.

I can see you are from Austin, I have a friend from there, Rob Lifford, he plays mandolin and bluegrass music, he spent a year with his family here in Spain, great guy and amazing musician.


Sláinte.

fatmac wrote:
How are the rest of you getting on?

For about the last year, whenever I sit down to practice flute with a YouTube video, OAIM, or Conal O’Grada’s book, I end up sighing and thinking about the flute I have on order. This is usually because the players in the video/audio have a wooden flute with sweet tone. I end up not getting much done. (My current flute is a Delrin Tony Dixon 2 piece flute.)

However, the flute I ordered a year ago is making its way through the postal service right now. Once it is broken in, I’m hoping it will be the flute of my dreams. I hope I’ll be able to focus better. I should be able to get past the hang-ups of my current flute. And as others say, be inspired by my flute to become better and play more flute.

I do hope the wait has been worth it - let us know how it feels & plays, when you get it.

fatmac wrote:I play other instruments, (not very well), but a lot transfers over to flute & piccolo - I've just got to get a consistent embouchure, & then I'll be able to play flute just as poorly as my other instruments.

Lucky you. I haven't been able to figure out how to strum mine.

Latticino wrote:

fatmac wrote:Hope to find my embouchure fairly quickly, so that I can get on & play.

Best advice I ever got for improving embouchure to upgrade tone is to practice playing long tones (holding a single note for an entire breath). Seems to have helped me.

I'm curious when I hear mention of embouchure taking years to develop. I'm an ex-sax and clarinet player and it makes sense where there is a lot of facial muscles involved. But flute embouchure seems to be the opposite - a conscious relaxation and direction of airflow with only the slightest tensing of muscles at the corners of the mouth. Once the basics are gained what exactly is the process of development and signs to look out or aim for?

I have also found practicing long notes helpful.

One of the first 'real' instruments I made headway on was clarinet, & whilst I appreciate there is technique in getting the reed to vibrate, with a flute you have to hold the embouchure hole exactly right, & blow with the right amount of pressure, at the correct angle to get it to sound, it's not so easy - especially when you start moving your fingers around on the body, that's where I keep loosing it.

Edit: I'm hoping this situation will be a thing of the past when my new flute arrives, as it will have offset holes, which I think will make it easier to hold & manipulate.

@mendipman Ah, if it were only so easy!

Clear, strong notes & consistency require great breath and fine muscle control (or relaxation).

Listening to Chris Norman I'm floored by how beautiful, rich and malleable the tone can be... I've got a long road.