Tips on teaching, technique, practicing and more from members of the FLUTE listserv. Used with permission.
- Performance
- Practicing
- Music choice
- Moving flute from Patricia George
- Organizing practice time
- Preparation is key
- Practice approach
- Staying focused - from Andrew Freidin
- Teaching
- Working with difference times from Andrea La Rose
- Fundamental principles of scale/chord relationships from Bill McBirnie
- Narrowing vibrato
- Teaching dyslexic beginners
- Teaching Rhythm
- Teaching vibrato
- Teaching vibrato 2
- Technique
- Ab-Bb trill
- Alternate fingerings from Jen Cluff
- Articulation videos from Nina Perllove
- BEYOND SOUND - by Wissam Boustany
- Breathing by Wissam Boustany
- Double tonguing training
- Double Tonguing - Air Support Exercise by Tom Kennedy/Flutetalk '98 - passed along by Jen Cluff
- Faulty fingers - Jennifer Cluff
- The French school of articulation - Sir James Galway
- F6-G6 trill using C# trill key.
- Prokovief Classical Symphony
- D4 on Piccolo?
- The importance of scale study - Sir Jamies Galway
- Playing softly - Jan Vinci
- Soft hi D fingering
- Soft C4 fingering
- Stuffy F#
- Transposing
- Picc G3-A3 Trill
- Laurie Sokoloff
- F.W. Heim via Mark Q. Barton
- Cherie Thomas
(In response to a query about mistake-laden performances):
Faulty Fingers Posted by: "McKevitt/Cluff" Garry_McKevitt@telus.net
Mon Jun 28, 2010 12:13 pm (PDT)
Dear Leo,
I'm trying to imagine what you're describing. It's tricky to know what's happening to you exactly. A video would help immeasureably.
When this happens with flute students in the lesson, there are some frequent causes.
See if any of these apply:
Problems: The fingers flop and fly, but don't follow the brain.
Possibly causes:
1. Your eyesight has changed, and you can't see the music well. This is the number one cause of muddled notes. Have your eyes tested for new glasses to rule this out.
Other possible causes:
2. There is a slow connection between the written symbols for music,
and an automatic fingering on the flute. It seems as if the
processing of notation is garbled. Often this is due to trying to
play music that is too challenging too soon, or trying to play hard
music once a week, and not practicing on the other days.
Remedies: the student can:
a) practice short sessions throughout the day, concentrating on the easiest exercises. I.e.: go back to only one note and steady both hands, concentrating on tone only. (3-5 minutes min.) Longtones read from the page re-connect fingerings to symbols on page.
b) or...go back to simple finger patterns to retrain the brain. For example: Play only two notes, played very slowly as a super-slow trill. ie: F-G-F-G...etc. Note that this is only ONE FINGER MOVING at a time. For interest's sake concentrate on tone and evenness of one-finger-moves-only measured trills. There are good exercises for this in "Vade Mecum" by Walfrid Kujala, but any book of finger exercises will have two note slow trills.
c) or, take yourself back to the easiest flute books you can find and play only simplified pieces and exercises. For example, relearn those easy prepatory studies that are all in half-notes and whole notes. Make music out of them. Memorize it away from the page. Work on tone and breathing if music is so simple. Concentrate on line, breath, tone and simple fingerings that move only one finger at a time.
3. Physical non-balanced stance and flute holding:
Video tape yourself, or go to a flute lesson and ask the teacher to "spot" you to see what you're doing that is excessive or causes finger-fumbling. You could be doing something really idiosyncratic, like misaligning the flute's headjoint, body and footjoint, raising the elbows or shoulders very high, straining the wrists and forearms by twisting, tightening your face and neck and/or contorting the hands and fingers onto the flute. See: http://www.jennifercluff.com/lineup.htm and check the posture and flute holding basics at http://www.jennifercluff.com/posture.htm.
Other possible causes:
4. Fingers are rising for no apparent reason; the flute feels
unstable in the hands or "bobbles" when several fingers move at once
(ex: C to D). See: http://www.jennifercluff.com/lineup.htm
Or:
You could inadvertently opening the thumb key or be lifting a left
hand finger ( For example: the A key opens in the left hand when
changing from D to E in the right hand when it doesn't actually need
to be lifted.)
This can be also can be caused by a non-balanced hand position where the fingers are so uncomfortable they reposition themselves to stop the weight of the rods from rolling the flute inward etc. During this roll-and-grab, keyes can be opened unconsciously during the "grab" phase. Review 1 to 3 above and video tape yourself.
5. Strange mis-playing of notes can also be caused by pad leaks, where you have to really press down hard on, for example, the A key, in order to make right hand notes like D and E speak clearly on your flute. This excessive finger pressure has arisen so slowly it has gone unnoticed, and now causes excessive tension in the hands while playing, which causes fumbling. Additionally the leaking pad can gap open unexpectedly during non-related finger changes and cause you to re-grip the flute.
Have someone who plays flute well play-test your flute for leaks or take it to repair.
6. Finally:
>>Why is it that sometimes I can play a piece with just one or
two fingering mistakes then shortly there after screw it up royally?
This is usually caused by trying to go too far, too fast. If you can't play a short phrase of music three times correctly in a row, and up to ten times correctly, you're not ready to add dynamics, articulation and tempo increases. Alot of flute students bash out a row of notes and then turn on the metronome and start trying to force themselves to play it faster, instead of making the notes beautiful in small groups of 2 to five clusters of notes.
This is not like sports where you force yourself to do 100 pushups by sheer will power. And it's a common misconception that speed is the goal, whereas tone and clarity are the goal . If this sounds likely, you'll want to slow your learning down until every single note is perfect in tone, rhythm and direction before adding another note to it. That's how the mind learns to listen on many levels and correct mistakes before the "bashed out" version of the piece becomes ingrained. See: http://www.jennifercluff.com/practice.htm
Hope this helps and let us know what it turned out to be.
I'm betting that you need new glasses just now, and you used to less musically discerning when you first started playing. :>)
Best,
Jen
Date: Sun, 30 Jan 2011 18:58:27 -0500
From: S Granger <pocolento@YAHOO.COM>
Subject: Re: Narrowing of vibrato
Kathy,
I'd like to share something that I am doing with my students at Cal Poly as well as my private students. It really works for us. I use it on myself too.
There is free software created by a former doctoral student (Philip McLeod) at the University of New Zealand. It is called Tartini. It is very simple to download and use on either Mac or PC's. Basically, it analyzes your vibrato pitch, speed, and "amplitude" (or pitch variance... this is the part I am thinking that you are looking to change from your question). You can simply look at the screen and see on a line graph EXACTLY what you are doing with your vibrato. It is incredibly sensitive. With a visual, real time representation of what you are doing you can "see" what needs to happen to make it change.
And did I mention... it is an "open source" software project so it can be developed further by anyone who wants the source code and it will always be free.
I practice several things... slow speed (2-4bps) with large "amplitude" (25cents or more), slow speed w/shallow "amplitude"(5-10cents-the vibrato becomes almost inaudible at 5cents)... fast speed (7-8bps) w/large "amplitude"... fast speed w/shallow "amplitude" etc etc and all the variations in between.
I also use it right away when I introduce vibrato to a student.
They LOVE being able to see the graph-line wiggle when they are
successful!
It helps with getting students with a long habit of tightening their
throat to create vibrato (nanny goat vibrato) to finally relax and
play with a straight tone...and just about everything I have run
across so far.... And for the simple reason that the student can SEE
exactly what they are doing.
I have even seen it pick up "throat noise" that a student couldn't
"hear" that they were making; but when I "showed" them with
Tartini... there it was! I also show them how flat they are at the
end of long notes... etc, etc. It has so many uses.
I love it because sometimes the student won't believe me and they can't hear themselves well... but the technology doesn't lie! Another side benefit is that because they are listening and analyzing their vibratos so intently they become aware and attuned to how vibrato is being used in the flutists they listen to. And eventually they are able to hear and precisely control their own use of vibrato.
I do believe that everyone has a "comfortable" place for vibrato and that in general we tend to stay within a moderate range of what is acceptable and popular at this time and appropriate for the particular piece being performed.
But I also teach them that each different vibrato is like a new color of paint on their palette. If you have 20 different vibratos... you have 20 different colors from which to choose when you go to paint your picture for the audience... We don't use all the colors at once, but it's that splash of a contrasting shade that makes something sparkle.
Hope this helps! I'd love to hear from you again about your experience using this software if you get around to giving it a try.
Here's the link: (Not working as of 2019-11-27 JR)
http://miracle.otago.ac.nz/tartini/
Shelly Granger
Flute Instructor
California State Polytechnic University
PS: I just discovered that they have developed an iPod touch/iPad app! I think it's free... I haven't used this yet though.
Here it is: https://download.cnet.com/Tartini-in-Tune/3000-2133_4-75390328.html
From: Melissa Park Voshell <Melflutey@AOL.COM>
Subject: Re: Flute Secrets?
1. PREPARATION IS KEY! 2. Slow and accurate is better than fast and sloppy (in regard to playing scales). 3. It is possible to practice sight reading. Pick up anything and everything you haven't learned and try to play through it as accurately as possible. This will give you confidence if sight reading is included in the audition. 4. Go in with a positive attitude and SMILE at the judge. Even if it's a taped audition, you never know, you could be smiling at the conductor. :-)
Hope this helps! Melissa Park Voshell M.M., Peabody Conservatory
From: Paul Harper
<Paul.Harper@AEXP.COM>
Subject: Re: Flute Secrets?
