I learned a new instrument…
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 16 ก.ย. 2024
- In this video, I talk about my first two weeks of learning the flute. Naturally, I am a saxophonist, but as a music education major, I have to learn new instruments and I chose the flute.
I hope you enjoy.
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Music:
Celebration by Otis McDonald
I think the roughest part of the flute is getting over that initial embouchure barrier. Once you get past that the whole instrument opens up. Also... playing a low B with a full sound is still awful even after 21 years 😂
You're doing a great job!
Thanks so much! I totally see what you’re saying about the embouchure, even just in the two weeks after I made this video it has gotten much better
luke you really are everywhere
I can't believe you're already thinking about the Low B on a student model instrument this early 😭
Not me thinking autoplay had me watching a fire alarm review. Keep up the good work!
Hahaha, thanks Alex!
I played flute in school and then played sax during marching band. That was a lot easier transition. I take way too big of a breath playing much of anything else.
But I'm terribly out of practice now.
2:40 I also love being able to quickly put it together and start playing. One of many reasons why it's the best of the woodwinds.
And it fits in a backpack
I’m a clarinetist first, (played for 41 years (so far)) saw my daughter’s old student flute lying around and thought ‘why not, I love a challenge’! Like you I struggled with the embouchure initially and 4½ years on I still have my moments especially if I’ve just played my clarinet. Another thing is not overblowing on the flute, takes a lot of control to master that one! I love the flute though, as you say just being able to put 3 bits together makes you want to play it more and I do, I literally play it for hours everyday! Currently studying for my ABRSM Grade 8 exam (not on my daughter’s old student flute!) friends think I’m mad but I might as well have something to show for my hours of daily playing! 😂 Enjoy! 😊
You got this, Ethan! I played the flute first, then the alto sax. The fingerings are, for the most part, about the same, so a lot easier of an adjustment. I find that doing breath work exercises utilizing the diaphragm helps in building that stamina, and blowing into a regular water bottle (with or without content) helps with fine tuning tone and embouchure, is also a great alternative to practicing with the head joint. And with the head joint, you can also play around with covering the end part of the head joint with your palm to get a different feel of the sound, or try playing a note an octave higher/lower, or by sliding your finger in and out can produce different pitches/notes much like a trombone.
I'm also music ed but where I'm at, we learn each instrument group in one classroom (brass in one class, ww in another, string, percussion). I also played sax and picked up the flute as well so when I was in WW class, I didn't struggle but from my observation from my other classmates, the hardest and most frustrating part was just making sound on the flute. Three weeks go by and after the initial hump, they were able to play melodies up and down the instrument except for the extreme ranges on the instrument of course. You're making great progress from what I see! Keep it up!
Thanks so much!
I'm just a beginner sax player (older adult), but I love your channel and love your vlogs. Best of luck with the flute!
Thanks, glad you are enjoying the videos!
I dunno why but picking up flute was pretty easy to me. I’ve played sax for five years and about 6 months ago I picked up the flute. Within 2-3 weeks I could play literally the entire range up to that high high D with good tone quality. It just clicked. Meanwhile I struggle a lot with clarinet. Flute boggles my mind with just how much air is required. I can play a note on sax for like 30-40 seconds but flute I’m lucky if I can manage 10. Also playing quietly on the high notes is essentially impossible.
Overall, I think my success with the flute was mainly the fact that I played for like 2-3 hours a day consistently for at least a month or two before taking it down a notch. I could play as well as a few of the flute players in my high school band (not the good ones though) within a month and that was neat. Flute is amazing, I love it
That’s awesome! I’m sure consistency is key! It’s hard to dedicate so much time towards a secondary instrument when I’m in music school for saxophone.
@@ethanashley_sax of course, yeah. I’m planning on being a music major in saxophone next year when I go to college too so I’m sure the flute action will go down a bit haha. Especially because I’m planning on being a double major with math. I’m gonna be so dead. No social life lol
wait like fourth octave d!?! Like d7? That’s actually insane I’ve played the flute for a couple years and still can’t reach d7😭
@@TheBabyInYellow-xo6fp yeahhh I think saxophone is very very similar to flute so it wasn’t too hard
I’m a random person that plays the flute so here are some tips💪
When playing lower notes open your jaw more and aim your air down
Also since you have an open hole flute make sure that your fingers cover the keys completely as this will help you have a better sound and don’t worry you get used to the amount of air you have to use😅(you’re doing great by the way)
Thank you so much! I’ll work on those things for sure!
