I’m worried I broke my flute. The other (more likely) possibility is that I am still not a master fluterizer.
For the beginners and experienced alike, were the top few notes on the D flute (high B C# and D) the hardest to reach for you? I can get all the way up to high G with few problems, but things get dicey at high A, and then high B is really hard to get to sound. High Cnat is nearly impossible to get, and C# is worse. I’ve never even tried for the high D. When I can reach the notes, they’re weak and off.
Is this typical of beginner fluterizers? What were your trouble spots?
Did you drop it? Did it fall off the table? Is there a big ole crack somewhere? If not, it’s probably you. My experience is that I’m almost always the problem and not the flute. The notable exception is when at a session I couldn’t get any note to play…sounded like I was blowing into a plugged hole. After testing each joint for a leak, I finally looked into the embouchure hole and there was Mr. Cork…who had dehydrated enough to slide down and block the hole.
Higher notes require a better embouchure. If your new, it is harder to get the higher notes. Tighter is needed, but not harder. I can play much longer phrases in the the upper octave ranges because of this.
Hope that helps, and if you can’t get any sound…remember to look and make sure your cork hasn’t blocked the embouchure hole.
Assuming you’re starting with the high B at the top of the 2nd octave for flute, then above that the C, C# & 3rd-octave D typically require different fingerings than in the lower octaves.
were the top few notes on the D flute (high B C# and D) the hardest to reach for you?
Yes top notes above g and bottom D were gifficult for me
Practise on the embouchure is what it takes - long tones on all the notes going up to the highest you can get G? and then when that’s achieved move up to A etc.
Plenty of advice on this site - search for embouchure
like this:-
On high notes
"These notes will only sound cleanly if you really crank your embouchure tightly and focus your airstream correctly.
Once you’ve attained these notes, play them longer and softer (“long sustained notes” is one of the most frequent bits of advice that I hear in flute playing, and I am a believer)
I don’t know if I dropped it at some point, but I sanded the embouchure hole with 400 grit sand paper to get rid of a slightly imperfected edge (looks like it took a slight hit on the embouchure hole, and it’s a PVC Tipple Flute). The imperfection is gone, but I don’t know how sensitive embouchure holes are to being tampered with. I’m feeling better about the whole thing. It’s probably just me.
Thanks for the encouragement. Lots of good advice and helpful links.
AB, it may have been helpful had you mentioned the sandpaper in the first post. Embouchure holes are a bit finicky IMO. Still you have not said whether the high notes were any less difficult to hit prior to the defilement or maybe that’s just file-ment. Has anything changed from before to after?
Have another player try your flute and get their opinion on the high notes. They will be able to demonstrate to you whether you’ve done any harm or not.
Still as has been said, the top notes aren’t played like they are on a whistle. You don’t blow harder. You have to focus your embouchure more tightly which increases the velocity of the air jet. And you have to have that narrow jet hit the sounding edge along the sweet spot (which, hopefully, is still there).
After you establish that the flute is intact, you should read your post (long thread) again. I found that the Sir Galaway class on tone and emb very helpful. I too have trouble with b and above. The exercises helped with my tone and 2nd octive. The head joint now goes with me in the car. I practice with the head joint at stop lights and waiting in the car.
I don’t have access to another flute player, unfortunately. I’m the best flute player I know. The other problem is that I can’t tell if things are messed up, because I had not settled into a consistent sound prior to the filement. I’m having Mr. Tipple send me a new flute in D with a lip plate. That way, I’ve got a flute that’s definitely not messed up. Then, I can ship the Eb back to him for evaluation, if I so choose.
Mr. Tipple did say I could try to fix it on my own. I just hoped there’d be more of an instant change in the ease of playing. Instead, it seemed a bit harder at first. I didn’t sand it a whole lot, but I know that whistle heads are really finicky, and if flute embouchure holes are similar, I could have easily made it worse. After a few days, I’m about where I was before, I suppose. I like whistles…
Edit
I just played the whole two octaves with no problem. I got a strong bottom note, all the way up to the third octave Eb. Of course, when I tried to get the low Eb again, all the strength was gone, but it’s there. I just can’t figure out how to position the flute consistently. Nothing anyone has said (be it Galway or anyone here) has helped sound come out of this flute. The strongest sounds come when I’ve got it cocked at a wonky angle. Maybe I just have weird lips. So much doubt. Good thing I’m not going to be tested over my flute skills.
Well, I’d guess you don’t have weird lips. You just have to learn how to use them. There is really nothing very natural about blowing a flute. You have to learn how.
One thing you might try, if you haven’t already, is to kiss the embouchure hole with the bottom edge of the hole near the middle of your lower lip and then roll the flute forward. Then try to get a tone.
Once you have the spot, you shouldn’t be moving the flute around. You will learn to use your lip muscles to get from low to high and back again without moving around. It can take time to get this embouchure thing down. Don’t be surprised if your lips get fatigued and start quivering. It’s part of the process. Don’t feel discouraged. We’ve all been there at some point. If there is any way that you can spend a half hour with another flute player it could help you immensely. Look for summer workshops or festivals where you might meet other flute players or an instructor.
If you have not figured out how to get a solid and consistent tone across the two octaves yet there is nothing you can do to the hole to make it instantly easy. Your plan for the D flute sounds solid. You’ll take the suspicious flute embouchure hole out of the learning mix and you’ll have Doug take a look at whether the blow hole needs re-working. And you’ll have two flutes to work with. Just keep at it.
A sharp edge is important. Not changing the angle below the blowing edge is also relatively important. Modern Flute embouchure’s, I believe, are generally cut at about 7 degrees ( varies with the maker a smidgeon). from vertical. The degree of undercut and the various angles are almost like Religion. . .in some circles this a a PROCTological discussion.
If you held your sanding implement more or less vertical on Doug’s flute, I think you are GOLDEN.
Everyone is talking about embouchure, and they are right, but it is also important that you are supporting the breath (wit the abdominal muscles and an open throat) enough. If there isn’t enough pressure and air supply behind the lips then no amount of pinching the embouchure will make the air stream fast enough to hit the high notes comfortably. We are not talking about a lot of pressure here, just that it is a common mistake not to have enough, or to overcompensate and use too much (overblowing → shrill harsh loud high tones…).
AB, it may have been helpful had you mentioned the sandpaper in the first post. Embouchure holes are a bit finicky IMO. Still you have not said whether the high notes were any less difficult to hit prior to the defilement or maybe that’s just file-ment. Has anything changed from before to after?