Hi, Amber,
Suggestions:
Always be clear with yourself regarding what you are practicing.
Identify what you want to accomplish and keep at it until you've
accomplished that, then move on to the next thing to accomplish.
Don't 'sort of' learn something - master it.
Memorize a lot. Internalize music until it is a part of you.
Always play with a beautiful sound. Listen to yourself.
Record yourself fanatically. Get a mini disc recorder and record practice sessions, rehearsals, etc, etc. Listen back. What is good? What needs work?
Slow down. It is much better to play something slowly and correctly and then carefully work up velocity.
Listen to music. There is so much to learn from other musicians, flutists and non-flutists.
From: Vivian Euzent
<veuzent1@HOME.COM>
Subject: flute secrets?
Whenever possible, choose music you really love. Then, when performing, play it for yourself - the way you love to hear it. Your playing will then surpass the "got all the notes and rhythms right" syndrome and be great.
Vivian
From: Patricia George
<georgeflute@HOTMAIL.COM>
Subject: Re: Moving Flute
Dear Don--not sure why email didn't go through, but happy to respond now. More about this is coming in the Flute Talk Magazine--November issue.
As a teacher, I have always been concerned with teaching the student to play musically. Since I have had not only really gifted students in my studio, but "real kids, " I developed the movement ideas to help all students understand the flow in music.
How did I do this? First I noticed that there are some movements that all flutists do. Secondly, I noticed that when I played with various excellent musicians, we all moved the same way. When I would ask the player, why they moved in a certain way, the response was universially--I don't know--did I move? So, then I started watching video tapes and watching performers carefully in live performances. I realized that good musicians do all move in the same way--and I decided to try to teach this movement on a cognitive level.
So, what are the movements? There are two main gestures in music. One is down and up and the other is forward flow (which is based on my Kincaid training in the 2,3,4,1 idea....see John Krell's Kincaidiana book available from Flute World.com). On a basic level, down and up starts on the beat and forward flow starts off the beat. This is the same principal that string players use. However, there are times when they have to do something backwards--start down bow on an off beat passage because there is something down the line that must be played a certain way.
My first step in teaching this is to play the T and G No. 4---eight notes slurred---followed by a quarter rest. If the student is right handed, the should stand with the left foot in front--if the student is left handed--there are several choices depending on how left handed the student really is. Many left handed students have coped so much in the right handed world, that they play flute like a right handed person. The flutist moves the flute from back to front on a horizontal plane with each eight notes. During the rest, the flute is brought back to the original position. (Actually, there is more movement of the body and only a little with the flute) This gets the air moving in a straight column--and the notes are played on the air (a big principal of Joseph Mariano--playing on the air--tonguing on the air). I have the student do this gesture for several weeks on these following 24 scales. This also teaches the scale pattern well.
Next I teach down and up by twos. Some schools refer to down and up as strong and weak--it is the same no matter what you call it. The first note is stronger or louder than the weak or softer note. The gesture with the flute is from down to up. Once this gesture can be performed well, then we go on to Ferris Wheel.
Ferris Wheel is something that I made up. I was looking for an analogy that all students would readily understand and most kids today have experienced the Ferris Wheel. The interesting thing about the Ferris Wheel is that the large wheel is moving in one direction (the air stream) and each seat on the Ferris Wheel (the individual gestures) has its on motion. (Two things happening at once idea.) How do we do Ferris Wheel? Well, while doing the forward flow by eight notes, add doing four down and ups (small gestures) at the same time. Printed this would look like four groups of slurred by twos under one big slur.
So, the ideas progress. Then I teach forward flow. In order to get to forward flow, we must deal with the first note so that we can get "off the beat." The first note will be a down and up, and then we progress to forward by 2s and then back by 2s. Then by 4s, 8s, 16s.
Now, do I have the students move in performance? No, I don't want to see a flutist dancing around the stage. However, I have them move a lot in practice so that they can really experience the "feel" of playing between then notes to bring out the musical line. It is really a Zen like principal---do it so many times in practice that it is in you when you perform. Also when flutists are required to conduct entrances--they know exactly how to do this in a clear clean cut way.
I have worked with these ideas with many players--not just flute players. Some of the most famous musicians in their fields have told me that it freed their playing physically and that they always knew where they were going in the music.
Nadia Boulanger (famous teacher of Copland and Bernstein) said--"Each gesture must have integrity." So I think when you are moving in your playing, someone must be able to tell whether you are playing down/up or forward flow. You should not look like you are stirring chocolate chip cookie dough with the end of your flute!
Music phrasing is made up of a design of gestures. All the gestures are either singletons (one note), forward flow or down/up. However, how many notes you take by forward flow or by down/up is the interesting idea. To experiment with this idea, start with the Allemande movement from the Bach Solo Sonata (Suite) in A Minor. First play it chunked by beat. Then play it chunked by two beats. Then by measure. Next chunk it by forward flow--by fours (2341) then by eights (23456781) etc. This piece would be really boring if it were played by either of the former ways--however, what is interesting about performing this piece is how YOU can vary the gestures to bring out the harmonies. Perhaps you might start with forward flow by 8s--bringing out the palindromes (A G# A). Then you will change to forward flow by 4s or an ocassional by 16s. The best rule to follow is when the music is diatonic, use larger groupings---when it is chromatic, use smaller groupings. Once you have determined the design that you want--then you will want to vary colors/timbres by the gestures. This will make you paint. Note placement and color--for me--are two of the most interesting parts of making music.
Just a few ideas about this. If you are interested in working with these ideas more, you might enjoy one of my flute camps. I will be doing some masterclasses in Illinois in November, South Carolina in January, in Texas in March and May. In mid-March I will be doing a Flute Spa Weekend in Portland, Oregon and the other camps will be in Pocatello, Idaho in June and August and at the Sewanee Summer Music Festival (Sewanee, TN at the U of the South) in July.
I know that this is really hard to describe in words--maybe a video will be made in the future--thanks for asking. Questions--hopefully the email will work this time. Patricia George
The main thing about creating a practice plan is to have the following areas covered, and to find a way to alternate them so that over several days you have done a small section on each.
The areas are:
Tone Scales and arpeggios
Finger exercises based on scales and arpeggios
(Maquarre in this case)
Sightreading
Fun music (to act as a "reward" for all the other work you may
do)Studies and finally,
Solo and Ensemble pieces that you may be working on for your lessons
or your band/orchestar/chamber group.
May I suggest that you start each practice session with tone exercises (ask your teacher for some good ones), and once you've spent 15 or more minutes getting your tone really super, use your "best tone" on everything else that follows. (Scales, Daily Exercises, Studies, Pieces etc.)
Instead of trying to do all of the Maquarre every day, why not choose to do one exercise per practice session (repeating it 6 times, making it better each time)? I think you just need to focus on one a day for now, and while you're at it, do the scale and arpeggio in the same key, all the while being conscious of using your best tone.
The next day, choose a new key for your scale, Maquerre excercise and arpeggio practice.
Next, you may want to play some things for fun at that point, as a reward for the concentrated work you've been doing (maybe a duet out of the Rubank method, or solo piece that you've been looking forward to.)
Finally finish the next part of your practicing by seeking out sub-sections of your pieces and studies that need careful improvement. Circle the harder areas, and break them down, creating tone and mini-scale and finger patterns out of them (this is very much like doing exercises, scales and tone work, but now utilises the actual solo pieces you're learning, in order to separate out mini-areas to work on.)
Hope this helps
Jen Cluff.
From: Jennifer Cluff
Principal flute: Vancouver Island Symphony.
http://www.jennifercluff.com/index.html
Date: Thu, 4 Oct 2001 09:07:37
-0400
From: Pskiptri <skiptrix@CONNIX.COM>
Subject: Re: Teaching Rhythm
Dear Joyce and List,
Here are some suggestions for teaching rhythm that work with my students:
Use a counting system for writing in the rhythms above the notes (I just use the plain old "one, two,/one-and two-and/one-e-and-a etc"). The theory is that if a student can count in rhythm, using counting words, she should be able to imitate the rhythm of the words when playing.
To test this, count out some simple rhythms (that are not written down) to the student and have her imitate the rhythm of your voice. Start with something very simple, something you are SURE the student can master (maybe just four quarter notes/crotchets). Count out 4 beats worth. Be sure to have her tap her foot along with you during this exercise. Make the rhythms progressively more complicated. Be sure to mix rhythms after the student gets the hang of it. Many students enjoy this game. When you are sure she is accurately imitating the rhythm of your words, then progress to some written rhythms.
First start out on just one note. Have the student figure out the counting, SAY the counting IN TIME (in combination with tapping her foot), and then imitate what she just said with the flute, while tapping her foot. Gently correct any mistakes NOT BY PLAYING IT FOR HER but by having her say it again and play it again. If you give in and sing it or play it, this exercise is not as effective. The idea is to teach kids how to figure out their own counting, not to quickly tell them how it goes and hope they remember it later.
Next, progress to written music. Ask your student to prepare a phrase using three steps:
1. Say the rhythm (with a beat!)
2. Play the rhythm on one note only repeat steps one and two until
really secure, then add step 3.
3. When secure, add the written pitches
Troubleshooting: If the student is truly having difficulty, don't worry about slurs or dynamics for the time being, but when you feel you can, bring them to the students' attention.
