Question about lip placement?

[Gaaslaj]

I was wondering how you determine the best place to place the lip. I've read a few things, but can't find anything definitive. How does it affect your tone and being in tune? I found just recently that if I move it forward, I can get a much reedier tone and it makes it easier to vary the pitch. I'd appreciate other's thoughts about his too. Thanks, John.

[andrew]

Brittany's ( and the world's ?) most illustrious flute player has just changed his blowing after a lifetime on the job.
Suggests that you have to keep experimenting !

[Tom O'Farrell]

Good point Andrew. To my utter astonishment James Galway stated that for much of his Pro. career he used to play with the headjoint turned far in, really far in, but then he decided to change and now plays it rolled out. I have been playing a long time and think it's all in the number of hours of practice you put in. No shortcuts, just plain investment of hours. A lot of hours. Interesting that J-MV is experimenting, hard to figure how he could possibly sound better.

[Nanohedron]

I have the same experience with reediness/proximity to the outer edge of the embouchure hole.

Nevertheless, I may have to rethink this as I recently received some generously offered pointers from John Williams (thanks, John, if you're reading this!!) to help me improve my playing, embouchure and lip positioning among them. He positioned the flute much higher than I would have, and was quite definite about it, and recommended the upper lip be like a canopy over the hole, with the corners of the mouth turned down, opposite to my current habit. He called me a "smiler". <--Kinda like that. This will no doubt affect how I turn in/out the headjoint. Arguably I could stick with what has worked quite well so far and what I worked so hard at to attain self-taught, but I'm going for the change. It's frustrating right now, as tone and volume have fairly gone out the window when I'm trying to apply this change, but when it works, the result is simply much better (it's hard to describe), and I need even less air to get a tone, and I can really feel it coming from deep down in my trunk. I was doing pretty well at the air requirement thing already, if I may say so. I would like to develop this to explore its possibilities. I wonder how it will affect how I approach timbre changes.

I am certain that, as I live and breathe, changes will happen again and again so long as I look for growth in my life. Good to hear that even the luminaries can go through big changes yet, and make no secrets about them. It's an example to us all.

John gave me what I originally thought were five points to work on. I now see six. That's quite a few, and will give me a lot to work at in refining my technique. My gratitude is deep, and the formality of a pint is the least I can do in repayment. And it's back to the drawing board!

[rh]

I recently received some generously offered pointers from John Williams

as in the box player?

[Nanohedron]

I recently received some generously offered pointers from John Williams

as in the box player?

The same. He's quite the fluteplayer, too, and has been teaching flute for about seven years, a whistle player for twenty who made the transition --and phenomenally well-- to flute. Didn't really mean to name-drop, but I was taken with his generosity and wanted to share in case anyone else might gain something from his pointers re: the embouchure thing, and thought that citing the source would lend credibility to what might otherwise be suspected as just another eejit's ramblings.

It was this last Sunday at the Chief O'Neill Day festival south of Hastings, MN, after the 2pm session petered out and everyone else had wandered away to catch the remaining stage acts or browse the vendors' tents.

No doubt in future I will see more changes!

[Gaaslaj]

I noticed a large change by covering the hole more, sounds like the "canopy" thing that Nanohedron mentions. I also relaxed and that seemed to open the throat. Suddenly the flute sounded reedy and resonant, and was much easier to play! I think I've been fighting while playing before. Almost sounded, sorta, like a flute from "Obsession!". J.

[rh]

as in the box player?

The same. He's quite the fluteplayer, too, and has been teaching flute for about seven years,

i had seen him play flute before, but i didn't know he was teaching it.

[carrie]

*staggers, work-dazed, onto the board to add:*

Hear, hear for John Williams! I had the pleasure of about a year of flute lessons with him and he is not only a great, articulate teacher and an extremely funny man but also as nice as they come. Not only that, but I heard him again a month or so ago playing with Dennis Cahill, and I had a familiar experience: I have a very, VERY high opinion of his musical gifts, yet every time I hear him I say to myself, "Geez, he's even BETTER than I remember." A truly brilliant musician.

*staggers back to work, remembering many wonderful flute lessons*

Carol

[Nanohedron]

*snip*...I had the pleasure of about a year of flute lessons with him and he is not only a great, articulate teacher...*snip*

Articulate indeed, but also with a laser-like economy of approach that gets right to the main issue with clarity and in a very practical way. This is something I appreciate, having been a teacher myself where functional simplicity was the challenge to me in serving each student best according to his or her unique situation, laying a solid ground by way of getting the student to clearly grasp a fundamental principle that allows one to take the ball and run with it as one develops.

We were simply chatting, when he appeared to come to a decision (I recognise such moments well, myself), and proceeded unasked to offer his help to me, and I was very willing to accept his tuition, as I immediately recognised the mark of a skilled teacher. I proved able to keep my gob fairly shut and pay attention, as I could tell that I was getting a freebie of great value.

Sorry to hijack the thread. I'd just like to add that I'm beginning to get a hang of the changes; how much more fortunate for those who haven't developed any contrary habits to get in the way!