I think weak articulation is at the root of this problem much of the time. The first note is unclean and throws off confidence. I am a big lover of practicing tongueless attacks which force us to have a perfect embouchure and perfect support to get a crisp attack without tongue. But What causes me to do this in my practicing is because I am so overly critical of my tone that I expect every note to be perfect, when, even listening to the greatest flutists every note isn’t perfect, but when it’s me I obsess over it. What helps me for both of these issues is practicing with earplugs in. It serves a bunch of purposes. I can’t hear the trivial imperfections that distract me from the music, it’s harder to hear articulation so you work very hard almost without realizing it to perfect articulation so you can hear it through the plugs. You aren’t afraid of being too loud, which helps eliminate tension we get from fear of volume, and one great one which is with strong earplugs in you can hear your articulation from inside your mouth and isolate it without the flute drowning it out. When you take out the earplugs you’re blown away by how great you sound.
When I was a beginner I use to do that and my friend who is more experienced would get so frustrated when we played duets. I didn’t understand then why this annoyed her so. I do now. 😀
@jrbrook76 I actually had a choir director in high school who once threw a claw hammer at a student and it stuck in a concrete wall. Another time he stomped one of those folding metal chairs into a pile of scrap metal. The result was a group of high school kids singing Back Motets for double choir in German and A Cappella at a college level.
I am sending much love your way.💗 Perhaps these students need extra attention (it does seem to be an attention getting ploy, especially if it's your pet peeve). Very lovingly say, "start when you are ready and follow-through please."
Why do you think this happens? I a guilty of doing it specially when I am ask to play a challenging passage. It bothers me too, but I don't know why I do it
I have a question. How do we as flute players decipher between talent and hardwork. I am asking mainly in regards to tone. According to my brain, if I practice technique at a slow level and speed it up I can get the technique. However for tone this is not the case. For tone everyone says to do long tones. However everyone who does these long tones (at least my colleagues) already have a natural (and often good/great) tone quality. When they do long tones it makes them sound better. However when I do long tones nothing really happens. In fact my tone is completely unrelated to practicing. I find that my tone responds mostly to the humidity of the room that I play in, rather than how much I practice. I know of two other colleagues who have the same dilemma. They practice but their tone, like mine, is perpetually sub par (not trying to be mean or be harsh on them or myself, I'm trying to get a point across). While some of my other colleagues may practice alot, or never practice, yet have great tones. I might note that these colleagues don't seem to have superior knowledge or insight regarding the flute. Does any of this resonate? Can flute tone be taught to someone who struggles greatly with it after years of playing? How exactly does tone occur?
Just practicing long tones is not a solution - it depends HOW you are practicing them - how you listen and make adjustments to always improve. Do you have a private teacher who can help teach you how to do this - and also use the headjoint alone to help? You can also try a Blocki Pneumopro which you can find here: www.blockiflute.com/?AffId=2 and if you want some lessons with me, you can contact me here www.playwithapro.com/live/Nina-Perlove/
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I think weak articulation is at the root of this problem much of the time. The first note is unclean and throws off confidence. I am a big lover of practicing tongueless attacks which force us to have a perfect embouchure and perfect support to get a crisp attack without tongue. But What causes me to do this in my practicing is because I am so overly critical of my tone that I expect every note to be perfect, when, even listening to the greatest flutists every note isn’t perfect, but when it’s me I obsess over it. What helps me for both of these issues is practicing with earplugs in. It serves a bunch of purposes. I can’t hear the trivial imperfections that distract me from the music, it’s harder to hear articulation so you work very hard almost without realizing it to perfect articulation so you can hear it through the plugs. You aren’t afraid of being too loud, which helps eliminate tension we get from fear of volume, and one great one which is with strong earplugs in you can hear your articulation from inside your mouth and isolate it without the flute drowning it out. When you take out the earplugs you’re blown away by how great you sound.
When I was a beginner I use to do that and my friend who is more experienced would get so frustrated when we played duets. I didn’t understand then why this annoyed her so. I do now. 😀
Thanks so much for this Nina!
The solution is a chair that delivers a severe electroshock with each false start.
satinbarbi my college teacher poised with a pencil and threatened to stab me (not seriously but even the concept made me focus)
@jrbrook76 I actually had a choir director in high school who once threw a claw hammer at a student and it stuck in a concrete wall. Another time he stomped one of those folding metal chairs into a pile of scrap metal. The result was a group of high school kids singing Back Motets for double choir in German and A Cappella at a college level.
I am sending much love your way.💗 Perhaps these students need extra attention (it does seem to be an attention getting ploy, especially if it's your pet peeve). Very lovingly say, "start when you are ready and follow-through please."
Why do you think this happens? I a guilty of doing it specially when I am ask to play a challenging passage. It bothers me too, but I don't know why I do it
I have a question. How do we as flute players decipher between talent and hardwork.
I am asking mainly in regards to tone. According to my brain, if I practice technique at a slow level and speed it up I can get the technique. However for tone this is not the case.
For tone everyone says to do long tones. However everyone who does these long tones (at least my colleagues) already have a natural (and often good/great) tone quality.
When they do long tones it makes them sound better.
However when I do long tones nothing really happens. In fact my tone is completely unrelated to practicing. I find that my tone responds mostly to the humidity of the room that I play in, rather than how much I practice.
I know of two other colleagues who have the same dilemma. They practice but their tone, like mine, is perpetually sub par (not trying to be mean or be harsh on them or myself, I'm trying to get a point across). While some of my other colleagues may practice alot, or never practice, yet have great tones. I might note that these colleagues don't seem to have superior knowledge or insight regarding the flute.
Does any of this resonate? Can flute tone be taught to someone who struggles greatly with it after years of playing? How exactly does tone occur?
Just practicing long tones is not a solution - it depends HOW you are practicing them - how you listen and make adjustments to always improve. Do you have a private teacher who can help teach you how to do this - and also use the headjoint alone to help? You can also try a Blocki Pneumopro which you can find here: www.blockiflute.com/?AffId=2 and if you want some lessons with me, you can contact me here www.playwithapro.com/live/Nina-Perlove/