If there is still difficulty after this exercise, try playing a phrase for your student (be sure she keeps a beat along with you) and insert some rhythmic mistakes. Have her point out where you made a mistake and what you did wrong. This is extremely helpful. *Later, you can do the same with articulations--play the phrase and change the slurs until she is able to notice when it is correct/incorrect.*
Remember, if a student can catch what YOU are doing right or wrong, then he or she will be able to apply this concept to his or her own playing (with your help and guidance).
I feel a good teacher teaches students how to figure things out themselves so that they no longer need the teacher for help with that particular concept. This exercise works along those lines.
Good luck with your student, Kim Collins
> On Sun, 21 Oct 2001, Hiromi Ikeda wrote: > > > Dear
list,
> > My orchestra is going to be playing Prokofiev
> > Classical Symphony for the winter concert and I'm
> > having hard time getting the run/arpeggio thing up to
> > D in the 4th movement. Going from 4C# to 4D is really
> > the tricky part.. I would like some advise on how to
> > practice this to get it smooth. Thank you so much!!
> >
> > - Hiromi Ikeda
> >
> > Soka University of America
> > leonore2@yahoo.comDate: Mon, 22 Oct 2001 10:45:02 -0700
Date: Sun, 31 Oct 2010 10:50:54 -0400
From: Helen Spielman <hbs@EMAIL.UNC.EDU>
Subject: Re: Advices for young flutists for dealing with nerves?
On Oct 31, 2010, at 2:42 AM, hikaru tanaka wrote:
> Dear list.
>
> My question in short in case you fine the email below too
long...
>
> "How to help/advise young 13-year-old flutists to deal with
nerves"?
> In an interesting and hopefully "fun" way?
Dear Hikaru,
Here are a few relevant and fun exercises for teens that I posted on
FLUTE several years ago.
I think it's wonderful that you're addressing your students' fears in an attentive, specific, and thoughtful manner.
I may have some more suggestions for you, if you'll ask me after November 8 when I'll have more time to answer!
Helen
Helen Spielman, M.A.
Performance Anxiety Coach
http://PerformConfidently.com
PERFORMANCE ANXIETY EXERCISES FOR TEENS
Getting kids to "be more comfortable, accepting nervousness, and keeping nerves from incapacitating them" are huge goals that are more readily addressed by presenting carefully sequenced information interspersed with experiential tasks, and sometimes take a long period of time to be integrated, rather than simply introducing some exercises. However, I understand the feel of what you're trying to accomplish, so here are a few suggestions that you might like to try on your flute day. Feel free, of course, to modify them in any way you wish that might suit your purposes better.
1. Most kids don't talk about their fears with each other, and
think they're the only ones who are as frightened as they are.
Generate a list of thoughts and fears they have. If they are
hesitant to share at the beginning of this exercise, have some
pre-planned, such as: I'm afraid of what my teacher will think of
me. I'll sound like a dork. I'm the worst one here. I've got the
worst vibrato in my school. I'm scared of messing up. What if I
throw up? etc. etc. Write them on a board. Talk about how our
negative thinking can affect our performances. Then get the group to
figure out a way to change each one to something more positive.
Examples:
I didn't practice enough. --> I practice adequately considering how much homework I have every day.
I'm going to throw up. --> I trust that my body is under control.
I'm gonna mess up. --> I can focus on the courage inside me and concentrate on playing beautifully.
I'm afraid of all those people. --> I am free of fear. I am powerful and as safe as I decide I want to be.
etc etc etc
Then, if you want, you can have one volunteer at a time role play a performance. Have them stand with their instrument, in front of a music stand, and perhaps a simple piece of their music. Have them think their negative thought, and play a line. Then have them think their positive thought and play a line. Ask them to share how the two experiences were different. Encourage them to write down more of their fear thoughts and turn them to positive ones in the future.
2. Have them use their imagination, or illustrate on paper, a safety net around themselves for when they go on stage. No bad thoughts, criticism, ridicule, etc can penetrate this safety net or barrier. They can imagine it to be a brick wall, a beautiful pink light, a clear plexiglass window, a porcupine skin, etc. Have them pretend to walk on a stage, protected from anything they fear by their "barrier." Or have them walk in a small space, all of them at once, and bump into each other's barriers!
3. Catastrophe Scale - this comes from Overcoming Performance Anxiety by Farnback (on my website). Ask your students to write a scale of four or six (depending on how much time you have for this exercise) catastrophes, either imagined ones or ones that have happened to them, assigning a percentage to each one, depending on how awful they are. Here might be an example:
100% awful --- nuclear war
85% --- fail all my classes
50% --- break up with my boyfriend
10% ---- lose my favorite scarf
4. For those children that you mention won't step toward the stage, much less get on it: You can have them use their minds to imagine doing something very gradually that they might be afraid to do in real life. You might also pair up a confident performer with a fearful one, and have them pretend to perform together, not even necessarily on a stage, but in a place of their choosing: someone's living room, a silly place, a magic castle, an MTV studio, their dog's favorite hiding place in the woods. Use *your* imagination to create a fun atmosphere for them to play - and I do mean play in both senses of the word - in front of others.
5. Teach the art of compliment - of others and of themselves. Program "compliment breaks" throughout the day. Everyone has to give out at least 3 compliments to three different people within the next 2 min, or whatever. Everyone has to write down at least 2 compliments about themselves. People with performance anxiety are highly self-critical; it can be helpful to learn to turn down the self-criticism and turn up the self-congratulations.
From: Richard Volet
<ws098@VICTORIA.TC.CA>
Subject: Re: Prokofiev Classical Symphony
Just to add to this, now that I'm more awake and have flute in hand and mouth - I do use the little finger on the gizmo for the c#, but not the B. B actually responds easier without the d# key, and as I sais below, gives time fot the little finger to move. Also, using low c seems to work on my flute as well as the gizmo, in which case would finger b and c# without the d# key. This of course would be the route with a cfoot.
On Mon, 22 Oct 2001, Richard Volet wrote:
> Dear Hiromi and list: > > Here are some ideas which which may help. I finger the B without the little finger (no D# key), the C# also without, which gives lots of time for the little finger to reach the gizmo (best on B foot) or the low C key (best on C foot). I also spend time practicing this on whistle tones and/or using upper register fingerings while blowing in the first octave, which produces some very strange microtonal melody. This preserves my ears and lips.
Yours, Richard Volet
>
> Principal Flute, Victoria Symphony
> maker of Volet Headjoints
Trill
F#3 - A3
but if you want an F#3 to A3 tremulo on a closed G# then
Date: Fri, 4 Jun 2010 02:34:59 -0500
From: Jennifer Amox <jenniferamox@GMAIL.COM>
Subject: Dyslexia & Music-Reading (long)
I've had a couple of beginners with dyslexia and other eye tracking
issues. All had problems with spatial awareness and this manifested
itself in their ability to track pitch and pulse (visually, on a
staff). You may need to create your own materials at first or you
may
have to modify your beginning method significantly.
I am incredibly long-winded this evening. Forgive me.
Here's the gist of my response. More details below.
When introducing pitch notation:
- Limit the staff to two lines and one space.
- Use color to reinforce the difference between the top line and bottom line. (Continue to use the same colors as you introduce the rest of the staff.)
- Experiment with a colored transparency overlay.
When introducing rhythmic notation:
- Teach additive rhythmic values. Begin with a symbol that represents one beat of music.
- Introduce new rhythmic values as ties. (Add 1 + 1 together to equal 2.)
- Make sure spacing of beats is consistent in the notation.
- Consider teaching rhythmic relationships rather than note values.
Combining pitch and rhythmic notation:
Use SmartMusic to reinforce visual tracking and internalization of
pulse.
Pitch notation:
Limit the amount of visual information. Start with two lines. The
top line will be "B", the space in between will be "A", and the
bottom
line will be "G". (I think the Blocki method does this. Someone
correct me if I'm wrong.) (Pat George and Phyllis Louke also talk
about using these three pitches for balance reasons in their method
book -- left hand notes with a right hand on the barrel. They have a
multitude of tunes that only use these three pitches. Doesn't the
Trevor Wye method start the same way? It's late, and I'm not sure of
my references.)
Your student will probably have no issue confusing A with B or A with G. It's the two that are on the lines (G and B) that will give her a problem. (The mind is processing these two characters as the same. It only can comprehend one variable at a time -- line or space -- thus it misses the whole concept of vertical space.)
For some students, a colored overlay (like a transparency film) will help soften the contrast between the lines and spaces and help the eye track properly. (Ask the child's parents if she has a preference. I had one student who seemed to read better with pink, even though I had always been told to use green with dyslexic students.)
Take this color concept further and assign a color to B and a different color to G. B is red, G is blue. Have your student color (or highlight) the pitches rather than you doing it for her. It's more eye-tracking practice! Once you introduce the full staff, you can continue the practice. (I do this with my non-dyslexic students sometimes. Many confuse B and G or B and D. We agree to use the same color for the same pitch every time they have an issue. It is the hope that the brain will begin to "see" the color difference even after you stop marking them this way. Think of it as induced synesthesia!)
That takes care of the pitch issue. Now for the rhythm-reading issue.
