Newbie Question

Irish Flute
1

I been playing the whistle for a couple of months now and am thinking of taking up the flute. One question, to play notes in the second octave on a flute do you just blow harder like you do on a whistle or is there something else going on as well?

Thanks!

2

there is something else going on

3

Actually, there’s something else going on with the whistle as well. Play around with the amount of pressure you exert on the mouthpiece with your lips. You should notice variations in tone and pitch that are independent on how much air you’re putting through. The ability to make fine adjustments on those lines is one of the things that distinguishes sweet, tuneful whistle playing from harsh out of tune screeching. Because it lacks a fxed windway, the flute offers less constraints and more flexibility in tone, volume, and intonation than the whistle. It’s harder to get sound out of than the whistle. Whether it’s easier or harder to get music out of one or the other is another matter.

4

The stream of air becomes more focused.
It takes several months of practice before the embouchure
comes online. Worth the trouble, doable, and it improves
as far as I can tell for the rest of your life.

5

you focus the airstream to get the second octive.
if your like me, (ie: started on a whistle) you will overblow by instinct, it dosent seems to cause too much toruble except for brethyness in the sound and brethless-ness in the player . also; the second 8ve should be (at least for me) easier to play then te first.

if anyone can be bothered making some diagrams id love to see HOW this works

6

I so love the slow learners…

http://www.phys.unsw.edu.au/jw/fluteacoustics.html

7

I decided to go to a classical flute teacher to work solely on embouchure and tone coloring. She is aware of how the conical flute is different and isn’t looking to have me play in a classical style.

To a new Irish fluter, I think it’s worth sitting down with some one who can watch you and say something like “now make the air stream smaller and push your lower jaw just a little forward” whether that be another ITM fluter or the more available classical flute teacher.

I mean, it is just a tube with holes in it :pint:

8

Save your money…just watch James Galway’s YouTube videos on embouchure. That’s the best free flute education that money can buy.

Rob

9

I’ve found that, for me, a big part of “focusing the air” is pushing the lips forward ever-so-slightly. Sometimes it helps to have an image of where exactly the airstream is hitting the “back edge” of the embouchure hole…it seems like a vague and intuitive thing, but I find that just bringing awareness to it can help a bit. Blowing harder is certainly a part of achieving the upper octave, but it isn’t the only thing going on (as already mentioned). Hope something in here helps!