need advice about playing flute

jim stone · Post by **jim stone** » Sun Jul 15, 2001 1:06 pm

I've noticed increasingly that, after four
years of whistle playing, I can play
flutes--just pick them up and play them.
So I've bought a Celtic low D. Any advice
about how to play is welcome. I can do it,
but naturally I want to improve.

How do you develop better embouchure?
What are ways that playing flutes
differ from low D whistles--I've
played the latter a lot.

Best books? CDs? Does one need a
teacher?

Anything at all will be appreciated. Thanks.

LKtz · Post by **LKtz** » Mon Jul 16, 2001 5:47 pm

A good way to start to develope good embouchure is to first play a low D or G and try to make it as loud as possible without out changing how high the note is. Then try playing a high D or G and try to make it as soft as possible. Another way is to play a D and start at the lowest it can sound and slowly rise the pictch without taking a breath. This also devolpes good breath control. So that's my 2 cents. Hope it helps.

Post by **rich** » Mon Jul 16, 2001 6:04 pm

One needs a teacher.

This needn't be a Flute Teacher with a Studio and an Hourly Fee; it could be a friend who plays. But it's awfully important to start out on the right foot.

A classical flautist friend of mine has saved me <i>so</i> much trouble by fixing bad habits in my embouchure, grip, breathing and posture in the first couple of months of playing. I certainly wouldn't have noticed anything wrong.
<ul>-Rich</ul>

jim stone · Post by **jim stone** » Mon Jul 16, 2001 9:31 pm

Thanks. Much appreciated.

Blaine McArthur · Post by **Blaine McArthur** » Mon Aug 06, 2001 5:05 pm

Unfortuately, moving on to the flute has not come as easily to me as it did to Jim. I have the flute head for my Dixon Low D, and a flute head for my Dixon F. I am now starting to get sounds out of them, but still not for long or very consistant. I am considering taking formal lessons.

I am curious about the opinions of the flute players on the list. Do you think it is easier to start on the Irish flute and then move on to the Boehm(?) flute, from the Boehm to the Irish flute. I am talking both about blowing, and fingering. I have heard some say it is difficult for some classical flutists to move to the Irish flute.

Blaine

Loren · Post by **Loren** » Mon Aug 06, 2001 6:09 pm

Blaine,

The Dixon Flute heads are not particularly easy to play (unless you are already a skilled flute player). Buy something better like an Olwell cane flute and you'll have a much easier time of it.

Loren

Post by **rich** » Mon Aug 06, 2001 7:34 pm

On 2001-08-06 19:05, Blaine McArthur wrote:

I am talking both about blowing, and fingering. I have heard some say it is difficult for some classical flutists to move to the Irish flute.

I don't play Boehm flute regularly, but it was my understanding that the difficulty is in unlearning classical habits like constant vibrato and breathing at the end of phrases, and in picking up Irish style, more than it is in embouchure and fingering. From what I've had shown to me on the Boehm flute, I could probably pick up the fingering in a couple of hours, and the guy that was doing the showing had no trouble picking up my keyless flute and playing some reels (reading the notes off the page, but not with any typical Irishness about it).
<ul>-Rich</ul>

totst · Post by **totst** » Mon Aug 06, 2001 10:12 pm

Lots of long tones and lots of listening. Jazz musicians have this fav qoute
" Technique rises to conception". You'll only sound as good as the stuff you hear in your head,not any better.

Tots

ErikT · Post by **ErikT** » Tue Aug 07, 2001 12:39 am

I don't think (translate to 'IMO') that anyone trained in classical flute would have a hard time playing the wooden flute. Sounds like a wood flute myth designed to make us (wood flute players) feel superior. It may take a few minutes to adjust one's blowing, but this would be true of any new flute, silver or otherwise.

Mind you, I'm talking about technical ability. I do agree with Brother Steve that technical ability does not equate to good Irish music playing. But the wood flute isn't just used to play Irish music so it's important to define what we mean by playing.

As to the best way to start, I would say this. If you ever want to be able to play chromatic music well on a Boehm style flute, take lessons from a classical teacher. It's very easy to take Boehm finger to the woodflute, but more difficult to go the other way.

It's like learning to drive on a stick shift. If you learn stick, then it's fairly simple to get used to the automatic. Sure, once in a while, you try to clutch the invisible clutch, but for the most part you do fine. If you learn on an automatic, it takes time to figure out the stick. And until you do, it's a pretty jerky ride.

That said, don't take Boehm flute lessons to get better at the wood flute. I would think that most classically trained flute teachers would be more than willing to teach you on a wood flute. Most good teachers that I know actually have an interest in the older Baroque and Renaissance wood flutes.

If there are Irish masters in your area (and you are wanting to play Irish music) then that would be even better.

Also, I thought that I would dispell the vibrato myth. There is nearly as much controversy surrounding vibrato in classical music as there is here in C&F land. While it's generally understood that there should be some vibrato, many find it's overuse annoying. This is one reason that some don't like Galway's playing. He uses vibrato extensively.

I would apply this to the whistle and Irish flute as well. I like the sound of moderate vibrato. Used appropriately, it will sound appropriate. I like to use vibrato on long sustained notes. But I must agree that it is difficult to break the vibrato everywhere habit. For example, it doesn't sound particularly good anywhere on my Overton Low's. The oscillation creates a scraping sound.

Sorry, not much of a denoument, but I'm done writting

Peace,
Erik

LKtz · Post by **LKtz** » Tue Aug 07, 2001 9:51 am

I played Boehm flute in my school's band for a few years and I found that it helped me alot when I was transferring over to wooden flute. The only hard thing to get used to is not havng sharp or flat keys. It's funny about two days ago I had one of my friends over who played violin. I was try to play with her on my wooden flute, but it wasn't working. So I got out my Boehm flute. I hadn't played it for a long time and it felt sooo different. It's amazing, personally I find I now prefer my wooden flute over my Boehm flute. So that's my opinions.

Blaine McArthur · Post by **Blaine McArthur** » Tue Aug 07, 2001 11:41 am

Thanks for all the info. It helps.

Erik wrote: "That said, don't take Boehm flute lessons to get better at the wood flute. I would think that most classically trained flute teachers would be more than willing to teach you on a wood flute. Most good teachers that I know actually have an interest in the older Baroque and Renaissance wood flutes.
If there are Irish masters in your area (and you are wanting to play Irish music) then that would be even better.
"
My primary interest is not Irish Trad, and what I really want is to get the embrouchure thing down right and to get some basic guidance on fingering the Boehm - learning what finger to use on what key etc. I'm never going to be playing for the Philharmonic, so I figure after learning the basics, I will pick up the rest by just nooding around. I know enough now to know what the various scales sound like. I could then transfer that to the wooden flute.

Blaine