Most beginning method books introduce rhythms through a division system. (This is a whole note. Divide it in two half notes. Divide the half note in two quarter notes, etc.) That's a difficult concept for a 10 year old with no learning disabilities! (Sixth grade is generally when most kids began to conceptualize abstract divisions and fractions, and those with learning disabilities tend to master the skill later than that. Why do we begin to introduce an abstract mathematical and spacial concept by using a skill beginning students are just starting to master?!? "I want you to interpret this symbol, convert it to fractions in your head and do all of this analysis while attending to a whole host of other stimuli at a steady tempo." Way too much processes at work -- especially for someone whose processing speed is a bit slower because it is having to "auto-correct" information due to a learning disability.)
Get a copy of "The Games of Music". It's a rhythmic method based on multiples rather than divisions of beat. (In other words, it introduces the smallest rhythmic value first and then larger values as ties -- a half note is two quarter notes added together rather than a half note is divided into quarter notes. Your student has been adding a lot longer than she has been dividing. Stay in her comfort zone.) Divisions of beat are introduced, but not until much time has been spent on 1-beat notes and ties.
This method is the only one I have seen that introduces rhythmic relationships simultaneously. It teaches a student to count based on the bottom number of the time signature. (This is essentially the "game" of music. Game 8 means that an 1/8 note equals one beat. Game 4 means a 1/4 note equals one beat. Game 2 means a 1/2 equals one beat, etc.)
Here's an example:
The first line with a new rhythm will be written with numbers. 2 2 1111 2 2 (half half quarter etc. in 4/4) Student counts: 1-2 1-2 1 1 1 1 1-2 1-2
The next line will replace one variable with a symbol.
Game 8: 2 2 (eighth note eighth note eighth note eighth note) 2 2
The next line will replace another variable with a symbol Game 8: quarter quarter eighth eighth eighth eighth, etc.
Then, another variable will change. The "game" changes: Game 2: 2 2 (half half half half) 2 2
Students are reading cut time and 8/8 and 4/4 simultaneously because they are taught that it's about relationships (ratios) rather than a "whole note equals four beats". Once you put a label in a child's brain, don't expect the brain to overwrite itself very easily just because there's an exception to the rule.
"The Games of Music" is under $10 and is available from most sheet music vendors.
One of the issues with dyslexia and reading is the eye concentrates on one character (and usually flips it) rather than scanning the word as a whole. In rhythm-reading, this will often come up as an inability to see a "rhythmic cell" (even if it is repeated ad nauseum as in a sequence) or the flipping of rhythmic opposites. (Playing 8th 16th 16th when 16th 16th 8th is written.) These are the kids that seem to be encountering a new rhythm every time they read a new piece of music. They have a difficult time seeing a rhythm and finding that rhythm elsewhere.
Teaching by rhythmic cells seems to help (see the grouping, not the individual note). Daniel Kazez has an excellent rhythm method called "Rhythm Reading". It's about $30 and way too involved for your student, but it's an excellent resource for your teaching. Much like "The Games of Music", it teaches rhythms by the relationships note values have to one another. (For my advanced kids, we will sometimes make a rhythmic cell legend of their etudes. "How many possibilities for division of beat are there in this etude?" We then draw circles, squares or any other shape around all of the like rhythmic cells.)
I'm getting way ahead of myself. Your student is six, right? Let's limit the information. Change music notation to something she can understand. Use circles to represent beats. (You can easily change them to noteheads later.) Connect two circles to form a 2-beat note. Connect three circles to form a 3-beat note.
It is very important that you keep the spacing of the beats the same. (In other words, your half note should occupy the same space as two quarter notes.) Your student needs to see "invisible lines" where the beat occurs. If the spacing of the notation is faulty, then it will confuse her.
Once she is comfortable with traditional notation, put her on SmartMusic. Because it assesses music reading in real time, SmartMusic can improve her reading skills (both literary and musical!). It reinforces internal pulse and visual tracking (especially if you keep the little cursor on that flashes to each note in time).
(It has always been my intention to do a research study on dyslexic students and SmartMusic. Does it improve eye-tracking skills enough to improve reading skills? There was a device called a "Controlled Reader" reading specialists used many years ago that was essentially a SmartMusic for text. It was very helpful for dyslexic and all students because it improved fluency by encouraging them to read aloud at a steady tempo -- the "spacing" of time seemed to help the "spacing" of the visual characters on the page. Unfortunately, the device isn't used in the reading classroom much anymore. I think there is so much potential in exploring SmartMusic's effects on eye-tracking and reading skills. One day. . . .)
Please share what works with her on the list!! I'm always looking for new ideas!!
Jennifer Amox
Instructor of Flute
Henderson State University
Arkadelphia, AR
501-860-1921 cell
amoxj@hsu.edu
Date: Tue, 6 Nov 2001 00:57:46 EST
From: Morgan Williams <Lurker4242@AOL.COM>
Subject: D4 on Piccolo?
Hi,
I was able to play D4 on piccolo using the T 3 1 2 fingering.
I could only play it on one head-joint; only one Burkart style head-joint (out of three that I had) on a Burkart piccolo. I have since traded that head-joint with a friend for a sharp cut style Burkart head-joint.
A student of mine could also play it on an old wood Yamaha piccolo...
It took a great deal of muscle and control. But after a while, I could play the runs up to high D in "Classical Symphony" on the piccolo. Mind you, few people would WANT to hear it, though!
Morgan Williams lurker4242@aol.com
1T2 - 4/1----C&C# and trill LH2 and RH 1 together.
Date: Mon, 5 Nov 2001 15:58:21 -0800
From: G. McKevitt~J. Cluff <Garry_McKevitt@TELUS.NET>
Subject: Re: D4 on piccolo
[ The following text is in the "iso-8859-1" character set. ] [ Your display is set for the "US-ASCII" character set. ] [ Some characters may be displayed incorrectly. ]
Dear Listers,
My apologies for the typo in my last piccolo D4 post. The missing
'T' in the third D4 fingering ended up in Shostakovich's name
instead.
Whoops! :>)
Correction to last post:
T __3|12_
T __3|12_4
TT* ___|__34
*Bb thumb = TT in the final fingering above.
Help with addtional alternate fingerings still very much appreciated, other than the ones given above.
VIBRATO
Cherie N. Thomas (1989)
Vibrato is used to increase and decrease intensity. It is sometimes
considered a tone ornament and is used most of the time. Good
vibrato goes above and below the tone center an equal amount. It
sounds forced and sharp if it doesn't drop below tone center enough,
and it sounds flat and sickly if it does not rise above tone center
adequately. It takes about 6 weeks to develop if it is pursued
correctly and consistently. Start by using a two-octave F major
scale in whole notes, one pitch per whole note. Begin by pulsating
"hah-hah-hah" on each scale degree. Be careful not to allow the
tongue or throat to stop the sound at the end of each pulse. Also,
unlike any other time you play, DON'T start each pulse with the
tongue. After this is mastered, switch to the pulsed patterns listed
below. Set your metronome to quarter note = 50 and do each pattern
DAILY for six weeks. The first column builds control and the second
column develops musicality. This is one of the ugliest exercises you
will ever do, so try not to be self-conscious: just let it be ugly.
---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Wed, 7 Nov 2007 16:16:19 EST
From: Howie Cohen <Howieflute@AOL.COM>
Subject: Re: Vibrato
I never liked to "teach" vibrato and rarely ever do so, unless I hear the beginnings of a vibrato, in the first place. The first thing I usually do is have the pupil come to the b-board and begin drawing circles with the chalk while moving from left to right - with both hands. I try to encourage the pupils to keep their line-areas straight and even. I let them draw like this with paper and crayon an entire week, sometimes two, until I have the feeling it's smoothe and flowing. They then try to keep their air as steady as possible while doing this (which is very a funny thing to try to do, because it's very nearly impossible). To make this plastic for them I'll let them hum while doing this. They might then rotate their arms synchronically (also impossible), in opposite directions and then reverse. They might also try playing a roll on the timpani (or the table top) while humming. After this, I take out my tried and true soap-bubbles (I hold the hoop) and let them try blowing bubbles this way. This way they don't chop up the air flow ('cause then there are no bubbles) or do anything drastic with the air. I have three hoop sizes, so...
Most of the time the pupil's bodies understand this feeling and they start vibrating away without the ugly exercises, which Mr. Bennet (Harold) made me do.
Probably of utmost importance is having students listen to and see different, good violinists and cellists play, maybe even try the thing him/herself. After the pupil starts vibrating it's another thing to have control over the tone. There are a lot of exercises for that, as you all know, but to begin with...
I've never shown my son (Joshua, now 13) how to vibrate, nor did any of his teachers. But the flute teachers I picked for him all play GORGEOUSLY and he picked this up naturally, with about a thousand other "things" which nobody's shown him. He came home from band rehearsal recently and asked me to teach him vibrato. When pressed with my, "what for? You do it beautifully.", he explained that the other flutists hear it from him and want to learn it, too. "Why don't they just do it?" he wanted to know. Are we all laughing and nodding our heads?
Andy Lollya told me that one must spin the tone. I think it's important to be clear about in what direction the tone is supposed to be going and what it's supposed to be touching upon. The best I can do with a pupil who doesn't vibrate is to show him/her an exigent reason to vibrate. Often, at the piano, I'll play a series of Vorhalts (I've forgotten what it's called in english - appagiatura? suspensions?) with the pupil while changing the harmony with each attempt. The different harmonies clarify the tones differently and they will want to play them differently. This includes, among many other things, how they vibrate the tone.
Rather than showing a pupil how to vibrate a tone (which I quite probably don't really know as comprehensively as is necessary), I try to create musical settings which require certain kinds of tone, though I've been known to have a pupil shake his/her leg while playing a long tone (which also looks funny) and I have vibrated on a pupil's or two back (just under the shoulder blades), occasionally, just to give them a taste.
