James Galway Embouchure Exercise

[Normski]

I have been looking at the YouTube video of James Galway demonstrating his embouchure exercise by blowing octaves on the headjoint. Is this exercise OK for ITM on wooden flutes or is it designed to develop a "classicaL music" embouchure if there is such a thing.

[jim stone]

I'm answering since no one else has. I very much doubt that blowing octaves is in any way bad for playing Irish flute. Certainly overtone exercises are recommended for it. To toot my own horn, as it were, a really good way to develop a good embouchure is to spend some time playing a higher pitched wooden fife. These are relatively inexpensive and a lot more demanding embouchure-wise than the D flute. They can really help,IMO, and you can practice by playing tunes (not that you shouldn't practice inother ways). Hope this helps.

[an seanduine]

One of the very first exercises given for playing flute is to work with the headjoint alone. You have less to worry about and can concentrate on blowing. 'Hammy' Hamilton gives very similar advice. The 'cut' of the embouchure will inform you the proper blowing angle for a clear, resonant and beautiful tone. Getting 'Hammy's book would be an excellent move.

Bob

[Normski]

Thanks for the replies.

There is an extract from Hammy's book on his website that refers to blowing the headjoint. Other books also refer to starting off by blowing the headjoint but Galway seems to be the only one referring to blowing the higher octave and it was this aspect of the exercise (as well as the protruding lower lip) that interested me.

[Akiba]

Watching Galway's video closely, I think his technique does have merit for Irish fluters. I've been figuring this out lately on my own, but I think it's important to keep the upper lip over the embouchure hole as much as you can for both the lower and upper octave, which Galway does. This video is a good starting point. From here you need to mold your embouchure based on your concept of tone which is very different in the Irish flute world vs. the classical world.

I believe a friend just told me, who has taken lessons from Conal O'Grada, that Conal refers to this Galway video regarding embouchure technique.