Hello Ethan! I am a second year undergrad music education student at tamucc. I play alto primarily and I picked up the flute over the summer. The transition for me was super easy I guess for my love for the instrument. I started out with getting the muscle memory of the aperture down and started playing nursery rhythms. Now I am doing intermediate study’s such as the new tmea etude book.
Hey, its nice to meet you! That's so cool- I also find myself enjoying the flute because its so different to sax. Hopefully one day I can be good enough to work through some of the TMEA book!
Funny that this showed up in my recommended when I'm TA-ing for a flute techniques class at the moment. Seems like you're doing good work so far! I've been playing flute for about 16 years and the air problem is still tough some days. Nearly passed out earlier today playing piccolo on Maslanka's "Give Us This Day" 😂
Haha! What an awesome piece! You flutists are troopers for the work you’re putting in! Good luck!
Nice to know that I'm not the only one who still would have problems getting it to sound right even after playing it for awhile!
It's only a lot of air when you're still honing your embouchure. You need less air as your embouchure improves. I'm learning clarinet after a few years of flute! Higher notes are definitely a challenge! Fun stuff!
Thanks for the tips!
As someone who has been playing flue for 2 years you doing great!❤❤
Thank you for the kind words
How do you only have like 118 subs bro, ive seen a couple of your vids, and they are like rly good.
Just started! I’m glad you’re enjoying the content! I’m gonna keep grinding 💪
@@ethanashley_sax can’t wait!
Im a flautist that recently learned to play alto sax so I know how to play both and all I would say is you’re doing pretty good for 2 weeks (considering how I started out) but just keep playing lower notes and once you get comfortable in that range try challenging yourself to play an F5 and maybe later even a C6 hope that helps and happy learning!
Thanks!
Interesting video. I'm a saxophonist, and I'm currently learning flute. I'm an engineering major, but I'm minoring in music. I find that it is certainly useful to have a sound concept in mind- I listen to a lot of Bossa Nova and Salsa music, which heavily feature the flute in a context we may not often hear. Find a sound you like, and see how closely you can imitate it.
Awesome! I’ll start thinking about that more! Thank you!
The flute is difficult because you must create an embouchure from nothing compared to a sax mouthpiece where you just basically clamp down with top and bottom of your mouth. Just stick the MP in your mouth, flat chin, and away you go! You will find that beginners hate to or are scared to use their tongue to articulate so you have to make sure every student does this or it's a hard habit to break later on with no articulating. And, go slowly at first with beginners to be sure they get a good grip on the basics like tuning so your beginners will sound great in a few months. Many teachers go way too fast the first three months and the students will have trouble sounding good when they shouldn't. Tips here from experience. Good luck!
Thanks for the advice, I have a new flute video coming soon!
YoUr HoLdInG iT bAcKwArDs 😨😨😨😨
How nicely you explained. Thanks for sharing a good video. Expecting more 💞👏👏
Thank you so much, I’m excited to make more!
@@ethanashley_sax ok sure , you should do. See again💞
I'm a clarinetist and my mom is a flutist. We bought an alto sax. It was much easier for me to play than my mom. I don't know why they say the sax and the flute are connected. They have nothing to do with each other
I think they do because the fingerings are very similar! Good luck!
A good way to build air support on flute is to hold a long tone on the head joint while repeatedly pressing your palm against the end. This will change the note and force your air to match.
Will try this!
Took me a year to get a handle on embouchure and Im still honing mine.
I’m a flutist and I just received an alto sax to play in my HS big band for next year. For me, the sax requires ton of air to produce a sound. However I did notice it’s harder for me to play lower notes and fixing my embouchure is quite challenging.
Yes! The sax requires a nicely sealed embouchure around the mouthpiece. Good luck in big band!
Yeah, more “air” but actually it’s more air *pressure* in order to start the reed vibrating. It’s a whole different concept on reed instruments where each one requires different pressure to play, but typically much less actual air flow than the flute.
I'm a flutist and I really want to learn the similar family instrument... like, woodwind also, tho I'm scared of reeds :)
Sax/soprano sax looks so fascinating for me, but idk anything about fingering similarity.
Flute is actually a struggle since it's a labial instrument, there's no support/resistance on the way of air stream... so u need to have a good lips control fr
Just remember the whole ur organism is a part of a process and don't forget to relax the body more than to tense !
Honestly, as a Sax player, I would recommend to just go for it.
I think the embouchure on alto is easier on than on soprano, so I would mabye try that first.
But you can just try it somewhere. The most important thing is to just have fun!
go for the sax....you will be fabulous!!!