While on the subject I must express my gratitude for Patricia George's see-through vibrato. Though I think she underestimated the danger to herself, I'm glad to have this document of vibrato, which I assign to all of my university students to watch (but don't do this at home, kids.)
Like encouraging a child to walk, I don't really show them the processes. Instead I put a ball on the floor and enjoy their unique way of going after the thing, help them up after falling and have faith, that it'll be alright. I'm pretty sure that many of us think that this is naive, but, I'm glad to report, it works. Flutistically yours, howie.
===================================
Date: Sat, 20 May 2006 11:44:44 EDT
From: Morgan Williams <MorganPiccolo@AOL.COM>
Subject: Re: Kincaid clarification!
Hi,
I love special fingerings! I do the same on flute as I mention
quite often
for the piccolo; in fact, often I've considered working on a
doctorate in flute
somewhere and writing a dissertation on the history of fingerings
for the
flute... And at the end, I'd like to make some improvements--an
addendum if you
will to Pellerites book, "A Modern Guide to Fingerings..."
For example, for Ab3 to Bb3 trill. Finger 234 1 * * 4 You start
with the
traditional Ab3 fingering. To achieve the Bb3 add the R.H. 1 and
both trill
keys together. With the R.H. 1 added this trill is more "in tune"
than without
it...
. . .
There is a difference to finding the best fingering for certain
performance
in a certain context and believing in some kind of magic bullets to
conquering
technique problems for the flute...
A basic one is learning to use all three Bb1 and Bb2 fingerings, and
not just
the T 1 1 4 (the 1 on 1 fingering...).
Thanks,
Morgan Williams
morganpiccolo@aol.com
Reply-To: fhflute@usadatanet.net
Sender: Flute Playing and Related Issues <FLUTE@LISTSERV.SYR.EDU>
From: floyd hebert <fhflute@USADATANET.NET>
Subject: F6-G6 trill using C# trill key.
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
Greetings Flutists, Here`s the best F6-G6 trill ever: Finger F6 normally, except put the 2nd finger where the index finger normally goes. Then, use the index finger to reach over and wiggle the C# trill key. Viola!, rather Voila! In tune, with excellent tone quality! F6-G6 is the piano octave reference, equivalent to the flute 3rd octave.
Just in time for "Tee" in the Nutcracker" ballet or the "Chinese Dance" in the "Nutcracker" ballet suite. Just use the adjacent finger(R3) for the E6 natural in the escape notes of the trill. Or the same trill in the Chaminade "Concertino", the Nielsen "Concerto", Jolivet "Chant de Linos"...........The C# trill key is really indispensible in my opinion. If you like this trill, go ahead and send me a note on the back of a $100 bill, telling me how much you like it. Now, if you don`t like it, then just send a note on the back of a $50 bill. I`ll keep score and let you know from offshore Bermuda. Hopefully, and with best wishes, Floyd Hebert.
Date: Wed, 6 Feb 2002 21:31:41 -0700
Reply-To: Alexa Still <stilla@STRIPE.COLORADO.EDU>
Sender: Flute Playing and Related Issues
<FLUTE@LISTSERV.SYR.EDU>
From: Alexa Still <stilla@STRIPE.COLORADO.EDU>
Subject: Re: soft high D fingering
In-Reply-To: <200202050505.g1555QE17429@stripe.colorado.edu>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"; format=flowed
Please excuse me if this was already addressed. Like my University teaching colleagues I am currently swamped with audition arrangements and can scan the digest at best.
At 12:00 AM 2/5/02 -0500, Heather wrote:
Does anyone know a good D3 soft fingering for the end of the Leonore
excerpt?
The classic one, which I learned from extremely expert excerpt teacher Mr Walfrid Kujala, is left hand thumb, 2,3 (normal D in other words) plus G# and right hand: 1 (index) This works beautifully, and is also used by some in Ravel Daphnis on the first really quiet D of the au movt. near the end of the solo cheers, Alexa
>website: http://www.Alexastill.com
email: Alexa.Still@colorado.edu
phone (303) 492 7150
Assoc. Prof. of Flute, College of Music,
University of Colorado at Boulder
Date: Wed, 13 Feb 2002 15:55:50 EST
Reply-To: Lurker4242@AOL.COM
Sender: Flute Playing and Related Issues
<FLUTE@LISTSERV.SYR.EDU>
From: Morgan Williams <Lurker4242@AOL.COM>
Subject: Soft C4 fingering!
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII"
Hi,
Try:
1 3 * The "*" is for the second trill key.
If that's not flat enough add some R.H. fingers--low C for instance...
Good Luck!
Morgan Williams
lurker4242@aol.com
Date: Thu, 14 Feb 2002 14:55:20 -0500
Reply-To: L Sokoloff <LSokoloff@HOME.COM>
Sender: Flute Playing and Related Issues
<FLUTE@LISTSERV.SYR.EDU>
From: L Sokoloff <LSokoloff@HOME.COM>
Subject: Re: Picc G3-A3 Trill
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
----- Original Message -----
From: "Keith Bradbury" <kwbradbury@YAHOO.COM>
Subject: Picc G3-A3 Trill
Whatsagood fingering for this?
Hi Keith,
First, let go of "good" - it doesn't exist.
Laurie Sokoloff
piccolo, Baltimore Symphony Orchestra
Peabody Institute, Johns Hopkins University
Coordinator, NFA Piccolo Artist Competition
Date: Thu, 14 Feb 2002 23:57:29 -0500
Reply-To: Barton <mbarton@SUFFOLK.LIB.NY.US>
Sender: Flute Playing and Related Issues <FLUTE@LISTSERV.SYR.EDU
From: Barton <mbarton@SUFFOLK.LIB.NY.US>
Subject: Re: Picc G3-A3 Trill
In-Reply-To: <000401c1b5bb$62547ae0$fbd2fea9@Pflteplot>
Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII
When I studied with the late F.W. Heim of the NY Philharmonic, he taught me to trill G to A by RH Th, 2, and 3 LH 2, 3 and pinky then trill RH3. One starts the trill by using the standard high G fingering and immediately switching. I use this fingering regularly for flute but I never could blow it on a piccolo. Mr. Heim could! I heard him demonstrate at a moderate dynamic level and rather sustained.
Mark Q. Barton
mbarton@suffolk.lib.ny.us
Date: Fri, 15 Feb 2002 16:00:50 EST
Reply-To: Cntflute@AOL.COM
Sender: Flute Playing and Related Issues FLUTE@LISTSERV.SYR.EDU
From: Cherie Thomas <Cntflute@AOL.COM>
Subject: Re: Picc G3-A3 Trill
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII"
There is another fingering that I have found works really well when I can't do a two handed trill:
T - 2 ~3~ / - 2 3 Eb. I think most trill charts don't list the Eb as being down. On flute I don't use the Eb key, but on picc I do.
It won't come out without the Eb on picc.
Cherie Thomas
Articulation videos from Nina Perlove (No. 1, No. 2)
---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Wed, 27 Jun 2007 13:44:18 -0400
From: Andrea La Rose <andrea.larose@GMAIL.COM>
Subject: Re: Double tonguing backstroke
What if she rested her chin on a table? If she were to put the
whole weight of her head on her chin, she'd see how much effort it
takes to
move her jaw. Then she can say that "take it to kitty cat" phrase
(my new favorite!) over and over again, purposely exaggerating the
jaw movement and enunciation as much as possible. It'll hurt a
little, but it will bring the point home. If she can then say the
phrase with as little jaw movement as possible and her best possible
enunciation, she will then see that she is able to tongue without
having to also move the jaw. You (or she) could also make up some
mostly 'k' phrases to say, like, "Coco kicks cacophonous
cockatiels," since that's the phoneme that's giving her trouble.
"Katie takes tokens at the Kickapoo Casino." "Cody cackles
coquettishly." I could go on...
cheers,
andrea
Date: Fri, 25 Jan 2008 13:02:15 -0500
From: David Goldberg <goldberg@WCCNET.ORG>
Subject: Re: transposing
Another horn player checking in. Here's how I think of it:
A Bb instrument's written C is a Bb on a C instrument (piano,
flute).
An X instrument's written C is an X on a C instrument.
To duplicate the Bb instrument's written C on flute, you have to play Bb. That is, transpose down one step. The key of Bb has two flats, so to duplicate a C-scale for the Bb instrument, you change
C D E F G A B to
Bb C D Eb F G A
You have to add two flats to the Bb instrument part's key signature.
To transpose to the key of Eb (that is, to play a part written for
an Eb instrument on flute), for every note you see, read it a minor
third up. The
key of Eb has three flats, so add three flats to the key signature
(that's three more flats, or three fewer sharps)
Change:
C D E F G A B to
Eb F G Ab Bb C D
In general, X-key instrument's C = flute X; that determines the interval you have to use.
Count the number of sharps or flats in the key of X, and add that number of sharps or flats to the key signature in X's part.
Bloody business, this.
I (horn) typically transpose from F to C so that I can play *your*
stuff. F to C is 4 steps down, or 5 steps up. The key of F has one
flat, so I have to subtract one flat (= add one sharp) to the flute
part's key signature.
