First Flute Innocence.

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tstermitz
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First Flute Innocence.

Post by tstermitz »

I'm 18 months into my flute journey, and recently sent my Solen Lesouef flute (Rudall style) in for a minor repair and borrowed a Sweetheart (Pratten style) in the meantime. It took a couple weeks to get my embouchure to work, and in that time I never got my tone quality up to the level of the Lesouef. I was a bit worried that adapting to the Sweetheart would wreck my sound on the Lesouef, but I felt like I was coming home to an old friend, and I was rewarded on the first breath with a warm, rich, strong tone - possibly stronger than when I sent it off.

I understand that every flute has its own qualities and challenges. My question is whether my "first flute innocence" is typical, i.e. does your first flute spoil you for any other one?

With more experience do you find the challenge of changing to another flute typical, minimal or no problem at all?

Does playing (struggling with) a different flute embouchure benefit your embouchure on your familiar instrument?
jim stone
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Re: First Flute Innocence.

Post by jim stone »

Two schools of thought. Flute monogamists advise sticking with one flute for a good long while. The idea is that it will improve your embouchure and you will get to know and play well that flute.

Flute polygamists (a minority including myself) feel that trying different flutes, especially once you are up and running) will challenge and strengthen your embouchure. In my own experience (FWIW) playing higher pitched flutes (e.g. g flutes, A flutes, Bb flutes) definitely helps--a bit like overtone exercises on the D flute except you are playing whole tunes.

I don't think you have to worry that a stint on another flute (as you were doing) will ruin you
for other flutes.

Also there is something to be said for exploring different flutes and what they do--sheer joy--especially after you are up and running.
YMMV.
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sligofluter
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Re: First Flute Innocence.

Post by sligofluter »

The most of people need more than 2 years of work for develop a good embouchure, after that you should be able to blow your flute with not many effort but different flutes need different blowing techiniques and it's not uncommon for anyone to have trouble playing flutes you're not very familiar with.

I´m 9 years of experience with irish flutes, probably 5 of focused work with them and today I can get a good sound from a lot of flutes, the most of flutes I tried but I have some problems with some kinds of flutes and embouchures, specially with the most of Rudalls, curiously I play rudall and I'm doing very well with my flute.

Just give yourself some more time.
Our irish music blog in Spanish: https://theirishflow.com/
tstermitz
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Re: First Flute Innocence.

Post by tstermitz »

After reflecting on this for a week after welcoming my familiar flute back...

I feel that practicing on a flute with a different and perhaps more difficult embouchure has made a significant improvement in my abilities on my original flute.

To be specific, my temporary flute had a larger, Pratten style head joint, and I had to work rather hard to get a quality tone with volume from it. My Lesouef is after the Rudall style. It was easy to play the moment I got it back, and each day of practice and remembering has given me a stronger and more consistent tone.

I wouldn't go so far as to say this is right for everyone at every time. I'm sure it depends on where you are in you learning process.
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plunk111
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Re: First Flute Innocence.

Post by plunk111 »

I wouldn't say this works for everyone, but when I play a higher-pitched flute (I have a Copley in F) and go back to my "baby" (John Gallagher Pratten), my tone improves due to (I assume) being more focused. I wish I could say it stays that way, but...

Pat
Pat Plunkett, Wheeling, WV
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flutefry
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Tell us something.: Pipes have become my main instrument, but I still play the flute. I have emerged from the "instrument acquisition" phase, and am now down to one full set of pipes (Gordon Galloway), and one flute (Hudson Siccama).
Location: Coastal British Columbia

Re: First Flute Innocence.

Post by flutefry »

I agree with Pat's comment about focus of the airstream being the key that unlocks good sound from many flutes. Also agree that playing flutes in higher keys is a good way to find focus, and get muscle memory of what focus feels like. So are overtones.

What follows is uninformed by any knowledge of the technical aspects of embouchure design, but comes from messing around with flutes over the years. Some flutes are easier to blow, and easier to get a good sound out of with an undeveloped embouchure. I think the reason is that something to do with the design of the embouchure somehow results in larger sweet spot, which means that it performs pretty well even without that focused airstream. A poor analogy, but one sees the same thing in golf club design-optimizing for forgivingness.

Similarly, there are some flutes that are more difficult to get a good sound from with an undeveloped embouchure. I think the reason is that they have a narrower sweet spot that is harder to find, or is only found if the airstream is focused.

I think the transition to getting a decent sound of nearly any flute is a sign of acquiring a focused embouchure, which improves the sound from most embouchure designs.

Hugh
I thought I had no talent, but my talent is to persist anyway.
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