JessieK wrote:Jim, you'll have to adjust your embouchure to get a strong sound. A wooden flute embouchure sounds cloudy on a Boehm flute, and a Boehm flute embouchure sounds cloudy on a wooden flute.
This is exactly what I've found, and it brings up a question.
I'm mainly a Boehm player, but I also have an Olwell bamboo and a Casey Burns folk flute. In time, will practicing them all give me a better tone on all of them? So far it seems to, but maybe that's just because I'm developing a stronger embouchure. Could they interfere with each other?
Dana wrote:I've gotta add that these things take time. I would measure progress in years, not months.
I don't believe Mr. Stone measures time in those units, Dana. Could you perhaps translate this into the number of different flutes he would need to go through (either by actually getting one and trying to play it, or more likely by asking an uninformed question about its properties on C&F, and then moving abruptly on to the next flute) before he will start seeing some progress?
mitch_i wrote:I'm mainly a Boehm player, but I also have an Olwell bamboo and a Casey Burns folk flute. In time, will practicing them all give me a better tone on all of them? So far it seems to, but maybe that's just because I'm developing a stronger embouchure. Could they interfere with each other?
Hmm. In general, I think playing a flute will help your embouchure in general. That said, if you need to play a certain flute in public, practice on THAT flute for a while that day before you have to play it. The first tone you blow on a different flute than you've been playing can be less than stellar.
I always liked switching embouchures - and fingerings. More fun than crossword puzzles! Hee hee.
Tell us something.: To paraphrase Mark Twain, a gentleman is someone who knows how to play the spoons and doesn't. I'm doing my best to be a gentleman.
I'm mainly a Boehm player, but I also have an Olwell bamboo and a Casey Burns folk flute. In time, will practicing them all give me a better tone on all of them? So far it seems to, but maybe that's just because I'm developing a stronger embouchure. Could they interfere with each other?
I played Boehm flute for about 15 years before exclusively switching to simple system about 3 years ago. I tried to do both at once--I mean concurrently...I can't play two flutes of any sort simultaneously--for a little while, but I've had better success at doing one or the other.
OK, how does one do rolls, crans, etc?
I'm not used to the Boehm keys. Is there
a difference in the way one approaches
ornamentation?
I wanted open holes for a couple of reasons--
I figure it will help my accuracy on simple
system flutes. Can you use these for
slides and finger vibrato?
I'm avoiding breath vibrato, having worked like the
devil to eliminate it in my Irish flute playing.
jim stone wrote:OK, how does one do rolls, crans, etc?
I'm not used to the Boehm keys. Is there
a difference in the way one approaches
ornamentation?
Oh yes, it's very different. Grey Larsen's book covers some stuff on ornamentation using the Boehm flute.
jim stone wrote: I wanted open holes for a couple of reasons--
I figure it will help my accuracy on simple
system flutes. Can you use these for
slides and finger vibrato?
Finger vibrato is not possible. You can sort-of slide, using a combination of sliding accross the open hole and slowly closing the key. It doesn't work nearly as well as on the keyless flute, and it takes practice.
Dana
Last edited by Dana on Thu Aug 17, 2006 12:07 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Tell us something.: You just slip out the back, Jack Make a new plan, Stan You don't need to be coy, Roy Just get yourself free Hop on the bus, Gus You don't need to discuss much Just drop off the key, Lee And get yourself free
jim stone wrote:OK, how does one do rolls, crans, etc?
I'm not used to the Boehm keys. Is there
a difference in the way one approaches
ornamentation?
Oh yes, it's very different. Grey Larsen's book covers some stuff on ornamentation using the Boehm flute.
jim stone wrote: I wanted open holes for a couple of reasons--
I figure it will help my accuracy on simple
system flutes. Can you use these for
slides and finger vibrato?
Finger vibrato is not possible. You can sort-of slide, using a combination of sliding accross the open hole and slowly closing the key. It doesn't work nearly as well as on the keyless flute, and it takes practice.
As Jessie said, the open holes allow you to use certain advanced alternate fingerings that I rarely (if ever) use. You can also use them for rudimentary sliding.
There's a segment of players/makers that believe the flute sounds better with the flesh covering the open hole, rather than a full silver key with a felt pad. Whatever.., I'm not convinced either way. I think we're dealing mainly with tradition. Traditionally, professional flutes have been made with open holes, and beginner flutes have used closed holes.