David Goldberg
----------------------------
Date: Sun, 23 Mar 2008
07:26:12 -0400
From: wboustany@AOL.COM
Subject: ON BREATHING (and circular breathing)
Dear Friends,
I hope you find the thoughts below useful. I am sending this article in thre e different sections, due to size.
ON BREATHING (and circular breathing)
This is an article about the aesthetics and importance of breathing in relat ion to music. It does not delve into details of muscular movements and anato my, but the attitudes and concepts contained herein will undoubtedly influen ce the way that we breathe and shape our music.
The first thing we do when we are born - is breathe....this is also the last thing we ever do.
Besides being an absolute necessity, the way we breathe (whether consciously or unconsciously) also reflects the many emotional/psychological states tha t we go through. Whether we are anxious, ecstatic, happy, sad, cold, hot, ag gressive, loving, confident or weak etc. - this is reflected very accurately in the way we breathe...every unique state of being is mirrored by a corres ponding unique breath. This is why it is so important for us (doubly so musi cians, triply so as windplayers!) to want to understand a little more about the process of breathing and how it links to our inner world.
I believe in a very simple concept that guides my approach to perceiving thi ngs generally and also applies to breathing: every living thing has a physic al dimension (the first way we perceive its existence) and a hidden/emotiona l/spiritual dimension (although hidden at first, this is actually the more p rofound reality). As instrumentalists, we are so keen to find ways to improv e; this tends to result in us falling into the trap of analyzing things pred ominantly in physical terms, which invariably leads to considerable frustrat ion and dysfunction emotionally and physically, and of course inevitably inf iltrates our playing. We constantly grope for the latest physical trick or e xercise that we hope will save us and deliver the ease, control and fluency we strive for. In my view, we seem to become SO good at barking up the wrong tree!
More important than any exercise or knowledge of the anatomy of our bodies.. .is our ability to be simply 'sensual' in our approach; and the use of the simple question 'why', can lead us to so many revelations in our quest for excellence. If a book is necessary in this pro cess, WRITE it, don't read it. If a definitive answer is required, l et it be your answer, rather than someone else's. And if words are n eeded, let them be your words too, born from your inner searchings and convi ctions, rather than playing a futile game of Chinese Whispers, where the res ult is an almost guaranteed misunderstanding.
So much for the preamble....how to best breathe?
Answer: Simply
Yes, the answer is that simple - provided you know what your priorities and reasons are...let me explain further....ask yourself a few questions:
How would you breathe....
...if you were dozing on the beach on a pleasant day?
...if you were about to be shot?
...if your were making love?
...if your heart was overflowing with love?
...if you were furious at something?
...if you were in pain?
...if you were ill?
...if you had all the time in the world?
...if you had NO time in the world?
etc ad infinitum....
The answer is interestingly consistent - for every state of being, there is an appropriate inevitable breath. Therefore it is logical to conclude that i t is the STATE OF BEING that needs to be focused on, rather than the breath itself, which should always be natural and reflexive, rather than contrived. This is where we go wrong - the control freak in us wants to control the br eath BEFORE we allow ourselves the 'indulgence' of our emoti ons....it should be the other way around.
For sure, opening/tuning/relaxation/support etc will have an important impac t on certain aspects of our breathing....but to be natural and musical, I be lieve that we need to give ourselves to the emotional world that we are call ing through the music, above all else.
Simple is best.
ON CIRCULAR BREATHING (c.b.)
In addition to the above mentioned, it is my belief that c.b. is a very impo rtant ability to have, as a flute player. To those who can't c.b., this ability may seem like a 'trick' or 'gimmick'....but it has a much more profound use, than is often acknowledged. T o be honest with you, I think that we all tend to create defensive attitudes towards things we can't do ourselves - this is a very natural react ion, stemming from our need to protect our confidence and self-esteem when w e are feeling a little vulnerable (I often lapse into that mode of thinking when confronted with things I can't do, or don't understand) .
I first encountered c.b. when I was fourteen years old in Lebanon. I had an Iraqi teacher (Dr Hussam Yacoub) who had studied with Platonov in Moscow at the time and my parents took me to see him play the Doppler 'Hungari an Pastoral Fantasy' with our National Symphony Orchestra - I was co mpletely stunned with his ability to play such long, meaningful phrases. Bec ause I was sitting so close, I could clearly see what he was doing - I could see every drop of sweat dripping from his his face and, more importantly, I could see his cheeks moving. I emerged from the concert ferociously determined to learn c.b. and for the next three weeks I tried and tried until I cracked it...I had tought myself how to do it! Ever since that time, it has bee n my genuine conviction that you really need to WANT to learn to c.b., before attempting to learn it (applies to other aspects of life too, of course).
C.B. is almost as ancient as the first wind instruments that we play on...it certainly goes back FAR earlier than the last few centuries and has been passed down by countless generations, among the Aboriginees in Australia (playing the digeridoo) and the Nomads in the Middle Eastern deserts (listen to the Mijwes, a double-piped singke-reed instrument), to name only two cultures . It is possible (and sometimes desirable) to play for hours on a single breath. For sure, the The Breath is SO IMPORTANT in the art of beautiful phrasing....but so is the ability to create the impression of endless energy and perpetual motion; the two should go hand in hand.
A few observations about how to use c.b., as well as its benefits:
1- TEMPO: The longer phrases that become possible, will probably alter /influence your concepts of the tempi you choose, because you will have greater capacity/freedom to stretch/contract the phrasing at will.
2- DYNAMICS: Your concepts of dynamics will also change. With normal breathing it is possible to play with great power...but sacrificing the musical tension of the phrase can sometimes be by-product of that. On the other hand, it is very diffcult to play fff while c.b. - so there can be a relative 'flattening of dynamic range', as a result. Basically, your priorities will shift from 'dynamic range' towards 'mus ical flow'.
3- WHEN TO C.B.: When I c.b., I find it easy to do it unobtrusively in a) moving passages, b) trills, c) when a phrase has a natural dip just after the climax, d) on descending scales rather than during ascent...you will develop you own formulas that work discreetly.
4- EMBOUCHURE: Many students who start trying to c.b. cannot understand how the shape of the mouth can be altered without disturbing the sound... the resulting flexibility of embouchure when we c.b. is invaluable and really liberating.
5- It is very, very hard to articulate when c.b. - but it is possible sometimes, by using the consonant 'k' rather than 't' when switching between the air in the cheeks and the lungs.
6- Don't assume that nobody was able to c.b. during the baroque or classical eras - that seems to me to be extremely patronising towards performers of that time. And anyway, just because something is not possible at any moment in time, that doesn't mean that it isn't desirable.
If you want to learn circular breathing, I suggest you set aside a month when you don't have any pressing deadlines...and just lock horns with it. If you manage to figure it out, it is the difference between riding a 125 cc motorbike and a 1300cc: they are both motorbikes, but the possibilities o f the latter are exhilarating...trust me on this - I may not play the flute very well, but I am a Yamaha (motorbike) Artist!!!
COMING BACK TO SIMPLE BREATHING
Whatever our abilities regarding c.b., our main source of power and musical expression should be coming from the simple breath.
To repeat:
The first thing we do when we are born - is breathe....this is also the last thing we ever do.
While we may not necessarily NEED to physically breathe before each phrase, there needs to be a 'virtual' or 'hypothetical' breath at the beginning and end of each phrase, otherwise there is a sense of lack of humanity in the music. Even when c.b., this 'virtual' breath needs to be there, to make the music sound natural.
In my opinion, too much emphasis is put on 'speed' and 'capacity' of breath, generally. This can often lead to tension in the whole breathing mechanism...so the problem often lies, not in the breath itself, nor in our state of being (as discussed before) but in our deep sense of timing. I like to focus very intently on this aspect with my stude nts, to instill a sense of real choice in the timing of the breath. To have a sense of choice, is to have freedom and liberation from many of the things that tie us down in life - and the same applies to our sense of timing when we breathe. We DON'T necessarily have to fit with the beat, if our idea of phrasing is committed, logical and convincing. Quite often, the beat will quite happily fit around the breath - this comes right to the heart of the concept of "rubato" in phrasing. The seasons NEVER fit to Time, as set by the human calender - that does not mean that the seasons are out of time...all it means, is that we humans are consistently, tragical ly and laughably out of sync with Life. Until we can feel such freedom of ti ming in our breathing, we will always suffer discomfort and tension (resulti ng in compromised breathing, which in turn touches on many other areas of ou r flute playing and general musicality).
One last thought.
When we converse with people generally, it is often what is left UNsaid, whi ch reveals the essence of what has actually transpired. Attaching too much i mportance to the words, is to miss the most important part of a conversation - the mystery and chemistry that defy the realm of words. We tend to make t he same mistake when we play...rather than attaching too much importance to the bricks and mortar of music (i.e. the notes) we need to sculpt and manipu late the very pregnant silences (and the potential of every breath within th ese eternal moments), so that the the phrases that escape our lips can have wings.
The first thing we do when we are born - is breathe....this is also the last thing we ever do.
regards
Wissam
Wissam Boustany
Towards Humanity
12 Walham Grove
London SW6 1QP
United Kingdom
Tel: 44 (0) 207 385 5569 Fax: 44 (0) 207 381 9001
Email: WBoustany@aol.com
website: www.wissamboustany.com
Date: Tue, 29 Dec 2009 14:59:25 -0500
From: Wissam Boustany wboustany@AOL.COM
Subject: BEYOND SOUND
Dear Friends,
Several weeks ago there was a discussion that I was following with great interest, concerning the various methods used for developing an "expressive sound"; this has been haunting me ever since....the elusive qualities that constitute the "expressive","musical" or"communicative" part of the sound we create, and how to attain these qualities in a consistent way.