We'll he'll need to think really really hard to get a Low B out of that flute because it has a C Foot ;) Do yourself a favor and put the plugs in as it will make your life a lot easier. Open holes are pretty much irrelevant to anyone who doesn't plan on being a flute specialist. Plugging the LH 3 key (basically the G key like it is on sax) will be especially helpful with an inline G like you have on that flute since it can be difficult to get covered all the way due to the reach.
I've been playing sax for over 45 years and flute and clarinet for about 30. Clarinet and flute are what the old-timers used to call "legitimate" instruments. I had an 80+ year old private lessons instructor in the early 90s who would say the saxophone was like a toy compared to the other woodwinds. Personally I prefer flute to clarinet but they can both be fantastic doubles especially for big band and pit work. Good luck with them.
Thanks for the advice!
I started playing flute from clarinet and I had the same struggles as you but if you keep trying every day and playing different notes like a c or a you will figure it out in :) Also make sure you have a glass of water or something so you don’t pass out
Aww thanks for the advice!
Whilst, I'm learning the Flute, putting your mouth around a mouth piece, ie. With a clarinet or saxophone, is much easier than the sometimes annoying Flute embouchure. 😂❤
YES! It’s taken me so long to get used to setting my face right every time
I went from flute to sax and I love sax now and it kept me from quitting band
The Flute was my first instrument and when I first heard a saxophone live, I was so into the saxophone haha which is now my main instrument. nowadays I teach both saxophone and flute and I had to reconnect with the flute so I can teach the flute better hahaha coming back to the flute from the saxophone I immediately felt the same about the amount of air the flute needs 😂
Hahaha that’s so cool that you get to do that!
I play flute I have been playing for six years. My struggle has been embuchure changes. Cause I have had six in the last few years. Finally now my embuchure is able to fully set. Flute is a hard instrument but it's not impossible don't give up.
Thanks for the encouraging words!
By "not close" I hope you mean way MORE air. As a person who plays all woodwinds. The flute takes the most. By a lot.
Okay, I have to be a wiseguy - the first thing I noticed is you're holding it on the wrong side!😂
The video is flipped 😂
ah yes, the classic brand AHAMAY
I started on flute and then added clarinet. With those two instruments learned sax was a breeze.
I bet!
10 year flute player here
tighten those lips!!!
bring the middle of your lips into a sort of tip
and finally, think of blowing a spiral right in front of your mouth (this may not work but usually it does)
Thanks for the tips!
As part of your education do you get exposure to all of the instruments? I remember my first band director back in the '70s (John Stockdale) could play any instrument in the band and he was pretty good at all of them.
We get exposure to most. We are required to take lessons on 4 instruments of our choosing across 4 semesters, but we also take classes on woodwinds, brass, and strings.
I am a bit curious about the lessons on the different instruments. I am a student at Iowa State University, also studying music ed and saxophone, and instead of a semester of lessons, we do a semester of a methods class (e.g. Woodwind methods for flute, clarinet, sax, Low Brass methods for Trombone, Euph, and Tuba, etc.). I was curious if the lessons were a 1-on-1 type lesson or in a group setting. Are they on a weekly basis? Just curious! Happy practicing!
So we get to do both! We start the methods classes junior year (strings, WW’s, and brass). We we also have to take four semesters of weekly 1-on-1 lessons on instruments of our choosing! Good luck at ISU!
@@ethanashley_sax Thanks! Good luck yourself!
I’m thinking about learning to play the alto saxophone. I am 46 years old. Is it hard to learn?
I would say it is one of the easier instruments to learn! Good luck!!
@@ethanashley_sax have you played the trumpet before? If so, which is easier to learn?
I have not played the trumpet before
no hate, absolutly love the video, one small thing is that your flute sounds slightly out of tune, might wanna get that checked out
if its not the flute itself it could be how you are putting your mouth to it, having the hole closer to your mouth(down) makes it sounds more flat, and the opposite for up. therefore fine tuning that and then perfecting you tone is probably a good idea
Yeah I’m working on that with the direction of air and where I’m putting my tongue
Thanks for the advice!
of course! I've started to try sax, must say, lips are getting very tired after the first few days@@ethanashley_sax
Me who went from trombone to tuba it was quite different
I bet! Transitions to different instruments are hard😮💨
0:49 um… your head joint is backwards 😅😅 (I think)
The video is flipped
The dent in the headjoint isn’t going to help you 😅 will for sure feel like harder work!
Unfortunately I was fortunate enough to be given this flute for the semester from the university. But yeah, I’m sure it isn’t helping
Easter Autobody
Jorchy
A left handed flute?"..seems wrong…left to right..not right to left…
The video is flipped!
Ebin Actually
Yellow babbers
E‘shley
Debby