When it comes to discussing sound, my conviction is that we often wind up barking up the wrong tree, because the issue we are trying to define simply cannot be reduced to "sound", without delving into our fundamental motivations for making music and our emotional depth (as opposed to our intellectual or analytical savvy). In the age of PHDs, research and grand theories, I feel we wind up glorifying and seeking the complicated, instead of accepting and attaining the simple...
There is a primal (yet subliminal) message that is imparted whenever we communicate, with or without our flutes. If we learn to see this vast dimension, we begin to control it.
The musician is to sound, what the poet is to language. Unfortunately, all too often we get completely bogged down in the grammar and rules of sound production, which wind up inhibiting rather than releasing that elusive creative quality that so many of us are looking for.
So how does the poet express himself?
- Poets learn to see beyond the obvious and the physical....they learn to see with their heart. Often poets are illiterate, by the way - but that doesn't stop them from seeing and expressing life in poetic terms.
- They learn to bend and manipulate words beyond the confines of their or thodox meaning.
- They breathe new life into experiences, realities and situations that many of us would take for granted.
This is what makes the difference between a poet and a person who writes instruction manuals. We need to retain our fascination for the element of mystery and the unfathomable, when we seek to define our aims as musicians, for this is precisely what sets music apart from other sciences and disciplines.
--
So how to make the connection between poet and performer?
This requires real discipline...but I am bending the word "discipline" here - I don't mean "practicing 50 hours a day", nor do I mean "practicing patterns/exercises that leave us brain dead", nor do I mean "adhering to what our masters or our teachers say", nor do I mean "swallowing the bitter pill". I mean: to have the discipline, courage and trust to follow our hearts.... simply and without fail. To have the audacity to enjoy what we are doing. To walk to the edge of our ability, beyond it and back - and to see the value in all our attempts. To accept who we are and want more. Invariably, the Hidden is a million times more powerful than what we can see/touch/hear; that is why silence is deafening...and why our spirituality defines and consistently prevails over our physical limitations. We need to trust in this process and work WITH it, instead of constantly trying to limit things to the muscular and quantifiable. Any method we adopt cannot afford to exclude this core that I would describe as our underlying humanity. Failing to do so, can only result in the conception of a sound that resembles a "stillborn child"...a stillborn child is perfect in every way, except that it is missing the one (and most important) ingredient...life.
--
For sure, the poet once learned his rules, regulations and grammar....and nerves and muscles DO play an important part in the realization of our sounds; but our full creativity will not find its wings until we manage to move beyond those initial building blocks, which very quickly become stumbling blocks if we do not move on. I believe this awakening comes to all of us, sooner or later...so why delay it? We usually delay this "coming of age" because of our crippling and ever-present fear of failure and/or our desire to keep up with, and beat, the competition. Ironically, we are often willing to forsake our greater self, in favor of a safer/smaller sense of control and security and self-identity. When this happens, we attain our consistency, but we pay the heavy price of losing our sense of sheer wonder/magic/brilliance in what we do; this is a sad moment, in my view...the attainment of stillborn sound - calculated to perfection...but dead.
--
Without wanting to impose, I would like to share with you, the discipline that I demand for myself:
- to strive to only play music that I know really, really REALLY well (i.e. to memorize anything I play in public).
- to improvise...through improvisation I practice the art of letting go, understanding the nature of my personal sound, going with the flow of my own body, breathing in the natural way my lungs want to breathe, tasting the underlying meaning of rhythm/rubato/timing. I look to heal all technical challenges through improvised exercises rather than relying on studies or excercises that have been generated through someone else's creative process.
- I refuse to touch the flute unless I am able to lock into a highly intense emotional state. Long ago, I accepted that Silence is far more beneficial to me than than indulging in stillborn sound.
Have a wonderful, inspired New Year.
with love
wissam
Wissam Boustany
Chairman, British Flute Society
Founder, Towards Humanity
12 Walham Grove, London SW6 1QP, UK
Tel: +44 207 385 5569 Fax: +44 207 381 9001
email: wboustany@aol.com website: www.wissamboustany.com
Posted by: "Andrew Freidin"
andrewfreidin@hotmail.com
Tue Dec 29, 2009 8:17 am (PST)
Learning a piece properly means that you could play the piece nearly perfectly even in adverse conditions. This means that a performer who is having an "off" day (say - the very start of an illness, but with too short a time to cancel), could acquit themselves well.
How does one achieve such security?
The first thing to recognize is that anxiety about anything interferes with every aspect of playing: from finger dexterity to psychological confidence.
Eliminating anxiety requires identifying its causes.
Trying to do too much before one is prepared is the universal explanation.
Put in more detail:
- Failure to memorize.
- Inadequate practice of the basics: scales and arpeggios and tone.
- Inadequate practice of the piece itself, and in particular the difficult passages, transitions and expression.
- Inadequate knowledge of style, upon which to base interpretation.
The main cause of anxiety is realistic: the knowledge that one has not yet securely learned the piece!
1. Memory.
In a great book about playing piano (by Karl Leimar and Walter Gieseking) this problem is identified specifically. Mental uncertainty. It is the cause of all mistakes. To overcome this one must memorize. Learn everything securely. Rachmaniniff said a piece was not learned until one could write out the entire score perfectly from memory. People who do not memorize are forcing themselves to read a piece afresh each time. This is rather pointless. This means they are limited to pieces below their actual level of skill. Sight-reading is an essential skill but it is separate. The best players can sight-memorize: The violinist Enesco could read a piece once and know the score perfectly. The pianist Sgouros can learn an average piano concerto from the score in one hour. (The Brahms Bflat took him 4 days, which is still a miracle.) But we ordinary folk need to build up bit by bit. Set yourself a manageable task. The first twenty bars or so of a piece. You can do this. It is a skill anyone can develop.
Instead of reading and re-reading, you should make some effort to memorize the notes. Start with very short phrases: less than 10 notes. Sing them. Play them away from the sheet music. Play them slowly. Play around with the expression. Take the phrase for a walk. Vary the dynamics. Try extreme dynamics. Play with different articulations. Then settle on an interpretation (for now), and play it many times like that. It may seem a lot of work for 2 bars out of a piece with a hundred bars, but it is worth it. The next time it will be much, much easier. Within a few weeks your piece could be learnt.
To aid memory, analyse the piece. Most pieces have structure, including repetitions, and variations on similar phrases. Composers use these devices very frequently. You need over time to recognize these things instantly: transposition to a different degree of a scale, transposition to a different key, change from major to minor, change of mode, diminution, augmentation, 2-voice effects (melody notes alternating with accompaniment notes) and most of all you need to recognize harmony. Just because flutists play one note at a time, doesn't mean the harmony is left to the accompanist! The notes of an arpeggio all belong to a chord, and recognizing the chord will aid your memory and security in playing the notes.
2. This is where scales and arpeggios and tone are essential. Musicians devote daily practice time to them. Much has been written which I won't repeat, but I suggest you listen to the wonderful mp3s on Sir James Galway's website explaining how to practice them. If you haven't already, get a scale book and begin work.
People try to do to much, the brain gets confused and the result is: mistakes and disappointment. Panic has no place in practice. Practice is private. It should be fun, not unpleasant, and the secret is doing very small things very well. This is very satisfying and builds knowledge and confidence. The key book is De la Sonorite" by Marcel Moyse. He made some very important and valuable exercises out of just 2 notes, and although this may seem incredibly zen, it really is the heart of flute playing: developing a beautiful sound on a single note and connecting this note with another. His other books address all aspects of flute playing.
For finger security, and lip flexibility, the key is repetition, repetition, repetition, repetition. Whatever you do, think of the sound, and ask "can I make this sound better? Can it be... clearer, more expressive, better in tune, more rhythmically convincing, happier, more beautiful... etc(?)
Do everything slowly at first. Try to make it beautiful. Don't hit the keys, touch them gently. Do not try to play fast what you cannot play slow!
3. Pieces are assembled from the building blocks of general technique. But each piece has some peculiarities and special difficulties. They must be identified and patiently overcome. For example, if you need to learn a new trill, research the fingerings, and practice it slowly. Then add the ornaments, the beginning grace note if it has one, and the termination. There may be a need to look at the harmony to decide which notes to use as not everything is notated by composers: much is implied according to style and context.
What you need to practice 20 times today is not necessarily learnt perfectly.
But tomorrow it might only need 10 repetitions, and the next day less.
Expect things to take time and work, and you will avoid disappointment.
Playing a simple phrase or scale well is one of the great pleasures of musical life.
4. Style and interpretation. Listen to great players and especially singers. Listen every day. When something strikes you as particularly wonderful, try to imitate some little phrase that you have heard played beautifully. This focus on a small beautiful detail is the best way to identify the means to express yourself. I remember being overwhelmed by the beautiful sound of a phrase on Sir James's albums of Japanese folk melodies. Imitating this taught me much about what a flute could do, and what I might do.
Read about the lives and historical context of composers. Learn the meaning of the instructions (usually in Italian) in the score. It is hard to approach a piece sensibly if one doesn't know these things.
The secret of focus is simply being focussed.
Avoid bad habits by practicing good ones.
Hope this helps, and good luck,
Andrew Freidin,
London UK
Date: Wed, 15 Feb 2012 10:18:36 +0000
From: Trevor Wye <tw@TREVORWYE.COM>
Subject: Stuffy F#3
Dear Jonathan, The removal of the donut wouldn't affect F#. If the pads have been checked and the link (clutch) between the RH2 and the F# key covering the G hole has been checked, you might look at the key rise: it should be at least 3.5mm in the R + LHds, but the foot keys, including the Eb key, more, ideally 4.5mm. Is it an inline flute? If so, have you checked to see if the A# key, the one you don't put your finger on, is opening completely? Try this test: without playing, finger F3 and change to F#3. Do the LH keys open fully? A common problem with inline flutes is that pressure on the 3rd finger RH causes the rod to bend very slightly stops the key opening and making F# impossible. This usually only happens under stress in a concert!
Just by-the-way...you might try giving yourself a temporary split F# 'mechanism' just to see how much easier F# becomes. Take an inch or so of Selotape 'magic tape' and place it sticky side down completely covering the A# tone hole, the one below where you place your finger to play A natural. This tape leaves no sticky deposit on the tone hole surface. The F# should be easier though you can't play much else, but it does show how having the two holes (A# and B) normally open for F# makes this note a little harder. (For anyone mystified by this, slowly finger chromatically from Eb1 to Ab1 comparing each low note with it's 3rd octave fingering. E natural and F# are the only two where two holes are open instead of one compared to the first octave unless a split E is fitted. This extra venting makes them harder to play) Unfortunately a 'real' set of split F# mechanism is expensive and really not worth it.
Many years ago, I bought a wooden flute on which F#3 using the 3rd finger refused to sound good. After some months of checking, repadding, undercutting holes and generally tinkering, I rang the old man to ask, 'How did you used to finger F#3?' 'Oh, the middle finger of course!' he replied. Sure enough, after 64 years of this, it had 'learned' this sound. F# was better when I used the 2nd finger. F# is often improved and made easier in pp by the addition of the low C# key I hope you find the answer to the problem.
Trevor
www.trevorwye.com
Date: Sat, 9 Apr 2016 12:39:20 -0400
From: Jan
Vinci
Subject: Re: Exercises for playing softly
What are your favourite exercises for practising playing piano or pianissimo with a good tone?
Dear Debbie and Flutists,
After many years of teaching, I found that one of the most "feared" areas is playing softly in the high register. For some flutists the area just before a note goes to niente is "no man's land." But, I find that most students know how to playing softly in the high register; they just don't realize it. I developed an exercise that would prove just that to the aspiring flutist.
I am a huge fan of figuring out where a student is psychologically and physically (what they already know), and taking them to where they want to be (what they do not know). It may be that they can take a big leap to get there. But, in most cases, I have found that taking small steps, or coming through the back door, works better .
So, here is the exercise I came up with for tapering and playing softly...
Play one of the easiest notes in the high register, F3. Start with a comfortable full sound (forte-ish). Then, EXTREMELY slowly, begin directing the air out of the embouchure hole. The tone gets softer and eventually a taper ensues. The key is: DO NOT STOP BLOWING AIR after the tone stops! While continuing to blow air and maintaining a flute embouchure, VERY slowly redirect the air back into the flute and do a "backwards" taper back into sound. But, only come back into the sonic area where it is extremely soft (the old "no man's land") and stay there for a few seconds, learning what is required of the embouchure and breath support to maintain that beautiful delicate soft high tone. In the SAME breath, direct the air out of the flute again, tapering the note once again. When the sound goes away, still CONTINUE TO BLOW AIR. Then taper back into the extremely soft note and then taper out again. In ONE BREATH play at least 4 tapers and soft tones. This helps us to learn how to taper notes and, even more importantly, enjoy those magical areas just before and just after a beautiful taper.
I then have the student play the exercise on most of the third register notes, starting with the least resistant to the most resistant. My students have had much success with this approach and enjoy the beauty of playing softly and tapering in the high register. And, as you can imagine, it helps in playing softly in the middle and low registers, too.
I have put this exercise into finale and you can download it from the EXERCISE page of my website janvinci.com.
Enjoy the magical world of tapers and the "everyone's land" around it!
JanFrom: Andrea La Rose <andrea.larose@GMAIL.COM>
Subject: Re: Exercises for Difference Tones
Dear Jennifer and List,
I figured this out a long time ago, practiced it, and then lost where I had
it all written down. So, I walked myself through it again. Here it is.
Enjoy.
cheers,
Andrea
Let’s make up a fake harmonic series based on a nice, easy to use whole
number: 100. Our tuning system does not produce something that we recognize
as being in tune at this frequency, but for ease of math, let’s pretend.
It’s somewhere between A2 and G#2; let’s call it A, again for ease. Here
are the first 9 partials in a harmonic series built on fake A2.
1 100Hz A2
2 200Hz A3
3 300Hz E4
4 400Hz A4
5 500Hz C#5
6 600Hz E5
7 700Hz G5ish (low)
8 800Hz A5
9 900Hz B5
Now we can subtract:
A3 at 200 and A2 at 100 —> 200-100=100. So if you play an octave above or
below your drone, the difference tone will be the same as the lower note in
the octave.
E4 at 300 and A2 at 200 is a perfect fifth. —> 300-200=100. If you play a
perfect fifth above or below your drone, the difference tone will sound an
octave below the root of your fifth.
A4 at 400 and E4 at 300 is a perfect fourth. —> 400-300=100. If you play a
perfect fourth above or below your drone, the difference tone will sound
two octaves below the upper note of your fourth.
C#5 at 500 and A4 at 400 is a major third. —> 500-400=100. If you play a
major third above or below your drone, the difference tone will sound two
octaves below the root of your major third.
E5 at 600 and C#5 at 500 is a minor third. —> 600-500=100. If you play a
minor thirds above or below your drone, the difference tone will sound two
octaves and a major third below the root of your minor third. The three
tones form a major triad.
G5 at 700 and E5 at 600 is also a minor third, but the ratio is different
than the previous one (here is 7:6, the previous one is 6:5). —>
700-600=100. The difference tone will sound two octaves and a fifth below
the root of the minor third.
A5 at 800 and G5 at 700 is one kind of major second, 8:7. —> 800-700=100.
The difference tone will sound three octaves below the upper note of the
major second.
B5 at 900 and A5 at 800 is another kind of major second, 9:8. —>
900-800=100. The difference tone will sound three octaves below the root of
the major second,.
Notice how everything basically produces the fundamental of the harmonic
series. We need to look at a few more intervals.
C#5 at 500 and E4 at 300 is a major sixth. —> 500-300=200. The difference
tone will be a perfect fifth below the root of the major sixth. The three
tones form a major triad.
A5 at 800 and C#5 at 500 is a minor sixth. —> 800-500=300. The difference
tone will be a major sixth below the root of the minor sixth. The three
tones form a major triad, 2nd inversion.
G5 at 700 and A4 at 400 is a minor seventh (but lower than we are used to).
—> 700-400=300. The difference tone will be a perfect fourth below the root
of the minor seventh.
Major sevenths and minor seconds require us to go up a few more partials
and it gets tricky.
A 16:15 minor second gives you a difference tone four octaves below the
root of the minor second; it will be hard to hear this if your root is
below A4.
A 15:8 major seventh gives you a difference tone a major second below the
root of the major seventh.
We now have enough information to figure out what difference tones sound
out when the tonic of a scale is your drone. Let’s use a C major scale,
starting on C4:
Drone C4, play D4 (9:8), difference tone is C1.
Drone C4, play E4, difference tone is C2.
Drone C4, play F4, difference tone is F2.
Drone C4, play G4, difference tone is C3.
Drone C4, play A4, difference tone is F3.
Drone C4, play B4, difference tone is Bb3.
Using set-theory terminology you get:
0-2-0
0-4-0
0-5-5
0-7-0
0-8-5
0-11-10
Chromatic:
C4-Db4-C0 (inaudible)
C4-D4-C1
C4-Eb4-Ab1
C4-E4-C2
C4-F4-F2
C4-F#4-A2 (10:7 tritone)
C4-G4-C3
C4-Ab4-Eb3
C4-A4-F3
C4-Bb4-G3
C4-B4-Bb3
C4-C5-C2
Four things to keep in mind:
Playing with the tonic as your drone produces a just-intonation scale,
which will be out of tune with any piano, since pianos are tuned in equal
temperament. That does not render this exercise useless; instead it gives
you lots of options for expressive intonation! And if you’re not playing
with piano, your ensemble has even more options. I remember a recorderista
friend telling me how the early-music ensemble she was working with would
spend the first 45 minutes of a rehearsal just making artistic decisions
about tuning — That gives you an idea about how serious you can get about
intonation. This brings us to our second point.
You will notice that there are multiple minor thirds and multiple minor
seconds with different sized ratios. This is where the element of choice
comes in. You can practice this by playing a three-note version of Mary Had
a Little Lamb using only different tunings of C and D (10:9, 9:8, & 8:7),
for example.
Thirdly, since some of the intervals produce difference tones octaves below
the pair you might be producing, it is possible that the difference tone
falls outside the range of hearing. This is less likely with flutes, but
still possible.
Lastly, the same instruments will produce more audible difference tones
than different instruments. Flute and guitar, for example, would a
difficult combination to really hear sustained difference tones, as you do
when you play with a sine-, square-, or sawtooth-wave.
--
™™™™™™™™™™™™™™™™™™™™™™
http://reloadsanear.com
